La Rochelle

2023 - 4 - 1

Post cover — Image courtesy of "Irish Examiner"

Huge relief for O'Gara as La Rochelle break Gloucester hearts at the ... (Irish Examiner)

Dramatic Teddy Thomas try in the final minutes rescues Heineken Champions Cup holders from last 16 exit with 29-26 win.

Ludlow (44). Morgan for Clement (57). Boudehent for Dillane (62), Tanga for Botia (55).

La Rochelle's dramatic late win denies Gloucester (RTE.ie)

Ronan O'Gara's La Rochelle scored a late try to beat Gloucester 29-26 and reach the Heineken Champions Cup quarter-finals.

Two Twelvetrees penalties then saw the visitors move 26-22 ahead, a lead they enjoyed for a lengthy period, but despite a fantastic defensive effort in the final stages, Thomas found the winning score to break Cherry and White hearts and send La Rochelle into the final eight. La Rochelle went back in front six minutes into the second half when Tawera Kerr-Barlow sneaked over the line but Gloucester responded once more when Twelvetrees' cross-field kick was collected by Louis Rees-Zammit who scored in the corner. Billy Twelvetrees' conversion and subsequent penalty made it 10-3 to the visitors but La Rochelle quickly responded with two tries in two minutes from France internationals Pierre Bourgarit and Thomas, who chased his own kick before scooping the ball up and charging over.

Champions Cup: Teddy Thomas scores late to deny Gloucester a ... (Yahoo Eurosport UK)

Teddy Thomas scored a late try for La Rochelle to secure a narrow victory over Gloucester as they progress into the Champions Cup quarter-finals.

WATCH: Gloucester lock Freddie Clarke's JAW DROPPING dive to ... (planetrugby.com)

Gloucester lock Freddie Clarke produced a fantastic finish in the Champions Cup match against La Rochelle, diving splendidly over in the corner.

[Stormers in the win over Harlequins](https://www.planetrugby.com/news/watch-damian-willemse-stuns-with-a-mind-blowing-acrobatic-finish). — Planet Rugby (@PlanetRugby) [Gloucester](https://www.planetrugby.com/team/gloucester) when he pickpocketed Billy Twelvetrees after kicking down the touchline to score a brilliant try.

La Rochelle vs Gloucester: visitors robbed of victory after Teddy ... (The Times)

There are people in their twenties who may well not grasp the essential greatness of Gloucester RFC; this one afternoon on the west coast of France would ...

O'Gara's La Rochelle survive big scare to book Champions Cup ... (The42)

Teddy Thomas scored late on to break Gloucester's hearts at Stade Marcel Deflandre.

La Rochelle will be at home again for next weekend’s game. The final scoreline didn’t do justice to the performance by John Dobson’s side, who now advance to face either Exeter or Montpellier in the quarter-finals. Meanwhile, the Stormers of South Africa booked their quarter-final spot with a 32-28 victory over Harlequins in Cape Town.

Late-show Thomas takes 'not worthy' La Rochelle into Champions ... (FRANCE 24)

France winger Teddy Thomas scored a late try as La Rochelle edged Gloucester 29-26 to reach the Champions Cup quarter-finals but said his team's performance ...

The Durban-based outfit are one of three South African sides featuring in the Champions Cup this season for the first time, along with the Bulls and the Stormers, whose flanker Deon Fourie also claimed a double in the victory over Quins. Mbonambi's tries against the two-time former winners came in a four-minute spell in the second-half to set up a last-eight tie next weekend with either Toulouse or the Bulls, who meet on Sunday. The champions faced a tough task to keep the defence of the trophy alive but 29-year-old Thomas claimed his second try of the game with three minutes remaining to the joy of a sell-out crowd at Stade Marcel-Deflandre.