Match Preview: Stade Rochelais begin title defence against Northampton

La Rochelle’s clinched their maiden EPCR crown with a thrilling 24-21 victory over Leinster Rugby in last season’s showpiece game, with replacement Arthur Retière scoring a last-gasp winning try.

Northampton endured a difficult Heineken Champions Cup campaign in 2021/22, falling to three defeats in the pool stage which saw them drop into the EPCR Challenge Cup Round of 16, where they were subsequently eliminated.

La Rochelle have blown hot and cold in the TOP 14 over the last couple of months, winning three and losing three of their last six encounters.

But they still find themselves third in the table and will be confident of a home win this weekend, boosted by the return of star No.8 Grégory Alldritt.

Northampton are one of the Gallagher Premiership’s top scorers, with 285 points from their ten games. However, they also have the worst defensive record in the league, conceding 314 points – a stat that will need to be improved if they are to overcome La Rochelle, who have averaged just over 33 points a game at home this season.

The match at Stade Marcel Deflandre will be shown on France TV, BT Sport, beIN SPORTS, SuperSport and FloRugby, with kick-off at 17:30 (UK and Irish time).

First question to everyone at season launch…

Who’s lifting the #HeinekenChampionsCup this season - and they couldn’t say themselves (as much as they tried) 👀

Thoughts? pic.twitter.com/18xPW98u6B

— Heineken Champions Cup (@ChampionsCup) November 30, 2022

Key quotes:

Jules Favre (Stade Rochelais centre): “This title made it possible to put La Rochelle on the map of Europe. We are champions for life, together. This feeling at the Old Port of La Rochelle was incredible. 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.”

Courtnall Skosan (Northampton Saints wing): “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.”

Stade Rochelais

• Stade Rochelais forwards Dany Priso and Grégory Alldritt finished the 2021/22 Heineken Champions Cup with the two highest penalty count concessions in the competition: 12 and 10 respectively.
• A powerhouse at the back of the Stade Rochelais scrum, Alldritt made more carries than any other player last season (136) and more passes than any other forward (136).
• Reigning champions, Stade Rochelais, conceded the most penalties last season, getting on the wrong end of the referees’ whistle 94 times in total. 38 of these were for ruck offences.

Northampton Saints

• Northampton Saints conceded as many penalty tries as any side in the competition last season, conceding five automatic seven-pointers (level with Union Bordeaux-Bégles and Scarlets).
• Saints’ Juarno Augustus made more metres in contact in a single match last season than any other player in the EPCR Challenge Cup (40 v Gloucester Rugby, Round of 16).
• Northampton have four players who are among those who have produced the three highest total try assists last season: Alex Mitchell (six), Fraser Dingwall (five), George Furbank (five), and Rory Hutchinson (five).