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Top 14 club-by-club 2020/21 season preview: La Rochelle

By James Harrington

18 Aug 2020

(Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images)

Under Jono Gibbes and Ronan O Gara, La Rochelle have New Zealand-style pretensions. It’s a terrific dream, but it proved difficult to get hold of last season. Things could be a little different this time around, however…

Key signing

Giant lock Will Skelton quickly shut up talk about a return to Oz in the aftermath of the Saracens’ salary cap scandal by signing a two-year deal with the French outfit. Dillyn Leyds and Brice Dulin will also add some spark in the backline.

Key departure

There’s two. The elusive Vincent Rattez will rejoin former coach Xavier Garbajosa at Montpellier next season while want-away lock Thomas Jolmes eventually got what he wanted to bring to an end a sorry period at Marcel Deflandre.

Former Scotland international Alex Grove guests on The Lockdown, the RugbyPass pandemic interview series

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They say

“We have a lot of young players in the professional squad, but that is what we want. It is our philosophy. I dream that our successors will one day say that we have left the club better than we found it”

– Coach Ronan O’Gara (La Nouvelle Republique)

We say

La Rochelle were fifth in the Top 14 when coronavirus cut short the 2019/20 Top 14 season after 17 rounds of 26. You should not really be able to argue with a league position like that – in a normal, complete season, it would ensure a play-off place, Champions Cup rugby and happy days. But coaches Gibbes and O’Gara would probably be among the first to admit they were fortunate to be there.

It was an oddly incoherent season for the Rochelais. To resort to the cliche: when they were good, they were very, very good. When they were bad – and they could be very, very bad – they were horrid. Compare and contrast their 41-17 win over Brive with their 49-0 loss at Racing.

La Rochelle lock mystery

Off the pitch, too, there were problems. Jolmes is an international standard lock who was under contract at La Rochelle until 2022, but he only started twice and his absence from matchday squad after matchday squad was notable. It was clear something was very amiss. What exactly went wrong remains shrouded in club-player secrecy.

We do know that, in February, soon after he’d been told to take a holiday and that La Rochelle would not stand in his way if he found another club, he signed for Toulon, where he reunites with former boss Patrice Collazo.

Super Rugby-style

Part of the problem was the free-flowing Super Rugby-style gameplan Gibbes and O’Gara have been trying to implant. It was more miss than hit in 2019/20, but there were glimpses to get – all too briefly – excited about.

That was the work-on Gibbes and O’Gara will have been drilling like crazy in the pre-season. If they have got it working then La Rochelle have a thriller in store. Just beware the possibility of implosion.

Arrivals

Will Skelton, Jules Le Bail, Raymond Rhule, Pierre Boudehent, Brice Dulin, Dillyn Leyds

Departures

Sila Puafisi, Mike Corbel, Jean-Charles Orioli, Jone Qovu, Thomas Jolmes, Alexi Bales, Brock James, Brieuc Plessis-Couillaud, Marc Andreu, Eliott Roudil, Valentin Tirefort, Kini Murimurivalu, Vincent Rattez

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Comments on RugbyPass

Cantab 16 days ago

Teenager Braxton Sorensen-McGee reflects on dream Black Ferns debut

Although NZ won comfortably enough they weren’t always convincing and a better opposition may well have found them out. If our gun 7s players can translate their skills to the 15s game the team would have the ability to beat anyone. Need to be given the chance though.

4 Go to comments

James 16 days ago

'Whisper it, but the Wallabies could out-scrum the British and Irish Lions this summer'

And how do you see the Wallabies loosehead / Lion’s tighthead battle Nick?

37 Go to comments

dw 16 days ago

'Whisper it, but the Wallabies could out-scrum the British and Irish Lions this summer'

Also interested in your thoughts on A Bell. Haven't noticed many scrum issues recently. He also seems to play 60 or so mins every game. A bit of a fan (even though he’s a tah..) but wondered if the Lions would target his scrummaging

37 Go to comments

dw 16 days ago

'Whisper it, but the Wallabies could out-scrum the British and Irish Lions this summer'

True. And you look at how the European coaches have got so much out of skelton and how much the local fans love him…and then some Oz fans will still say “he played poorly for the tahs I'm 2015!”

37 Go to comments

dw 16 days ago

'Whisper it, but the Wallabies could out-scrum the British and Irish Lions this summer'

Thanks Nick but your headline has just jinxed us and reminded me of that night in 2013!

I love any analysis of the scrums such as the above. Cheers.

