Former Munster fly-half and current Cork Con assistant coach
It was almost a tale of two halves in France on Sunday, although La Rochelle finished the first half strongly, having gifted Leinster territory, possession and scoring chances. Strangely enough it was the French side that initially couldn't deal with the summer sun. Dillyn Leyds handed two possessions to Leinster deep in his 22, while another one bounced into touch for a defensive lineout just five metres from his own goal line.
This piled the pressure on La Rochelle and resulted in a huge concession of penalties, along with a yellow card after just seven minutes. It’s possible that it gave Leinster a false foothold in the game because once La Rochelle got back on their feet, they swung the momentum all too easily.