RONAN O’GARA WAS out on the pitch afterwards, shaking hands with the Leinster players and exchanging a few quick words with some of the more familiar faces.
But the La Rochelle boss opted against doing the post-match press conference, with assistant coach Romain Carmignani instead sent in to answer questions. The French club then rushed off to catch a flight home, having suffered an agonising last-gasp defeat.
Leinster head coach Leo Cullen, however, was unsurprisingly happy to chat at length.
“Never in doubt,” joked Cullen as he took his seat in the media room at the Aviva Stadium after his team’s 25-24 victory.
His main message was one of praise for his players’ character after they dug out the win at the end of a wild, seesawing game against La Rochelle.
The French visitors appeared to have clinched it when Ihaia West scored his second try of the game with four minutes left, Nolann Le Garrec converting to hand La Rochelle a 24-22 lead.
But Leinster managed to get down the other end one last time, and replacement out-half Harry Byrne landed a confident penalty with the clock in the red.
“I thought the players dug in incredibly well,” said Cullen.
“When we went behind, when it was 17-12 at that stage, we were hanging in there for a period.
“We probably just dug in there at different stages. We just stayed in the game, kept fighting and eventually took an opportunity. Fair play to Harry, who stepped up and kicked the goal at the end.
“I thought it was really good intent to play off some of that transition ball that we would have had, which leads to Robbie [Henshaw]‘s try and to Josh [van der Flier]‘s try. They were two great moments.
Advertisement
“That comes off the back of a lot of positive work that the guys are doing in training consistently over the last number of weeks. It was great to see that come off today.”
Cullen was obviously pleased with how Leinster raced into a 12-0 lead after just 10 minutes and he had more high praise for wing JJ Kenny, who scored both early tries on his Champions Cup debut.
Ronan O'Gara congratulates Harry Byrne. Morgan Treacy / INPHO
Morgan Treacy / INPHO / INPHO
Loosehead prop Jerry Cahir, who came on early in the second half for the injured Paddy McCarthy, also earned Cullen’s praise after his Champions Cup debut.
“It’s amazing for JJ,” said Cullen. “Where he’s come from since pre-season, when he came in, he was on a trial basis and he’s been outstanding.
“He’s just literally been better and better. He’s an amazing role model for young academy players and players that are in the system, just to stick at it. He finished two tries incredibly well.
“Another great role model is Jerry Cahir, who’s been phenomenal as well. I think he got called in for an A game last year. To see him come on and be up against Atonio first and obviously Kuntelia later on. Two great stories for those guys.”
Not that Cullen was glossing over Leinster’s shortcomings in this game.
La Rochelle produced 12 linebreaks against the Leinster defence, while nine penalty concessions in the first half were damaging for the home side after their good start. Tommy O’Brien and Joe McCarthy were both sin-binned in the opening 40.
“It was far from a perfect performance,” said Cullen. “We started the game well. There’s probably a bit of discipline that gets us in a bit of trouble, two yellow cards.
“It’s very hard to impose your game when you’re down to 14 men at this level, because you’re up against a good team.
“But overall, to find a way at the end is probably the most pleasing bit, because we’ve had to do a little bit of that this year. Think of Leicester away, even when you’re nine or ten points down against Ulster at half time. The bench guys had a big impact that day to try and dog out a win.
“Munster, just the way that game plays out, you have to find a way somehow to win. It’s pleasing that we are finding a way.
“The group are showing strong characteristics. It’s not necessarily us imposing our game, but we’re finding a way somehow, which is good.”
Morgan Treacy / INPHO
Morgan Treacy / INPHO / INPHO
Leinster’s bonus-point win means they have qualified for the Champions Cup knock-out stages and leaves them well-positioned to have a crack at a favourable seeding if they can beat Bayonne in France next weekend.
The Top 14 side have lost all three of their Pool 3 games so far and are out of the running for the knock-out stages, which should help Leinster’s cause but Bayonne are a proud team at the lively Stade Jean-Dauger.
Cullen hopes to welcome back the likes of Tadhg Furlong, RG Snyman, and Garry Ringrose after they missed the La Rochelle clash.
“We’ll have a few more guys back that have been nursing injuries over the last number of weeks,” said Cullen.
“So they’ll come back into the selection mix this week and it’s important that we just have a good week because that’s the most important bit.
We’re going to Bayonne. I actually went over there with my son and father, a lads’ trip, during November and it’s a cool ground, it really is. So we had a lovely little boys’ trip. Yeah, very unusual – an 11-year-old, a just yesterday turned 48-year-old, and whatever 79-year-old – so it was a great little trip that we had.
“But it’s a great ground and we just need to get excited about going over there and playing and putting in a big performance. But you get that off the back of turning up for Monday with the right frame of mind, so that’s the most important bit now.
“We need to turn the page quite quickly because next week is just a completely different challenge.”
