La Rochelle come to Toon

Saturday night sees European rugby giants La Rochelle visit Kingston Park to take on Newcastle Red Bulls in the last sixteen of The European Challenge Cup.

Never underestimate a French team

Yes, La Rochelle have rotated their squad following their loss at Bayonne last weekend and currently sit ninth in The Top 14 but they're not to be underestimated. Ronan O'Gara is one of the great rugby minds and I've no doubt he'll have a plan.

It's not the first time La Rochelle have played in Newcastle, they lost to Clermont in The Challenge Cup Final at St James Park back in 2019, since then they have gone on and won the biggest prize in European rugby twice. Under O'Gara having not qualified for the knockout stages of The Champions Cup, they're in a bit of a rebuilding stage. Stalwarts suck as Levani Botia and Will Skelton are aging. Unfortunately Uini Atonio had to retire earlier in the season on medical grounds.

La Rochelle has turned into a hot bed of rugby though and going back to the scenes in the old port when they won The Champions Cup, if they get it right it goes very well and the public will respond. This is exactly the kind of success that Red Bulls would love to create in years to come.

As I've said, they have rotated but they have the experience of Ihaia West at full back. It really is a case of not knowing what to expect with La Rochelle which makes them more dangerous and must be a nightmare for Stephen Jones to prepare his Red Bulls side for!

Opportunity awaits for Red Bulls

This is a real opportunity for Newcastle Red Bulls to progress in Europe and play either Ospreys or Ulster next weekend. If Red Bulls win and Ulster win, it's a trip to Belfast otherwise it's a home tie against Ospreys. If La Rochelle and Ospreys win then it's La Rochelle at home. The scheduling really is that crazy that there's one weekend between rounds!

Red Bulls have gone for experience, the same front row starts as last week with Brocklebank, McGuigan and Palframan. Jamie Hodgson and Freddie Clarke add that experience in the second row. The back row sees a recall for Tom Gordon at blindside with Tom Christie and Ollie Leatherbarrow continuing.

Simon Benitez Cruz and Brett Connon continue at halfback. Rhys Beeckmans continues to get more game time at inside centre alongside Alex Hearle. The back three sees a recall for Oli Spencer on one wing alongside Christian Wade with Elliott Obatoyinbo at full back.

The replacements bench sees Samson Adejimi cover hooker, Murray McCallum and Mike Rewcastle covering props. Fergus Lee-Warner, Tim Cardall and Rueben Parsons cover the back five with James Elliott and Ben Healy covering the backs.

Game plan needs to be spot on

As much as I've said that we don't know what to expect from La Rochelle, Red Bulls can concentrate on themselves, making sure that they get right what they can control.

At times last week it was like the backs had run out of ideas and it was left to Christian Wade to do some individual magic. I felt for Rhys Beeckmans who was asked to crash the ball, that didn't seem to suit his game. Yes, Wade can produce magic but he needs the quality of ball to be able to do that.

Defensively, there has to be a big improvement this week as last week they fell off too many tackles especially in the first half and Saints cut the Red Bulls defence to shreds.

Big chance, season on the line?

Given the result last week, Red Bulls now sit nine points off eighth place Gloucester and Champions Cup qualification. In theory they can still catch them but this competition now presents a real chance for a cup run and a route into The Champions Cup. They can do it but they will have to be at their best!