Stade Rochelle claimed a comfortable 31:14 victory over Lions in the opening round of the European Rugby Confederation Cup on Saturday. The result puts the hosts top of the table with four points from one game, while the visitors sit sixth with none after their first defeat of the season.
And here's the thing — we had called for a home win with 73 per cent confidence before kickoff. The match played out much as we expected, with Rochelle controlling territory and tempo from the outset. Lions managed to cross the try line on occasion, but could not match the consistency of their hosts across the full distance.
The opening exchanges favoured the home side, who worked the channels effectively and punished any hesitation in the away defence. By then it was clear this would not be a close contest, though the visitors showed enough character to avoid a complete rout. The scoreline reflected a match decided in three or four key moments rather than any sustained dominance.
Rochelle's recent form suggested this outcome — three wins from their last four fixtures, including a 28:16 victory over Lyon and a 38:13 win against Clermont. Lions, meanwhile, had lost their previous meeting with the Bulls 15:57 and could find no rhythm against a well-organised home side. To be fair, the visitors did earn a few points from penalties and conversions, but the gap was never really in doubt.
The result moves Stade Rochelle into a strong position early in the campaign, while Lions will need to regroup quickly. The hosts now hold the tie in their own hands, having taken maximum points from their opening fixture. One loss is no disaster, but the home side has set a standard that will be hard to reach.
