Newcastle 18 - 26 La Rochelle

Full time

04 Apr 2026

Stage: R16 Round 5

Kingston Park

Stade Rochelais secured a hard-fought victory against Newcastle Red Bulls, finishing 26-18 in the Challenge Cup. The away team dominated the first half, scoring three tries through West, Favre, and Garault, establishing a 19-7 lead by halftime. Newcastle fought back with tries from Obatoyinbo and McCallum early in the second half, narrowing the gap. However, Stade Rochelais responded with a late try from Couillaud to seal the win. Connon's kicking kept Newcastle in contention, but their chances were hindered by a yellow card to Lee-Warner. Despite the spirited effort from Newcastle, Stade's resilience and tactical execution proved decisive. This match highlighted Stade Rochelais' ability to perform under pressure and maintain their lead in the competition.

Broadcasters

Where to watch in: France

Weather

Temperature: 11.1°C (Feels like 4.2°C) Condition: Windy Wind: 28.3 km/h, gusting to 59.8 km/h Humidity: 70% Cloud Cover: 90%

Highlights

Events

Kickoff
12'

Penalty

Brett Connon · Newcastle

3 - 0
22'

Try

Ihaia West · La Rochelle

3 - 5
29'

Try

Jules Favre · La Rochelle

3 - 10
35'

Try

Gabin Garault · La Rochelle

3 - 15
37'

Yellow Card

Ihaia West · La Rochelle
39'

Try

Elliott Obatoyinbo · Newcastle

8 - 15
40'

Substitution

Murray McCallum on for Richard Palframan · Newcastle
Halftime 8 - 15
Second Half
42'

Try

Murray McCallum · Newcastle

13 - 15
43'

Conversion

Brett Connon · Newcastle

15 - 15
46'

Substitution

Judicael Cancoriet on for Watisoni Waqanisaravi · La Rochelle
47'

Substitution

Aleksandre Kuntelia on for Simon Huchet · La Rochelle
47'

Yellow Card Complete

Ihaia West · La Rochelle
50'

Substitution

Fergus Lee-Warner on for Freddie Clarke · Newcastle
50'

Substitution

James Elliott on for Simon Benitez Cruz · Newcastle
52'

Substitution

Joel Sclavi on for Karl Sorin · La Rochelle
55'

Penalty

Brett Connon · Newcastle

18 - 15
56'

Yellow Card

Fergus Lee-Warner · Newcastle
56'

Substitution

Tolu Latu on for Gabin Garault · La Rochelle
56'

Substitution

Ben Healy on for Oliver Spencer · Newcastle
56'

Substitution

Tim Cardall on for Jamie Hodgson · Newcastle
58'

Substitution

Samson Adejimi on for George McGuigan · Newcastle
60'

Substitution

Christian Luaki on for Louis Penverne · La Rochelle
60'

Substitution

Sacha Elissalde on for Ulupano Seuteni · La Rochelle
62'

Penalty

Diego Jurd · La Rochelle

18 - 18
66'

Yellow Card Complete

Fergus Lee-Warner · Newcastle
68'

Substitution

Reuben Parsons on for Ollie Leatherbarrow · Newcastle
68'

Substitution

Mike Rewcastle on for Adam Brocklebank · Newcastle
68'

Substitution

Alexandre Kaddouri on for Thomas Berjon · La Rochelle
68'

Substitution

Nolhann Couillaud on for Tom Gordon · La Rochelle
75'

Missed Drop Goal

Diego Jurd · La Rochelle
76'

Penalty

Diego Jurd · La Rochelle

18 - 21
79'

Try

Nolhann Couillaud · La Rochelle

18 - 26
Fulltime 18 - 26

Player ratings

Newcastle

15 Elliott Obatoyinbo 7.5
14 Christian Wade 6.0
13 Alex Hearle 6.2
12 Rhys Beeckmans 8.1
11 Oliver Spencer 7.0
10 Brett Connon 9.1
9 Simon Benitez Cruz 5.6
1 Adam Brocklebank 6.2
2 George McGuigan 6.4
3 Richard Palframan 6.0
4 Jamie Hodgson 6.2
5 Freddie Clarke 4.6
6 Tom Gordon 7.4
7 Tom Christie 7.5
8 Ollie Leatherbarrow 9.0
16 Samson Adejimi 5.7
17 Mike Rewcastle 5.4
18 Murray McCallum 6.9
19 Fergus Lee-Warner 4.9
20 Reuben Parsons 6.0
21 James Elliott 5.8
22 Ben Healy 5.7
23 Tim Cardall 5.7

La Rochelle

15 Ihaia West 5.9
14 Jules Favre 7.2
13 Ulupano Seuteni 6.5
12 Adrien Seguret 6.7
11 Hoani Bosmorin 6.2
10 Diego Jurd 6.2
9 Thomas Berjon 6.4
1 Louis Penverne 6.7
2 Gabin Garault 7.9
3 Karl Sorin 6.6
4 Thomas Lavault 6.4
5 Simon Huchet 6.2
6 Edouard Richer 6.2
7 Lucas Andjisseramatchi 8.4
8 Watisoni Waqanisaravi 7.0
16 Tolu Latu 6.1
17 Christian Luaki 6.3
18 Joel Sclavi 6.7
19 Aleksandre Kuntelia 6.3
20 Judicael Cancoriet 6.1
21 Alexandre Kaddouri 6.3
22 Sacha Elissalde 6.6
23 Nolhann Couillaud 7.0