Despite their European pedigree, La Rochelle were disappointing in the Champions Cup this season, culminating in a surprise home loss to Harlequins, which knocked them down into this competition.
The French giants are currently ninth in the Top 14 and head coach, former Ireland fly-half, Ronan O’Gara showed where the priorities are by making 13 changes from the side that lost to Bayonne seven days ago, with absentees including France scrum-half Nolann Le Garrec, Australia lock Will Skelton and ex-England winger Jack Nowell.
Newcastle have only won once in the Prem to sit bottom, but they have really targeted the Challenge Cup, winning three of their four pool matches to earn this home tie as they chased a first quarter-final for five years.
Connon’s early penalty put the Red Bulls on the board, but three tries in 13 minutes put the French side in control.
West superbly touched down Adrien Seguret’s delicate grubber kick, winger Favre finished well in the corner and then hooker Garault scored on the blindside after Newcastle were caught cold at a line-out.
But New Zealand full-back West was sin-binned for a tackle off the ball and with a man extra, the home side brought themselves level either side of the break.
Obatoyinbo went over after a big pass from Connon to reduce it to a seven-point game and then just after half-time replacement prop McCallum provided the highlight of the night, as he showed a rare turn of pace and side-step to cut through the French defence to score, with Connon then levelling it up.
As the rain and wind worsened at Kingston Park, a Connon penalty put his team back in front, although Fergus Lee-Warner was then yellow carded for a head-on-head tackle.
With the Australian off the field, a Jurd penalty brought La Rochelle level, but by this stage, they had beefed up their pack with three internationals summoned from their bench and it paid dividends with Newcastle unable to match that physicality.
Jurd had hit the bar with one penalty but slotted another through the posts and when the Red Bulls lost the ball one metre from their line, Couillaud dived down to put the seal on it.
