“It’s huge, I don’t even have the words”, breathed the third row from La Rochelle, Grégory Alldritt at the end of the meeting, in a deafening atmosphere. The roar of liberation from the tens of thousands of maritime spectators present in the stands did not calm down. Because this Saturday, May 28, La Rochelle had just won its first major title: the Champions Cup against a Leinster that everyone placed as a favorite.
No matter, the Rochelais, unfortunate finalists last year against Toulouse, intended to break this curse which made them stumble on the last step each time (European Challenge 2019, Top 14 and Champions Cup 2021). Faced with the Irish of Leinster and their armada of internationals, they were promised lightning. It must be said that Johnny Sexton’s teammates had four crowns of European champions for them and that they dominated the 2022 edition of the Champions Cup as no team had managed to do before them.
La Rochelle had lost two finals last year, they were perhaps hungrier than us.
Leinster manager Leo Cullenat the post-match press conference
Suffice to say that the challenge was as immense as the frustration accumulated in recent seasons to fail so close to the goal. This desire for revenge, the Rochelais have talked about it all season. Especially in the last week of preparation. “All week, we told ourselves that everyone had to take the time to ask themselves if they really wanted her, abounded Grégory Alldritt. That the 23 of the group think well of the injured, the absent, the out-of-group. In the end, you saw a determined group that for nothing in the world would have left the cup to Leinster”, confirmed Grégory Alldritt, his eyes still red, at a press conference. “We didn’t want to experience that feeling of seeing others lift the cup in front of us again.”followed the second row Romain Sazy.
The appetite of the Rochelais has turned into unfailing solidarity on the ground. Aware that every ball left to the Irish would be dangerous, the Maritimes kept it warm as much as possible (61% possession), thanks to generous forwards in attack and defense. “This match, we win it in front”, delivered the hero of the match, author of the liberating essay, Arthur Retière. Asked before the meeting their former coach Patrice Collazo, also pointed to this duel of forwards as the key to the meeting.
We had to look at ourselves, to be at our best individual and collective level. We knew that if we were above reproach, we could beat them. It’s like the season. The conquest, the defense, we dominated them on that.
Grégory Alldritt, third line of La Rochelle and the XV of Franceat the post-match press conference
A performance that the players of Ronan O’Gara could not have delivered in these proportions without the fury of supporters just as eager for victory as them. Each tackle, each scratch, each scrum, was furiously accompanied in the stands. If the players were all struggling to find the words to explain this scenario sewn with white thread, all found their verb to emphasize the importance of the public. “We bring this trophy back to our supporters and they almost deserve it more than us. They never let us down. When you see the Velodrome tonight, what more could you ask for? On the last sequence, when we find ourselves in front of our bend, I can assure you that it carries a lot”continued Grégory Alldritt.
After more than two minutes of intensive pounding of the line by the forwards, Arthur Retière found the fault by extending his arm. The stadium was exploding, it was raining beer in places. A few minutes later, the players fell into each other’s arms and Romain Sazy could finally say: “Now we are European champions. It’s huge for the club, for its progress. You had to go through that. We conjured fate.” The reunion in the Old Port of La Rochelle, where the players will present the trophy on Sunday, should definitely confirm the thing.