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Raymond Rhule is one of Stade Rochelais' South African stars
Stade Rochelais return to Stade Marcel-Deflandre in the Heineken Champions Cup Round of 16 second leg with an 18-point lead over Union Bordeaux-Bègles.
La Rochelle crossed through Raymond Rhule and Jonathan Danty in addition to a penalty try in the first leg at Stade Chaban-Delmas as they cruised into the big lead.
But Federico Mori’s Champions Try of the Round-winning effort late on for Bordeaux, who earlier got over through Cameron Woki, sees them retain faint hopes of progressing to the quarter-finals.
It was the first time in European competition that La Rochelle scored over 30 points away from home against French opposition.
The game kicks off at 15:00 (UK & Irish time) and it is live on BT Sport and beIN SPORTS.
Your Try of the Round, delivered by @DHLRugby, goes to @UBBrugby's Federico Mori 🔥
Read more ➡️ https://t.co/nD2voz8f9X#HeinekenChampionsCup pic.twitter.com/c5sPIBk68e
— Heineken Champions Cup (@ChampionsCup) April 14, 2022
Other key stats:
- La Rochelle have won their last four games in the Heineken Champions Cup but have never won more consecutive matches in the competition. They have scored 30+points in each of their three games in the Heineken Champions Cup in 2022, as many times as in their previous 16 games in the competition.
- La Rochelle have won their last five home games in the Heineken Champions Cup, including their previous knockout stage ties at home; this will be the first time they have hosted a TOP 14 club in the competition.
- Bordeaux have won three of their last four away games in the Heineken Champions Cup(L1). However, their sole defeat in that run came in their most recent away game, also against TOP 14 opposition (9-21 v Stade Toulousain in last season’s semi-finals).
- This season, La Rochelle have a gain-line success rate of 47.8% in the Heineken Champions Cup. Only Exeter Chiefs (47.9%) have a better rate in 2021/22.
- La Rochelle and Bordeaux are two of the four teams yet to concede a try in the opening 20 minutes of a match in the Heineken Champions Cup this season; in fact, La Rochelle are the only team yet to surrender a first-half try this season.
- Gregory Alldritt (La Rochelle) hit 16 opposition rucks in the 1st leg against Bordeaux, the most of any player in the Round of 16. While his teammate Will Skelton ranked second (13), only three-player shave hit more opposition rucks than Alldritt in the competition this season (44).
- Gregory Alldritt has made more carries than any other player in the Heineken Champions Cup this season (60), while he has also made the most offloads of any player (11).
- Cameron Woki (Bordeaux) has scored a try in his last two games in the Heineken Champions Cup. This after crossing for a try only once in his previous 23 games in European competition; two of his three tries in Europe have been scored against French teams.
Ihaia West scores his try against Bordeaux
Stade Rochelais recorded a 31-23 win over Union Bordeaux-Bègles in their Heineken Champions Cup Round of 16 second leg clash on Saturday to set up a quarter-final at home to Montpellier Hérault Rugby.
Ihaia West, Grégory Alldritt, Tawera Kerr-Barlow and Levanti Botia all scored for the hosts at Stade Marcel-Deflandre as La Rochelle prevailed 62-36 winners on aggregate over their fellow TOP 14 side.
Gatien Masse and Federico Mori dotted down for visitors Bordeaux, who played the majority of the game with a numerical disadvantage following Maama Vaipulu’s first-half red card.
A confident win, and into the quarters for @staderochelais 👏#HeinekenChampionsCup pic.twitter.com/EswF45s5zX
— Heineken Champions Cup (@ChampionsCup) April 16, 2022
Bordeaux claimed the first points of the game when Maxime Lucu kicked a penalty for Christophe Urios’ men, but their lead was short-lived as West responded with a three-pointer of his own for La Rochelle.
The visitors’ chances of reaching the quarter-finals were then dealt a major blow when Vaipulu was shown a red card following his off-the-ball challenge on Jonathan Danty.
Despite being down to 14 men, Bordeaux took a three-point lead going into the interval as Lucu slotted another three-pointer.
Into the second-half, and La Rochelle scored the first try of the game as West powered through Bordeaux’s defensive line to cross under the posts before going on to improve his score as the hosts took a four-point lead and extended their advantage on aggregate.
After dotting down for the hosts, West then went on to assist an Alldritt score under the posts before adding on the extras.
Bordeaux responded through a Masse try following a delightful chip from Mateo Garcia over La Rochelle’s defensive line, with Lucu improving the score.
Urios’ men were unable to build on Masse’s try, however, as Danty made a break from deep to sprint through Bordeaux’s defence before releasing Kerr-Barlow for his first points in the Heineken Champions Cup this season, with West converting yet again.
Maxime Lamothe then reduced the deficit yet again for the visitors as the replacement kicked a three-pointer.
But La Rochelle ran in their fourth try when Botia pounced on a Kerr-Barlow grubber, West kicking another conversion
There's commitment to the chase, and then there's Levani Botia 😂
Wonderful finish from the @staderochelais veteran 😅 👏#HeinekenChampionsCup pic.twitter.com/H1c8Vkb7tI
— Rugby on BT Sport (@btsportrugby) April 16, 2022
Both sides were then reduced to 14 men when La Rochelle’s Jules Plisson was handed a yellow card for a challenge on Yann Lesgourgues.
Mori did score a late try for Bordeaux, which was duly converted by Garcia, but it was not enough for Urios’ side as they exit the Heineken Champions Cup at the Round of 16 stage.
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