Allalatoa seems to be in good form and Nongorr appears to be able to hold his own? I think they will pick Tupou regardless of form. After Friday night I am concerned he could be sent off in the first five mins of the test though! He got too pumped up and hit a player high and was carded

37 Go to comments

RedWarriors 16 days ago

'Most complacent selection decision you will ever see': Barrett benching slammed as Leinster knocked out

I watched the mainstream NZ pundits eg Mils Muliaina and they DID back NZ to win almost to a man.

Ireland will talk their team up as anyone would with the caveats we are playing the ABs and match was de facto 50:50, That is not the same as dismissing the opposition. EG After the quarter John Kirwan said he was sorry France didn’t win versus SA becuase a ‘France-NZ final would be perfect. (The semis had not even been played yet, England and Argentina completely dismissed! He didn’t even realize his own arrogance) NZ are not even aware of the arrogance they exude. Has no Kiwi politely asked the national team to take down the ‘Superstars and Humble Heroes’ boasting on the AB site? Its cringeworthy stuff. Do NZ really see themselves like this?

Note all this BS about Irish arrogance started just after NZs defeat in the 2022 series. Not a coincidence.

Also: this is Irish national TV. We will talk our team up as everyone does. We care too much about judgemental and thin skinned Kiwis getting offended.

91 Go to comments

JM 16 days ago

'Whisper it, but the Wallabies could out-scrum the British and Irish Lions this summer'

Aussie rugby fans are obsessed with players they hate, for whatever reason.

Michael Hooper is another one, and the hatred only increased whenever he won John Eales medals or the two times he was nominated world player of the year.

I reckon it is because our forwards are technically and mentally weak they put it all on one player who they think should make way for the messiah.

Same for the general team performance and the hate put on players like White, Lolesio, and Foley who should be pulling rabbits out of the hat every play.

I reckon, if we had of had 5 players with Hooper’s desire and drive spread across the team (and especiallythe forwards), we wouldn’t have woken up in the bottom of the ditch.

37 Go to comments

RedWarriors 16 days ago

'What he’s given to this club is nothing short of incredible'

He shouldn’t have been picked. Not physically able for the most intense matches notably in Twickenham last year. Giving him the captaincy was also a very short sighted decision then after RWC 2023. Ireland have a tendency to be a little too loyal, which can mean the team ages and the rebuild is bigger than should be.

Plenty of lads out there to fill that squad.

4 Go to comments

OJohn 16 days ago

Geoff Parling returns to Leicester as head coach

Hooray

0 Go to comments

Carlos 16 days ago

'Whisper it, but the Wallabies could out-scrum the British and Irish Lions this summer'

He was also a YC magnet.

37 Go to comments

Carlos 16 days ago

'Whisper it, but the Wallabies could out-scrum the British and Irish Lions this summer'

Windsor-Faulkner-Price. 😊

37 Go to comments

Solenn Bonnet 16 days ago

Leinster cleanse palette with record URC scoreline against Zebre

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0 Go to comments

Mzilikazi 16 days ago

'Whisper it, but the Wallabies could out-scrum the British and Irish Lions this summer'

Ah, the Pooler front row ! Most legendary in the history of the , I would think. Max Boyce helped…”Here we. here we, here we go, with the Pontypool front row.”

37 Go to comments

Mzilikazi 16 days ago

'Whisper it, but the Wallabies could out-scrum the British and Irish Lions this summer'

Would not go as far as whole house in our family, but for me, yes, W1. Loved playing in the scrum, love watching now😀

37 Go to comments

Mzilikazi 16 days ago

'Whisper it, but the Wallabies could out-scrum the British and Irish Lions this summer'

Yes, I see that article here on RP, Nick. That is good news that Schmidt is going to look at the o’seas players.

Yes, I would think you are right that LAR will qualify. On the same points as MP, but surely they are too good not to win this crunch game….could be tEnse for ROG in the stands though.

37 Go to comments

BC 16 days ago

Who would make it into a Women's British and Irish Lions starting XV?

I would pick Oifa Wafer at 6, put Aldcroft in the second row with Ward. I think Wafer is one of the few non-England players mentioned that would contend for a Red Rose shirt, the others being King and possibly Neve Jones. Conversely there are two English players mentioned, Sing and Venner, that probably won’t even make the Red Rose WC squad, let alone a Lions Tour. Still a lot can change in two years, watch out for Millie David.

1 Go to comments

Otagoman II 16 days ago

'Whisper it, but the Wallabies could out-scrum the British and Irish Lions this summer'

Great article NB, thanks. I would like to know what is the reasoning why so many things are penalties in the scrum. Is it to do with safety or something else?

37 Go to comments

NB 16 days ago

'Whisper it, but the Wallabies could out-scrum the British and Irish Lions this summer'

👍