Advertisement League of Ireland Horse Racing TV Listings GAA Fixtures The Video Review Sport meets news, current affairs, society & pop culture Rugby Weekly Extra Dive into all the news and analysis 3 times a week The Football Family Weekly insights from the week’s big talking points Advertisement More Stories Craig Casey celebrates his try.Billy Stickland/INPHO Munster down ROG's La Rochelle on another unforgettable day There was relentless drama as Munster earned a Champions Cup quarter-final. 7.39pm, 5 Apr 2025 Share options Murray Kinsella Reports from Stade Marcel Deflandre La Rochelle 24 THIS WILL GO down as one of the great Munster days. Their history includes plenty of special memories on the road but to come to Ronan O’Gara’s home patch in La Rochelle and down the two-time Champions Cup winners makes it all the more memorable. Munster are into the Champions Cup quarter-finals and will either be back on French soil next weekend to face Bordeaux or at home against Ulster. There was a whiff of something magical around the old port from early this morning as the sun rose into a clear blue sky and Munster fans rose from the night before with hope and optimism in their hearts. The scenes in the build-up today hinted at what was to follow, well over 2,000 travelling fans delivering another example of how the Red Army can drive their side to big performances. And they have no shortage of moments to celebrate tonight. Thaakir Abrahams’ sidestep to send Craig Casey clear. Jack Crowley’s drop goal. Gavin Coombes’ blockdown and control. John Hodnett’s turnovers. Tom Ahern’s lineout steal. Andrew Smith’s pinpoint finish. And as ever, Tadhg Beirne’s poaches. Jack Crowley hits his drop goal.Ben Brady / INPHO Ben Brady / INPHO / INPHO The ecstatic Munster fans bellowed out umpteen renditions of Fields of Athenry throughout as they willed their team onto a special victory in this first-ever competitive meeting with La Rochelle. It was won on a knife-edge, with La Rochelle aggrieved not to be awarded a potentially game-winning penalty right at the death, but they were out of the Champions Cup. For O’Gara and co, this means their winless streak extends to nine games and they will have to rally hugely to save their Top 14 season. They were second best in a game that featured three yellow cards, two for the home side. Munster scored 14 of their points in that combined 20-minute spell but it’s only fair to point out that La Rochelle scored seven of theirs while Smith was in the sin bin. There was no doubt that the visitors were entirely deserved victors here. The night is Munster’s. Levani Botia scores the opening try.Ben Brady / INPHO Ben Brady / INPHO / INPHO La Rochelle thought they had made the dream start when scrum-half Kerr-Barlow crossed after just a minute, finishing a sweeping attack down the right, but TMO Matteo Liperini showed that centre Teddy Thomas had just stepped into touch before offloading to Kerr-Barlow. Crowley kicked out on the full from the ensuing scrum as he attempted a cross-field kick to Calvin Nash just outside his 22, so Munster then needed Hodnett to step up with a breakdown poach. But La Rochelle continued their promising start as a breakout by Grég Alldritt, Kerr-Barlow and fullback Dillyn Leyds from a scrum saw Munster left wing Andrew Smith clearly kill the ball at a breakdown. Referee Andrea Piardi flashed his yellow card and La Rochelle scored on the very next play. Advertisement Alldritt carried into the midfield in the Munster 22 and found Ulupano Seuteni, who carried hard and then popped an offload away for Levani Botia to dot down in the 11th minute, out-half Ihaia West converting. But Munster managed to cling on without conceding again while Smith was in the bin, their scramble defence coming up with the goods. And the tables were turned as Smith returned soon before West was yellow-carded for his head-on-head tackle on Munster centre Seán O’Brien. Thaakir Abrahams to create Craig Casey's try.Billy Stickland / INPHO Billy Stickland / INPHO / INPHO Munster scored swiftly as fullback Thaakir Abrahams produced a brilliant linebreak on kick return, dancing past Botia with a flurry of footwork near halfway, drawing the last man and putting Casey away, the scrum-half having just enough speed to finish before Leyds caught him. Crowley converted for 7-7. Munster had further gilt-edged chances while West was off, with an excellent line kick from Crowley after Barron’s breakdown turnover leaving them five metres out. But Thomas Lavault competed in the air, with Kleyn knocking the ball on as it came down. And the Munster lock had another knock out five metres out in the 30th minute after promising build-up play from O’Brien and O’Mahony wide on the left. La Rochelle’s defensive effort was immense in those minutes before West’s return and they finished the first half the stronger, their scrum winning a penalty only for Hodnett to strip Will Skelton in the Munster 22. Frusratingly, Munster gave up another penalty as O’Mahony failed to release after tackling Alldritt and the late pressure led to another La Rochelle penalty that West slotted for a 10-7 lead at the break. Ihaia West nudged La Rochelle in front for the break.Billy Stickland / INPHO Billy Stickland / INPHO / INPHO Munster levelled immediately off the restart as Nash pounced for a cracking jackal penalty that Crowley slotted for 10-10. Nash had to come up with another