La Rochelle's Unacceptable Champions Cup Exit: O'Gara Reacts

RONAN O’GARA LABELLED his La Rochelle side’s shock exit from the Champions Cup pool stages as “unacceptable.” The two-time champions needed only a losing bonus point at home to Harlequins to advance to the knockout round, but contrived to miss out in a 27-17 defeat to the eighth-placed side in the Gallagher Prem. “The club and myself lost big tonight, it’s unacceptable,” fumed O’Gara. “It’s especially unacceptable when you see the number of opportunities we had to stay in the competition. That makes me even more frustrated.” The 2022 and 2023 winners were pushing for a clinching score in the final 10 minutes when level at 17-17, only for Quins to burst upfield and break their hearts. Tom Lawday scored in the corner with eight minutes left and after Marcus Smith converted, La Rochelle trailed by seven points. That would have been enough to earn the losing bonus point but Smith’s last-gasp penalty denied them that and sent them into the Challenge Cup knock-outs, where they will face Newcastle. La Rochelle had drawn first blood on 11 minutes with a try from wing Davit Niniashvili but Quins exploited a yellow card to French prop Uini Atonio to score through backs Cadan Murley and Tyrone Green for a 17-7 lead. However, Quins had fly-half Smith binned in the second half and La Rochelle took advantage to draw level through unconverted tries by former England wing Jack Nowell and scrum-half Thomas Berjon. But Smith’s return to the field proved costly for the French side, while victory ensured Quins will play Sale at home in the last 16. The full draw for the knockout rounds of the Champions and Challenge Cups is available here.