Beneath the beautiful curved roof of this spectacular stadium, the question was whether Leinster could graduate as a modern master of the European game. They have long had the mission of winning a fifth Champions Cup title that matches the record and for almost 79 minutes the stage seemed ready to complete its great design.
And then, right at the end, it all fell apart. After what appeared to be a few years of concerted forward pressure from La Rochelle, the ball came into the hands of his half-scrum reserve Arthur Retière, one of the youngest men on the field. At first he stumbled, but regained his balance and stretched enough to touch the line and deliver the final European prize on the Atlantic coast for the first time.
In fact, it had been coming. Time and time again, La Rochelle had led Leinster’s fine blue defensive line, roaring through the thousands of fans dressed in black and yellow behind the poles. Ultimately, despite the six penalties from Irish chief architect Johnny Sexton, the rehearsal count said it all. Three draws for the side coached by Ronan O’Gara, the undisputed Irish winner of the day. It was a nightmare for Sexton, a rare misjudgment in his own line that presented La Rochelle the position from which a short-distance try from his hooker Pierre Bourgarit had dragged them back into a fight. of dogs of the last quarter. It was a crucial moment, despite La Rochelle’s Thomas Lavault, who was unable to finish the game.
And what a triumph that was for O’Gara, now only the second person after Leo Cullen of Leinster to win the title as both a player and a coach. There was a respectful handshake after the game with Sexton, but that result will further polish an ever-improving coaching resume. “Without any arrogance, we genuinely believe we would win today,” O’Gara said later. “There was one of the two guys who was angry with a 12-7 in the half, but we knew we were a second half team. We knew the last 20 minutes were where we could get them. “
Hungry for possession and with a messy entrance against them, Leinster also let themselves be absorbed in the brutal truth that, after the first 10 minutes, seldom threatened to score a try. “Maybe we should have been more aggressive at times and tried,” a downcast Sexton later admitted. “But everyone is an expert in retrospect. A lot of things haven’t gone our way in the last 30 minutes when we were in control of the game. It’s hard to take on.”
If only Leinster could have continued as they started. They drove their first lineup, clearly looking to make a physical point, and were rewarded with two early Sexton penalties. The magic of the pinball of its distribution when things are clicking with the ball in hand was a tempting test.
But this was a La Rochelle team ready to be patient and they soon came back strong. His South African winger Raymond Rhule is a fast and strong drive and the usually reliable Hugo Keenan was defeated by his dynamic pace. Ihaia West has had his unstable moments of goal-scoring, but his wide-angle conversion has been a peach.
Leinster responded by changing into a prostitute after just 15 minutes, with her Irish international Ronan Kelleher grabbing her arm as she left. Dan Sheehan was a disappointment, however.
A much more cagier game later developed. Scrappy is not Leinster’s favorite scene and La Rochelle, growing in confidence, began sending a fleet of HGV trucks thundering through. The former Springbok Rhule, who was no longer the fleeting exception, was suddenly everywhere.
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From a neutral perspective, this was great news: the organizers needed a proper competition instead of an Irish procession, with next year’s final already scheduled in Dublin. And now they had one, with roars of ‘Go, go!’ of the stands and Leinster under a sustained siege near their own line.
Sometimes they could barely stand it. There was a particularly key moment when, with La Rochelle on the attack, referee Wayne Barnes was advised to sanction Dany Priso on the loose side for collapsing. Priso was horrified, but Barnes was adamant. At the other end was Leinster and secured another penalty offside in front of the posts. They looked happy enough as they trotted into the interval with a five-point cushion.
Last year’s semi-final was last year’s semi-final when, after narrowly leading in the half, Leinster ended up being physically knocked down and losing 32-23. When a Western penalty reduced the margin to just two points in as many minutes in the second half, the tension air rose one more degree.
Even after Sexton’s sixth penalty, La Rochelle continued to advance, only the final pass refused to stick. But then came Sexton’s failure to clear his lines after a failed drop-goal attempt, Bourgarit’s maul score and West’s second nerveless conversion, creating a worthy end. ‘stage.
Has it been a European Cup season in general? Maybe not, with the curse of Covid that has slowed down its early stages. But the final was well organized and, overall, the heartbeat of the tournament remains strong. Although watching these two formidable teams collide against each other, it could be a while before an English team lifts the trophy.