Arthur Retière's test, in a mouse hole, one minute from the end, caused a shock wave in the stands of the Vélodrome de Marseille.
La Rochelle is European champion.
A year after Toulouse, a year after failing in the final, the Rochelais climb to the roof of the old continent.
The feat is monumental, inversely proportional to this success of the thickness of a hand against Leinster, the big favorite of the competition (21-23) this Saturday.
“It's huge, I don't have the words”, breathes captain Grégory Alldritt.
THEY DID IT !!!!!!!
pic.twitter.com/x7hb2B4EBP
— Stade Rochelais (@staderochelais) May 28, 2022
We were waiting for the Irish waves, these incessant breaking waves that suffocate the lungs, paralyze the bodies and intoxicate the minds before knocking them out.
We expected a new lesson from this squad from Dublin, 80% backbone of the XV of Clover, which had swept everyone in its path, defending champion as a bonus in the semi-finals.
Like the others, Stade Toulouse had suffered the blue tide two weeks ago (40-17).
In this boiling Marseille cauldron, the fears were first verified.
Power and vivacity, speed of action and the precision of Jonathan Sexton to transform Leinster's domination into points: the lone rider threatened from the first races.
But La Rochelle has many assets in its ranks.
And his merit was to combine them as it should.
His gigantic pack, led by supermen Will Skelton and Uini Atonio first restored the balance by crushing the Irish scrum.
The watchword was then clear: make this machine so well oiled dizzy.
Any millimeter it is, this organization had flaws and the players of Ronan O'Gara rushed into it.
Winger Raymond Rhule's try perfectly translates the plan put in place by the Rochelais: a tumble at the end of a regrouping, passes at full speed and on the left wing, a number from the South African , who mystifies his vis-à-vis an inside hook, accelerates and scores (6-7, 10th).
An unbreathable finale
The final promises to be suffocating.
It becomes thrilling.
A muscular grip, certainly, but lively, airy.
Nothing to do with the clashed fight of Grégory Alldritt and his family in front of Racing 92 in the semi-finals (20-13).
La Rochelle appears as the worthy successor of Stade Toulouse, after having been its dolphin, last season, in the final of the European Cup (22-17) as in the Top 14 (18-8).
The flame was burning on his side and the hard try of hooker Pierre Bourgarit after a penalty only confirmed the obvious (18-17, 61st): these Rochelais had the means to get out of this cauldron as champions.
The yellow card from Thomas Lavault (65th) for an unwelcome tripping almost weighed heavily but after the very last minutes on the Leinster line, unbreathable, there was immense happiness.
Dots
Leinster:
7 penalties from Sexton (6th, 9th, 23rd, 40th, 48th, 54th), and Rignrose (66th).
La Rochelle:
3 tries from Rhule (10th), Bourgarit (61st), Retière (79th), 3 conversions from West;
1 penalty from West (42nd)
