A CRESTFALLEN RORY BEST said that Ulster need to use their Heineken Cup final heartbreak as inspiration to go one step better next season.
Leinster were at their clinical best in Twickenham yesterday, putting on a five-try performance which set new records for the most points (42) and the biggest winning margin (28) in a final.
It was Ulster’s first shot at European silverware since the heroes of 1999 beat Colomiers in Dublin. Despite the progress made under Brian McLaughlin, Best insists that they cannot be happy to settle for second best.
“Defeats like this and watching Leinster lift that trophy, that has to be in our minds now for the next 12 months so that we get back to the Aviva next year,” the hooker said afterwards.
“We can’t just give ourselves a pat on the back — ‘Well done, you’ve reached the Heineken Cup final,’ and be happy because four years ago we thought we’d never even get out of our group. We have to want to get better.”
The manner in which Ulster conceded first-half tries to Sean O’Brien and Cian Healy was particularly galling, he added.
“The margin between winning and losing this game was so fine, and between losing by a couple of points and conceding 40 was even finer.
“We’re really disappointed, especially with the first half and the 14 points we conceded. When I say gifted, they were good enough to take their chances but we certainly gave them the position to have those chances.”
