La Rochelle player ratings: Levani Botia and Tawera Kerr-Barlow shine in a powerhouse victory over Saracens

Dylan Coetzee
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Champions Cup_ La Rochelle star Levani Botia looks on

Following La Rochelle’s 24-10 win over Saracens in the quarter-finals of the Champions Cup, here is how we rated the defending champions.

15 Brice Dulin: Whilst the full-back did not have a huge amount of opportunities he did look lively whenever he ran with the ball, whilst covering the backfield well throughout. 6

14 Jules Favre: The arm-wrestle did not offer much for the wing, who made no real errors and completed a respectable seven tackles without influencing the game a great deal. 6

13 Ulupano Seuteni: The outside centre was committed throughout and made his presence known on defence, particularly during the second period with some big hits in the midfield. Made 32 metres in just four carries. 7

12 Jonathan Danty: A quiet game by his lofty standards, but the Frenchman was imposing on defence and made nine tackles in his 68 minutes on the field. 6

11 Raymond Rhule: Much like Favre on the other wing, there was not much for the South African to work with, but he chased hard all game putting in a decent shift. 6

10 Antoine Hastoy: Had a decent outing off the tee, but not perfect. However, the fly-half kicked well out of hand and for touch. He benefits greatly from the quality of his half-back partner. 7

9 Tawera Kerr-Barlow: A blockbuster performance from the former All Black who scored a brace of tries. He is the heartbeat of the side, orchestrating attacks from the base of the ruck and defending like a man possessed. A performance right out of the top drawer from the veteran. 9

Powerful pack

8 Gregory Alldritt: The France star had yet another good outing topping the number of carries and metres made for his team with 57 metres in 15. Was solid at the breakdown winning two early penalties, and was on hand to assist one of Kerr-Barlow’s tries. 8

7 Levani Botia: A front-runner for player of the game. The flank was sensational over the ball winning a whopping four turnovers, three of which came in the first period. Outside of that, he defended with passion and straightened the line beautifully to assist his scrum-half. Simply blockbuster from a star who barged his side into the last four. 9

6 Ultan Dillane: Not nearly as busy as his back-row partners but still made six tackles. However, he carried very few times in a quiet effort. 5

5 Will Skelton: One of the chief enforcers on the day, the gargantuan Australian was a nightmare to tackle and made metres with each carry. He managed seven tackles and a turnover in a super outing. 8

4 Thomas Lavault: The second-row was much quieter than his partner and did not really impose himself on the game in many ways. Managed six tackles but only one carry. 5

3 Uini Atonio: The star prop had a great outing at scrum time, with the defending champions dominating their visitors. Contributed to the overall physicality outside of the set-piece in his 57 minutes. 8

2 Pierre Bourgarit: It was such a pity to see the hooker leave the field injured soon after half-time. He was one of the key ball carriers in the first period and managed six carries and a turnover won in a passionate display. 7

1 Reda Wardi: The loosehead was sublime in this knockout clash. He was outstanding in the scrum but equally busy in open play managing an impressive nine tackles and seven carries. An impressive performance. 8

Replacements: La Rochelle’s scrum dominance suffered a bit when the new front-row was introduced, although Hayden Thompson-Stringer made an impressive 10 tackles. Elsewhere, Yoan Tanga impressed with his two stints on the field and could have scored a try if it were not for a knock-on. 7

READ MORE: Champions Cup: Holders La Rochelle overwhelm three-time winners Saracens to reach the semi-finals

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