La Rochelle crush Exeter (47-28) and join Leinster in the Champions Cup final for a 2022 remake

La Rochelle, reigning European champion, will meet the Irish of Leinster on May 20 in Dublin in the Champions Cup final after eliminating the English from Exeter (47-28) on Sunday in Bordeaux. The French club, which will play its third consecutive final in this competition, beat the Irish province (24-21) last season in the final in Marseille.

The men of Ronan O’Gara, winner with Munster as a player (2006, 2008) then with La Rochelle as a coach (2022), equaled a record held by Toulouse (2003, 2004, 2005) and Toulon (2013, 2014). , 2015), who were also finalists three times in a row.

Seven trials

But to dream of a second continental star, the Rochelais will have a hard time facing the Irish ogre, who defeated Toulouse in the other semi-final (41-22) and in search of a fifth European title.

To obtain the right to challenge Leinster at home, the caravel club outclassed the English Chiefs by scoring seven tries, by Raymond Rhule (9th, 44th), UJ Seuteni (23rd), Grégory Alldritt (32nd), Tawera Kerr-Barlow (39th, 68th), Pierre Bourgarit (53rd). The Champions Cup final is scheduled for May 20 in Dublin, the day after the Challenge Cup final, which will oppose Toulon to the Scots of Glasgow.