Led by France No 8 Gregory Aldritt and coached by Ronan O’Gara, La Rochelle are set to put the DHL Stormers through the pressures of a Test match in a crunch Champions Cup playoff in Cape Town on Saturday.

A coastal team backed by a fanatical local supporters base, La Rochelle have enjoyed a similar road to the top as the DHL Stormers.

The club won its first major piece of silverware in 2022, when they outperformed all expectations to beat rivals Toulouse in the final, similar to how the Stormers won the Vodacom URC in that same year.

However, La Rochelle went a step further by successfully defending their Champions Cup title in May 2023, claiming a one-point victory in a 53-point thriller against Irish giants Leinster.

Having suffered a last-gasp defeat to the Stormers in the pool stages, La Rochelle are back in Cape Town and, with a team oozing in Test-match quality, will be looking to continue the road to a rare three-peat.

Only one other team has won the Champions Cup three times in a row: the legendary Toulon side that boasted the likes of Bakkies Botha, Danie Rossouw, Juan Smith, Jonny Wilkinson and Bryan Habana.

Much like that Toulon side, head coach and former Ireland flyhalf O’Gara is able to call on an international in almost every single position.

From the French team that face the Springboks in the 2023 World Cup quarter-finals, La Rochelle contributed a front row of loosehead prop Reda Wardi, hooker Pierre Bourgarit and 145kg tighthead prop Uini Atonio.

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Captain and No 8 Aldritt, one of the best in the world in his position, fronted the Boks in Paris, as did inside centre Jonathan Danty, who is available after completing a ban he earned during the 2024 Six Nations.

La Rochelle also boast plenty of international experience, with Australia’s World Cup captain and giant enforcer Will Skelton completing a towering second row with Ireland’s Ultan Dillan. 

Fiji’s Levani Botia gave the Stormers a massive headache at the breakdown during the pool stage clash in Cape Town, and is equally capable of opening a game up with his spectacular ball skills and offloads.

New Zealand’s Tawera Kerr-Barlow offers both speed at the base of the ruck and an excellent tactical kicking game, especially when paired with France’s Antoine Hastoy, who has often served as a backup to Romain Ntamack at Test level.

Samoa’s UJ Seuteni regularly partners Danty in midfield and is a deadly finisher, with three tries to his name in this season’s Champions Cup.

South African and former Stormers duo Dillyn Leyds and Raymond Rhule offer pace, skill and versatility in the backline, while powerful English wing Jack Nowell has 48 Test matches, including two for the British & Irish Lions, and over 150 domestic appearances to his name.

While there was an air of disappointment over the nature of the Stormers’ one-point win back in December – courtesy of a Manie Libbok touchline conversion in the final play – it should be hailed as one of the club’s greatest triumphs.

La Rochelle are a Test team in disguise, one that would be a contender for the top 10 of World Rugby’s rankings if they were unleashed on international rugby.

While the club has had its inconsistencies in France’s Top 14, that has a reputation as one of the most competitive domestic rugby tournaments in the world, as just six points currently separate third from six on the log.

A 50% win ratio this season is not a true measure of the capability of this La Rochelle side when it is firing on all cylinders, keeping in mind that third-placed Racing 92 are just one point ahead on the Top 14 log.

Twenty-four capped internationals took to the field when the Stormers last hosted La Rochelle, and a similar, if not greater, number will be in action in what will be an April Test match at Cape Town Stadium.

Photo: Ryan Wilkisky/BackpagePix

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