2022 European Rugby Champions Cup final explained

2022 European Rugby Champions Cup Final
Event:2021–22 European Rugby Champions Cup
Team1:La Rochelle
Team1association:
Team1score:24
Team2:Leinster
Team2score:21
Date:28 May 2022
Stadium:Stade Vélodrome
City:Marseille
Player Of The Match1:Dillyn Leyds (La Rochelle)
Referee:Wayne Barnes (England)
Attendance:59,682
Weather:Sunny
Previous:2021
Next:2023

The 2022 European Rugby Champions Cup Final was the final match of the 2021–22 European Rugby Champions Cup, and the twenty-seventh European club rugby final in general. The final was contested between La Rochelle and Leinster with La Rochelle winning the game with a late try.[1] [2] [3] [4] [5]

Despite having hosted a number of Champions Cup semi-finals, the Stade Vélodrome hosted its first European final, two years later than expected after it was rearranged from 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Background

Both Leinster and La Rochelle entered the final on similar form, with both teams having won 7 out of their 8 games in the Championship, with both losses being a default result due to cancellations earlier in the campaign.

This was Leinster's sixth appearance in the Champions Cup Final, winning four and losing one, their last win being in 2018. If Leinster had won, it would have been a record equalling victory for them, joining Toulouse with five European titles to their name. For La Rochelle, this was the second time they have made the final, after they made the final in the previous year. They became the first team since Leinster to appear in back-to-back finals after the Irish side achieved this in 2018 and 2019. La Rochelle's victory was the first major trophy for the club.

The two sides had met just once before in the Champions Cup, with La Rochelle triumphing 32–23 in last season's semi-finals and it was the fifth time that an Irish team faced a TOP 14 club in the European Cup final, with Irish sides having won on each of the previous four occasions.

Route to the final

Note: In all results below, the score of the finalist is given first (H: home; A: away).

La RochelleRound Leinster
OpponentResultPool stageOpponentResult
Glasgow Warriors20–13 (H)Matchday 1 Bath45–20 (H)
Bath0–0 (A)
(Cancelled)
Matchday 2 Montpellier0–28 (A)
(Cancelled)
Bath39–21 (H)Matchday 3 Montpellier89–7 (H)
Glasgow Warriors38–20 (A)Matchday 4 Bath64–7 (A)
Final standings
Pool A Top 4
TeamPWDLPFPADiffTFTATBLBPts
Racing 924 4 0 0 126 24 +102 16 3 3 0 19
Ulster4 4 0 0 114 96 +18 15 9 3 0 19
La Rochelle4 3 1 0 97 64 +33 11 7 2 0 16
Leinster4 3 0 1 198 62 +136 30 8 3 0 15
OpponentResultKnockout stageOpponentResult
Bordeaux31–13 (A)Round of 16 Leg 1 Connacht26–21 (A)
Bordeaux31–23 (H)Round of 16 Leg 2 Connacht56–20 (H)
Montpellier31–19 (H)Quarter-finals Leicester Tigers14–23 (A)
Racing 9213–20 (A)Semi-finals Toulouse40–17 (H)

Match

Details

FB 15 Brice Dulin
RW 14
OC 13 Jérémy Sinzelle
IC 12
LW 11 Raymond Rhule
FH 10 Ihaia West
SH 9
N8 8 Grégory Alldritt (c)
OF 7
BF 6
RL 5 Will Skelton
LL 4
TP 3
HK 2
LP 1 Dany Priso
Substitutions:
HK 16
PR 17
PR 18
LK 19
FL 20
SH 21
CE 22
WG 23
Coach:
Ronan O'Gara
FB 15 Hugo Keenan
RW 14 Jimmy O'Brien
OC 13 Garry Ringrose
IC 12 Robbie Henshaw
LW 11 James Lowe
FH 10 Johnny Sexton (c)
SH 9
N8 8 Jack Conan
OF 7 Josh van der Flier
BF 6
RL 5 James Ryan
LL 4
TP 3
HK 2
LP 1
Substitutions:
HK 16
PR 17
PR 18
LK 19
FL 20
SH 21
FH 22
CE 23 Ciarán Frawley
Coach:
Leo Cullen
Star of the Match:
Dillyn Leyds (La Rochelle)

Assistant referees:
Matthew Carley (England)
Christophe Ridley (England)
Television Match Official:
Tom Foley (England)

Notes and References

  1. Web site: 2022 European Rugby Champions Cup Final. 23 May 2022. EPC Rugby.com. 24 May 2022.
  2. Web site: Sublime Leinster dethrone Toulouse to march into Champions Cup final. 14 May 2022. The 42. 24 May 2022.
  3. Web site: La Rochelle win 20-13 at Racing 92 to reach second successive final. 15 May 2022. BBC Sport. 24 May 2022.
  4. Web site: Leinster 21-24 La Rochelle: Champions Cup final – as it happened. 22 May 2022. Guardian. 1 February 2023.
  5. Web site: Ronan O'Gara leads La Rochelle to first Champions Cup title with stunning last-gasp victory over Leinster. 22 May 2022. The 42. 1 February 2023.