All week talk had been of the size of the La Rochelle pack and how Leinster would cope with the French scrum in particular. As the match proceeded that factor became more and more important as the teams tired and the final 10 minutes came down to an epic arm wrestle for the last 10 minutes.
From the 67th minute to the end of the match there were five scrums from 12 in all and they did greatly influence how the game turned in the favour of the French team.
Leinster had been dealing with their own put-in quite well, throughout the match with scrumhalf, Jamison Gibson-Park giving a quick feed and the ball coming back equally fast, which negated the bigger units of the La Rochelle frontrow getting purchase and a push on the Leinster players.
In the end Leinster had a 100 per cent success rate with their scrums and La Rochelle 86 per cent. But that didn’t tell the whole scrum story. Earlier in the match La Rochelle’s Dany Priso did have some trouble. But as the game progressed the French scrum became the lever which won them their first European Champions Cup.
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On 67 minutes with a Leinster put-in for the eighth scrum of the game, Jack Conan takes the quick ball and belts up the park. All good. A minute later a La Rochelle scrum goes sideways but the ball comes out saving Leinster from a penalty.
Four minutes later on 73 minutes Wayne Barnes calls a La Rochelle penalty in front of goal. But there are four points in the difference and the French team are a man down with lock Thomas Lavault in the bin.
Instead, they opt for a scrum. It collapses and is reset, then wheels. But the French team retain possession drawing Leinster into an epic defensive battle as the minutes count down.
As the bodies crash and spill over each other Barnes puts his hand out for another La Rochelle penalty. It is into the 76th minute. La Rochelle is again in front of the posts. But again they forgo the three points that would have made it 21-20 to Leinster and opt for the 11th scrum of the match.
Again, La Rochelle get possession close to the Leinster line and another huge physical confrontation ensues with both sides putting bodies on the line. Barnes puts out his hand again for an attacking penalty and for a third time La Rochelle decline to kick at goal and take the scrum, this time Gregory Alldritt picking and driving but hit by Rhys Ruddock.
The succession of scrums nominated instead of kicking points gave La Rochelle territory and possession. They had enormous confidence that it was their best attacking platform and in the end that was the right call.
On 79 minutes Barnes had signalled for another penalty as Leinster desperately defended their line. It didn’t come to that as replacement Arthur Retiere stretched under Garry Ringrose for the winning touchdown.
Had he not scored, you can be sure La Rochelle would have again put faith in their big men and the set piece. Unlucky for one side, it would have been the 13th scrum of the match.
