Leinster 26-27 La Rochelle: Champions Cup rugby union final – as ...

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Thank you for joining me for this thrilling final! Despite an electric start from Leinster, including the fastest try in Champions Cup final history, it is La Rochelle who will return to France with the trophy. A resilient effort in the second half saw them over for their second Champions Cup title and a back-to-back trophy win. To catch up on all the action have a read of Rob Kitson’s report below! Have a good night everyone.

Some differing opinions on the refereeing today, the latest one from Jim Hamilton:

Elsewhere in rugby today, Saracens Women booked their spot in the Premier 15s semi-finals with a win over Worcester Warriors. They join Exeter Chiefs and Gloucester-Hartpury who have also already secured their top four spot. Bristol and Harlequins are vying for the final one.

I’ve just about recovered from that incredible final! I can only imagine the celebrations that are happening in the La Rochelle dressing room. What a final.

Apologies to Leinster, I said they did not get any silverware this season but they have won the BKT URC Irish Shield.

And to think Gloucester almost beat La Rochelle in the quarter-final!

La Rochelle coach Ronan O’Gara told ITV: “It’s truly spectacular. We were 17-0 down, I don’t know how they found a way but they found a way. I am very proud of them. That was special, that was probably as hard as you’re going to get but fair play. I don’t think we got the rub of the green from Jaco [Peyper, the referee] either but I have to work with referees so I have to compose myself on that front. For Leo and his staff and team it is horrible. There’s only one team who gets to be satisfied and the other side is deep depression and I want to commend them.”

The winning try:

Leinster head coach Leo Cullen told ITV: “It was pretty devastating. We started really well. We probably had some opportunities to be even further ahead in the first half. We just couldn’t quite exit on our terms. You have to give La Rochelle a huge amount of credit. We started well and opposition are going to come back into it. It is the smallest of margins, painful. The players are devastated at the moment, it will take some time to get over.”

Take a look at the trophy lift:

The entire La Rochelle team have gone over to their fans and clapped the air in unison with them. Their supporters voices were heard throughout the match.

Thomas Lavault shows off the trophy to the La Rochelle fans. Photograph: Niall Carson/PA

John has got in touch on Twitter and said: “Chapeau Ronan O’Gara & his players. Big game players make big time plays in big games. We saw a true champions performance from La Rochelle, most teams would have folded after the Leinster first half but top teams fight to the death. Super final.” It really was such a thrilling game. My heart was in my mouth throughout the second half.

Here’s a look at the red card:

It has to be said this stadium hasn’t emptied out, the Leinster fans have remained and applauded the La Rochelle team.

Alldritt and Boudehent hold the trophy together and go over the team. They lower it to the floor and loft it into the air! Yellow and blue streamers fire into the sky, the backroom staff join the jumping celebrations. Ronan O’Gara watches on. What a coach he is.

Trophy time! Photograph: Clodagh Kilcoyne/Reuters

La Rochelle are getting their winners medals here now, there are enough fans here from the French club to get a cheer for each player as they go up. The trophy lift incoming!

La Rochelle's fans celebrate their team’s victory. Photograph: Paul Ellis/AFP/Getty Images

A reminder Leinster have only been beaten three times this season and they come away with no silverware. They lost to Munster in the semi-final of the URC and no they have lost the Champions Cup final.

Colombe Reazel is back out on the pitch now celebrating with his teammates, great to see after what looked like an awful collision in the dying moment of that match. Leinster are now collecting their runners-up medals, the drive for five continues.

La Rochelle’s Will Skelton told ITV: “It feels great, Leinster are a top outfit and it showed in that first ten minutes. Credit to our staff and the boys buying into the plan. All week awe spoke about staying in it. Last year we were down by eight and this year we were down by nine so nothing was really different. We knew if we kept the ball we would do damage. Ronan O’Gara is a special man. I’m so tired I can’t talk!”

