Leo Cullen admitted he was bitterly disappointed after Leinster were edged out for the second Heineken Champions Cup final in a row and said La Rochelle "had their number".
Leinster, as they did in last season's decider, led for most of the game but were unable to deal with the French side's power and persistence in the second half.
Georges Henri Colombe’s converted try with eight minutes to play decided the game, while Leinster blew their chance at a late score after Michael Ala'alatoa was sent off for a dangerous clearance at a ruck.
Leinster had led 17-0 in the 12th minute after a three-try blitz but only scored three points in the second half as Ronan O’Gara’s side defended their title.
"It was an amazing game, I thought the guys came out of the traps very quickly and were really clinical in terms of taking opportunities," head coach Cullen told RTÉ Sport.
"Second half was a bit different, we couldn’t exit that area of the field quick enough.
"Too much continued pressure on ourselves, we are bitterly disappointed. Credit to La Rochelle, they stuck in there and came away with a famous win.
"It’s devastating for the guys, it means so much to everyone, a big thanks to the supporters, sorry we couldn’t get it done this year.
"Obviously, everyone is bitterly disappointed, credit to La Rochelle.
"We came up with some big turnovers at different stages but then we weren’t accurate in some of the clearances so again, just that wave after wave of pressure. Credit to La Rochelle, they had our number.
"We had some chances at the end but weren’t quite clinical enough to take them.
Four-time European champions Leinster have now lost finals in 2019, 2022 and 2023 and Cullen, the first person to win the competition as a player and coach, urged his squad to keep the faith.
"It’s just maintaining the belief and get back to this stage, it’s so close, like," he said as Leinster’s season came to an end.
"We have a group of players who come through the academy for the most part.
"It’s understanding what it like on the biggest stage, coming up against these big teams, learning is painful but that’s why we all do the work during the year.
"Stay motivated and stay hungry and we’ll get there some day."
Flanker Josh van der Flier added: "Unbelievably disappointed. Such great support, all our family and friends, it’s heartbreaking really.
"Years of work goes into getting a team that’s good enough to get here and it’s incredibly disappointing.
"I have to thank our supporters, they’ve been unbelievable all season and incredible today and I’m sorry we couldn’t do it today.
"We have to give credit to La Rochelle, their third final in a row and they won again today. Unbelievably heartbroken really.
"It was a good start, we probably struggled in the second half, we didn’t quite get going and they put a lot of pressure on us."
