After a sold-out match in its lair of Marcel-Deflandre, Stade La Rochelais easily beat (24-10) the Saracens team, Sunday April 9, in the quarter-finals of the Champions Cup. In the semi-finals, the Maritimes will find another English team, Exeter, who beat the Cape Stormers (42-17) on Saturday. Under the rule of their Irish coach Ronan O’Gara, the Maritimes learned the lessons of their difficult round of 16 last weekend against Gloucester (29-26).
In front of 16,000 supporters committed to their cause, the Yellows have, this time, never trembled. The opposition between the defending champion and the triple winner of the competition (2016, 2017 and 2019) gave birth to a padlocked, very tactical meeting. Short of ideas, the Saracens players never appeared able to win. It’s hard to imagine that this team is currently leading the English league, eleven points ahead of Sale.
Throughout the match, the English took the tide and were unable to respond to the physical challenge of the Rochelais, especially in the ground game. With Levani Botia, Will Skelton, Jonathan Danty and Gregory Alldritt as ball scratchers, the Maritimes ruled the rucks and weaned their opponents from ammunition.
As the minutes passed, English impotence became more and more evident. The injured third line international Billy Vunipola’s exit in the 21st minute was another blow for the English, already dominated in closed scrum. Undisciplined, the Saracens also conceded numerous penalties. Four were converted by fly-half Antoine Hastoy.
The game changed in the 33rd minute, when Reda Wardi, Will Skelton and Pierre Bourgarit rammed through the England defence, opening up gaps for New Zealand scrum-half Tawera Kerr-Barlow who, after a clever double pass with Aldritt, zigzagged within 22 yards for Saracens to score the first try of the game. After transformation, La Rochelle made the hole (16-3). If the Maritimes were only 13 points ahead at the break, the fate of the match already seemed sealed.
Owen Farrell’s bankruptcy
The second period was not going to allow the English to resuscitate. In the 58th minute, a breakthrough by Levani Botia, untenable on Sunday, allowed Tawera Kerr-Barlow to score a second try, unconverted. At 9:00 p.m., mass, however, was said. Often overwhelmed, international opener Owen Farrell, captain of Saracens, embodies the bankruptcy of the English game.
Without showing much imagination, the English managed to save the honor by scoring a try in the 65th minute, after a series of picks and go, after recourse to video arbitration. Farrell’s transformation allowed the English to return to eleven points (21-10).
After a final penalty from Hastoy, the referee signaled the end of the match (24-10) and the La Rochelle public could celebrate their heroes, in particular their favorite, the Fijian Levani Botia, author of a breathtaking match. La Rochelle continues a series of fourteen successive Champions Cup victories.
In three weeks, the Rochelais will face Exeter for a place in the final. If successful, the Champions Cup final could be 100% tricolor. In the other part of the table, Stade Toulousain, winner (54-20) of the Durban Sharks on Saturday, will face the Irish of Leinster, who largely dominated Leicester (55-24) on Friday. The semi-finals will take place on April 29 and 30. The final will take place on May 20 at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin.
