With the pool draw for next season’s Champions Cup being staged in London on Wednesday, we review the final of the 2022-2023 Heineken Champions Cup campaign and Stade Rochelais’ successful defense of the trophy in Dublin.

The TOP 14 side staged a dramatic comeback in front of 51,711 fans at the Aviva Stadium, recovering from being down 17-0, to beat Leinster Rugby 27-26 in an enthralling final.

The Irish province looked on course for a record-equaling fifth crown when Dan Sheehan (two) and Jimmy O’Brien scored tries inside the first 11 minutes.

However, they could only add three Ross Byrne penalties after that stunning start, and La Rochelle capitalized.

Jonathan Danty, UJ Seuteni and Georges Henri Colombe all went over for the TOP 14 side, which, allied to Antoine Hastoy’s 12 points, ensured the trophy stayed in France.

Leinster had sent its supporters into delirium when Sheehan went over inside the first minute as a brilliant lineout move released Jack Conan, who sent his hooker clear down the right for a try that fly-half Byrne converted.

O’Brien followed Sheehan over after five minutes amid relentless Leinster pressure, the wing finishing a move out wide after a perfectly timed pass by Byrne.

A legendary trophy needed a legend to carry it out, thanks @AndyGoode10 ?

Watch the FULL REPLAY of that incredible Final from on our YouTube now ⬇️#ThrowbackThursday

— Heineken Champions Cup (@ChampionsCup) June 15, 2023

It went from bad to worse for La Rochelle when scrum-half Tawera Kerr-Barlow was yellow-carded for stopping a quick tap, with Sheehan splashing over again moments later after another slick Leinster move.

However, La Rochelle found a foothold in the game by notching its first try while still down to 14 men, center Danty crashing over and fly-half Hastoy’s conversion reducing the margin to 10 points.

Momentum swung back in Leinster’s favor momentarily after Kerr-Barlow returned, Byrne slotting two penalties before the half hour, but La Rochelle ended the first half in the ascendancy, center Seuteni gliding across unchallenged for a try that Hastoy converted to cut the gap to just nine points.

The nerves began to set in following the restart, as two Hastoy penalties either side of one from Byrne, saw La Rochelle move to within six points by the 49th minute.

Ronan O’Gara’s side continued to pile on the pressure, but it wasn’t until the 71st minute that they conjured their decisive third try, replacement prop Colombe squeezing over from close range to stun the Dublin crowd, with Hastoy converting to hand La Rochelle the lead.

The final nine minutes were electrifying, but when replacement prop Michael Ala’alatoa was sent off for an illegal clear out close to the La Rochelle line with two minutes to play, that ended Leinster’s dreams of a fifth star for another year.