The Scarlets uncorked a full-bodied red rather than their customary champagne as they overcame imposing opponents to reach the last four of the Champions Cup for the first time since 2007. It was a victory based on grit and courage as they absorbed pressure for the first hour before delivering the coup de grâce with two tries in the final 20 minutes.
It was classic knockout rugby in a contest between two sides without recent European pedigree. The Scarlets had not made the knockout stage for 11 years while La Rochelle had not appeared in the Champions Cup before this season and nerves were a factor in the opening period with both sides making basic mistakes as eagerness spilled over into anxiety.
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One advantage the Scarlets had, on top of playing in front of their own supporters in a record 15,439 crowd here, was their greater international experience. They were inspired by their captain, Ken Owens, the Wales hooker, who made telling tackles on La Rochelle’s burly props Uini Atonio and Dany Priso in the opening five minutes and the Scotland captain, John Barclay, who made a number of telling turnovers in a lively match in which an English referee, Luke Pearce, permitted a contest at the breakdown.
It was Owens and Barclay, backed up by the second-row Tadhg Beirne, who ensured the Scarlets remained stable when they were rocked by waves of La Rochelle pressure in the third quarter. The home side had led 12-10 at the interval, four Leigh Halfpenny penalties shading one from Alexi Bales and an early try by the La Rochelle captain, Romain Sazy, who was awarded a try after a scramble over the line when Steff Evans dropped a cross-kick.
Halfpenny’s fifth penalty five minutes into the second period prompted La Rochelle to shelve their sniping game, based on weighted kicks and the capacity of their 11 stone centre Arthur Retière to break tackles and go direct. They were three times held up on the line with Owens leading the forward defensive effort, Barclay forcing a crucial turnover and Beirne stealing a lineout.
Owens also talked the referee into not sending Beirne to the sin-bin after the Scarlets conceded their third breakdown penalty in as many minutes and no sooner had the siege been lifted than La Rochelle were hit by a sucker punch. Hadleigh Parkes broke a tackle in midfield and Dan Jones, on as a replacement for the concussed Evans but playing at outside-half, threw a long pass to Rhys Patchell who used Halfpenny as a decoy outside him to score.
Halfpenny’s conversion gave the Scarlets a 12-point advantage but La Rochelle were not finished. They again set up camp in the home 22 and were driving a maul to the line when the replacement second-row Lewis Rawlins got his hands on the ball and did not let go. When the subsequent scrum was pushed back over their line, the Scarlets again managed to find their way out of trouble.
They did as much again when the replacement back-row Will Boyde was sent to the sin-bin 11 minutes from time for entering a ruck from the side. The crowd, boosted to slightly more than the requisite 15,000 thanks to extra seating, became tense but their side held firm and on a rare break-out, the flankers Aaron Shingler and James Davies, who had played on the wing for all but the opening minutes, combined to give Scott Williams sight of the line.
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La Rochelle scored with the last move of the match, when Pierre Boudehent completed a 95-yard move, but the Scarlets were already celebrating. They will face the winners of Sunday’s match between Leinster and Saracens in Dublin or Coventry, and the manner of their victory, tempering their high-risk approach and not relying on someone else to do the grafting, suggests they could go even further.
“We can dare to dream,” said Owens, an unused replacement in the 2007 semi-final against Leicester. “I have been at this club my entire career and this victory means everything to me.”
It clearly meant a great deal to the supporters, too. They stayed behind in their numbers after the final whistle to acknowledge the Scarlets players as echoes of famous nights at the side’s old ground, Stradey Park, filled the evening air.
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Newcastle reached the European Challenge Cup semi-finals by scoring four tries to beat Brive 25-10 at Kingston Park.
Prop Scott Wilson and winger Zach Kibirige touched down in the first half before Etienne Herjean’s try gave Brive hope of getting back into the match. But wonderful Toby Flood passes set up two second-half Alex Tait tries to allow Newcastle to wrap up the match.
They face the winner of Saturday’s quarter-final between Connacht and Gloucester.