The 2023 European Rugby Champions Cup Final was the final match of the 2022–23 European Rugby Champions Cup, and the twenty-eighth European club rugby final in general. The final was contested by Leinster and La Rochelle, and a repeat of the 2022 Final which La Rochelle won 24–21.
The Aviva Stadium was the host venue of the final, just the second time it has hosted the game having also been the venue in 2013.
The match referee was Jaco Peyper, the first South African to referee the European showpiece final.
La Rochelle retained the trophy with a 27–26 win over Leinster.
Background For the first time both finalists from a Champions Cup final returned to the following year's final. La Rochelle became the third team after Toulouse (2003–05) and Toulon (2013–15) to appear in three successive finals, while Leinster, for the second year, attempted to match Toulouse's outright record of five European Champions Cups. This was also the first final since 2011 that matched the top two seeds after the pool stage in the showpiece final.
Both Leinster and La Rochelle entered the final in similar form, with both teams having won every game in their European campaign. They both topped their respective pool, with Leinster gaining a maximum of 20 points and La Rochelle gaining 18. They both received home advantage through the knock-out stage, before gaining home country advantage in the semi-final to see them through to the final.
This was their third meeting in the Champions Cup, with La Rochelle winning both the previous encounters.
Their domestic form saw Leinster enter having lost their United Rugby Championship semi-final the week prior, whilst La Rochelle entered having secured a top two seed in the Top 14 with one round left of the regular season.
Both teams announced their match-day 23 the day before the game and Leinster had two changes to the starting XV that played in the 2022 Final, whilst La Rochelle had seven changes to the team that played in that final.
Route to the final
Note: In all results below, the score of the finalist is given first (H: home; A: away). LeinsterRound La RochelleOpponentResultPool stageOpponentResult Racing 9210–42 (A)Matchday 1 Northampton Saints46–12 (H) Gloucester57–0 (H)Matchday 2 Ulster29–36 (A) Gloucester14–49 (A)Matchday 3 Ulster7–3 (H) Racing 9236–10 (H)Matchday 4 Northampton Saints13–31 (A)Final standingsPool A Top 4TeamPWDLPFPADiffTFTATBLBPts Leinster 4 4 0 0 184 34 +150 28 5 4 0 20 Exeter Chiefs 4 3 0 1 139 68 +71 20 8 4 0 16 Sharks 4 3 0 1 119 89 +30 15 11 3 0 15 Saracens 4 3 0 1 120 94 +26 15 11 2 1 15 Pool B Top 4TeamPWDLPFPADiffTFTATBLBPts La Rochelle 4 4 0 0 120 57 +63 15 7 2 0 18 Toulouse 4 4 0 0 110 53 +57 12 7 1 0 17 Stormers 4 3 0 1 106 68 +38 13 7 3 0 15 Leicester Tigers 4 3 0 1 116 89 +27 11 10 1 1 14OpponentResultKnockout stageOpponentResult Ulster30–15 (H)Round of 16 Gloucester29–26 (H) Leicester55–24 (H)Quarter-finals Saracens24–10 (H) Toulouse41–22 (H)Semi-finals Exeter47–28 (H)
Match
Details
FB 15 Hugo KeenanRW 14 Jimmy O'BrienOC 13 Garry RingroseIC 12 Robbie Henshaw LW 11 James LoweFH 10 Ross ByrneSH 9 Jamison Gibson-Park N8 8 Jack Conan OF 7 Josh van der FlierBF 6 Caelan DorisRL 5 James Ryan (c) LL 4 Ross MolonyTP 3 Tadhg Furlong HK 2 Dan Sheehan LP 1 Andrew Porter Substitutions:HK 16 Rónan Kelleher PR 17 Cian Healy PR 18 Michael Alaalatoa LK 19 Jason Jenkins FL 20 Ryan Baird SH 21 Luke McGrath CE 22 Ciarán FrawleyCE 23 Charlie Ngatai Coach: Leo Cullen FB 15 Brice DulinRW 14 Dillyn LeydsOC 13 UJ SeuteniIC 12 Jonathan Danty LW 11 Raymond RhuleFH 10 Antoine HastoySH 9 Tawera Kerr-Barlow N8 8 Grégory Alldritt (c) OF 7 Levani Botia BF 6 Paul Boudehent RL 5 Will SkeltonLL 4 Romain Sazy TP 3 Uini Atonio HK 2 Pierre Bourgarit LP 1 Reda Wardi Substitutions:HK 16 Quentin Lespiaucq PR 17 Joel Sclavi PR 18 Georges-Henri Colombe LK 19 Thomas Lavault FL 20 Rémi Bourdeau LK 21 Ultan Dillane SH 22 Thomas BerjonCE 23 Jules FavreCoach: Ronan O'Gara Star of the Match: Grégory Alldritt (La Rochelle)
Assistant referees: Karl Dickson (England) Christophe Ridley (England) Television Match Official: Tom Foley (England)
References