Leinster player ratings vs La Rochelle | 2025/26 Investec Champions Cup

Leinster player ratings: Leinster did this the hard way. Again. They flew out of the blocks, teased something emphatic, then slowly wandered into the sort of trench warfare La Rochelle live for.

Two yellow cards, a defence held together with Sellotape and a final act decided by Harry Byrne’s nerve. It was messy, frantic, occasionally daft 25-24 win, but they all count.

Here’s how we rated the Leinster players:

1. Paddy McCarthy – 7
Gave away roughly 35kg to Uini Atonio and somehow survived. Strong early defensive reads and proved useful around the pitch. Faded after another huge collision with Atonio and left early.

2. Dan Sheehan – 7
Should probably have had a try. Very nearly did off an early overthrown La Rochelle lineout and later had one chalked off for a marginal forward pass. Worked tirelessly in contact and eventually shut down a dangerous Stade Rochelais surge late on.

22m Entries

Avg. Points Scored

2

12

Entries

Avg. Points Scored

1.8

13

Entries

3. Thomas Clarkson – 6
Busy around the park early and held his own initially, but the second half was harder work. As La Rochelle turned the screw, he started to creak and the scrum followed suit. Honest effort, diminishing returns.

4. Joe McCarthy – 8
Spent large chunks of the game effectively man-marking Will Skelton and did a fine job of it. Big carries, big tackles, a vital turnover on 20 minutes. The yellow card shifted momentum badly but his overall contribution was massive.

5. James Ryan – 6.5
Workmanlike and quietly effective. Ran Leinster’s lineout well despite limited pressure and was heavily involved defensively. One botched lineout late in the first half but otherwise solid.

6. Jack Conan – 7
Bounced in the first carry of the game but never stopped working. Carried hard, defended stoutly and provided the assist for Henshaw’s crucial late try. Less convincing in the second half but still valuable.

7. Josh van der Flier – 8
Duracell Bunny mode from start to finish. Carried relentlessly into heavy traffic, chased everything and finished a stunning solo try in the 66th minute that owed everything to effort and timing. Didn’t dominate the breakdown as much as Leinster might have hoped but deserved his moment.

8. Caelan Doris – 7
Straight into the argy-bargy with Skelton and never backed down. Busy, combative and heavily involved without being spectacular. Did plenty of unseen work in tight exchanges.

Points Flow Chart

Leinster win +1

Time in lead

65

Mins in lead

11

79%

% Of Game In Lead

13%

27%

Possession Last 10 min

73%

3

Points Last 10 min

7

9. Jamison Gibson-Park – 6.5
Sharp early service as Leinster looked to move La Rochelle’s pack around, but lost the second-half battle with Nolann Le Garrec. Missed too many tackles and struggled once Leinster were on the back foot.

10. Sam Prendergast – 5.5
Instrumental in Leinster’s fast start and had a major hand in the opening try. But once momentum swung, so did his influence. Questionable kicking choices and a languid cover tackle attempt on Ihaia West that directly hurt Leinster. Control deserted him when it mattered.

11. Joshua Kenny – 8
A dream Champions Cup debut in attack. Two tries, both taken well, and strong tackling early on. Less secure in the second period and a bit loose in possession, but his first half contribution set the platform.

12. Robbie Henshaw – 8
Led Leinster for tackles and showed real grit in defence as things unravelled around him. Finished superbly for his late try and never hid. Fell off one or two tackles early but his overall influence was significant.

13. Rieko Ioane – 6
First class work rate and a brilliant charge down that led to Kenny’s second try. Unfortunately, the defensive issues were glaring. Missed too many tackles and could not go higher despite his attacking threat.

14. Tommy O’Brien – 8.5
Leinster’s sharpest knife by some distance. Made the first major break of the game, constantly asked questions and was unlucky to see yellow for what felt harshly judged. Even with that blot, he was outstanding.

15. Ciaran Frawley – NA
Gone after 12 minutes with a foot injury, which was a shame because he had started brightly and set up the opening try. No rating.

REPLACEMENTS

16. Ronan Kelleher – 6
On for the final quarter and brought energy.

17. Jerry Cahir – 7
Thrown into the deep end and coped admirably. Won penalties, held his side of the scrum and looked comfortable at this level.

18. Andrew Sparrow – NA
Unused.

19. Diarmuid Mangan – NA
Unused.

20. Max Deegan – 6
Came on and did the basics. No more, no less.

21. Luke McGrath – NA
Too little time to rate.

22. Harry Byrne – 8
Yes, he missed a conversion, but none of that mattered when the clock was red and the pressure was maximal. Balls of steel. The winning penalty was pure nerve.

23. Andrew Osborne – 5.5
Mixed bag. One unforced error, two missed one-on-one tackles on Jack Nowell that hurt Leinster. Did land a crunching hit on Le Garrec, but overall struggled defensively.