West try seals La Rochelle’s win over Racing 92 to reach Champions Cup final

The former Munster legend Ronan O’Gara will be looking to overcome the favourites Leinster in Marseille on Saturday week. La Rochelle’s director of rugby saw his side defeat the Champions Cup nearly men Racing 92 in the stifling heat in northern France in the first game of professional rugby at Stade Bollaert-Delelis in Lens.

It was physical and attritional but it was not pretty. Certainly these sides could not match Leinster’s stately progression to the final 24 hours earlier. La Rochelle will not beat the overwhelming favourites Leinster if they choose to play a high-tempo game next week but if the game is tight they are a match for anyone. O’Gara’s side, beaten 12 months ago at Twickenham in the final by Toulouse, have a monstrous pack and they have made great strides in the past 12 months.

No one has made more carries in the competition this season than their captain, Grégory Alldritt, whose try on the stroke of half-time turned the game La Rochelle’s way and the No 8 was outstanding alongside the 35-year-old former All Black Victor Vito in the back row. Romantics will regret that the final will not be graced by Racing’s Nolann Le Garrec. The scrum-half turned 20 on Saturday but could not celebrate a win alongside his half-back partner Finn Russell, both outstanding the previous week against Sale in their quarter-final in Paris.

Le Garrec has been lauded as the next Antoine Dupont but he had to watch Ihaia West finally kill off the game in the last move of the afternoon with a try that made up for the New Zealander’s wayward place-kicking that could have cost them the game. La Rochelle, though, deserved their victory.

The day had not started well for Racing with the full-back Max Spring and the prop Trevor Nyakane