Following La Rochelle’s 35-7 victory over Bristol Bears, here are our five key takeaways from the Investec Champions Cup clash.
The top line
The final score might have flattered La Rochelle and been cruel to Bristol Bears, but there’s no doubt that the former two-time European champions were good value for their win.
With five or six first-choice players unavailable to Pat Lam, this was always going to be a free hit, a chance to blood youngsters and for them to learn from the experience, and when viewed like that Bristol can leave the Atlantic coast with their heads held high.
It wasn’t a classic and it was the pressure of La Rochelle in midfield that really was the difference. Their huge players are a handful to control legally, and Bristol transgressed too many times in the middle third, offering La Rochelle easy-outs and the chance to kick for touch and then maul from the lineout, a tactic that they profited from on three occasions.
With Ihaia West in deadly form with his controlling boot, Jack Nowell as impish as always, and both UJ Seuteni and Jonathan Danty putting in high-quality performances, La Rochelle just had that little bit more firepower and their bonus point win was a suitable reward for their efforts.
But Bristol can be happy about some aspects. Max Lahiff put in an immense shift for the second week running, nailing 20 tackles in addition to his scrum work. Steve Luatua and his back-row never stopped tackling and at half-back, Sam Worsley, looked assured and mature for a man playing only his second European match.
Game in numbers
Considering La Rochelle had 59% possession and 73% territory, the fact that Bristol made some 424m ball-in-hand against the 290m made by the hosts tells you a lot about how ambitious the Bears are, and just how much La Rochelle utilised their behemoth forwards.
However, the defence of both teams on the slippery surface was atrocious at this level. They managed just 70% tackle success rate each, missing one in four of their attempted defensive efforts, well below the standard that either of Ronan O’Gara or Lam would want.
With the discipline in midfield, where they conceded some 10 of their 15 penalties, becoming a real problem for Bristol, and with La Rochelle kicking a whopping 701m from 25 kicks from hand, it was evident that the teams tried to play contrasting sides, and that the hosts, with their powerful and direct pack, were the clear winners on the evening as they made the most of conditions that suited their style of play.
Test standard
La Rochelle’s victory was largely down to the sheer size and power of the Test forwards they were able to unload on the Bears. Wherever you looked you saw some superstars of world forward play, and some properly big men at that who delivered some appropriately massive shifts for their team.
Will Skelton was as intimidating as you like – or rather as you can be when you’re 6’10” and 145kgs. Skelton went deep into the game, showing once again that, to his credit, he’s a lot fitter version of the plump giant we saw in the early rounds of the Rugby Championship this year. In front of him, Uini Atonio’s open play showed once again how much the big tighthead relishes the ball in his hand these days.
With Greg Alldritt once again as accurate and direct as you like, the peerless Levani Botia scoring a try within his couple of touches when he came down off the bench, and Danty fusing a new-found kicking game with turnovers and torpedo-like hits, Bristol were facing some of the best players on the planet and it was testimony to their resilience that they pushed these world-class test players all the way, as the La Rochellians dug deep to deliver a typical display of power-fused abrasive forward orientated rugby.
Cubs shine
Bristol Bears are carrying a few walking wounded into round two of the Champions Cup, and the Stade Marcel-Deflandre isn’t a place where you’d want to blood your youngsters, but the young Bear cubs showed precisely what they’re about as Jack Bates, Worsley and new Argentinian recruit Benjamin Elizalde all had their moments against one of the best sides in Europe.
In fact, all three combined for Bristol’s try in the first half before half-time; Elizalde hammered a speculative kick, which somehow found Bates, and a quick in and out saw the former England U20 back scoot over for his first European try – one that he created through his hallmark workrate.
Elizalde impressed all evening. He was a rock at the back and showed some neat touches moving forward with ball-in-hand, demonstrating he’s got a little bit of gas to augment his obvious footballing excellence.
For Worsley, he is third or fourth choice 10 at Bristol, but highly thought of. With AJ McGinty and Max Malins both out injured, the youngster took his chance and showed some really classy touches with both ball-in-hand and in his tactical kicking.
Lam often says his team either wins or learns, but never loses. Bristol may have faltered in La Rochelle, but against the former champions, one of the biggest teams in the world, they can be proud of how they stood up to the test and just how composed their youngsters were, despite the defeat, and that’s sure to please the head honcho.
Finest margins
There have been some fantastic finishes in European rugby over the years, but has there been a finer one as we saw with Nowell’s brilliant first-half finish?
West, driving La Rochelle forward after a lineout in the Bristol 22, swung a lazy boot to strike the ball towards Nowell’s left wing. It looked for all money that the home fly-half had overhit the kick by some five or so metres, but the response of the former Exeter Chiefs and England wing to jump headfirst and pull off a miraculous catch and touch down was out of the highest possible drawer of elite rugby.
Referee Chris Busby certainly couldn’t believe his eyes when his TMO told him, so much so that walking back, he apologised to Nowell with a big grin, saying he still couldn’t believe the Chief had pulled that one out of the bag, in a nice moment of humour and respect between player and official.
The second La Rochelle try was even less clear-cut when Tolu Latu rumbled over. TV replays were less than optimal but one angle saw a smidgen of the ball on the line, all the evidence needed to award La Rochelle a second crucial try to hooker Tolu Latu.
However, both scores had something in common – they were initiated by a penalty in midfield by Bristol that allowed La Rochelle to kick the penalty for a lineout, playing into the hands of the enormous and effective forward effort from the home side.
Src: Planetrugby.com - https://www.planetrugby.com/news/la-rochelle-v-bristol-bears-intimidating-title-chasers-dig-deep-to-beat-young-bear-cubs
