La Rochelle centre Jules Favre: "This title made it possible to put La Rochelle on the map of Europe. We are champions for life, together. Matson recalls him expressing worries after a knee operation which was the result of fishing for the ball among the heavy mob up front, and might explain why he ceased being a flanker for a while in 2018.

Ronan O'Gara's side moved up to eighth in the table with just their third win of the season, a week before facing Racing in Kolisi's expected first game for the Parisians. Hooker Robbie Smith, flanker Aaron Hinkley and scrum-half Tom James are also promoted into the starting XV.They were only promoted from the second tier of French rugby in 2014 and had not been beyond the last eight of the Champions Cup before this season. It was a wake-up call that I had probably been saying in my head, but then to hear it from one of the coaches was an eye-opener. In February 2014, he joined French Pro D2 rugby side, La Rochelle. [4] Fiji national team (15s) [ edit ]

Penaud's outfit led 9-8 at the break thanks to three penalties from his Test and club team-mate Matthieu Jalibert, while hooker Pierre Bourgarit crossed from a rolling maul for the hosts. Under the guidance of head coach and former Munster fly-half Ronan O'Gara, they saw off Leinster - another four-time winner - 32-23 in the semi-finals. Test rugby's most capped player in former Wales and British and Irish Lions captain Alun Wyn Jones made the final appearance of his career on Saturday as Toulon edged Clermont 30-27 for their first win at the Stade Marcel-Michelin in eight years. The 34-year-old Botia was unheard of when he was recruited by La Rochelle, then newly promoted to the Top 14, nine years ago. He has been at the upwardly mobile club on the French Atlantic coast ever since, helping them win the Champions Cup last season. He was a centre for Fiji in the last two World Cups, and joined La Rochelle in that position, but for the second half of this season he has switched to flanker, having played there regularly in 2017 and 2018, and that’s how he will line up against Exeter. A lot of the other clubs got hit during Covid and for us as a club we are being hit now. I have got a growing family and I have got to put them first at times. That is what made it so hard to leave Chiefs; how much I love the club, I love the coaches, I love everything about it but I have got to look after my family.Northampton wing Courtnall Skosan: "I think for us it's all about cleaning up our game, just not making a lot of mistakes. We have the game that can take us all the way, it's just about making sure that it's clean and I think that's a big focus for us." In a few days, the trophy is no longer ours. But we want to show that this victory was not a coincidence, that our title is deserved."