Following a narrow 24-20 victory for La Rochelle over Bath at the Rec on Friday, here are our winners and losers from the Investec Champions Cup clash.
Winners
Gregory Alldritt
Absolutely immense. Alldritt was dropped by Fabien Galthie in the Autumn Nations Series and there has been doubts about his form for club and country, but he certainly answered his critics at the Rec on Friday.
In difficult conditions, where it is ultimately about the forwards and half-backs, the number eight was magnificent in both attack and defence. Alldritt carried ferociously throughout and he was equally busy without the ball in what was in our view a man of the match performance.
Will Stuart
Has become England’s number one tighthead this year – due to a sheer lack of options more than anything else – but he had a good Autumn Nations Series and has taken that form back to Bath. He was excellent against La Rochelle, both in the set-piece and the loose, as he got the upper hand in the scrum.
Against two France front-rowers, Stuart and his outstanding prop colleague, Springboks powerhouse Thomas du Toit, often sent them into reverse, especially in the first half. England head coach Steve Borthwick will certainly be pleased looking ahead to the Six Nations as he seeks to find a reliable tighthead.
Tawera Kerr-Barlow
Rather than Alldritt, it was the New Zealander who claimed the official man of the match award and, in fairness, he was rather good too. Kerr-Barlow was particularly excellent in the first half as, playing against the wind, they managed to control the game.
His kicking was on point while he always took the right options, which enabled La Rochelle to go into the break 21-6 in front, a lead they would not relinquish despite a valiant effort from the hosts after the break. Despite making a mistake for Bath’s second try, it did not detract from a fine performance.
Ronan O’Gara
La Rochelle’s head coach was an angry man after their shock defeat to Vannes, but that will have no doubt subsided after this win. O’Gara is always brutally honest but making comments like he did last week can have an adverse effect. However, to the players’ credit, they responded superbly to the dressing down and put in a display for their boss.
It has been a frustrating campaign for the 2022 and 2023 champions so far, with them winning just six of their 11 Top 14 matches, but this victory could well kick-start their season. O’Gara’s men got their tactics spot on as they visited the home of the Premiership leaders and toppled them. Impressive from the head coach and his charges.
Will Muir
This game really wasn’t made for the outside backs but Muir managed to impress. The wing’s work ethic is always exceptional while his all-round s𝓀𝒾𝓁𝓁s makes him a very useful player in conditions like what we saw on Friday.
Muir was excellent under the high ball, made the odd break when in space and made very few, if any, mistakes. His efforts almost helped produce a remarkable comeback, but ultimately his fine display was in vain.
Losers
Bath hookers
The English outfit played really well in the second half, but their lineout issues cost them. Even in the first period, where it was better, there was miscommunication and Tom Dunn was penalised for a dummy throw. At the time, Bath were camped in the La Rochelle 22 and a try on the stroke of half-time could have been crucial.
It left them with a lot of work to do after the break. To their credit, the hosts were superb, but the lineout let them down when in several good positions, with Niall Annett particularly struggling when he came on. Those errors were costly as La Rochelle were able to see out the game pretty comfortably in the final quarter.
France props
There is a suggestion that Uini Atonio may well call it a day on the international front sometime soon but, if he is part of the squad for the Six Nations, he will need to be better in the set-piece. Both him and Reda Wardi are both key members of the France side but they were bettered in the scrum by their opponents, especially in the first half.
They improved after the break, preventing Bath from getting the upper hand on too many occasions, but it will be a concern for O’Gara and the national team boss Fabien Galthie. The scrum was a real weakness in the Autumn Nations Series, with replacement in this game, Georges-Henri Colombe, getting hammered by the All Blacks’ Tamaiti Williams in the November campaign, so there seems to be a lack of options for Les Bleus.
Finn Russell
Paid the big bucks to deliver in matches like this and he simply failed. The Scotland star was excellent in the third quarter as Bath threatened a comeback, but either side of that he didn’t dominate the match.
With the wind in their favour in the first period, Russell needed to take control but there were simply far too many errors from the playmaker. He failed to get to grips with the conditions and, at 21-6 down at the interval, it left them with a mountain to climb.
Johann van Graan’s men almost reached the summit only to fall in the final quarter as Russell just couldn’t put enough pressure on with his kicking game. He was not helped by the team’s lineout woes, but it was a struggle for the Scotsman on Friday.
Guy Pepper
Slightly harsh perhaps, given that he continues to look the part at this level, but the infringement for the late hit on UJ Seuteni was brainless and, more pertinently, a momentum 𝓀𝒾𝓁𝓁er. Bath had just forced La Rochelle into a rushed clearance, giving the hosts a lineout deep inside opposition territory, but he ran into Seuteni about an hour after the ball had gone and was correctly penalised.
Of course, had he not done it, they would have had a lineout and we know how that went in the second half, but the wind was taken out of the Bath sails by that act from the openside. Pepper certainly learned a big lesson on Friday.
