Saints made to suffer as La Rochelle show champion class

The French giants flew into a 32-0 half-time lead, bagging the try bonus point in the process as they showed their champion class.

Saints had few answers, and that continued in the first 20 minutes of the second period as La Rochelle added two more tries to their ever-growing tally.

Phil Dowson's side did eventually show signs of life as they cranked up the pressure in the home 22, forcing their hosts to lose their discipline.

James Ramm and Matt Proctor both scored in the final 10 minutes to give the large away following something to shout about.

But it was never going to be enough as La Rochelle completed a comprehensive victory to start their title defence in style.

For Saints, it's now back to the drawing board before they host Munster next Sunday.

The black, green and gold had gone to France hoping to upset the odds, and they actually started the game on the front foot.

Saints had an early chance to venture into the home half, but after that move was snuffed out, the home side got up and running.

Tom James was unable to deal with a grubber kick, allowing full-back Brice Dulin to pick up and score.

Antoine Hastoy missed the conversion but he soon made amends with a penalty after David Ribbans was punished at the breakdown.

Lewis Ludlam was then penalised for a no-arms tackle, allowing Hastoy to slot a second penalty as La Rochelle continued to threaten with power and pace in abundance.

Saints were really struggling to make any inroads, with La Rochelle's yellow wall looking impenetrable.

The away side were being forced into handling errors while the hosts were turning defence into attack at a rapid rate every time they got the chance.

A 50:22 set up another push in the Saints half and Robbie Smith escaped a yellow card for a potential tip tackle on opposite number Pierre Bourgarit.

But the pressure continued to mount and Bourgarit made it count as he broke away from a maul to score his side's second try.

Hastoy converted and Saints just kept shipping penalties, prompting referee Andrew Brace to have a word with skipper Ludlam.

La Rochelle just kept flying forward and it winger Pierre Boudehent soon got in on the act, cruising in on the left.

Hastoy converted and Saints were 25-0 down inside just 25 minutes.

Jonathan Danty handed Saints a small lifeline as he was sin-binned for a trip on Tommy Freeman, but the black, green and gold were soon penalised again.

Saints made little impact as the sin bin period went on, and they soon had one of their own to contend with as Aaron Hinkley was yellow carded.

The flanker had paid the price for his team's persistent offending, and La Rochelle bagged their bonus point before the break as Dillyn Leyds fought his way over the line.

Hastoy added the conversion to put the icing on the cake at the end of a hugely punishing first half for Saints.

It wasn't to get any better at the start of the second as Alex Mitchell, on for James at the break, saw his kick charged down by Tawera Kerr-Barlow, allowing Gregory Alldritt to score.

Hastoy converted and the misery continued.

La Rochelle were finding it so easy to score and after a Dulin crossfield kick found Ulupano Seuteni, he beat George Furbank and Freeman and dived over.

Hastoy added the extras to take the tally to an eye-watering 46 points with 30 minutes still remaining.

Courtney Lawes was introduced for his first appearance since September 24, but there was going to be little he could do to alter the outcome for his side.

With 20 minutes to go, Saints finally started to apply some pressure on the hosts, forcing them into giving away a string of penalties and firing up the home crowd in the process.

Saints thought they'd scored on 63 minutes as Sam Matavesi charged for the line, but the TMO felt he had lost control of the ball in the act of trying to ground it and it was no try.

La Rochelle were suddenly penned in their own half though, and referee Brace finally went to his pocket to sin bin a home player, with lock Thomas Lavault heading off for 10 minutes.

Saints finally removed the zero from the scoreboard as Ramm flew in out wide after another dominant scrum had given the away side the penalty advantage.

Fin Smith missed the conversion but he soon slotted one after Proctor had finished off a flowing Saints move.

That was to be as good as it got as La Rochelle saw the game out and their fans celebrated the success in typically noisy fashion.

La Rochelle: Dulin: Leyds, Seuteni, Danty, Pierre Boudehent; Hastoy (Botia 57), Kerr-Barlow (Berjon 53); Wardi (Aouf 40), Bourgarit, Atonio (Sclavi 40); Lavault, Skelton (Sazy 53); Bourdeau, Tanga, Alldritt (Paul Boudehent 53).

Saints: Furbank; Ramm, Proctor, Dingwall (Hutchinson), Freeman; F Smith, James (Mitchell 40); A Waller (Iyogun 56), R Smith (S Matavesi 37), Hill (Painter 56), Salakaia-Loto, Ribbans; Coles (Lawes 50), Hinkley (Scott-Young 46), Ludlam (c) (Augustus 62).

Referee: Andrew Brace