La Rochelle 20 Connacht 30
Connacht secured the last quarter-final place in this season's European Challenge Cup with a dramatic finish at Stade Marcel-Deflandre on Saturday night.
With their hopes of claiming a victory evaporating – much less a four-try bonus win – Connacht grabbed two tries in the final six minutes to wrap up the last runners-up place in the cup.
As the eighth seeds, they will now meet the top qualifying side Gloucester at Kingsholm in April.
Despite enjoying the perfect start, Connacht went into the break 20-11 in arrears and their hopes of achieving a seventh quarter-final in the competition looked in tatters as the hosts controlled the second half for long periods.
However a penalty to Connacht in the 73rd minute was the impetus, and replacement wing Niyi Adeoloukun provided the magic. With possession just inside the La Rochelle half, the former Trinity player evaded three would-be tacklers before accelerating away to claim the winning try. Jack Carty added the extras to give Connacht the lead for the first time since the 33rd minute.
With the win under their belt, Connacht went in search of the fourth try and it came courtesy of Matt Healy, who, immediately after the restart, had the pace and wherewithal to twice kick ahead before winning the race over the line. Carty made it a 10-point win with the final conversion.
Healy had been instrumental in Connacht's promising start when Kieran Marmion had bagged a try within three minutes.
From a counterattack deep in their own half, Mils Muliania supplied Healy, who caught his own chip ahead before finding Marmion in support on the inside. Marmion streaked in from 30 metres to touchdown on the left, with Carty missing the conversion.
La Rochelle's outhalf Jean Pascal Barraque reduced the deficit with an 11th minute penalty, while Carty, who missed a 13th minute effort, converted his second chance when the hosts were again pinged at the breakdown.
Despite showing ambition, errors crept into Connacht's game which impeded their ability to establish territorial pressure. Barraque again reduced the deficit by the 23rd minute and when prop Nathan White was yellow carded in the 26th minute for repeated infringement at the breakdown, it provided the home side with the momentum up front.
They made it count with a penalty try which Barraque converted for a 13-8 lead. Although Carty stroked a penalty through the posts, Connacht paid the price for some poor defensive concentration, resulting in No 8 Albain Meron crashing over with Barraque's conversion giving them a 20-11 lead at the break.
Connacht started the second half with greater intensity and were rewarded when flanker Eoin McKeon, in a rehearsed move, crashed over from the penalty kicked to touch to cut the deficit to four.
Connacht, however, were forced to batten down the hatches when the hosts laid siege on the Connacht line for 10 minutes. Weathering that storm with an immense defensive effort, it was that two moments of individual brilliance late in the game, including a sideline call to introduce Adeolokun, that ensured Connacht bagged two late tries to win the game and go into the break with a cup quarter-final, while also maintaining their Pro 12 sixth place qualification position.
LA ROCHELLE: Alofa; Cestaro, Bouldoire, Roudil, Cler; Barraque, Berger; Pelo, Forbes, Borrust; Cedaro, Tanguy; Guyot, Djebaili, Meron.
Replacements: Audy for Berger (41 mins),Fortassin for Bouldoire (55 mins), Vulivuli for Alofa (66 mins), Vaslin for Pelo (68 mins). Not used: Kaulashvilli, Atonio, Kieft, Goujon.
CONNACHT: Muliaina; D Leader, Poolman, Finn, Healy; Carty, Marmion; Loughney, McCartney, White; Roux, Browne; E McKeon, Faloon, Naoupu.
Replacements: Muldoon for Faloon (14 mins), Bealham for Muldoon (28 mins), JP Cooney for Loughney (41 mins), Blade for Marmion (51 mins), Qualter for Browne (64 mins), Heffernan for McCartney (69 mins), Adeolokun for Muliaina (74 mins). Not used: Nikora. Sin Bin: White (26 mins).
Referee: Neil Paterson (Scotland).
