La Rochelle, defending champion, will find the Irish of Leinster, on May 20 in Dublin, in the final of the Champions Cup, after having eliminated the English of Exeter (47-28) Sunday in Bordeaux. The French club, which will play its third consecutive final in this competition, beat the Irish province (24-21) last season in the final in Marseille.
The men of Ronan O’Gara, winner with Munster as a player (2006, 2008) then with La Rochelle as a coach (2022), equaled a record held by Toulouse (2003, 2004, 2005) and Toulon (2013, 2014). , 2015), who were also finalists three times in a row.
But to dream of a second continental star, the Rochelais will have a hard time facing the Irish ogre, who defeated Toulouse in the other semi-final (41-22) and in search of a fifth European title. .
To obtain the right to challenge Leinster at home, the caravel club outclassed the English Chiefs by scoring seven tries, by Raymond Rhule (9th, 44th), UJ Seuteni (23rd), Grégory Alldritt (32nd), Tawera Kerr-Barlow (39th, 68th), Pierre Bourgarit (53rd). The Champions Cup final is scheduled for May 20 in Dublin, the day after the Challenge Cup final, which will oppose Toulon to the Scots of Glasgow.
