Heartache for Sexton as French grab glory
LEINSTER skipper Johnny Sexton choked back the tears as his Irish province melted in the Med after failing to deliver a five-star Champions Cup performance.
Leinster were looking for a record-equalling fifth Champions Cup win to level them with Toulouse but lost out with 70 seconds to go when La Rochelle nicked the final in Marseille.
Sexton had kicked six penalties before being replaced on 62 minutes and Leinster had a four-point buffer heading into the closing stages.
But La Rochelle replacement Arthur Retiere piled over after the French had been camped on the Irish line for ten minutes to claim the title.
Sexton said: “I was devastated to lose in that fashion. To not even have the chance to come back
and win the game. There were a lot of things that did not go our way in the last 30 minutes when we were in control of the game. I thought we were going to hold out but we didn’t.
“You can’t fault the effort and the spirit to hold La Rochelle out for the last 12 minutes but we were in a position to win the game and we just couldn’t nail it.
“This is the one everyone wants to win and the one we desperately wanted to win and we came within 60 seconds of it. It is a pretty bad dressing room at the moment.
“I am pretty lost for words, to be honest. We weren’t at our best. We will have to look at it before we point any fingers. It is devastating. Fair play to La Rochelle, they came here with a plan. I didn’t see them coming back but we did not clear our lines and we paid the price.”
Director of rugby Leo Cullen added: “It is hugely frustrating because it means so much to us.
“We are always desperate to win this tournament. There were lots of things in the game when we were camped on their line. We would love to have a crack again but you don’t get a second chance in finals.”
This was sweet for La Rochelle head coach Ronan O’Gara, a Munster legend, who got one over his oldest rivals and Sexton, the bloke who took the Ireland No.10 shirt from him when they were rivals at opposite ends of their Test careers.
A few years ago La Rochelle were stuck in the second tier of French rugby but here they were crowned as European top dogs after surviving a yellow card to lock Thomas Lavault.
O’Gara joined an elite club, that includes Cullen, of men who have played and coached in winning Champions Cup finals.
O’Gara said: “We started a long way away from dreaming of getting to finals. We were second division eight years ago. The defence was everything. This is the first time Leinster have not scored a try. We were all in today. I understand Leo and Stuart Lancaster (senior coach) are in a horrible place. We didn’t get the lead until the 80th minute and they didn’t get the chance to kick off. It is a kick in the balls. We genuinely believed we would win today and there were ample opportunities to jump ship. The boys deserve immense credit for staying on task.
“You would have to spare a thought for those guys tonight but our mindset was great. For people who believe you don’t earn things in finals we have ample proof that it does work. We learned from our mistakes and the players believed this was going to happen. Teams with bottle, belief and a vision find a way to win and our
guys deserve credit for staying on task.”
Leinster were 12-7 up but O’Gara was confident his big hitting side would be able to react. “We are a second half team, the data shows that. We knew that Leinster’s last 20 minutes was where we could get them. The boys were so mentally strong in the last few minutes. If you go off your feet in the last few minutes that is a penalty, the final has gone and we are a team of bottlers. I am very proud of their mental resolve. It is a great starting point for the club.”
■LEINSTER flanker Josh van der Flier has rounded off an outstanding season by being named EPCR European Player of the Year 2022.
The 29-year-old was presented with the Anthony Foley Memorial Trophy following yesterday’s Champions Cup final at the Stade Velodrome in Marseille.