La Rochelle have selected a severely weakened, academy-laden match 23 for Saturday’s Investec Champions Cup clash against the Stormers in Gqeberha.
Due to travel demands, concerns over player welfare, and injuries, coach Ronan O’Gara has called on 15 academy graduates, with several senior internationals rested after what the club has described as a draining logistical schedule.
The decision comes a week after La Rochelle opened their European campaign against Leicester and ahead of a brutal Top 14 run that includes fixtures against Bayonne, Toulouse and Toulon over the festive period. They then return to Champions Cup action against Irish giants Leinster.
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Players and coaches have not held back. Centre Jules Favre highlighted the physical toll of long-haul travel, writing in L’Equipe: “Of course, it’s always a pain to have a whole day of travel to go to another country where it’s not the same season.
“In Europe, you can make a maximum three-hour trip by plane and that’s it. Here, you leave on Sunday after the match, you’re sore, you spend a day travelling on planes, in airports, on buses, and you don’t even train where you usually train.”
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La Rochelle coach Romain Carmignani was even more scathing, questioning whether player welfare was being taken seriously.
“I don’t know who’s organising this, but there are questions to be asked, especially about the players’ health,” he told RugbyRama.
“You play in the rain, then move to 30-degree weather, then the following weekend you’re back playing in two or three degrees. I’m not sure that’s a good idea. It’s all about business. It’s truly ridiculous and stupid.”
The Cape Town-based Stormers have moved the match to Gqeberha, further extending La Rochelle’s travel, with the French club landing in Johannesburg before having to catch a connecting flight to the Eastern Cape.
John Dobson’s Stormers also faced the same journey last week, having played Bayonne away in their opener before having to travel back home.
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La Rochelle captain Gregory Alldritt, who is one of a large number of regulars who will not feature on Saturday, had raised concern earlier this season already.
“I’d really like to understand the logic,” he told Midi Olympique. “We’re playing the Stormers and we can’t even play them in Cape Town. It makes for a ridiculous journey.”
Photo: Cole Cruickshank/Gallo Images
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