# 2022 European Rugby Champions Cup final

The 2022 European Rugby Champions Cup Final was the final match of the 2021–22 European Rugby Champions Cup, and the twenty-seventh European club rugby final in general. The final was contested between La Rochelle and Leinster with La Rochelle winning the game with a late try.
Despite having hosted a number of Champions Cup semi-finals, the Stade Vélodrome hosted its first European final, two years later than expected after it was rearranged from 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

## Background

Both Leinster and La Rochelle entered the final on similar form, with both teams having won 7 out of their 8 games in the Championship, with both losses being a default result due to cancellations earlier in the campaign.
This was Leinster's sixth appearance in the Champions Cup Final, winning four and losing one, their last win being in 2018. If Leinster had won, it would have been a record equalling victory for them, joining Toulouse with five European titles to their name. For La Rochelle, this was the second time they have made the final, after they made the final in the previous year. They became the first team since Leinster to appear in back-to-back finals after the Irish side achieved this in 2018 and 2019. La Rochelle's victory was the first major trophy for the club.
The two sides had met just once before in the Champions Cup, with La Rochelle triumphing 32–23 in last season's semi-finals and it was the fifth time that an Irish team faced a TOP 14 club in the European Cup final, with Irish sides having won on each of the previous four occasions.

## Route to the final

Note: In all results below, the score of the finalist is given first (H: home; A: away).
| La Rochelle | La Rochelle | Round | Leinster | Leinster |
| Opponent | Result | Pool stage | Opponent | Result |
| Glasgow Warriors | 20–13 (H) | Matchday 1 | Bath | 45–20 (H) |
| Bath | 0–0 (A) (Cancelled) | Matchday 2 | Montpellier | 0–28 (A) (Cancelled) |
| Bath | 39–21 (H) | Matchday 3 | Montpellier | 89–7 (H) |
| Glasgow Warriors | 38–20 (A) | Matchday 4 | Bath | 64–7 (A) |
| | | Final standings | | |
| Pool A Top 4 Team P W D L PF PA Diff TF TA TB LB Pts Racing 92 440012624+1021633019 Ulster 440011496+181593019 La Rochelle 43109764+331172016 Leinster 430119862+1363083015 |||||
| Opponent | Result | Knockout stage | Opponent | Result |
| Bordeaux | 31–13 (A) | Round of 16 Leg 1 | Connacht | 26–21 (A) |
| Bordeaux | 31–23 (H) | Round of 16 Leg 2 | Connacht | 56–20 (H) |
| Montpellier | 31–19 (H) | Quarter-finals | Leicester Tigers | 14–23 (A) |
| Racing 92 | 13–20 (A) | Semi-finals | Toulouse | 40–17 (H) |

## Match

| La Rochelle | Leinster |

### Details

* 28 May 2022 17:45
| La Rochelle | 24–21 | Leinster |
| Try: Rhule 9' c Bourgarit 60' c Retière 79' c Con: West (3/3) 11', 61', 80' Pen: West (1/1) 41' | Report | Pen: Sexton (6/6) 4', 8', 22', 40+2', 47', 53' R. Byrne (1/1) 64' |
* Stade Vélodrome, Marseille Attendance: 59,682 Referee: Wayne Barnes: (England)
| FB | 15 | Brice Dulin |
| RW | 14 | Dillyn Leyds | | 67' |
| OC | 13 | Jérémy Sinzelle |
| IC | 12 | Jonathan Danty | | 68' |
| LW | 11 | Raymond Rhule |
| FH | 10 | Ihaia West |
| SH | 9 | Thomas Berjon | | 64' |
| N8 | 8 | Grégory Alldritt (c) |
| OF | 7 | Matthias Haddad | | 29' |
| BF | 6 | Wiaan Liebenberg | | 53' |
| RL | 5 | Will Skelton |
| LL | 4 | Thomas Lavault | 63' to 73' | 74' |
| TP | 3 | Uini Atonio | | 62' |
| HK | 2 | Pierre Bourgarit | | 66' |
| LP | 1 | Dany Priso |
| Substitutions: ||
| HK | 16 | Facundo Bosch | | 66' |
| PR | 17 | Reda Wardi | | 53' |
| PR | 18 | Joel Sclavi | | 62' |
| LK | 19 | Romain Sazy | | 74' |
| FL | 20 | Rémi Bourdeau | | 29' |
| SH | 21 | Arthur Retière | | 64' |
| CE | 22 | Levani Botia | | 68' |
| WG | 23 | Jules Favre | | 67' |
| Coach: ||
| Ronan O'Gara ||
| FB | 15 | Hugo Keenan |
| RW | 14 | Jimmy O'Brien |
| OC | 13 | Garry Ringrose |
| IC | 12 | Robbie Henshaw |
| LW | 11 | James Lowe |
| FH | 10 | Johnny Sexton (c) | 62' |
| SH | 9 | Jamison Gibson-Park | 75' |
| N8 | 8 | Jack Conan |
| OF | 7 | Josh van der Flier |
| BF | 6 | Caelan Doris | 66' |
| RL | 5 | James Ryan |
| LL | 4 | Ross Molony | 76' |
| TP | 3 | Tadhg Furlong | 62' |
| HK | 2 | Rónan Kelleher | 14' |
| LP | 1 | Andrew Porter | 62' |
| Substitutions: ||
| HK | 16 | Dan Sheehan | 14' |
| PR | 17 | Cian Healy | 62' |
| PR | 18 | Michael Alaalatoa | 62' |
| LK | 19 | Joe McCarthy | 76' |
| FL | 20 | Rhys Ruddock | 66' |
| SH | 21 | Luke McGrath | 75' |
| FH | 22 | Ross Byrne | 62' |
| CE | 23 | Ciarán Frawley |
| Coach: ||
| Leo Cullen ||
* Star of the Match:
* Dillyn Leyds (La Rochelle)
* Assistant referees:
* Matthew Carley (England)
* Christophe Ridley (England)
* Television Match Official:
* Tom Foley (England)