I was among those who had written La Rochelle off. They had so much possession in the second half but just couldn’t get over the line, their resilience in the end though paid off. Colombe Reazel scored the winning try to claim the trophy by a point. Ronan O’Gara masterclass once again. Just wow.

This game really was in the balance with two minutes to go but Ala’alatoa’s dangerous clear out saw the end of Leinster’s last chance to win. Breath-taking result.

I actually cannot believe what we have just witnessed. The La Rochelle yellow shirts flood the pitch, the tears are flowing. The biggest comeback in Champions Cup final history. What a match. Unbelievable.

La Rochelle’s players celebrate a famous victory. Photograph: Anne-Christine Poujoulat/AFP/Getty ImagesRoss Byrne and his Leinster teammates look crestfallen. Photograph: Stu Forster/Getty ImagesFull-time: Leinster 26-27 La Rochelle

La Rochelle have won their second Champions Cup and in thrilling fashion! They were 17 points down but they have fought back to break Leinster hearts. In the end it was Leinster’s discipline that let them down. What an incredible final.

79 min: La Rochelle get a line-out penalty and surely the trophy is theirs now.

78 min: As a result of the red card La Rochelle have the penalty and Leinster’s opportunity to score is gone. Great officiating there form Peyper, was really quick to stop play when the player was injured.

RED CARD! Leinster 26-27 La Rochelle (Ala’alatoa, 78')

Peyper judges it head-on-head and it’s dangerous and Ala’alatoa is given his marching orders. Colombe Reazel is being stretchered off here, it was the right call.

78 min: I think it is Colombe Reazel who is down injured and on the replays it looks like a Leinster player could be in trouble here, he is knocked clean out from a head-on-head collision. That looks so bad, we hope Colombe Reazel is okay!

78min: It is slightly painful having the birdseye view, there were acres of space for Leinster on the right hand side but they keep going. Peyper blows the whistle though as there looks to be a serious injury, I’m unsure who is down injured. I’ll let you know as soon as I do.

77 min: Phase after phase Leinster pile in, it comes to Ringrose but he can’t get it to a teammate cleanly and La Rochelle get it and clear. But it doesn’t go far and Leinster come again!

76 min: Ngatai has made so many metres, what an effort! They are just a few metres away.

75 min: I am a neutral in this match and I am on the edge of my seat, I don’t know how La Rochelle or Leinster fans are feeling! Leinster’s line-out is good and they are on the hunt.

SIN BIN! Leinster 26-27 La Rochelle (Danty, 74')

There is a yellow! There was a shoulder to the head but the mitigating factor was the player was falling.

74 min: La Rochelle put in a high tackle and Leinster have a penalty but it could be more! Peyper is checking this in case a card needs to be shown.

74 min: I had written La Rochelle out but wow they have blown me away. They have stuck in this and they are ahead for the first time in this match. Leinster are on the charge now but remember they are a player down as Kelleher got the yellow.

CONVERTED TRY! Leinster 26-27 La Rochelle (Colombe Reazel, 72')

Oh my word! La Rochelle are over and Kelleher has a yellow card for the earlier penalty.

Georges Henri Colombe of La Rochelle scores his team’s third try. Photograph: David Rogers/Getty ImagesAntoine Hastoy celebrates his conversion. Photograph: Harry Murphy/Sportsfile/Getty ImagesWhilst Jonathan Sexton looks dejected. Photograph: Harry Murphy/Sportsfile/Getty Images

71 min: Leinster have given away another penalty so a yellow should be coming but La Rochelle charge on here.

70 min: Alldritt is held up and Peyper gives a warning to Leinster for repeated penalties as La Rochelle kick to the corner again.

69 min: Kelleher has just been subbed on from Sheehan and he could be in trouble here. It looks like he has stopped this maul rumbling on but I don’t think they are looking at it! Wow, that could have been costly. La Rochelle go for the corner again.

68 min: I think they have looked at a tackle from Ngatai but it’s judged fine. La Rochelle opt to kick to the corner, the kick is a bit short. The line-out is good, La Rochelle storming.

