Harlequins 27-34 La Rochelle: Historic win for La Rochelle
Last Updated: 15/10/17 9:53am
La Rochelle claimed their first ever Champions Cup win with a 34-27 victory over Harlequins at the Stoop on Saturday.
Tries from Hikairo Forbes, Dany Priso and two from Geoffrey Doumayrou proved the difference as Ryan Lamb also added four conversions and a penalty.
Harlequins played their part in a highly entertaining game replying through tries from Charlie Matthews, Joe Marchant and Will Collier, along with 12 points from Marcus Smith.
Smith showed why he is so highly rated with some lovely touches but the teenager fell for a classic show-and-go from Lamb, who put Doumayrou home for his second try.
The Aviva Premiership side had only themselves to blame for trailing 24-17 at the break. Forbes capped a lineout maul to set the visitors rolling after Tim Visser had conceded a cheap high-tackle penalty.
Roberts then bulldozed the gain-line in vintage fashion, offloading out of the tackle for Matthews to score.
Smith's conversion levelled the game at 10-10, only for La Rochelle to pull away again.
Doumayrou traded passes with captain Jason Eaton to bisect the Quins defence and power home, before prop Priso sneaked home after the home side knocked on at a lineout in their own 22.
The Londoners' riposte was immediate, however, with fit-again Mike Brown scything through the line before sending Marchant leg-pumping through the cover tackles and across the whitewash.
Smith's conversion had Quins trailing by seven at the break. And on the teams' return, Lamb cut loose - bamboozling Smith - to push La Rochelle back into a two-try cushion at 31-17 with the visitors' bonus-point score.
The former Gloucester and London Irish playmaker sold Smith a cute dummy, raced through the line and sent Doumayrou home for his second try with a neat inside ball.
Quins gained impetus from La Rochelle flanker Zeno Kieft's yellow card, only for Brown to knock on over the line from Marchant's grubber.
Lamb lost concentration and knocked on trying to clear from the five-metre scrum however, and the hosts gobbled up that gift with glee.
Prop Collier capped an obdurate attack, with Smith's conversion cutting La Rochelle's lead to 10 points at 34-24.
Lamb then struck the crossbar with a long-range penalty, but despite a last-gasp Smith penalty, Quins could not turn the tide.
