Leinster 21 – 24 La Rochelle

Ronan O’Gara’s La Rochelle pick up first Heineken Champions Cup title in their history, with final minute try through Arthur Retiere at the Stade Velodrome in Marseille; Raymond Rhule, Pierre Bougarit also score tries as French side rally from eight points behind in the second half

La Rochelle secured the first Heineken Champions Cup title in their history, scoring three tries against Leinster

A dramatic final-minute try by Arthur Retiere secured La Rochelle a first European Cup triumph, as they fought back to beat favourites Leinster 24-21 in Marseille. 

La Rochelle scored three tries in the sweltering heat of the Stade Velodrome through wing Raymond Rhule, hooker Pierre Bourgarit and replacement scrum-half Retiere, while try-less Leinster scored all their points through penalties.

Johnny Sexton kicked six penalties from the tee, but limped off in the second half, with Ross Byrne adding another penalty, but the four-time winners were distinctly flat and subdued on the biggest of occasions.

Despite a sub-par showing, however, Leinster were eight points ahead heading into the final quarter as La Rochelle repeatedly found themselves on the wrong side of referee Wayne Barnes.

La Rochelle scored to reduce the deficit to a single point, but when second-row Thomas Lavault was sin-binned for a needless trip on Jamison Gibson-Park with just 14 minutes left, and Leinster leading by four points, it looked as if the Irish province would draw level with record-holders Toulouse on five titles.

Ronan O’Gara’s charges – who lost the final to Toulouse at Twickenham last year – instead showed superb spirit and effort to dominate the rest of the play, even while down a man, before striking at the death for a magnificent victory, becoming just the 13th club to win Europe’s greatest prize.

Leinster skipper Johnny Sexton looks on forlornly at the Champions Cup trophy after defeat

Enormous favourites heading into the game, Leinster – who contained 13 of Ireland’s Triple Crown winners – made a promising start to the contest as their first maul roared forward with ominous dominance, and their opening attack was only quelled when La Rochelle skipper Gregory Alldritt did marvellously to turn over the ball metres from his own line.

Still, Leinster came again, hitting the lead as early as the fifth minute when Sexton punished a La Rochelle breakdown penalty with a calm strike for 3-0.

Sexton kicked the opening points of the final on five minutes, and would not miss during the game

Two penalties in quick succession followed against La Rochelle from the restart, as first they gave up easy metres to Leinster by going off feet in the 22, before a quick Jimmy O’Brien break down the right, and lightning quick ball by Gibson-Park brought an offside call, allowing Sexton to double the lead from close range.

Having struggled to get going to that point, La Rochelle arrived into the final on 10 minutes through a stunning Rhule try, as the South African cut inside after a lovely Dillyn Leyds offload and scorched past Hugo Keenan to dive over.

Raymond Rhule got La Rochelle into the final on 10 minutes when he scored a scintillating try

La Rochelle out-half Ihaia West – who does not possess the best kicking record, and kicked awfully in their semi-final win over Racing 92 two weeks ago – struck the conversion from out wide brilliantly for the lead.

The French side – now firmly with their tails up – pinched a Leinster lineout minutes later and attacked again to huge vocal backing in the stadium, before romping forward for a scrum penalty to bring about another 22 visit.

Poor hands saw them pushed back, however, despite two promising, pacy runs by physical centre Jonathan Danty, and the move was ended with Danty tackled into touch.

Leinster’s defence came under big pressure during the first half, but just kept La Rochelle out

Leinster’s defence stood firm and the only other scores of the first half were two more Sexton penalties that edged his side into a 12-7 interval lead.

The second half began with a penalty in front of the posts to La Rochelle from the restart and West hit the mark to cut the gap to two points.

La Rochelle’s Ihaia West narrowed the Leinster lead at the beginning of the second half

But Sexton took his penalty count to six as he continued to punish the La Rochelle indiscretions, but the French underdogs hit back with a second try from a driving line-out, scored by the outstanding Bourgarit.

That took them to within a point before Sexton’s replacement Byrne stretched the lead to four points with his side’s seventh penalty 15 minutes from time.

After that, La Rochelle laid siege to the Leinster line and Retiere finally came up with the score that earned his club their first major title at the death.