The key facts

  • Khayron Andrews (31) was found in cardiac arrest in a shower cubicle locked from the inside at a hotel on the Île de Ré, according to a source close to the investigation
  • La Rochelle beat the Lions 31:14 in the South Africans' emotional Champions Cup debut
  • Leinster defeated Clermont 48:23 thanks to 16 points from Sam Prendergast

A Match Overshadowed by Tragedy

The Lions made an emotional debut in the Champions Cup, losing to La Rochelle 31:14. Both teams honored the memory of Lions lock Khayron Andrews, who died on Friday at the team's hotel on the Île de Ré near La Rochelle. According to a source close to the investigation, the 31-year-old South African was found in cardiac arrest in a shower cubicle locked from the inside. Before kickoff the entire stadium observed a minute of silence, and Andrews' number five shirt was laid on the pitch. Three South African players from La Rochelle presented the visitors with jerseys in memory of the player.

Course of the Match

In the first half, tries were scored by wingers Tevita Ofa and Davit Niniashvili, and La Rochelle led 19:14 — Henko van Wyk and Morne Brandon crossed for the Lions. In the second half, tries by hooker Siatolu Latu and winger Avakuki Niusalekitogi earned the hosts a bonus point.

Other Results of the Round

Leinster, four-time winners of the trophy, opened the tournament with a bonus-point 48:23 victory over Clermont. Fly-half Sam Prendergast scored one of the team's seven tries and collected 16 points (four conversions and a penalty). Captain Dan Sheehan recorded two tries, Tadhg Furlong and Jack Conan also crossed, and a powerful scrum earned the visitors a penalty try. For Clermont, Joris Jurand and Mati Blob scored, with the remaining points added by New Zealander Harry Plummer. Leinster head coach Leo Cullen noted: 'There was a lot of really good stuff in the game. Matches come one after another, so we need to move on.'

A Sensation and South African Wins

Connacht sensationally beat Saracens 45:36 in a 13-try match. Sam Prendergast's brother Cian scored two tries, as did Ciaran Frawley; for Saracens, Tongan Sione Vailanu also claimed a brace. The South African Bulls crushed Stade Français 56:20, crossing eight times to two — the Parisians, winless away in the tournament since 2015, could not cope with the heat, the altitude and a string of defensive errors. The Stormers, despite a red card for hooker JJ Kotze in the first half, thrashed a weakened Bristol 49:12: two tries each for Leolin Zas and Jonathan Roche, with Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu converting all seven tries. Glasgow came back from an early deficit to beat Andrews' former club Sale 47:27: the English led 12:0 on the ninth minute, but due to disciplinary problems were down to nine men by the end of the half, while the Scots finished the match with six tries to three. On Friday, reigning champions Bordeaux-Bègles began their title defence with an away draw against Gloucester, 36:36.

A Historical Parallel

Andrews' death came exactly 10 years after the death of Munster head coach Anthony Foley, found dead in a hotel room before a match against Racing 92. Those teams were playing in Cork on Saturday evening, and a memorial ceremony had already been planned.