Northern Edition

Select Edition

Northern Northern
Southern Southern
Global Global
New Zealand New Zealand
France France
32 - 24
FT
Investec Champions CupLa RochelleMontpellierIhaia West

Ronan O'Gara's La Rochelle beat Montpellier to reach Champions Cup semis

By PA
La Rochelle's Fijian centre Levani Botia eyes the ball during the European Rugby Champions Cup round of 8 rugby union match between Stade Rochelais (La Rochelle) and Montpellier Herault Rugby at the Marcel Flandreau Stadium in La Rochelle (Photo by XAVIER LEOTY/AFP via Getty Images)

La Rochelle booked their place in the Heineken Champions Cup semi-finals with a 31-19 win over Montpellier at the Stade Marcel Deflandre.

ADVERTISEMENT

Dany Priso scored under the posts to settle the hosts, with Ihaia West converting and also adding a penalty inside the opening 20 minutes.

Victor Vito went over to further extend the lead, with West again adding the additional points.

Montpellier gave themselves hope heading into the break with a try from prop Henry Thomas, which was converted by Louis Foursans-Bourdette to reduce the deficit to 17-7.

The visitors continued their momentum as Yvan Reilhac drove over from a loose ball, but Levani Botia’s try in the corner soon restored La Rochelle’s cushion.

A try from Zach Mercer on the left flank kept Montpellier in touch before West landed three penalties, taking his total points tally to 16, to push La Rochelle through to a semi-final against either Top 14 rivals Racing 92 or Sale Sharks.

ADVERTISEMENT

Boks Office | Episode 37 | Six Nations Round 4 Review

Cape Town | Leg 2 | Day 2 | HSBC Challenger Series 2025 | Full Day Replay

Gloucester-Hartpury vs Bristol Bears | PWR 2024/25 | Full Match Replay

Boks Office | Episode 36 | Six Nations Round 3 Review

Why did Scotland's Finn Russell take the crucial kick from the wrong place? | Whistle Watch

England A vs Ireland A | Full Match Replay

Kubota Spears vs Shizuoka BlueRevs | JRLO 2024/2025 | Full Match Replay

Watch now: Lomu - The Lost Tapes

Trending on RugbyPass

1

Andy Farrell drafts 75-man Lions squad with blunt message to players

2

Andy Farrell confirms Lions coaching team

3

Marcus Smith teams up with MLR's Miami Sharks in USA

4

Departing Quins boss Billy Millard in talks over huge Test job

5

Owen Farrell's English understudy makes Top 14 team of the week

6

Famous club back in National Leagues after 5th promotion in 7 seasons

7

Vermeulen to join Premiership rivals despite interest around the world

8

Fin Smith: Northampton Saints face battle to keep England star

Comments

0 Comments
Be the first to comment...

Join free and tell us what you really think!

Sign up for free
ADVERTISEMENT

Latest Features

LONG READ

‘You feel the interest, that motivates you too’: Guido Petti wooed by Quins' personal touch

The Pumas lock will be living in Twickenham and playing big games there later this year, but wants to leave Bordeaux on a high.

LONG READ

Morgane Bourgeois’ Women's Six Nations notebook: The first edition

France full-back Morgane Bourgeois shares with RugbyPass an inside look at the team's journey through the 2025 Women’s Six Nations.

LONG READ

Andy Farrell is draining Ireland’s resources to benefit the Lions

Coaching the Lions is the ultimate honour, but Ireland's recent form has made them a victim of their own success

Comments on RugbyPass

l
lukegilmartin 24 minutes ago
Rugby down under could have hit high gear with Anzac Tests

Fantastic idea to fix your annual showpiece fixture (from the Wallabies perspective) to a national holiday. Look at the success this has had in the USA, where NBA and NFL fans pack multiple arenas across the country on Christmas Day and Thanksgiving, the two most widely-celebrated national holidays in North America, with millions more tuning in on TV. This allows fans to create an association between the holiday and the game, while the ANZAC Day example has the added benefit of the same two teams (who are already established historical and geographical rivals) playing each year, adding to the sense of tradition and deepening the rivalry with each iteration.


