Champions Cup: La Rochelle, the awakening of the force

The year 2024 has just started and Stade Rochelais is waking up. The post-World Cup recovery has been more than sluggish for the two-time reigning Champions Cup champions. Checkered results, a lack of efficiency and above all power, the usual great strength of the Maritimes. But, for two matches, Ronan O'Gara's players have impressed again. First there was this convincing success at Stade Toulousain (29-8), before this victory in Pau (20-29), the first away of the season. “We were looking for an away victory, it’s done. It wasn't easy. In the first half, we did not respect what we had said to each other and it should not be empty words,” said winger Teddy Thomas.

This mini-series of two victories - only the second in 2023-2024 after the successes against Bayonne and UBB in November - has put things back in order in the heads of La Rochelle. Who must now look forward to the Champions Cup, where La Rochelle can become only the second team to achieve the treble after Toulon between 2013 and 2015. While the Maritimes had finished the last two seasons undefeated in the competition, this time they stumbled twice from the start, ending a record series of 16 consecutive successes in the competition. After these two initial setbacks against the Irish Leinster (9-16) and the South African Stormers (21-20), La Rochelle no longer has the right to make mistakes this Sunday, at home, against Leicester.

“We are in a series of two matches, it’s not much in this marathon that is the Top 14 but we have to take everything we can,” continues Teddy Thomas. Now we are going to return to this European Cup which is not very successful for us at the moment and I hope that we will be in the continuity of the Top 14. After the narrow defeat conceded against the Stormers in Cape Town, the versatile three-quarterback Jules Favre confronted his team with their responsibilities: “We saw the few details which cost us dearly and which mean that we are at zero on two in the Champions Cup. We no longer really have our destiny in our hands. If we win the next two matches, I think it's okay. But it's a bit sad. At the same time, we only have ourselves to blame.”

From now on, it is the English of Leicester who are looming for a double or nothing shock at Marcel-Deflandre. The course of the team of South African fly-half Handré Pollard is reminiscent of that of La Rochelle: after four initial losses, the “Midlands Tigers” are only seventh in the standings (out of ten teams) but they have signed six victories in their last seven meetings. Not missing their debut in the Champions Cup against the South African Stormers (35-26), then Stade Français Paris (24-27). And causing Saracens to fall (19-10) last weekend. So be wary, especially since the Maritimes have already lost twice at home this season (Castres, Leinster).

But Grégory Alldritt, who has just returned to competition after a two-month break following the World Cup, is not worried. “Apart from the first two matches lost in this competition, I find that we are rather similar to previous years,” says the number 8 of the XV of France. The whole team is disappointed not to have won at least one of these two matches. But we are still racing. We must continue to progress and “perform” in line with the last 15 days. We have to win this weekend and give pleasure to our public again.” Hoping to relive the same fervor as during the last two ends of the season.