big defensive play down the other end minutes later as a snappy lineout attack saw Skelton offload to wing Hoani Bosmorin before West sent Oscar Jégou down the left touchline. Nash was in the right place at the right time to drive him into touch in the corner. But Munster botched the five-metre lineout and gave La Rochelle another chance from the scrum, only for Thomas to butcher a glaring try-scoring chance as he opted against finishing outside tighthead prop Oli Jager and cutting back inside. La Rochelle were held up over the tryline on the next phase but it never should have come to that. Thomas’ miss was all the more costly because Munster marched down into La Rochelle territory where Coombes blocked down West’s attempted clearance and brilliantly controlled the ball with a delicate touch over the tryline. He fell on it to Munster fans’ ecstasy. Crowley converted for a 17-10 Munster lead with half an hour left and O’Gara’s men were reeling. The visitors soon flooded down the left-hand side with some brilliant handling and a try was on the cards until Leyds deliberately knocked O’Brien’s inside pass on. Yellow card. Munster into the left corner. Beirne’s lineout take. Coombes’ powerful carry. Casey’s pass into the shortside. Smith’s finish. Bedlam amongst the Red Army as their side moved 22-10 in front. Munster celebrate Gavin Coombes' try.Billy Stickland / INPHO Billy Stickland / INPHO / INPHO La Rochelle needed a big play and it was replacement fullback Antoine Hastoy who produced something as he launched a huge kick that was essentially a 50:22 as Crowley couldn’t keep it in play. Yet the Munster maul defence was stubborn as the forwards once again earned a turnover in their own 22, replacement blindside Tom Ahern following up with a lineout steal on the next play. Leyds restored his team to 15 players as the game ticked into the final quarter but you could sense the Munster fans’ belief as they bellowed out the Fields of Athenry, Ahern giving them more to roar about with a turnover tackle on Judicaël Cancoriet. O’Gara’s men went to the set-piece with their next big effort, earning a scrum penalty, kicking to the left corner, winning a maul penalty, and going back into the left corner. This time the maul was heading for a score until Alex Kendellen helped to bring it crashing down. An interminable TMO review ensued but concluded with La Rochelle back within five points at 22-17, with 14 minutes to go and Munster down to 14 players with Kendellen binned. Munster sent on the wise Conor Murray and his second kick was knocked on by Kerr-Barlow, just the respite the Irish province needed. It was also the field position they needed to manufacture a chance for Crowley to land a quite brilliant drop goal from nearly 40 metres out. Munster fans in La Rochelle.Ben Brady / INPHO Ben Brady / INPHO / INPHO 25-17 was a scoreline that gave Munster precious breathing room with 10 minutes left. La Rochelle came back at them in desperation but breakdown turnover penalties from Smith and then Beirne lifted the pressure briefly. Yet there was no stopping the home side in the 77th minute as Hastoy cross kicked for Bosmorin to dot down, with Hastoy adding the conversion from wide out. It meant nerve-shredding final minutes as La Rochelle quickly won a breakdown penalty and kicked into Munster’s half. La Rochelle flooded onto the attack once more but with seconds left, Beirne pounced once again for the final, game-sealing turnover. It briefly looked like being reversed as Piardi reviewed a possible high tackle by Fineen Wycherley but Munster weren’t to be denied. La Rochelle scorers: Tries: Levani Botia, Penalty try, Hoani Bosmorin Conversions: Ihaia West [1 from 1], Antoine Hastoy [1 from 1] Penalties: Ihaia West [1 from 1] Munster scorers: Tries: Craig Casey, Gavin Coombes, Andrew Smith Conversions: Jack Crowley [2 from 3] Penalties: Jack Crowley [1 from 1] Drop goal: Jack Crowley STADE ROCHELAIS: Dillyn Leyds (yellow card ’50); Jack Nowell (Jules Favre ’49), Teddy Thomas, UJ Seuteni (Antoine Hastoy ’53), Hoani Bosmorin; Ihaia West (yellow card ’23), Tawera Kerr-Barlow; Reda Wardi (Alexandre Kaddouri ’55), Pierre Bourgarit (Quentin Lespiaucq ’49), Uini Atonio (Aleksandre Kuntelia ’52); Thomas Lavault (Ultan Dillane ’55), Will Skelton; Levani Botia (Judicaël Cancoriet ’49), Oscar Jegou (Matthias Haddad ’65), Grégory Alldritt (captain). MUNSTER: Thaakir Abrahams (Rory Scannell ’55); Calvin Nash, Tom Farrell, Seán O’Brien, Andrew Smith (yellow card ’10); Jack Crowley, Craig Casey (Conor Murray ’66); Jeremy Loughman (Josh Wycherley ’12), Diarmuid Barron (Niall Scannell ’66), Oli Jager (Stephen Archer ’54); Jean Kleyn (Fineen Wycherley ’54), Tadhg Beirne (captain); Peter O’Mahony (Tom Ahern ’54), John Hodnett (Alex Kendellen ’64 (yellow card ’66)), Gavin Coombes. Referee: Andrea Piardi [Italy]. Murray Kinsella View 20 comments Send Tip or Correction Embed this post To embed this post, copy the code below on your site Email “Munster down ROG's La Rochelle on another unforgettable day”. Recipient's Email Feedback on “Munster down ROG's La Rochelle on another unforgettable day”. Your Feedback Your Email (optional) Report a Comment Please select the reason for reporting this comment. Please give full details of the problem with the comment... This is YOUR comments community. Stay civil, stay constructive, stay on topic. 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