Six-try La Rochelle power past spirited Tigers

Investec Champions Cup

La Rochelle (17) 39

Tries: Alldritt, Favre, Jegou 2, Seuteni, Bollengier Cons: West 2, Jurd Pens: West

Leicester (13) 20

Two-time Champions Cup winners La Rochelle were made to work hard to secure victory against a much-changed Leicester Tigers at the Stade Marcel Deflandre.

The hosts started confidently with France number eight Gregory Alldritt and winger Jules Favre putting them 10-0 up before teenage Tigers full-back George Pearson, back on the pitch after receiving a yellow card, provided a moment of magic with a scything run to set up Joaquin Moro.

Oscar Jegou struck either side of the interval for the hosts and La Rochelle’s powerful pack proved the difference as they took control in the second half.

Alldritt had already gone close before he grabbed the opening try, collecting a loose ball from a line-out and battering his way through three tacklers to score.

Leicester then went down to 14 men when 19-year-old England junior international full-back Pearson caught winger Davit Niniashvili with an outstretched boot while catching a high ball and it didn’t take the hosts long to take advantage of the extra man.

Fly-half Ihaia West put in a delicate chip across the pitch to the unmarked Favre who strolled in to make it 10-0 after 17 minutes.

Billy Searle’s penalty put Tigers on the scoreboard and after returning from the sin-bin Pearson showed his undoubted potential, slaloming his way through tackles before offloading to Moro to cross the whitewash and level the scores shortly before the half-hour mark.

The hosts showed their strength to regain the lead, going through the phases and wearing Tigers down to allow Jegou to go over unopposed before another Searle penalty reduced the gap to four points at half-time.

France international Jegou went over again shortly after the break with the help of the excellent Levani Botia and Leicester prop Will Hurd was sin-binned for collapsing a maul earlier in the move.

La Rochelle’s monstrous pack was proving a problem for the visitors and with the penalties totting up West stretched the lead out to 14 before the hour.

La Rochelle: Leyds; Niniashvili, Seguret, Seuteni, Favre; West, Berjon; Kaddouri, Latu, Sclavi, Lavault, Kante Samba, Jegou, Botia, Alldritt.

Replacements: Lespiaucq, Wardi, Atonio, Dillane, Andjisseramatchi, Couillaud, Jurd, Bollengier.

Leicester Tigers: Pearson; Radwan, Wand, Woodward, Hassell-Collins; Searle, Whiteley; Haffar, Clare, Hurd, Henderson, Wells, Thompson, J Manz, Moro.

Replacements: Theobald-Thomas, Van der Flier, Loman, T Manz, Williams, Allan, Titcombe, Kata.

Referee: Andrew Brace (Ireland)

Assistant referees: Eoghan Cross (Ireland) Robbie Jenkinson (Ireland)