Would love to see this more widely-implemented across rugby. For instance, Ireland should seek to tie the opening fixture of the Women’s Six Nations to St. Patrick’s Day and host the game in the RDS with the Leinster Schools Senior Cup Final serving as an opener (bonus points if you make the opponent England every year). Would pack out the stadium and the School’s final fans always bring fantastic atmosphere!

25 Go to comments
J
J Marc 32 minutes ago
'Matches between Les Bleus and the All Blacks are rarely for the faint-hearted.'

I don't know if the players have talk to Galthie, but they should talk to their employers, the clubs, first. After losing Dupont for at least 9 months, I am sure Toulouse will applause this idea with their two hands….

63 Go to comments
J
JD Kiwi 53 minutes ago
Drought-busting win over Brumbies gives Waratahs platform to build on

I totally agree about the tipping comp Miz. So much wit and love. Last I saw it there was Hamish and Christy, neither of whom seem to have any real affection for the game.

9 Go to comments
A
Andrew Nichols 1 hour ago
Hurricanes suffer playmaker blow, experiment with loose trio for Tahs

That is disastrous. RH at 10?

8 Go to comments
J
J Marc 1 hour ago
'Matches between Les Bleus and the All Blacks are rarely for the faint-hearted.'

Yes , but according to Warren Gatland, and many others, in the 2011 final, it was a certain Craig Joubert….

63 Go to comments
E
Emily Svendsen 1 hour ago
Waratahs snap losing streak against ill-disciplined Brumbies

I rely on trustworthy platforms like Tutor com and Chegg Tutors to connect with students and grow my tutoring business. One day, I received an email from a company claiming to be a new, exclusive tutoring platform called EduConnect Pro. They offered to list my services on their platform for a fee of $4,000. The offer seemed legitimate. They had a professional website, glowing testimonials, and even a detailed contract. Excited about the opportunity, I paid the fee, hoping it would help me reach more students. However, after a few days , I began to notice red flags. The platform they promised never materialized, and my emails to the company went unanswered. When I tried calling, the number was disconnected. Panic set in as I realized I had been scammed. The $4,000 I had paid was gone, and I had no way to recover it on my own. As a tutor, losing that amount of money was devastating. It was my income, my savings, and my livelihood.Desperate for help, I reached out to Lee Ultimate Hacker, a company I had heard about from a colleague. I provided them with all the details: the company’s information, transaction records, and emails from the scammer. Their team was incredibly supportive and assured me they would do everything possible to recover my funds. Leveraging their advanced skills in digital forensics, the team at Lee Ultimate Hacker meticulously tracked the scammer’s online activities and pinpointed the offshore account where my funds had been diverted. They collaborated closely with international law enforcement agencies to secure the account and retrieve the money. In just a matter of weeks, they managed to recover and return the full $4,000 to me. The relief was indescribable. Not only did I get my money back, but I also learned valuable lessons about verifying opportunities and protecting myself from scams. Thanks to Lee Ultimate Hacker, I was able to continue my tutoring business with renewed confidence. They didn’t just recover my funds. They restored my faith in justice and gave me the chance to keep doing what I love. I’ll always be grateful for their expertise and support. LEEULTIMATEHACKER @ AOL . COM

telegram: LEEULTIMATE

wh@tsapp +1 (715) 314 - 9248

0 Go to comments
C
CV 1 hour ago
'Matches between Les Bleus and the All Blacks are rarely for the faint-hearted.'

Professional sports make their money on the club game. NZR haven’t figured that out yet and are stuck in the amateur age when the international game was the pinnacle. Look at football, the NRL, basketball and other team sports. All the money’s in the club game because it runs all season. The French are the only ones in rugby who understand that it seems.

