When the full-time whistle sounded at Stade Marcel-Deflandre, La Rochelle fans groaned as many of their rugby heroes fell to the ground.
La Rochelle have gone for an aggressive 7-1 split on the bench for their Champions Cup showdown with Leinster, though they will be without their towering Wallaby lock Will Skelton.
La Rochelle player ratings: La Rochelle demonstrated why they are two-time Champions Cup winners, showing composure and grit in a hard-fought 24-20 away victory.
Former Australia captain Will Skelton has signed a contract extension with La Rochelle, keeping him at the Stade Marcel Deflandre until 2028.
Leinster player ratings: Leinster claimed some long-awaited knockout revenge on La Rochelle in a match that promised much but ultimately ended up a one-sided spectacle
Sale dropped into the Challenge Cup after being brushed aside by La Rochelle as the French giants kept alive their bid for hat-trick of Investec Champions Cup titles.
Wallabies captain Will Skelton played the role of hero and villain for La Rochelle as they ran away with a big win over Leicester.
La Rochelle winger Dillyn Leyds has opened up on what has given the back-to-back European champions the edge in the last few seasons, citing man management as a crucially important factor.
In a scrappy affair in Saint Etienne, Samoa have fallen to a 19-10 loss to Argentina. How did the Manu Samoa players perform in defeat?