Grégory Alldritt and his teammates for Toulouse in the final? ROMAN PERROCHEAU / AFP
The Rochelais largely disposed of the Chiefs this Sunday (47-28), in Bordeaux, during the second semi-final.
La Rochelle-Leinster in the Champions Cup final: episode 2! The Rochelais won in the semi-final against the English of Exeter (47-28) thanks to doubles from Rhule and Kerr-Barlow and tries from Seuteni, Alldritt and Bourgarit. Despite Levani Botia’s injury at the start of the game, the maritime wave suffered first before overflowing the Chiefs after the quarter of an hour of play.
The reigning European champions will therefore travel to Dublin on May 20 to face the Irish of Leinster, wide winners of Stade Toulousain this Saturday in the other semi-final (41-22).
The power of La Rochelle
In the boiling cauldron of Matmut Atlantique in Bordeaux, La Rochelle first missed its start. Already penalized four times in six minutes, the Rochelais suffered and conceded the first try of the match by Sam Simmonds, the future Montpellier player (6e). Following, the Maritimes react through Raymond Rhule, at the conclusion of a kicking game over Antoine Hastoy (9e).
A quarter of an hour later, Grégory Alldritt’s teammates continued to hurt the English defense. And managed to plant a new try by Seuteni, well served in the back by the French number eight (23e). The latter, very active in the first period, also went queen after a start flush with a scrum (32e). Finally Kerr-Barlow after a very good job by Seuteni and Bourgarit, planted the last banderilla on the mermaid (40e26-7).
A messy end to the game
The Rochelais then started the second period as they had finished the first. After several playing times, Antoine Hastoy distributed a superb kicking game on Rhule once again, who scored in a corner (44e). Bourgarit, at the helm of a well-structured carried ball, also crossed the English goal line (53e) and rewarded the good work of the maritime forwards.
Suffocated, the poor Exeter Chiefs even conceded a seventh try by Kerr-Barlow (68e), already a scorer at the end of the first period before scoring two tries in five minutes by Woodburn (70e) et Yeandle (75e). Despite this late awakening, the Rochelais thought they had scored a new achievement by Quentin Lespiaucq (79e) but the trial was ultimately refused. Ronan O’Gara’s men will now try to repeat last season’s feat against the great Leinster.
