Live

Repeat: OTB Breakfast

05:00 AM-07:00 AM

Repeat: OTB Breakfast
Advertisement
Rugby

Leo Cullen: They capitalised on our mistakes

Leinster boss Leo Cullen rued the difficult opening 15 minutes his side endured as they were knoc...



Leo Cullen: They capitalised o...
Rugby

Leo Cullen: They capitalised on our mistakes

Leinster boss Leo Cullen rued the difficult opening 15 minutes his side endured as they were knocked out of the Champions Cup at the semi-final stage in France.

Speaking to Off the Ball's Dave McIntyre after the match, the Leinster Head Coach said: "We're pretty gutted yeah. There was so many things in our own control that we could have managed better. That's what sometimes these pressure occasions does to guys. But yeah, we'll look back. There's lots of learnings in the game for us."

Looking back at the tough opening for his side, he said: "Certainly we didn't manage the start pretty well but we fought our way back into the game well. Even though we were 15 points behind after 15 minutes - we were still looking like we wanted to keep attacking with a good mindset.

"I thought we caused them some problems. It was just about trying to manage possession and keep hold of possession. We talked about that at half time and the penalty just on half time turned it into 12 points.

Leinster players dejected after the game. Image: ©INPHO/Billy Stickland

"We chipped away at the lead and I thought at one point we were the much stronger team for most of the second half. We didn't deal with a couple of things on a few occasions like running from deep where we got turned over and Clermont were quite clinical in taking their chances. 

"It was that type of game. We had a lot of ball and a lot of possession. They sort of preyed on our mistakes and turnovers and fully capitalised. It was frustrating," he added.

Leinster fly home to Dublin tonight as they prepare for a Guinness PRO12 Championship match against Glasgow this Friday. 

Download the brand new OffTheBall App in the Play Store & App Store right now! We've got you covered!

Subscribe to OffTheBall's YouTube channel for more videos, like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter for the latest sporting news and content.


Read more about

Rugby