Flying Fijians hit-man Levani Botia scored a try in La Rochelle’s impressive 31-13 victory over the Northampton Saints in the Heineken Champions Cup group stage match today.
The Saints started off the match early with a penalty from Fin Smith to take the 3-nil lead.
12 minutes later, La Rochelle responded with a try from Botia as he forced his way over the opponents to find the touchline.
Hastoy converted to give the home side a 7-3 lead before the Saints were reduced to 14 men when Fraser Dingwall saw a red card for a high challenge.
Early in the second stanza, Smith kicked a penalty to merge the score line to 7-6 but La Rochelle had other plans and scored their second try from Quentin Lespiaucq-Brettes and Hastory converted before they were also reduced to 14 players when scrum-half Tawera Kerr-Barlow was sin-binned.
The Saints made sure they continued to margin the points on the scoreboard as Tom James finished off a neat round of passing and Smith converted.
La Rochelle was back with 15 men in the match and got the last two tries from Gregory Alldritt and Lespiaucq-Brettes while Hastoy and Seuteni converted before the Saints were reduced to 13 players when Salakaia-Loto was sent off in a red card for leading with his forearm.
