La Rochelle continue their search for a maiden European title when they host four-time European Cup winners Leinster Rugby in the Heineken Champions Cup semi-finals on Sunday afternoon. The French outfit are in uncharted territory, having reached the last four of Europe’s premier club rugby competition for the first time in their 123-year history. They face a perennial European powerhouse in Leinster, who have four stars to their name following victories in the 2009, 2011, 2012 and 2018 finals. The action gets under way at 15:00 British and Irish time at the Stade Marcel-Deflandre and will be broadcast live on FR2, beIN SPORTS, BT Sport and Sky Italia. Pool positions Leinster Rugby: 1st in Heineken Champions Cup Pool A; 10 points La Rochelle: 4th in Heineken Champions Cup Pool A; 9 points Quarter-finals La Rochelle 45-21 Sale Sharks Exeter Chiefs 22-34 Leinster Rugby Heineken Champions Cup head-to-head record The sides have never met in the Heineken Champions Cup Leading 2020/21 points-scorers La Rochelle: Ihaia West (26) Leinster Rugby: Ross Byrne (37) https://twitter.com/ChampionsCup/status/1387111825536397323 Key quotes Jono Gibbes (La Rochelle): “I received an unbelievable education from Leinster. It was formative and an important part of my career, my life and I’m really grateful for that. But that doesn’t diminish my desire to beat these guys on Sunday.” Devin Toner (Leinster): “At this stage in Europe you just want to play the best teams. We did really well against Exeter Chiefs and La Rochelle are one of the best teams in Europe at the moment. It doesn’t matter what nationality you are in the semi-finals - the best teams are in it.” Match facts

This will be the first time that La Rochelle and Leinster have met in European competition.
This is La Rochelle’s first appearance in the Heineken Champions Cup semi-finals.
Leinster have won 25 of their last 28 completed games in the Heineken Champions Cup, averaging 32 points scored per game across those victories.
Six of Leinster’s last seven matches at the semi-final stage of the Heineken Champions Cup have come against French opposition, winning three and losing three of those clashes.

La Rochelle have won five of their seven completed home games in the Heineken Champions Cup, including their solitary such game against Irish opposition (41-17 v Ulster, 2017/18).
Leinster are on a five-game winning run against TOP 14 opposition, their best-ever such streak in the Heineken Champions Cup.
Raymond Rhule has scored three tries for La Rochelle in the Heineken Champions Cup this season. He has also successfully caught all 16 kicks that have come his way, the most of anyone not to fumble one.
Johnny Sexton (Leinster) is one point shy of becoming the fourth player to reach 700 points in the Heineken Champions Cup (also Ronan O’Gara, Stephen Jones and Owen Farrell).
Only two players have made more tackles than Josh van der Flier (48) in the Heineken Champions Cup this season. The Leinster flanker has also won four turnovers for his side. Only three players have won more.

Kevin Gourdon (La Rochelle) has the best average gain (6.3m per carry) of any forward to make more than 15 carries in the Champions Cup this season, with only one forward making more breaks than him (4).