O'Gara's La Rochelle hold off Ulster comeback in Dublin
Antoine Hastoy scored 26 points as La Rochelle made it two wins from two in Pool B of the European Champions Cup, holding firm to beat Ulster 36-29 in a remarkable game at the Aviva Stadium.
Ulster were trailing 29-0 at half-time but hit back and claimed two points, falling just short of denying the reigning champions victory in a game played behind closed doors in Dublin after the Kingspan Stadium pitch in Belfast was deemed unplayable on Friday evening.
Brice Dulin and Pierre Bourgarit also scored tries for Ronan O’Gara’s side, with Hastoy also claiming a touchdown as well as three conversions and five penalties.
Skipper Iain Henderson, John Cooney, Duane Vermeulen and Tom Stewart crossed for Ulster, with Cooney kicking two conversions and a late penalty.
Hastoy opened the scoring for La Rochelle with a penalty after just four minutes. Ulster were caught offside and the French side’s out-half slotted another three-pointer after 14 minutes.
Hastoy slotted his third penalty four minutes later after Ulster again infringed.
Shortly afterwards, skipper Henderson was penalised at a breakdown leading to Hastoy missing the shot at goal from distance.
It got worse for Ulster, who overthrew a lineout and following Bourgarit’s charge downfield, Henderson was yellow-carded by Luke Pearce at the breakdown and Hastoy slotted another three points to put La Rochelle 12-0 in front.
La Rochelle struck after winning yet another penalty in the 28th minute. Hastoy put a ball in behind Ulster’s defence and Dulin got the touchdown in the corner. The try was superbly converted.
Another penalty from Hastoy after 38 minutes was rapidly followed up by the La Rochelle 10 scoring a try a minute later which came from a mix-up in Ulster’s midfield.
Hastoy put a kick through and the bounce eluded Cooney, gifting the score to the La Rochelle out-half. His straightforward conversion ended the half with O’Gara’s side leading 29-0.
The second half started with Ulster winning a penalty, running it and Henderson touched down near the posts which allowed Cooney to convert.
La Rochelle hit back after more poor discipline from Ulster led to a lineout in the 22, and though Alan O’Connor stole the throw, Bourgarit got possession for a soft score. Hastoy also converted to take the lead to 36-7.
Ulster then came back just before the hour when Cooney dived over from close range, the scrum-half converting after Jonathan Danty was yellow-carded.
The Irish province now began to bring some energy to their game and Vermeulen got on the end of Stuart McCloskey’s kick after 62 minutes for Ulster’s third touchdown which went unconverted.
Stewart then deservedly claimed Ulster’s bonus-point try after 73 minutes from a driving maul which Cooney converted to close La Rochelle’s lead to 10.
With the clock in red, Cooney kicked a penalty to bring Dan McFarland’s side a losing bonus point along with their try bonus.
Comments on RugbyPass
1. Heard this so often over the yrs. One Warriors CEO even claimed future kids wouldnt know which came first, the ABs or the Warriors. Always keen to talk themselves up. 2. That fella Barakat who says he will drop HBHS sponsorship because HBHS quite rightly wants its players to focus on rugby is an odd fit as a sponsor in the first place. As a recruitment official for the Warriors he seems to regard his sponsorship as a paid licence to help to select players from HBHS for the league side. Maybe he should find a league school to fund.
1 Go to commentsNZ U20s are the team to beat this year for sure. And how nice after so long that NZRFU is actually taking this seriously. For far too long they have been sending woefully coached and woefully underprepared teams to the U20 WCs. That Wrampling boy is a star in the making.
2 Go to commentsI agree ..come on keyboard warriors and journalists looking for a cheap win ….. only 2 mins to go 12 points down …this DID NOT decide the game and beside JM was hit after the whistle and in response it was a pat on the back of the head …harmless ….watch soccer if this is your issue
4 Go to commentsRest is for namby pamby sissies, I see. True men should overcome their trifling injuries by playing week in, week out. Bidwell’s stance reminds me of a Jon Gadsby character from the 70s, a rugby captain giving an after-match speech: “It was a very physical contest. One of our players caught a boot on the back of his head in a ruck, and he died, actually. But to his credit, he played on.”
