La Rochelle in the spotlight as tight Top 14 run-in commences / Photo: ROMAIN PERROCHEAU - AFP/File
La Rochelle in the spotlight as tight Top 14 run-in commences
Defending two-time Champions Cup winners La Rochelle face a challenging run-in to the end of the Top 14 season as they look to make the play-offs and avoid a trophy-less year, starting against Pau on Saturday.
The last time La Rochelle failed to make the play-offs of French run's elite division was in the 2017-18 season.
Ronan O'Gara's team are currently in the sixth and final play-off spot on 56 points, 1pt behind Racing 92, but with Pau (55pts) Castres (54), Perpignan (53) and Clermont (51) all hot on their heels.
They have won just 11 games out of 23 this season, including 10 at home. They were knocked out of the Champions Cup in the quarter-finals by Leinster, who will play Toulouse in the final at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on May 25.
After Pau, La Rochelle travel to league leaders Toulouse -- who beat them in last year's Top 14 final -- and round up their campaign against Racing at home.
Pau, however, are enjoying their most successful season in recent history and beat La Rochelle at the latter's Stade Marcel Deflandre last season.
They have also found their way to the whitewash, scoring at least 20 points in each of their last six Top 14 matches, the longest ongoing run by any team in the league.
O'Gara's team has been hit by a raft of injuries. Levani Botia (forearm) and Jonathan Danty (shoulder) are the latest to visit the infirmary.
It means O'Gara has rarely been able to pick his strongest team, notably in the backline. Their attack is ranked 10th in the league.
"We need to vary our game a bit more because a forwards-based gameplan is very tiring," the Irish coach said.
After losing 34-14 to Bordeaux-Begles last week, O'Gara did not mince his words, saying he felt like there was a 60-point difference between the teams, not 20.
"Without aggression, you win nothing," the former Ireland fly-half said. "The team with the most desire won.
"My job is to have three or four players to change something and be more efficient, but at the moment, it's not easy.
"It's frustrating and difficult especially when you look at the atmosphere and the supporters who came. I can imagine their thoughts this evening and it's not positive."
O'Gara added: "I have to lead the way for the next three matches. Our pride is damaged, we need to give another image. We will do it".
Other crunch matches on the weekend see second-placed Stade Francais (67pts) host Bordeaux-Begles, in third on 63pts, on Sunday.
The top two in the final standings go directly into the semi-finals with teams placed third to sixth going into the play-offs.
Fourth-placed Toulon (59pts) travel to bottom club Oyonnax and Racing, in fifth, are away at Lyon. Castres face a crucial away trip to Clermont while Bayonne host Perpignan.
Toulouse play relegation-threatened Montpellier in Saturday's early fixture.
Fixtures (all times GMT)
Saturday
Montpellier v Toulouse (1300), Bayonne v Perpignan, Clermont v Castres, Lyon v Racing 92, Oyonnax v Toulon (all 1500), La Rochelle v Pau (1905)
Sunday
Stade Francais v Bordeaux-Begles (1905)
K.R.Jones--EWJ
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