Pau bounce back against La Rochelle to share Top 14 lead

Pau moved back level with Lyon at the top of the Top 14 after responding strongly to their first defeat of the season. La Rochelle, beaten for the second time in four rounds, slipped to 11th after a one-sided loss at the Stade du Hameau.

The Section won 39-17 after establishing control before half-time. Ben Healy opened the scoring for La Rochelle with a long-range penalty, but Joe Simmonds answered before Julian Montoya put Pau ahead with the opening try. Rodrigo Marta and Lekson Kaulashvili added further tries, leaving the hosts 24-3 in front at the interval. La Rochelle also lost Ugo Pacôme to a yellow card just before the break.

Quentin Lespiaucq gave the visitors some momentum after the restart, finishing from a driving maul. Pau quickly restored their advantage when Beka Gorgadze crossed following a break involving Simmonds and Thibault Daubagna. Tumua Manu then secured Pau’s fourth try in the closing stages, preserving the attacking bonus despite a missed conversion ending Simmonds’ run of 28 consecutive successful kicks.

La Rochelle’s Karl Sorin scored the final try after recovering a long throw at a lineout, but it did not alter the result. Thomas Laclayat and Oscar Jégou also received yellow cards during a final quarter marked by disciplinary problems.