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La Rochelle name relatively modest 900kg pack for Bristol Bears
La Rochelle have selected against type with a relatively modest 900kg pack for their showdown with Bristol Bears tomorrow.
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While 900kg is by no means a light pack weight by professional rugby norms, by the standards of la Rochelle it is significantly undersized.
Apart from the giant 152kg frame of tighthead Uini Atonio, the French side have chosen to reduce their pack weight against Pat Lam’s Bears. There’s no room for 134kg Jone Quvo, the 125kg Lopeti Tomani or the 130kg heft of Vincent Pelo.
The sides scrum remains formidable. La Rochelle were the only side to register a 100 percent record at scrum time in the pool stage, winning 36/36 on their own put-in.
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The average weight of a forward in Sunday’s selection is 114kg; with Dany Priso weighing 110kg, Jean-Charles Orioli 92kg, the aforementioned Atonio at 152kg, Romain Sazy 103kg, Mathieu Tanguy 110kg, Wiaan Liebenberg 106kg, Grégory Alldritt 115kg and Victor Vito (captain) 112kg.
If you look at La Rochelle’s 2018/19 squad as a whole, it is one that favours size in the forwards and small, rapid backs. The forwards weigh in at a whopping 117.9kg or 18 stone 8Ibs a man and boast a height of 190.5cm or 6’3″ even.
In stark contrast, the backs are positively minuscule at just 86.9kg or 13 stone 10 Ibs; and 179cm or 5’10.5″ in height, making them most likely the smallest back division in Europe.
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Furthermore, that makes their average forward 4.5 inches taller and a staggering 31kg heavier than their backs – a smidge under 5 stone heavier on average per man.
What’s also remarkable is just how few players approximate the average player weight – just 4 players out of 35 are within three kilos either side of 104.6kg, with the majority of players are clustered at the further reaches of the size differential.
Jean-Charles Orioli sera entouré de Dany Priso et Uini Atonio pour défier les @BristolBears dimanche et tenter de se qualifier en demi-finale de #ChallengeCupRugby ! Découvrez la compo sur https://t.co/V5YuLQvhrX #SRBRI #FievreSR pic.twitter.com/aKfP1QYEP7
— Stade Rochelais (@staderochelais) March 29, 2019
This will be the seventh meeting between La Rochelle and Bristol Bears. They met in the pool stage this season with both teams picking up away wins.
This is the third time La Rochelle have reached the quarter-finals, losing at home to Clermont in 2011 and winning an away match against Edinburgh in 2017.
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Bristol have reached the knockout stage for the fourth time and the first time in over 10 years, losing to Bath in 2007 and Sale in 2002, but beating Biarritz in 1999/2000.
Bristol have won their last two away games in the Challenge Cup (without conceding a try) and will be looking to record three consecutive victories on the road for the first time.
The Bears have won their last three away games against TOP 14 opposition in the Challenge Cup, winning all three by double digit margins.
Bristol averaged more carries (151) and breaks (19) per game than any other side in the pool stage this season, however, they did have the lowest goalkicking success rate of any side (60%).
Bristol’s Tom Pincus (476) was the leading metre-maker in the pool stage in addition to scoring 6 tries.
Callum Sheedy of Bristol scored 55 points in the pool stage with only Zebre’s Carlo Canna (59) scoring more. Sheedy also contributed a competition-high eight try assists.
Only Clermont’s Apisai Naqalevu (27) beat more defenders than La Rochelle’s Romaric Camou (25) during the pool stage.
1. Dany Priso, 2. Jean-Charles Orioli, 3. Uini Atonio, 4. Romain Sazy, 5. Mathieu Tanguy, 6. Wiaan Liebenberg, 7. Grégory Alldritt, 8. Victor Vito (cap), 9. Jean-Victor Goillot, 10. Ihaia West, 11. Marc Andreu, 12. Pierre Aguillon, 13. Geoffrey Doumayrou, 14. Eliott Roudil, 15. Vincent Rattez
Le banc : 16. Pierre Bourgarit, 17. Léo Aouf, 18. Arthur Joly, 19. Rémi Leroux, 20. Zeno Kieft, 21. Thomas Berjon, 22. Jérémy Sinzelle, 23. Levani Botia
Comments on RugbyPass
A wallaby front-row of Bell, Blake and Tupou…now that would be hefty
1 Go to comments“But with an exceptional pass accuracy rating “ Which apart from Roigard is not a feature of any of the other 9s in NZ. Kind of basic for a Black 9 dont.you. think? Yet we keep seeing FC and TJ being rated ahead of him? Weird if it’s seen as vital to get our backline beating in your face defences.
1 Go to commentsThanks BeeMc! Looks like many teams need extra time to settle from the quadrennial northern migration. I think generally the quality of the Rugby has held up. Fiji has been fantastic and fun to watch
13 Go to commentsLets compare apples with apples. Lyon sent weak team the week before, but nobody raised an eyebrow. Give the South African teams a few years to build their depth, then you will be moaning that the teams are too strong.
