'Last 20 minutes' is Leinster's problem against La Rochelle - Kay previews Champions Cup quarter-final clash

In previewing Leinster's Investec Champions Cup quarter-final against La Rochelle, TNT Sports expert Ben Kay has warned that the Top 14 giants come alive in the final 20 minutes of their matches.

Leinster booked their place in the quarter-finals after dispatching Leicester Tigers at the Aviva in Dublin on Saturday night.

Jamison Gibson-Park touched down for a hat-trick of tries on a night where the four-time winners were just too smooth and too quick for the Gallagher Premiership Rugby side.

But the competition ramps up even more now as Leinster will face La Rochelle in the quarter-finals on 12 April.

The pair faced off in the last two finals of this competition and have been building an era-defining rivalry that La Rochelle have had the upper hand in so far.

Leinster have won just one meeting in the last four, coming at a rain-soaked Stade Marcel Deflandre last December, but have been unable to beat Ronan O’Gara’s side when it matters, often capitulating in the dying moments of the game as their replacements struggle to match La Rochelle's.

“The problem against La Rochelle, which they’ve had in the last couple of seasons, has been the last 20 minutes, not the first 20 minutes. The physicality is there,” Kay said after Leinster's round of 16 win.

"You know they're going to be ramped up for the first 20 minutes Leinster. Got to be careful you don't punch yourself out and you've got to make sure that those players that are coming off the bench can match the physicality that La Rochelle will bring off the bench."

The former England international added that Leinster's defence has improved too, and with home advantage in their tie against La Rochelle that will be immensely important.

Alongside Kay, former Leinster and Ireland centre Gordon D'Arcy looked ahead to his former side's mouth-watering clash with the reigning champions.

"You're going to have to go toe to toe with them. Andrew Porter coming off is probably going to be a bit of a worry for them," he said.

"It was interesting when Jack Conan came on and he had a phenomenal impact, and that's what you want, is to have players come on and put themselves in."

Leinster head coach Leo Cullen weighed on the tie with La Rochelle, calling it "a hugely exciting week."

"We definitely need to be better than we were in those couple of finals that we played," the former Irish international said, adding "we need to better than we were today probably as well."

"It's a great challenge. They're a good, physical team...for us it's making sure we have a good plan and execute it a little bit better than we did today."

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