La Rochelle vs Montpellier
7th May 2022 – Kick Off 1500hrs
Rugby – France – European Champions Cup
Pick La Rochelle -13 handicap
Bookmaker William Hill
Odds: 10/11 odds taken 18:42 GMT on May 5th, 2022
This is a heavyweight all-French clash in the quarter-finals of the European Champions Cup on Saturday.
The home side are the huge favourites to romp through to the semi-finals from this tie.
But can Top 14 leaders Montpellier pull off a repeat of their league victory at La Rochelle from earlier this year?
Table of Contents
La Rochelle Preview – home side are the favourites
La Rochelle lost against Stade Toulouse in the TOP 14 in their most recent match.
That snapped a five-match winning streak that they had been on, including back to back European victories.
That was both legs of their tie against Bordeaux Begles in the last round.
In the match outright for rugby betting, La Rochelle are 1/8 odds-on* (odds recorded 18:42 GMT on May 5th, 2022 at William Hill).
La Rochelle have won eight of their last ten matches across all competitions.
This will be their first European Champions Cup match against Montpellier.
However, La Rochelle have won their last three home matches against fellow French clubs in European competition.
In the European Champions Cup specifically, they hold a W2 L1 record against fellow TOP 14 sides.
This is their third appearance in the quarter-finals of the competition with a W1 L2 record from their previous three.
Back in January this year, La Rochelle were knocked over by Montpellier at home in a TOP 14 league match.
That is a three-match losing streak that they are on against Montpellier.
It is a vastly different story looking at La Rochelle’s home form against this opponent.
It has been a W9 L1 record for La Rochelle on home turf against Montpellier in the last ten.
Montpellier Preview – Can Montpellier pull of the upset
Montpellier are huge 5/1 underdogs in the match outright for rugby betting* (odds recorded 18:42 GMT on May 5th, 2022 at William Hill).
They do appear to be in for a tough time having lost their last three first-team matches.
The opening defeat in that sequence of losses was in the European Champions Cup.
Montpellier were up against Harlequins in the last round and romped to a 40-26 home win in the first leg.
But they just hung on in the return leg at The Stoop, winning the tie on aggregate by a single point.
Montpellier are top of the TOP 14 at the moment, seven points ahead of La Rochelle.
The key issue for them on the weekend is that they are lacking convincing away form.
It has been a W3 D1 L6 record by Montpellier in their last ten away games in all competitions.
They have lost all three road games in this season’s Challenge Cup, at Exeter, Leinster and then Harlequins.
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Montpellier have played 11 previous European fixtures against fellow French teams.
They hold a W4 L7 record from those, so it’s not terrific.
This is just their second appearance in the quarter-finals of the European Challenge Cup.
Their one previous appearance ended in defeat away against a fellow TOP14 team.
They showed against Harlequins that they can compete, but they may not get too much change out of La Rochelle.
La Rochelle vs Montpellier Betting Advice
The lack of road form by Montpellier this season in Europe rightly sees them go into this one as underdogs.
They did get that league win at La Rochelle earlier this year in the TOP14, but with form having dropped since then, the home win takes preference.
Montpellier are on a six-match losing streak away at fellow French teams in the Heineken Cup, conceding an average of 32 points per game.
So the La Rochelle -13 handicap is at 10/11* (odds recorded 18:42 GMT on May 5th, 2022 at William Hill).
Key Facts – La Rochelle vs Montpellier Betting Tip
- La Rochelle have won their last 3 home matches against TOP 14 teams in Europe
- La Rochelle are W9 L1 in their last home fixtures against Montpellier
- Montpellier have lost their last six road matches against French clubs in the tournament
La Rochelle have won nine of their last ten home matches and took a good win over Bordeaux in their last European home fixture.
They look likely to do the business against more French opposition on the weekend.
A La Rochelle 11-15 winning margin looks to be the range at 9/2* (odds recorded 18:42 GMT on May 5th, 2022 at William Hill).
The best betting odds for La Rochelle vs Montpellier
La Rochelle to win: 1/8 at Bet365
Draw: 33/1 at Bet365
Montpellier to win: 5/1 at Bet365