The international game is nice to have for most. Even in a global sport like football, the countries that have the numbers usually win WC and continental cups. As a football player, one of the top 5 leagues is the highest you can achieve. For players from smaller nations it means playing at a higher level (in terms of skills needed, tactics) than they ever would in their national team. It pays more too and the crowds are bigger than most national teams get. It’s happening to rugby in France. Toulouse fielded a Belgian and a Spaniard v Bordeaux last weekend. Their national teams aren’t near as good as Toulouse. It’s the highest they can achieve. The French model is spreading across Europe in rugby. No tier 2 nations in the REC has a model similar to NZ, Australia or Ireland. All have full round robin, season long club competitions with many semi-pro clubs and the number is growing.

63 Go to comments
C
CV 1 hour ago
'Matches between Les Bleus and the All Blacks are rarely for the faint-hearted.'

Thanks mate

63 Go to comments
C
CV 1 hour ago
'Matches between Les Bleus and the All Blacks are rarely for the faint-hearted.'

Where did I write I live in the UK… I wrote I live in Europe. NL. And I watch SR, it’s free on NZR+ everywhere in the world basically. Part of my Saturday morning routine, watch a SR game over breakfast.

I’m a massive Chiefs fan but I would dread having to play Bordeaux, Toulouse or Toulon. They’d hammer us. SR sides’ defence is not great.

63 Go to comments
C
CV 1 hour ago
'Matches between Les Bleus and the All Blacks are rarely for the faint-hearted.'

There isn’t. Most of the guys I mentioned already have caps under their belt.

63 Go to comments
J
Jmann 1 hour ago
'Matches between Les Bleus and the All Blacks are rarely for the faint-hearted.'

well - in 2007 they required some intervention from a certain Wayne Barnes to win that 1/4 final… but whatevs

63 Go to comments
J
JD Kiwi 1 hour ago
Rugby down under could have hit high gear with Anzac Tests

It's easier for NRL because the comp lasts from February to October so there's plenty of leeway. Super Rugby is a lot more condensed.

25 Go to comments
R
Rodeo4 2 hours ago
Ioane Moananu didn't join the Crusaders 'to wait around'

Yes that short minutes he stood out i’m thinking who's that Gs hes making it count hope to see more to come

4 Go to comments
E
Ed the Duck 2 hours ago
'Matches between Les Bleus and the All Blacks are rarely for the faint-hearted.'

Or the fans. Or the pundits. Tough luck I guess.

63 Go to comments
E
Ed the Duck 2 hours ago
'Matches between Les Bleus and the All Blacks are rarely for the faint-hearted.'

Scheduling.

63 Go to comments
E
Ed the Duck 2 hours ago
'Matches between Les Bleus and the All Blacks are rarely for the faint-hearted.'

Marshall for a start. And plenty on here since the issue has been spotlighted.

63 Go to comments
E
Ed the Duck 2 hours ago
'Matches between Les Bleus and the All Blacks are rarely for the faint-hearted.'

In that case you are just plain wrong. Do your homework.

63 Go to comments
E
Ed the Duck 2 hours ago
'Matches between Les Bleus and the All Blacks are rarely for the faint-hearted.'

Who was it again that said something about a “shit Richie mccaw”? Meant in a very humble context ofc!


Ps less can often be more when trying to get a point across…

63 Go to comments
E
Ed the Duck 2 hours ago
'Matches between Les Bleus and the All Blacks are rarely for the faint-hearted.'

And ofc there was Nick Bishop’s mention that observed a degree of complacency pre France as well. Something of a theme there red, or don’t you think?

63 Go to comments
L
LE 2 hours ago
Andy Farrell is draining Ireland’s resources to benefit the Lions

Ireland playing Georgia and Portugal dont need a strong coaching ticket but the experience their coaches get on the lions tours will mean they come back better coaches than they left.

No need to be so negative

1 Go to comments
LONG READ
LONG READ Andy Farrell is draining Ireland’s resources to benefit the Lions Andy Farrell is draining Ireland’s resources to benefit the Lions
Search