To embed this post, copy the code below on your site
Close
24 Comments
This is YOUR comments community. Stay civil, stay constructive, stay on topic.
Please familiarise yourself with our comments policy
here
before taking part.
'We just dug in' - Cullen proud of Leinster's grit against La Rochelle
RONAN O’GARA WAS out on the pitch afterwards, shaking hands with the Leinster players and exchanging a few quick words with some of the more familiar faces.
But the La Rochelle boss opted against doing the post-match press conference, with assistant coach Romain Carmignani instead sent in to answer questions. The French club then rushed off to catch a flight home, having suffered an agonising last-gasp defeat.
Leinster head coach Leo Cullen, however, was unsurprisingly happy to chat at length.
“Never in doubt,” joked Cullen as he took his seat in the media room at the Aviva Stadium after his team’s 25-24 victory.
His main message was one of praise for his players’ character after they dug out the win at the end of a wild, seesawing game against La Rochelle.
The French visitors appeared to have clinched it when Ihaia West scored his second try of the game with four minutes left, Nolann Le Garrec converting to hand La Rochelle a 24-22 lead.
But Leinster managed to get down the other end one last time, and replacement out-half Harry Byrne landed a confident penalty with the clock in the red.
“I thought the players dug in incredibly well,” said Cullen.
“When we went behind, when it was 17-12 at that stage, we were hanging in there for a period.
“We probably just dug in there at different stages. We just stayed in the game, kept fighting and eventually took an opportunity. Fair play to Harry, who stepped up and kicked the goal at the end.
“I thought it was really good intent to play off some of that transition ball that we would have had, which leads to Robbie [Henshaw]‘s try and to Josh [van der Flier]‘s try. They were two great moments.
“That comes off the back of a lot of positive work that the guys are doing in training consistently over the last number of weeks. It was great to see that come off today.”
Cullen was obviously pleased with how Leinster raced into a 12-0 lead after just 10 minutes and he had more high praise for wing JJ Kenny, who scored both early tries on his Champions Cup debut.
Loosehead prop Jerry Cahir, who came on early in the second half for the injured Paddy McCarthy, also earned Cullen’s praise after his Champions Cup debut.
“It’s amazing for JJ,” said Cullen. “Where he’s come from since pre-season, when he came in, he was on a trial basis and he’s been outstanding.
“He’s just literally been better and better. He’s an amazing role model for young academy players and players that are in the system, just to stick at it. He finished two tries incredibly well.
“Another great role model is Jerry Cahir, who’s been phenomenal as well. I think he got called in for an A game last year. To see him come on and be up against Atonio first and obviously Kuntelia later on. Two great stories for those guys.”
Not that Cullen was glossing over Leinster’s shortcomings in this game.
La Rochelle produced 12 linebreaks against the Leinster defence, while nine penalty concessions in the first half were damaging for the home side after their good start. Tommy O’Brien and Joe McCarthy were both sin-binned in the opening 40.
“It was far from a perfect performance,” said Cullen. “We started the game well. There’s probably a bit of discipline that gets us in a bit of trouble, two yellow cards.
“It’s very hard to impose your game when you’re down to 14 men at this level, because you’re up against a good team.
“But overall, to find a way at the end is probably the most pleasing bit, because we’ve had to do a little bit of that this year. Think of Leicester away, even when you’re nine or ten points down against Ulster at half time. The bench guys had a big impact that day to try and dog out a win.
“Munster, just the way that game plays out, you have to find a way somehow to win. It’s pleasing that we are finding a way.
“The group are showing strong characteristics. It’s not necessarily us imposing our game, but we’re finding a way somehow, which is good.”
Leinster’s bonus-point win means they have qualified for the Champions Cup knock-out stages and leaves them well-positioned to have a crack at a favourable seeding if they can beat Bayonne in France next weekend.
The Top 14 side have lost all three of their Pool 3 games so far and are out of the running for the knock-out stages, which should help Leinster’s cause but Bayonne are a proud team at the lively Stade Jean-Dauger.
Cullen hopes to welcome back the likes of Tadhg Furlong, RG Snyman, and Garry Ringrose after they missed the La Rochelle clash.
“We’ll have a few more guys back that have been nursing injuries over the last number of weeks,” said Cullen.
“So they’ll come back into the selection mix this week and it’s important that we just have a good week because that’s the most important bit.
We’re going to Bayonne. I actually went over there with my son and father, a lads’ trip, during November and it’s a cool ground, it really is. So we had a lovely little boys’ trip. Yeah, very unusual – an 11-year-old, a just yesterday turned 48-year-old, and whatever 79-year-old – so it was a great little trip that we had.
“But it’s a great ground and we just need to get excited about going over there and playing and putting in a big performance. But you get that off the back of turning up for Monday with the right frame of mind, so that’s the most important bit now.
“We need to turn the page quite quickly because next week is just a completely different challenge.”
To embed this post, copy the code below on your site
Character la rochelle Leinster Leo Cullen Reaction