1 Go to commentsI still see nothing in Sotutus play that hes changed his upright running style that failed so many times against decent international defences like the french. Other than that… Iose? Well you have covered his limitations well. If Sititi had been playing the the season… Jacobson? Grace?…Neither shout pick me. So Ardie it is.
1 Go to commentsThere isn’t one element you mentioned there that every top class or successful team gets up to. The great All blacks sides used to play on the ‘fringes or edge’ but it was essentially saying they were doing something illegal or borderline to gain dominance. The fine margins at the top are minute between the top sides. La Rochelle, the crusaders, Saracens, Toulon etc etc…..have all been accused. Get over it, the comment comes across as salty and naive. Northampton as well as they played to get back into the match were thoroughly beaten and controlled for 60 minutes and Leinster have only themselves to blame for kicking it away and hence losing control of the match and being nearly the architects of their own downfall.
2 Go to commentsThere is some talent coming thru thats for sure. The 10 looks special to me. Rico Simpson is a name to look for in the future.
2 Go to commentsI think this quiet honestly is just an innocent misunderstanding by someone who is pig sh*t stupid. Eben is a fine player but by christ, if he can’t understand or get what the Irish players were trying to say to him after the match…..well i hope he has someone looking after his finances, career and is reading the fine print for him, cause life after rugby may be quite difficult for the vacuous echo chamber.
27 Go to commentsIt could be Doris' day!
3 Go to commentsThe whole thing has blown up because Eben’s words have clearly struck a nerve in Ireland. Otherwise they would just laugh it off. I think some former Irish players, commentators and some Irish fans know deep down this Ireland team started to believe its own press and that a certain amount of arrogance had started to creep in during the World Cup. The topic was actually brought up by Irish pundits on Off the Ball recently. It’s fine to be arrogant if you can back it up. Ireland didn’t.
27 Go to comments‘The Irish are good people'. Why is Goode praising a people who hate his own? Wet wipe.
27 Go to commentsLa mejor final que se puede ver en el emisferio norte.
1 Go to commentsA lot of cope from south africans in the comments. Etzebeth is a liar and a hypocrite; you don’t have to defend him!
27 Go to commentsHe got big and really slow for a flyhalf…not sure he’s relevant in a bok conversation anymore
4 Go to commentsBest tourney team vs best team in the regular season for 3 games in RSA - talk is cheap, let’s see what’s what on the tour
27 Go to commentsOne overlooked statistic from their 2016 winning season is the Huricanes are still the only team in Super rugby history not to concede a try during the playoff rounds.
4 Go to commentsThanks for the article, Nick. The Nienaber blitz D does ask a lot of its scrumhalf. I have been watching JGP on D and he often looks like he has mastered what Nienaber asks for better than Faf de Klerk and Cobus Reinach! 🤣 Impressive season by JGP if I must make an understatement.
22 Go to commentsOkay last one. I promise. I think it’s despicable for Andy Goode to suggest that Eben can’t count to 12. To be fair he only had to count to 8 - the number of Irishmen who DIDN’T say that. Less the 3 kiwis of course. 23 - 12 - 3 = 8. See Joe. I can do maffs.
27 Go to commentsCheers, Nick! How do you see the Reds’ Jock Campbell’s play this year? Not as strong a carrier as Andrew Kellaway or Tom Wright, but does avoid errors. Do you see Joe Schmidt as wanting safety first at 15 or a try-assisting counterattacker?
91 Go to commentsI’m sure this was all just a big misunderstanding. Irishmen and Afrikaaners conversing in a noisey stadium. Not easy to get the right messages across. A minefield.
27 Go to comments