Having scraped the narrowest of wins over the Stormers in the European Champions Cup round of 16, Ronan O'Gara's La Rochelle have set up a repeat of last year's final against Leinster, with the two sides set to clash in the Aviva next Saturday in an all or nothing quarter-final.
As Leinster and La Rochelle reignite what is undoubtedly the biggest rivalry in current European rugby, Munster man Ronan O'Gara looks set to skip a trip home and take his team straight from Cape Town to Cork in order to prepare for the massive clash in the Aviva.
Leinster and La Rochelle have met in sensational fashion in the knockout stages of the last three European Rugby Championships, meeting twice in the last two finals and in the 2021 semi-final, where Leinster have lost on every occasion.
However, Leo Cullen's men ended that voodoo earlier this season when the two sides clashed in the Champions Cup pool stages in La Rochelle and the 12-county province held O'Gara's men try less beating them 16-9.
14 January 2023; La Rochelle head coach Ronan O'Gara, left, and forwards coach Donnacha Ryan before the Heineken Champions Cup Pool B Round 3 match between La Rochelle and Ulster at Stade Marcel Deflandre in La Rochelle, France. Photo by Ramsey Cardy/Sportsfile
Ronan O'Gara and Irish colleagues set for Cork return
READ ALSO: 6 Foreign Imports To Irish Rugby That Didn't Work Out
Reports following La Rochelle's win over the Stormers suggest that O'Gara had an elaborate logistical plan for La Rochelle's departure from Cape Town depending on the result of Leinster v Leicester.
While a Leicester win would've reportedly seen the French side fly to Paris and take a train back to La Rochelle, Leinster's win means the side are flying straight to Dublin and heading onto Cork.
In what might be considered some sort of a homecoming for Ronan O'Gara as he returns to his hometown as a coach, it will also see fellow Munster man and La Rochelle coach Donnacha Ryan return back to the province, and former Connacht - now La Rochelle - lock Ultan Dillane return to Ireland.
Speaking ahead of the return, in typical Irish fashion Donnacha Ryan joked about La Rochelle making use of the Irish weather.
It's a week of warm weather training in the sun.
Dillane was seemingly equally light-hearted about the upcoming trip in his response.
It will be good to show my team-mates what Ireland has to offer.
While admittedly it is far from the warm weather camps on the beaches of Portugal and Spain, the most likely venue for O'Gara's camp in Cork would appear to be the Fota Island Resort which hosts all manner of Irish sporting events, although nothing official has been released on that.
As it stands, it has been confirmed that Leinster and La Rochelle will clash in the Aviva Stadium next Saturday 14th April with an exact time yet to be confirmed but 17:30 emerging as the most likely option.
Whether a week in Cork will be enough to get revenge on Leinster and keep La Rochelle on track for three Champions Cups in a row only time will tell.
One thing is certain however, the single biggest rivalry in European rugby right now is coming to the Aviva Stadium next Saturday and Ronan O'Gara's venture to Cork is only adding to the build-up and the excitement.
SEE ALSO: Conor Murray Reveals Scale Of Abuse He Suffered After Ireland's Loss To England
