Here’s how we assessed Ronan O’Gara’s charges after Leinster’s impressive 40-13 win over La Rochelle in the Investec Champions Cup quarter-finals.
La Rochelle player ratings vs Leinster
15 Dillin Reyes: Stepping into Bryce Dulin’s rather large shoes is always a tough question, and the Rays were busy early on, racking up 40 meters on six carries. Unfortunately, his night was cut short due to injury. Five
14 Jack Nowell: After a quiet opening day, he got more involved in the second period, racking up 61 meters on seven carries. He was a solid enough performer, but had his hands full with the presence of the excellent James Rowe. 6
13 Ulpano Seuteni: While he has not fully regained his form from the 2022/23 season and has shown glimpses of his quality, Seuteni struggled against the formidable Robbie Henshaw. Four
12 Jonathan Danti: He was completely outclassed by young Jamie Osborne who put on a complete game demonstration against the French star. Most of Danti’s work was defensive, so he advanced only 5 meters with the ball. Four
11 Teddy Thomas: We tried to make our mark on the game brilliantly and can be proud of the fact that we beat six defenders on seven carries. The retreat of La Rochelle’s pack didn’t help the wide players. Five
Leinster banish the ghost of the Champions Cup as La Rochelle’s dreams of a third successive title are clearly over
10 Antoine Hastoy: La Rochelle struggled from start to finish as they were unable to break free of Leinster’s defence. In a performance that summed up the team’s day, they were often found to have chosen the wrong option. Four
9 Tawera Carr-Barlow: It was a worrying sight just after half-time as Kerr-Barlow was carried off on a stretcher. Prior to that, the former All Black was a typically grumpy character, but was bested by Jamison Gibson-Park. Five
Planet Rugby player evaluation key.
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8 Gregory Aldritt: As always La Rochelle’s main player, the French international topped his carries (16) en route to 46 metres. Sometimes he felt like he was alone. 6
7 Levani Botia: Several of his team-high 14 tackles included physical hits, but he struggled to disrupt the ball at the breakdown, which Leinster often do. Five
6 Judy Kael Kankorie: There were a real handful of times when he showed that quality, but those moments were few and far between as Leinster turned the screws up front. Five
5 Will Skelton: He was clearly frustrated that his team was unable to replicate the physical superiority in recent meetings between the two teams. The skeletons struggled manfully, but even the mighty sluices had difficulty breaking through, as Leinster had done in the past. Four
4 Ultan Derain: La Rochelle’s engine room lost out to Joe McCarthy and Jason Jenkins, with Dillane and co finishing second best. We conceded two penalties and our score went down. Four
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3 Wini Atonio: Leinster struggled to gain an advantage over Andrew Porter as they were overshadowed by the scrum for much of the game. He is busy moving around the field with seven carries to his name. 6
2 Tor Ratu: In his 53 minutes on the field, he played solidly on both set pieces. He continues to fill in for Pierre Bourgarit admirably, but La Rochelle miss the latter’s threat in open play. Five
1 Lewis Penburn: One of La Rochelle’s few bright lights on a disappointing afternoon. The 21-year-old scored a well-deserved try and has a bright future in the game. 7
Replacement: When Leinster pulled away late on, no one on the bench stepped up and made an impact. Perhaps the only plus is Teddy Iribarren with his ability to find 50 minutes and 22 seconds, and he will at least get something out of a cameo appearance.
read more: Leinster player review: James Rowe’s five-try involvement and ‘sensational’ Jamison Gibson-Park sink Champions Cup holders
