Champions Cup: Leinster 26-27 La Rochelle – French side edge thriller

La Rochelle retained the Champions Cup as they broke Leinster’s hearts for the second year running in a pulsating final in Dublin.

But La Rochelle staged a brilliant fightback that was capped by Georges-Henri Colombe’s late try.

It is La Rochelle’s second title and denies Leinster a record-equalling fifth triumph.

There were ecstatic scenes among the men in yellow at the final whistle as they completed the biggest comeback in Champions Cup final history.

It was a classic final that gripped a sold-out Aviva Stadium from the first minute when Leinster scored their opening try.

However, having built a commanding lead, the Irish side faded and were left with a familiar sense of agony after losing last year’s decider to the side coached by former Munster fly-half Ronan O’Gara.

The defeat means Leinster have lost three finals – they were also beaten by Saracens in 2019 – since winning their fourth title in 2018.

It caps a disappointing climax to their season after also losing the United Rugby Championship semi-final to rivals Munster last week.

La Rochelle in contrast have reaffirmed their status as European club rugby’s leading force under O’Gara, who has now won four Champions Cups as player and coach.

Leinster make barnstorming start

Perhaps fuelled by their thirst for revenge, Leinster made a stunning start as they scored the fastest try in the history of the Champions Cup final.

Spotting a gap in the La Rochelle line-out, Dan Sheehan threw short to an onrushing Jack Conan, who darted into space before laying off for the hooker to cross after 41 seconds.

With the Aviva Stadium rocking, Leinster quickly touched down for a second time when Jamison Gibson-Park and Ross Byrne combined to sweep the ball out wide with speed, enabling Jimmy O’Brien to stretch the lead.

La Rochelle’s sense of crisis deepened when, after Tawera Kerr-Barlow was sin-binned for stopping opposite number Gibson-Park’s tap penalty, Sheehan scored his second and Leinster’s third after being teed up by another searching pass from the scrum-half.

They were facing a mountainous task in front of a raucous Dublin crowd, but La Rochelle composed themselves and reduced the deficit when Jonathan Danty crashed through a sea of blue shirts to give the holders a lifeline.

While Byrne extended Leinster’s advantage to 23-7 with two penalties, Ulupano Seuteni crossed unopposed after a perfectly timed Antoine Hastoy pass to bring a surging La Rochelle closer before the break.

La Rochelle fight back to edge classic

Determined to pick up after the break where they left off, La Rochelle dictated the tempo in the second half when Seuteni broke through the heart of the Leinster defence and that led to an offside and another Hastoy penalty.

After Hastoy and Byrne exchanged penalties, La Rochelle piled pressure on the Leinster defence before taking the lead for the first time when Colombe crashed over, with the Irish side’s misery compounded by a yellow card for Ronan Kelleher.

They were without their captain James Ryan, who failed a head injury assessment, but Leinster poured forward in search of a match-winning score.

However, their hopes were dashed when replacement prop Michael Ala’alatoa was sent off in the last few seconds for a dangerous clear out, allowing Hastoy to kick the ball dead and complete another painful final for Leinster.

Leinster: H Keenan; J O’Brien, G Ringrose, R Henshaw, J Lowe; R Byrne, J Gibson-Park; A Porter, D Sheehan, T Furlong; R Molony, J Ryan (capt); C Doris, J van der Flier, J Conan.

Replacements: R Kelleher, C Healy, M Ala’alatoa, J Jenkins, R Baird, L McGrath, C Frawley, C Ngatai.

La Rochelle: B Dulin; D Leyds, UJ Seuteni, J Danty, R Rhule; A Hastoy, T Kerr-Barlow; R Wardi, P Bourgarit, U Atonio; R Sazy, W Skelton; P Boudehent, L Botia, G Alldritt (capt).

Replacements: Q Lespiaucq-Brettes, J Sclavi, G Henri Colombe, T Lavault, R Bourdeau, U Dillane, T Berjon, J Favre.

Referee: Jaco Peyper (SARU)