Champions Cup: La Rochelle send out message to Europe as Saints thumped while Bulls edge Lyon in thriller
La Rochelle showed their quality as they cruised past Northampton Saints 46-12 in the opening game of their Champions Cup title defence.
Brice Dulin, Pierre Bourgarit, Pierre Boudehent, Dillyn Leyds, Gregory Alldritt and Ulupano Seuteni scored tries while Antoine Hastoy sent over 16 points.
For Northampton, James Ramm and Matt Proctor went over late on but the match was over as a contest long before, with La Rochelle a cut above Saints.
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The assault on the Saints began as early as the third minute as French full-back Dulin kicked through in the 22 and harassed Tom James into coughing up ball to bag the first try. That one was not converted by Hastoy, but he landed his next seven kicks in a row.
The first of those successes were penalties in the 10th and 13th minutes before he converted a flurry of tries from hooker Bourgarit and wings Boudehent and Leyds to further reward the champions’ relentless attacking approach.
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Saints had little or no answer in the opening 40 minutes against a side parading nine players from the starting XV in last season’s final. There was no let-up, either, in the second half.
It took a mere four minutes for La Rochelle to conjure up their fifth try. England scrum-half Alex Mitchell, a replacement for Northampton at half-time, had a box kick charged down by opposite number Tawera Kerr-Barlow and the ball bounced straight up into the arms of number eight Alldritt, who raced 20 metres to score.
Five minutes later Seuteni ran in try number six and Hastoy’s conversion made it 46-0 with 30 minutes still to play.
At that stage the odds were on a record beating for the visitors, but they got stronger as they emptied their bench and La Rochelle got weaker up front as they brought on their players.
England captain Courtney Lawes came on in the 50th minute to make his first appearance since suffering concussion in the game against Leicester in September and he lasted the pace well.
There was a late flourish from his side as they managed to break their duck, Ramm scoring the first out on the right wing before Proctor crossed at the posts and Fin Smith converted.
Bulls win thriller against Lyon
Elsewhere, the Bulls were left clinging on for victory as they survived a Lyon fightback to begin their maiden Champions Cup campaign with a thrilling 42-36 win in Pretoria.
Jake White’s men were 28-0 up by the 25th minute, with Sibongile Novuka, Bernard van der Linde (two) and Nizaam Carr going over and Morne Steyn converting all four tries.
However, last season’s Challenge Cup winners came roaring back to trail 35-29 and then 42-36, which proved to be the final score.
Arno Botha crossed twice for the French club, while Liam Coltman, Ethan Dumortier and Kyle Godwin also touched down, with Leo Berdeu kicking 11 points.
Tries from Stravino Jacobs and Chris Smith had helped keep the Bulls’ noses in front and ultimately proved enough to earn the United Rugby Championship outfit a winning start, despite some intense late pressure from Lyon.