Whereas it was a painful defeat for La Rochelle, the victory prolonged Leinster’s successful sequence to eight in all competitions since their United Rugby Championship loss to Munster at Croke Park in October.
Leo Cullen’s facet got here into the sport beset by front-row harm troubles, with Tadhg Furlong, Andrew Porter, Rabah Slimani and Jack Boyle all lacking.
Nevertheless, they nonetheless produced a blistering begin as Kenny completed two sweeping strikes within the nook with Eire head coach Andy Farrell watching within the stands.
However the hosts struggled to take care of momentum as Tommy O’Brien was sin-binned for a deliberate knock-on throughout a promising La Rochelle assault.
Having been made to attend, Niniashvili struck for the Prime 14 outfit within the twenty eighth minute, with Leinster’s woes deepened when Joe McCarthy was sin-binned earlier than half-time.
Whereas Leinster – who misplaced Eire internationals Ciaran Frawley and Paddy McCarthy to accidents – held La Rochelle scoreless with Joe McCarthy off the sector, Le Garrec slotted a penalty over and transformed West’s attempt to give La Rochelle a 17-12 lead.
La Rochelle had been responsible of spurning try-scoring alternatives, nevertheless, they usually had been made to pay when Van der Flier and Henshaw each crossed in the correct nook within the area of 4 minutes to maneuver Leinster clear.
Nevertheless, with Prendergast and Byrne each having missed conversion makes an attempt, La Rochelle edged forward when Le Garrec coolly added the extras to out-half West’s second rating, leaving Leinster getting ready to a primary pool defeat since 2018.
Then, in a dramatic denouement to their seventh assembly previously 5 years, Leinster earned a late penalty, permitting Byrne to step up and seal a fourth straight win over La Rochelle amid ecstatic full-time scenes in Dublin.
