Leinster denied record-equalling fifth European Cup by late La Rochelle try
Coach Ronan O'Gara leads La Rochelle to their first Champions Cup triumph
Arthur Retiere goes over in 79th minute to snatch victory in Marseille
Six Johnny Sexton penalties gave Leinster 18-10 lead in second half
Pierre Bourgarit cut the deficit but then Thomas Lavault was sin-binned
However, O'Gara's side rallied superbly to triumph at Stade Velodrome
Matt Dawson
Former England scrum-half on BBC Radio 5 Live
La Rochelle are gambling on quick ball and trying to get their explosive back three running.
Image source, Getty ImagesLeinster 9-7 La Rochelle
La Rochelle's turn to turn the thumb screws.
A lovely little dart by Raymond Rhule into the danger zone and it takes some very alert work from Jimmy O'Brien to scrag the South African.
And then La Rochelle give away a penalty for neck-rolling a potential blue-shirted jackaller out of the breakdown.
A chance for Leinster to clear their lines. Johnny Sexton needs some magic sponge on his ankle before he can do the honours.
Leinster 9-7 La Rochelle
Johnny Sexton gathers Ihaia West's drop-out looks up, sees nothing particularly compelling on in terms of running the ball back and instead takes on a monster drop-goal shot.
How's your luck? No today for the sharp-shooter. Wide. Still a two-point game.
Leinster 9-7 La Rochelle
Johnny Sexton pokes a squirmy little grubber kick in behind La Rochelle as they come up flat and fast.
Can Hugo Keenan get there? No, the La Rochelle cover sweeps up to dot down and claim the goalline drop out.
Leinster 9-7 La Rochelle
Robbie Henshaw and Garry Ringrose with a superb rumble each.
Leinster are into the La Rochelle 22m...
Image source, Getty ImagesLeinster 9-7 La Rochelle
La Rochelle use Will Skelton as a decoy runner in midfield and it holds up the drift defence just long enough to buy Dillyn Leyds a little corridor of space down the touchline.
Jimmy O'Brien and Hugo Keenan do just enough to snuff out the threat and charge down the chip ahead.
Sexton
Some crossing in midfield as Wiaan Liebenberg screens a La Rochelle team-mate from the advancing Leinster defence.
That was not a good look from the French side.
A very kickable penalty and, after a quick chat with his forwards about the possiblity of going to the corner, Sexton does just that.
Leinster 6-7 La Rochelle
Leinster have made a change at hooker by the way. Dan Sheehan is on in place of Ronan Kelleher.
Leinster 6-7 La Rochelle
Leinster dust off another pre-cooked move from a playbook that could double as a doorstop.
It is flanker Caelan Doris who is in a pocket of space and the target of a pull-back pass from Johnny Sexton. The pass is a little off, the hands are a little slack and the ball goes to the floor.
Leinster 6-7 La Rochelle
Matt Dawson
Former England scrum-half on BBC Radio 5 Live
In a match like this you are going to have to push yourself to the limit both mentally and physically and we'll see later which ones can handle it and which ones can't.
But you've got to be careful not to punch yourself out too early on a hot day like this.
Leinster 6-7 La Rochelle
La Rochelle are stretching the play wide and fast. Centre Jeremy Sinzelle throws a long looping mispass out to Dillyn Leyds on one wing, before his midfield partner Jonathan Danty rumbles up the other.
The French side have got a sniff of adventure after that superb score from Raymond Rhule.
Image source, Getty ImagesLeinster 6-7 La Rochelle
Matt Dawson
Former England scrum-half on BBC Radio 5 Live
Leinster were in control and Johnny Sexton had it on a string, but La Rochelle only need a sniff because they have that ability to score tries from nowhere. There was a cute pass from Leyds and a fabulous finish from Rhule.
Raymond Rhule (con West)
Sublime.
La Rochelle break out from under the cosh with a fine score as the South African back three connection clicks beautifully.
One wing - Dillyn Leyds - breaks blind, gets his arms free in contact and offloads out the side door to compatriot Raymond Rhule who scorches inside the cover and dives over.
Ihaia West nails the conversion and last year's runners-up are now making the running. That is against the run of play, but moments of magic can do that.
Johnny Sexton
La Rochelle can't keep up. Leinster's tempo is as relentless as an all-night happy hardcore rave. The four-time champions make deep inroads, La Rochelle are in swift retreat and then Will Skelton gives away a penalty for holding a Leinster man on the floor as he attempted to catch his breath.
Penalty.
Points.
Early scoreboard grease.
BBC Radio 5 Live
A reminder that Chris Jones and Matt Dawson will bring you live radio commentary of this match on Radio 5 Live as soon as the Challenge Cup rugby league final has finished.
Sexton
La Rochelle failed to roll away, slowing up the service to Jamison Gibson-Park. Wayne Barnes' arm flies up to signal a penalty and Johnny Sexton points to the poles.
30-odd metres out and pretty central. It should be straightforward. And it is, despite the best efforts of the La Rochelle fans behind the posts.
Leinster 0-0 La Rochelle
Leinster join the dots with a slick attack, bristling with early threat. But La Rochelle pile numbers into the breakdown to put the brakes on.
Leinster 0-0 La Rochelle
Image source, Getty ImagesStade Velodrome really is somthing isn't it?
A bubbling cauldron of noise.
And we are up and running...
Leinster v La Rochelle (16:45 BST)
Image source, GettyThere's that photo. You know the one.
It is from a Champions Cup semi-final 13 years ago. Gordon D'Arcy has just wriggled over for Leinster against Munster. Ronan O'Gara is picking himself off the Croke Park turf after failing to stop the score and a young Johnny Sexton comes running over and hollers in his opposite number's face.
There has been plenty of water under the bridge since then. International team-mates with Ireland, coach and star player with Ireland and now a relationship of respect. And a little tension.
O'Gara believes his old adversary's recent hot form has been fuelled by his omission from last summer's British and Irish Lions tour of South Africa.
“I think he’s also been fuelled. There wasn’t much of a deal made of the fact that he didn’t make the Lions tour, but that would have hurt him deeply," said O'Gara.
“That’s another example of his excellent resilience and his coming back.
“I think he’s made changes to his game. He’s a very good passer of the ball, but he’s also becoming a threat again, which he may have put on the backburner for a number of months."
Leinster v La Rochelle (16:45 BST)
Image source, Getty ImagesBBC's Michael Morrow has crunched the numbers behind Leinster's astonishing winning machine, a team that can seemingly win the United Rugby Championship without getting the revs into the red zone and call on a clutch of fresh and firing Ireland internationals for the continental crunch.
"Of the 13 Ireland internationals that started the province's semi-final dismantling of Toulouse, not one of them played in more than a third of their 18 league matches," he writes.
"In fact, all of them played more international Test matches this season than they did league games, with the exception of James Lowe who played six of each.
"Last weekend academy scrum-half Ben Murphy came on against Munster to become the 60th player to play for Leinster this season."