Quins Shock La Rochelle to Claim Champions Cup Berth in Thrilling Comeback
La Rochelle were left stunned at Stade Marcel-Deflandre as Harlequins staged a stunning comeback to knock out former champions, securing their place in the last 16 of the Investec Champions Cup. The result marked a major upset for the home side, who had been tipped for a strong finish to the regular season.
The tie will be remembered for a dramatic turn of events in which Harlequins dug deep to secure the win despite being down by 10 points at halftime. A thrilling second half saw Quins claim tries from Cadan Murley and Tyrone Green, both converted by Marcus Smith, who also landed two crucial penalties.
La Rochelle had taken an early lead through Davit Niniashvili's try but trailed behind as Jack Nowell and Thomas Berjon crossed for unconverted tries in quick succession. The teams were level at 17-17 before Tom Lawday latched on to a long pass to crash over near the corner, putting Quins ahead with 24 points.
A Marcus Smith penalty with around a minute remaining sealed the win for Harlequins and denied La Rochelle a losing bonus point that would have seen them qualify instead of Leicester Tigers. The former champions will now face Sale Sharks at the Stoop in the last 16, while their London rivals claimed a major result to finish second behind Leinster.
The match was marked by intense pressure on both teams but ultimately fell to Harlequins' resilience and determination. La Rochelle's defeat drops them into the European Challenge Cup, where they will face Newcastle Red Bulls in the next round.
La Rochelle were left stunned at Stade Marcel-Deflandre as Harlequins staged a stunning comeback to knock out former champions, securing their place in the last 16 of the Investec Champions Cup. The result marked a major upset for the home side, who had been tipped for a strong finish to the regular season.
The tie will be remembered for a dramatic turn of events in which Harlequins dug deep to secure the win despite being down by 10 points at halftime. A thrilling second half saw Quins claim tries from Cadan Murley and Tyrone Green, both converted by Marcus Smith, who also landed two crucial penalties.
La Rochelle had taken an early lead through Davit Niniashvili's try but trailed behind as Jack Nowell and Thomas Berjon crossed for unconverted tries in quick succession. The teams were level at 17-17 before Tom Lawday latched on to a long pass to crash over near the corner, putting Quins ahead with 24 points.
A Marcus Smith penalty with around a minute remaining sealed the win for Harlequins and denied La Rochelle a losing bonus point that would have seen them qualify instead of Leicester Tigers. The former champions will now face Sale Sharks at the Stoop in the last 16, while their London rivals claimed a major result to finish second behind Leinster.
The match was marked by intense pressure on both teams but ultimately fell to Harlequins' resilience and determination. La Rochelle's defeat drops them into the European Challenge Cup, where they will face Newcastle Red Bulls in the next round.
my kiddo loves rugby and this comeback win by Quins is like a dream for him! I mean, 10 points down at halftime? That's a lot of pressure on the team to come back and win 
but they definitely did that. And Marcus Smith is like a superhero 
landing those crucial penalties and getting converted tries from Cadan Murley and Tyrone Green. I can only imagine how thrilled my kiddo must be watching this match! 
Now he's going to be even more stoked for the next round... sale of Quins merch, anyone? 
. That 10-point deficit at halftime is like, whoa... how did they even turn it around? 
! And that last minute penalty by him sealed the deal 
. La Rochelle got screwed out of that losing bonus point 
... like, what even is that?! 
The European Challenge Cup, huh? Guess you could say they're still trying to get back in the game 
.
i mean what's not to love about sweet and savory all on one delicious slice? anyway back to rugby...
. And can we talk about Marcus Smith's game for a sec? 
He was on fire, hitting penalties left and right... I'm surprised he didn't get a nod for man of the match 
17-17 at halftime is no way for the underdogs to be so far behind 
what's their game plan here? Did they even have one? 
. 10 points down at halftime and they still managed to come back and win it? that's just mental 
️. quins are gonna love this result, finishing second behind leinster but beating la rochelle is huge for them 
this comeback is insane 
and marcus smith's penalties were clutch 
they'll be a force to be reckoned with in the champions cup for sure 
. And can we talk about Marcus Smith's skills? The kid's got ice in his veins, landing crucial penalties under pressure 
. On the other hand, La Rochelle just didn't quite bounce back from that early lead 
?
. And can we talk about Marcus Smith? The guy is a genius with the boot 
. Sale Sharks better be ready for them next round though! 
I'm loving this comeback story! Harlequins really showed their character, didn't they? I mean, being down by 10 points at halftime and still managing to come out on top is just incredible 
! Not to mention Jack Nowell's try, that was some slick footwork! 
still, gotta respect quins for grinding out that win 
. Sorry La Rochelle, you guys got rocked 
but at least you're still in Europe and all that 
. The Champions Cup is going to be so lit this season, can't wait for the next round 
!
la rochelle deserved better though, they played so well but just couldn't get over the line 
i guess you can say quins are flying high now 
let's see how they do against sale sharks in the last 16 
️! The way he stayed calm and composed under pressure is an inspiration to us all 
.