La Rochelle Secures Victory Against Bath Despite Late Comeback at Waterlogged Rec

La Rochelle has participated in three of the last four Champions Cup finals. Bath (6) 20 Tries: Dunn, Roux Pen: Russell 2 Con: Russell 2 La Rochelle (21) 24 Tries: Jegou, Wardi, Kerr-Barlow Pen: West Con: West 3 La Rochelle secured an opening-game victory in the Investec Champions Cup, holding off a dramatic comeback attempt by Bath in torrential conditions at the Rec. The two-time champions, La Rochelle, demonstrated their prowess by establishing a 21-6 lead at halftime. This performance occurred amidst the severe weather conditions of Storm Darragh, characterized by heavy rain and strong winds. Their first-half points were accumulated through three tries, scored by Oscar Jegou, Reda Wardi, and Tawera Kerr-Barlow. Following the break, Bath initiated a strong response. Tom Dunn scored their first try of the match from the rear of a rolling maul. This was succeeded by Quinn Roux’s try, which came as he took advantage of the slippery pitch conditions, further narrowing the score difference to just one point for the home team. With their enthusiastic supporters behind them, the Premiership club began to envision a significant European victory. However, Ihaia West then kicked a penalty, extending the visiting team’s lead to four points. As time was running out and Bath pressed forward intensely, Levani Botia, known for his turnovers, secured possession at the breakdown, effectively concluding Bath’s challenge. For round two, Bath is scheduled to play away against Italian team Benetton on Sunday, December 15. Meanwhile, La Rochelle will host Bristol Bears, a rival team from Bath’s west country region, on the preceding night. Prior to the match commencement, Bath’s captain, Ben Spencer, was sidelined due to injury. Despite the impending storm, the team’s resolve remained strong, and Finn Russell initiated the scoring with an early penalty kick. La Rochelle initially found it difficult to establish rhythm, with Brice Dulin’s knock-on in the opening minute highlighting the challenging conditions. Nevertheless, they gradually gained momentum, and Jegou ultimately scored from close range. Subsequently, the visitors demonstrated a skillful blend of power and strategy, executing a rolling maul that originated just inside Bath’s 22-meter line. This maul advanced rapidly towards the try line, allowing Wardi to score their second try. Russell successfully converted a second penalty, but La Rochelle countered with a different line-out maneuver. While Bath anticipated another maul involving their forwards, the ball was instead delivered from the top of the line-out, enabling Kerr-Barlow to collect it swiftly and penetrate a gap in the defense. Bath’s performance significantly improved after halftime. Dunn scored their first try using a well-executed rolling maul, mirroring La Rochelle’s earlier tactics. This score led to intense interactions between players from both teams, escalating the match’s intensity. West attempted a penalty kick that could have extended La Rochelle’s lead, but the ball struck the upright. Subsequently, the visiting fly-half was penalized by his counterpart, Russell, who located an open area to kick the ball behind Bath’s defensive line. Kerr-Barlow, moving backward, failed to ground the ball with adequate force, which created an opportunity for the rapidly approaching Roux to surge forward and secure Bath’s second try. As the game remained finely balanced, La Rochelle earned another penalty within Bath’s half. West then converted this penalty, compensating for his previous miss and ultimately putting the Top 14 team beyond Bath’s reach. In an interview with BBC Radio 5 Live, Charlie Ewels, Bath’s stand-in captain, commented: “It’s disappointing but I’m proud of the fact we got back into the game. I am not being optimistic in saying we gave ourselves opportunities to win it. We had enough opportunities in points-scoring areas to win the game.” Ewels further stated: “At 21-6 on the scoreboard, other teams or this team previously may have played differently to chase the score. We just played our game.” He added: “You are proud of where you are and where you come from but next time – as you don’t get many – you want to make it count. The next step is making those moments stick.” Ewels also remarked: “It was one of the toughest breakdown games I’ve played in and the score doesn’t count until you’ve exited. That is something we need to improve.” He concluded his remarks by saying: “The physical side of it felt like a Test match and the focus required for every play.” The Bath team lineup included: De Glanville; Cokanasiga, Redpath, Butt, Muir; Russell, Schreuder; Du Toit, Dunn, Stuart, Roux, Ewels (capt), Hill, Pepper, Reid. Replacements were: Annett, Van Wyk, Griffin, Molony, Bayliss, Carr-Smith, Ojomoh, Coetzee. La Rochelle’s squad consisted of: Dulin; Nowell, Seuteni, Danty, Leyds; West, Kerr-Barlow; Wardi, Latu, Atonio, Lavault, Skelton, Jegou, Haddad, Alldritt (capt). The replacements were: Lespiaucq, Penverne, Colombe Reazel, Douglas, Botia, Berjon, Reus, Thomas. The match referee was Andrew Brace from Ireland.