Saracens face one of their toughest assignments in Europe on Sunday when they travel to face reigning champions La Rochelle in the Champions Cup quarter-final. The English side have a rich history of famous away wins, including victories over Leinster in Dublin and Racing 92 in Lyon, but the gap between the Premiership and the Top 14 has widened in recent years due to the financial muscle of French clubs.
La Rochelle, coached by Ronan O'Gara, are expected to respond fiercely after a narrow escape against Gloucester last weekend. Saracens will have to withstand a physical onslaught from a pack featuring Will Skelton, Uini Atonio, Grégory Alldritt and Levani Botia. The visitors are also without back-rowers Andy Christie and Theo McFarland due to injury, placing greater burden on key players such as Maro Itoje, Jamie George and the Vunipola brothers.
Despite the challenges, Saracens are highly motivated. A win would set up a semi-final against Exeter on English soil. Veteran full-back Alex Goode, who has been part of every major European knockout match for the club, acknowledged the underdog status. “We have never played at La Rochelle and being the underdogs is not something we have had too much of in the last six or seven years,” said Goode. “We know this is a huge challenge. There are going to be points when they have a purple patch; we have got to ride that storm and come back with a counterpunch.”
Goode recalled the 2017 semi-final against Munster, where Saracens weathered intense pressure before striking back. A similar resilience will be required against a La Rochelle side that excels tactically and physically. The match will be a clear indicator of the current balance of power between English and French rugby.