41 Go to commentsDid footballs agents also perform the scout role at some time? I’m surprised more high profile players haven’t taken up the occupation, great way to remain in the game and use all that experience without really requiring a lot of specific expertise?
1 Go to commentsSuper rugby is struggling but that has little to do with sabbaticals. 1. Too many teams from Aust and NZ - should be 3 and 4 respectively, add in 2 from Japan, 1 possibly 2 from Argentina. 2. Inconsistent and poor refereeing, admittedly not restricted to Super rugby. Only one team was reffed at the breakdown in Reds v H’Landers match. Scrum penalty awarded in Canes v Drua when No 8 had the ball in the open with little defence nearby - ideal opportunity to play advantage. Coming back to Reds match - same scrum situation but ref played advantage - Landers made 10 yards and were penalised at the breakdown when the ref should have returned to scrum penalty. 3. Marketing is weak and losing ground to AFL and NRL. Playing 2 days compared with 4. 4. Scheduling is unattractive to family attendance. Have any franchises heard of Sundays 2pm?
11 Go to commentsAbsolutely..all they need is a chance in yhe playoffs and I bet all the other teams will be nervous…THEY KNOW HOW TO WIN IM THE PLAYOFFS..
2 Go to commentsI really hope he comes back and helps out with some coaching.
1 Go to commentsI think we are all just hoping that the Olympic 7s doesn’t suffer the same sad fate as the last RWC with the officials ruining the spectacle.
1 Go to commentsPersonally, I’ve lost the will to even be bothered about the RFU, the structure, the participants. It’s all a sham. I now simply enjoy getting a group of friends together to go and watch a few games a year in different locations (including Europe, the championship, etc). I feel extremely sorry for the real fans of these clubs who are constantly ignored by the RFU and other administrators. I feel especially sorry for the fans of clubs in the Championship who have had considerable central funding stripped away and are then expected to just take whatever the RFU put to them. Its all a sham, especially if the failed clubs are allowed to return.
10 Go to commentsI’m guessing Carl Hayman would have preferred to have stayed in NZ with benefit of hindsight. Up north there is the expectation to play twice as many games with far less ‘player management’ protocols that Paul is now criticising. Less playing through concussions means longer, healthier, careers. Carter used as the eg here by Paul, his sabbatical allowed him to play until age 37. OK its not an exact science but there is far more expectations on players who sign for Top 14 or Engl Prem clubs to get value for the huge salaries. NZR get alot wrong but keeping their best players in NZ rugby is not one of them. SA clubs are virtually devoid of their top players now, no thanks. They cant threaten the big teams in the Champions Cup, the squads have little depth. Cant see Canes/Chiefs struggling. Super has been great this year, fantastic high skill matches. Drua a fantastic addition and Jaguares will add another quality team eventually. Aus teams performing strongly and no doubt will benefit with the incentive of a Lions tour and a home RWC. Let Jordie enjoy his time with Leinster, it will allow the opportunity for another player to emerge at Canes in his absence.
11 Go to commentsLove that man, his way to despise angry little men is so funny ! 😂
4 Go to comments“South African franchises would be powerhouses if we had all our overseas based players back in situ. We would have the same unbeatable aura the Toulouses, Leinsters or Saracens of this world have had over the last decade or so.” Proof that Jake white does not understand the economics of the game in SA. Players earning abroad are not going to simply come back and represent the bulls. But they might if they have a springbok contract.
24 Go to commentsA lot of fans just joined in for the fun of it! We all admire O'Gara and what he has done for La Rochelle
4 Go to commentsThe RFU will find a way to mess this up as usual. My bet is there will be no promotion into the the Premiership, only relegation into National League One. Hopefully they won’t parachute failed clubs into the league at the expense of clubs who have battled for promotion.
10 Go to commentsWell that’s the contracts for RG and Jordie bought and paid for. Now, what are the chances we can persuade Antoine to hop over with all the extra dosh we’ll have from living at the Aviva & Croke next season…??? 🤑🤑🤑
35 Go to commentsWow, that’s incredible. Great for rugby.
35 Go to commentsYou probably read that parling is going to coach the wallaby lineout but if not before now you have.
17 Go to commentsIf someone like Leo Cullen was in O’Gara’s place I don’t hear Boo-ing. It’s not just that La Rochelle has hurt Leinster and O’Gara is their Irish boss. It’s the needle that he brings and the pantomime activity before the game around pretending that Munster were supporting LaRochelle just because O’Gara is from Cork. That’s dividing Irish provinces just to get an advantage for his French Team. He can F*ck right off with that. BOOOOO! (but not while someone is lying injured)
4 Go to commentsDid the highlanders party too hard before the game? They were the pits.
1 Go to comments