68 min: A Leinster scrum is reset and when it is eventually taken, it wheels round and Kerr-Barlow comes away with it! La Rochelle are storming here! They have the advantage and we come back for it.

La Rochelle's players get packed in a scrum. Photograph: Anne-Christine Poujoulat/AFP/Getty Images

66 min: Gibson Park kicks it out and so La Rochelle have yet another line-out. It is clean and they form a maul again. Can Leinster deal with it again? Yes they can! Obstruction by the French club gives the ball to Leinster. This feels like Leinster are going to win now, La Rochelle just can’t get the try.

64 min: La Rochelle launch yet another attack, they need to score. It is a need right now but Leinster’s defence are having none of it! They turn it over yet again.

A little bit of politics for yer, courtesy of a La Rochelle fan. Photograph: Paul Ellis/AFP/Getty Images

63 min: Gibson Park chips over the top and Rhule goes up for it, O’Brien looks to have done enough to disrupt it by referee Peyper says the La Rochelle man was played in the air. They clear their lines.

61 min: Henshaw is coming off for Leinster, he looks injured – Ngatai is on in his place. Gibson Park received some treatment but he is staying on.

61 min: La Rochelle have it once again, they need to come up with some points for this sustained possession. But my word, Henshaw turns it over! Possession exchanges hands with the kicking game and Dulin’s kick is into the stands. Just over 51,000 at the Aviva.

59 min: La Rochelle collects the kick and are on the march again but Danty makes an uncharacteristic error and drops it! Leinster make another change as Conan is off for Baird. And La Rochelle bring of Sclavi and Colombe.

58 min: Leinster have a scrum in their 22, they have to win it here and clear their lines. There is a reset after Atonio has early input. Kerr-Barlow does well to pressure Conan but Leinster have it and they kick away.

56 min: La Rochelle’s line-out is once again clean and they make great metres from the maul! Talk about an impressive march! The maul eventually comes down and it is expertly done but Porter as Leinster turn it over. That is a huge moment in this final.

55 min: We’re back underway, Henshaw is okay to continue and Skelton has been strapped up to make sure he stays on.

55 min: La Rochelle need something from this attack but Leinster steal it at the breakdown and they come up with nothing. Lowe kicks away, it isn’t a great kick but relieves some pressure. Time is off as Henshaw is receiving some treatment.

55 min: After all the hard work by the likes of Keenan, Lowe kicks out on the full and the play is taken back into Leinster’s half and La Rochelle can squeeze the pressure once more!

54 min: La Rochelle are on the attack again here, the momentum is starting to shift here. The next try score will be instrumental. Dulin attempts a chip over the top but Leinster come away with it. Possession exchanges hands but it ends with Keenan taking a great high ball.

52 min: The line-out is clean and the French club are on the attack. Could they get ahead for the first time? Not this time, Leinster expertly turn it over. Wow, a huge moment! Great composure under pressure to get the ball back.

51 min: Kerr-Barlow charges down a Byrne kick but then it is knocked on from a French player! Wow that was close to a score. But hang on, they have ruled it is not a knock as it came off his head! So a La Rochelle line-out. Sazy is off and Lavault is on for La Rochelle.

PENALTY! Leinster 26-20 La Rochelle (Hastoy, 49')

Wow, this final!

49 min: They form a maul but they have to run it out quickly. The French club win a breakdown penalty, it will be interesting to see what call they make here. Hastoy points to the sticks! Understandable as if he slots it it will take them to less than a converted try away.

48 min: Gibson Park tries a clearance box kick but it was taken back into his 22 and then it is out on the full, so we come back for a La Rochelle line-out in the 22!

47 min: This is on a knife-edge! I could not call who is going to win this.

La Rochelle's French flanker Paul Boudehent (centre) fights for the ball. Photograph: Paul Ellis/AFP/Getty ImagesPENALTY! Leinster 26-17 La Rochelle (Byrne, 46')

The nine point lead is restored!