Ground switch ‘unacceptable’ blasts O’Gara
LA ROCHELLE head coach Ronan O’Gara says it is “unacceptable” that today’s Champions Cup semi-final against Racing 92 could take place in front of a small crowd in Lens, in the north of France.
French hip hop band Sexion d’Assaut are playing at Racing 92’s Paris La Defense arena this weekend, forcing the game to be moved to the Stade Bollaert Delelis – two hours from Paris and seven from La Rochelle.
Munster’s match against Toulouse last week had to be moved to the Aviva as Ed Sheeran was playing a concert at Thomond Park.
O’Gara said: “Unfortunately, the stands are going to be a bit empty. I think it’s a shame for a semi-final, it’s unacceptable.
“There’s huge disappointment and frustration that there’s a concert booked for the U Arena – it seems to be the year of concerts disturbing rugby games. So, we’re going to Lens which is at least seven hours by road with no flights really.
“There’s lots of frustration amongst supporters. For a lot of people, it’s a once in a lifetime opportunity and they want their families there but to not be able to get a flight makes it really difficult for people.”
O’Gara believes the match will be closely contested and could be influenced by a poor decision from a player on either team and says it’s down to how each side reacts when things go against them.
He said: “They’ve seen all our games, we’ve seen all their games, we have a plan to stop them, and they have a plan to stop us. The match will take a life of its own through a potentially poor decision from a player on either team and the energy after that will flow differently.
“It’s up to my players to reconstruct their performances from that point and make sure we stay on the task and refocus. On
the field, it’s a natural surface in a football stadium, so it will be fast and warm.
“We looked dangerous with the ball against Montpellier last Saturday and we seem to have got a bit of bite back in our game now. It would be nice to get back to a final, but I know too well that this is the competition Racing 92 love.”
The Parisians have lost three Champions Cup finals and are on a quest to end their European pain, but La Rochelle are looking to bounce back from being beaten by Toulouse in last season’s final.
“We lost in the final last year but the past doesn’t interest me anymore,” said O’Gara. “It’s true Racing have lost three finals, so I think there will be a lot of
frustration on their part, notably the last one [in 2020] where they just lost out to Exeter.”
Racing 92 finished top of Pool A with four wins from four before beating Stade Francais in the last 16, and claiming a 41-22 victory over Sale in last Sunday’s quarter-final.
La Rochelle finished third in Pool A after three wins from four. They beat Bordeaux Begles in the last 16, and bookied their semifinal spot with a 31-19 defeat of Montpellier.
Racing have made five changes after last week’s win as a new look front row sees Guram Gogichashvili, Teddy Baubigny and Springbok Trevor Nyakane drafted in, while French international Bernard Le Roux comes in at lock. In the backs, hard hitting centre Virimi Vakatawa returns to the starting 15 in place of captain Henry Chavancy, who drops to the bench.
La Rochelle have made just one change as French star Jonathan Danty returns to the centres in place of Levani Botia.
Racing are fourth in the Top 14 and trail leaders Montpellier by three points, while a poor domestic campaign leaves O’Gara’s side in seventh.