On another stormy evening in Belfast, with swirling winds once again playing a major role, Richie Murphy’s side combined early dominance with attacking precision to take control of this quarter-final clash.
Ulster made a dream start, immediately putting La Rochelle under pressure. After forcing an early scrum penalty, they kicked deep into the 22 and launched a well-structured lineout attack. That pressure told on 4 minutes when a clever offload from Juarno Augustus released Tom Stewart, who in turn found Zac Ward slicing through the defence to score. Nathan Doak added the conversion in the blustery conditions to give Ulster a 7–0 lead.
The hosts continued to dictate territory and tempo, with Doak and Jack Murphy controlling the game intelligently. Their early dominance was rewarded again on 9 minutes when Doak slotted a penalty from in front of the posts after sustained pressure, extending the lead to 10–0.
La Rochelle responded with a penalty of their own on 21 minutes through Jurd, but Ulster quickly regained control. From a scrum deep inside the La Rochelle 5-metre line, a series of powerful pick-and-go phases culminated in Tom O’Toole crashing over under the posts on 24 minutes. Doak converted to make it 17–3.
Ulster continued to play with intensity and composure, even after being reduced to 14 men following Zac Ward’s yellow card on 28 minutes. Despite the numerical disadvantage, they maintained pressure and struck again on 36 minutes. After a dominant maul and quick tap penalty, Cormac Izuchukwu powered over for a well-deserved try on his 50th appearance.
Doak’s conversion pushed Ulster further ahead at 24–3.
La Rochelle managed to respond just before the break, with Cancoriet finishing off a series of close-range carries on 39 minutes. Jurd converted to reduce the deficit heading into the interval.
Half-time: Ulster 24 – 10 La Rochelle
Ulster began the second half with the same attacking intent and quickly reasserted control. A brilliant 50:22 kick from Jacob Stockdale set up field position, and from the resulting pressure, Ulster struck again on 47 minutes. Murphy’s delicate kick over the top found Zac Ward, who gathered superbly to finish in the corner for his second try of the night. The difficult conversion drifted wide, but Ulster led 29–10.
La Rochelle responded on 51 minutes through Latu, who broke from close range to score, with Jurd adding the conversion to close the gap to 29–17.
Any hopes of a comeback were quickly extinguished. Ulster produced one of the moments of the match on 53 minutes, with slick handling sending Zac Ward into space before he offloaded brilliantly to his brother Bryn Ward, who powered over for a memorable try. The conversion was missed in the swirling wind, but Ulster had restored a commanding lead at 34–17.
The remainder of the contest saw Ulster manage the game effectively, despite continued La Rochelle pressure. A crucial defensive stand on 66 minutes saw Tom Stewart and Harry Sheridan combine to hold the ball up over the line, denying the visitors a vital score.
Ulster sealed the victory late on. Sustained pressure inside the La Rochelle 22 eventually resulted in a try for James McCormick on 76 minutes, finishing strongly to cap a dominant display. Jake Flannery added the conversion to stretch the lead to 41–17.
La Rochelle grabbed a late consolation through Sclavi, converted by Elissalde, but it was merely a footnote on a night that belonged to Ulster.
Full-time: Ulster 41 – 24 La Rochelle
In challenging conditions once again at Affidea Stadium, Ulster delivered one of their most complete performances of the season. Blending physicality, attacking flair and composure, they controlled the game from the outset and responded to every La Rochelle challenge. With momentum building, Ulster now march into the semi-finals with confidence and belief.
Scorers:
Ulster:
Tries – Ward (4, 47), O’Toole (24), Izuchukwu (36), B Ward (53), McCormick (76).
Cons – Doak (3), Flannery (1)
Pens – Doak (1)
La Rochelle:
Tries – Cancoriet (39), Latu (51), Sclavi (78).
Cons – Jurd (2), Elissalde (1)
Teams
Ulster Rugby:
1. Angus Bell, 2. Tom Stewart, 3. Tom O'Toole, 4. Iain Henderson (C), 5. Cormac Izuchukwu; 6. David McCann, 7. Nick Timoney, 8. Juarno Augustus, 9. Nathan Doak, 10. Jack Murphy, 11. Zac Ward, 12. Stuart McCloskey, 13. James Hume, 14. Werner Kok, 15. Jacob Stockdale
Replacements: 16. James McCormick, 17. Sam Crean, 18. Scott Wilson, 19. Harry Sheridan, 20. Bryn Ward, 21. Conor McKee, 22. Jake Flannery, 23. Jude Postlethwaite.
La Rochelle:
Louis Penverne, 2.Gabin Garault, 3. Karl Sorin, 4. Thomas Lavault, 5. Aleksandre Kuntelia, 6. Edouard Richer, 7. Judicaël Cancoriet, 8. Lucas Andjisseramatchi, 9. Thomas Berjon (C), 10. Diego Jurd, 11. Hoani Bosmorin, 12. Adrien Seguret, , 13. Ulupano Seuteni, 14. Ugo Pacome, 15. Ihaia West
Replacments: 16. Tolu Latu, 17. Christian Luaki, 18. Joel Sclavi 19. Alexandre Kaddouri, 20. Nikolozi Sutidze, 21. Oscar Jegou, 22. Sacha Elissalde, 23. Nolhann Couillaud