‘It’s a great challenge’ – Red-hot Leinster embracing La Rochelle match up in Champions Cup final replay

Leinster boss Leo Cullen is looking forward to the challenge of facing Champions Cup holders La Rochelle in the quarter-finals next weekend in another instalment of their growing rivalry.

The two sides have faced off in the last two Champions Cup finals with La Rochelle winning both times in Marseille and Dublin. However, Leinster did manage a tight 16-9 win over the French side in the pool stage this season making the match-up next weekend even more intriguing.

La Rochelle dramatically came back to beat the Stormers in Cape Town to earn their spot in the last eight whilst Jamison Gibson-Park scored a first-half hat-trick as Leinster blew away Leicester Tigers.

Embracing the rematch

Cullen is loving the challenge and the fact that his team will be facing the best out there in their quest for glory.

“Prepare well for another 80-minute game. Some good, some bad today,” he said. “We will need lots of good next week, I would imagine, but it’s a great challenge, isn’t it?

“We have seen plenty of each other over the last couple of seasons. That’s what you want. You want to be testing yourself against the best teams that are out there.

“La Rochelle have obviously won the tournament and beat us in two finals. We managed to get a win against them in round one this year, but it’s two good teams going at it.”

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Good first half

Reflecting on the clash against Leicester, Cullen felt the first half was much better than the second.

“I thought Leicester were good, carried strong,” he added.

“I thought we looked pretty sharp in attack, obviously Jamison gets a hat-trick of tries in the first half off different good moments of attack.

“I don’t know whether we thinking that was the job done, but there was a few disruptions, bench coming on, it was a bit messy that second half. Maybe all our minds are a little bit guilty of wandering too far ahead sometimes.

“But listen, it’s a win, we’ve got the job done and it’s move on to the next challenge. The great challenge that is.”

Key moments count

Leicester boss Dan McKellar felt his team performed well but lost out in the key moments.

“I just said to the boys, obviously proud of the effort,” he said. “I was disappointed after we played them at Welford Road (in January) and I was annoyed because I felt we missed an opportunity that night.

“I don’t think it’s any different tonight. I thought we created a lot of opportunities.

“We had a poor period of defence from 20 to 40 minutes, where we allowed them to play with quick ruck ball and they’ll hurt you, especially guys like Gibson-Park.

“The intercept was a killer, that’s a 14-point swing. There’s a lot of positives to take out of it, but just frustrated that we missed those chances.”

READ MORE: Ireland star scores hat-trick as Leinster dispose of Leicester to set up La Rochelle clash