A WORK OF ART
Retiere’s late try makes it a masterpiece from O’gara and his men but Leinster can draw no comfort from narrow loss
IT proved to be heartbreak for Leinster in Marseille as their latest attempt to gain a fifth Champions Cup star ended in a devastating last minute defeat.
Holding a four-point advantage with eight minutes left, the Blues had to defend for their lives to the final whistle as Ronan O’gara’s La Rochelle pushed and pushed to score the try that would hand them a first-ever European crown.
What followed was a patient suffocation of Leinster, who coughed up penalty after penalty and scrum after scrum at the end of an engrossing, epic contest played out in sweaty conditions in front of a 59,682 crowd.
And, after suffering defeat in last year’s decider, the Top 14 side got their reward right at the death as replacement scrumhalf Arthur Retiere reached for the line and made it.
Ihaia West had the comfort of knowing he could run down the clock before slotting over the conversion that he didn’t need to score. His side already held a one-point lead and Leinster were out of time.
It was a tough end to an otherwise exceptional European campaign for Leo Cullen’s side. But they met their match in La Rochelle, just as they did in last year’s semi-final, and having been shut out on the try front they couldn’t prevent their opponents scoring three themselves.they were without Johnny Sexton for last year’s meeting, among other frontliners, but the in-form captain had to make way here in the 62nd minute.
Whether his presence to the end would have been enough for Leinster to hold out is doubtful.
As they had done against Leicester and Toulouse in the last two rounds, Leinster made a very strong start but had to be content with two successful Sexton penalties giving them the lead.
But La Rochelle burst back
into the contest, scoring off a devastating first attacking move in the 10th minute.
Hugo Keenan was asleep as winger Raymond Rhule slid by on his inside to score and West converted to put his side ahead.
Leinster were pulverised in the first game’s first scrum before injured hooker Ronan Kelleher was replaced by Dan Sheehan.
La Rochelle were motoring but it was Leinster who scored next, in the 23rd minute and through a third Sexton penalty, after Wayne Barnes pinged Wiaan Liebenberg for crossing.
Sexton then released Robbie Henshaw but with men over on the left for the province, La Rochelle did well to slow the Blues’ ruck ball. The chance was lost.
A drop-goal attempt from distance by Sexton was badly mishit – and Leinster found themselves clinging on as halftime approached.
A neck roll on Andrew Porter by Remi Bourdeau provided relief for the Blues close to their own line, then a knock-on botched a La Rochelle overlap.
Another Leinster penalty saw Sexton tap over for his fourth successful kick for a 12-7 half-time lead.
That advantage was cut to two points almost instantly as Caelan Doris was penalised at the breakdown and West made no mistake. Back came Leinster, with James Lowe winning a lineout deep in La Rochelle territory but Doris was held up over the line.
Sexton and his forwards made the call to kick his side 15-10 ahead with a penalty for offside.
The lead was soon out to eight points.
Henshaw’s break forced La Rochelle backwards and, when James Ryan was caught high, Sexton maintained his 100% record off the French side’s 11th penalty concession.
But Leinster became careless in their own 22 and were made to pay, losing a turnover penalty before hooker Pierre Bourgarit scored a try as his pack took charge of the lineout maul.
West’s conversion made it a one-point game as Sexton, Porter and Furlong made way.
Ross Byrne replaced the skipper and quickly got off the mark when a replay picked up Thomas Lavault’s trip on Gibson-park and he was binned.
Yet there was no stopping La Rochelle now. Time and again, West gave up the opportunity to kick a close-range penalty as they backed their ability to score a winning try. They were proved right in the end.
Tries: Rhule, Bourgarit, Retiere. Cons: West 3. Pens: West.