A thrilling rugby tale of the tortoise and the hare as Leinster suffered yet more heartbreak at the hands of Ronan O'Gara and his La Rochelle giants.
The boys in blue played like men possessed in a sensational opening that looked to have put them on the way to that coveted fifth star on the jersey. Three tries in the opening 12 minutes made it seem that they had one hand on the trophy.
In the end, though, it was La Rochelle who joyously celebrated going back to back as, just metres away, Leinster's injured captain Johnny Sexton offered commiserations to his devastated colleagues. This was not to be the glorious farewell that the province wanted for Sexton and Stuart Lancaster, not the revenge on Les Maritimes for killing their European dream in the 2021 semi-final and last season's final, not the home victory they have craved.
