RUGBY UNION
Leinster vs La Rochelle: O’Gara’s giants retain Heineken Champions Cup
Leinster 26 La Rochelle 27; defending champions pull off biggest final comeback in tournament’s history
La Rochelle have not lost in Europe since the 2021 Heineken Cup final
ANNE-CHRISTINE POUJOULAT/GETTY IMAGES
One of the greatest finals ever played, in front of a baying, roaring crowd in Dublin, was transformed from ecstasy to bewilderment. A match packed full of enough twists and turns to make you dizzy was won by one point, but by the resoundingly superior team. The Heineken Champions Cup came to the stadium all the way from the west coast of France. Today, it is going back there.
And glory be, it was a match of two styles. Leinster style and La Rochelle style. Which was best? Who cares? Rugby has been too uniform, too homogeneous, for way too long.
At one stage, with Leinster playing breathtakingly rapid and accurate rugby, and leading by three tries to none, the prospect that mighty La Rochelle,
