Leo Cullen’s slight sense of frustration with a mixed bag of a performance after Leinster’s 45-28 win over a slightly depleted Harlequins was palpable but he nonetheless sought to see the positives in starting off their campaign with a bonus-point home wins.
In praising Harlequins for “throwing bodies into their defensive breakdown”, the Leinster head coach added: “Listen, we scored seven tries, like there’s lots of good stuff when you’re in the Champions Cup, scoring seven tries in a game is great.”
Leinster secured their four-try bonus point by half-time, at which point they led 24-14, and Cullen said that sorting out their breakdown issues, only for Jimmy O’Brien to concede a yellow card and a penalty try in making it a three-point game.
“I thought we managed that period really, really well, and the bench guys come on and all add impact in their own way,” said Cullen. “Then we score, what, three unanswered tries during that period. You’re hoping to kick on again in the last 10 minutes. Then we turn the ball over, Quins go the length of the field and score another try. If they don’t score one, then it looks a bit better.
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“But, listen, overall, some good bits and there’s plenty we need to get better at as well. A little bit of a mix of everything.”
Cullen also pointed to this being a first Leinster game of the season for this team in many respects, with Joe McCarthy, Jack Conan and Caelan Doris all making their seasonal pre-appearances.
“So it’s step one of the group together, because when we were in on Monday mornings, it felt like in a long time we haven’t met each other. So it’s been good to come through the week with a bonus point win.
“I know you all want the perfect thing, win by 100 points,” added Cullen, smiling broadly and waving his arms plaintively in the air, before adding: “but that’s not realistic, because the opposition turn up, don’t they? And they have a plan, and they’re like, let’s throw a lot of bodies into this breakdown, make it an absolute fight, an ‘S’ fight.”
Leinster finished the game with 14 men after Jordan Larmour went off just inside the last 10 minutes and Cullen admitted that their two-try man of the match, was his biggest injury concern.
“Jordan is probably the most significant of them all, I think. But again, early days, so don’t quote me on it, he’s done something there I think. Straight away he was uncomfortable, so we’ll get him assessed.”
RG Snyman went off in the first quarter with what Cullen revealed was a shoulder injury.
“RG was just was a bit uncomfortable, but again I don’t know. He’ll go off, get a scan or X-ray or whatever’s going on there and Garry [Ringrose] I think it was just cramp. I’m not sure with him. Again, short turnaround, the games are coming thick and fast at the moment,” said Cullen, mindful that he and Leinster will be returning to his former club Leicester for a difficult game at Welford Road next Friday night.
“Even in the dressingroom we had a short review there. What’s on our minds? What do we think? And let’s turn the page and get excited about going again next week, which is one of the hardest places to go in world rugby probably isn’t it?
“It is one of the hardest places to go, and it’s one of those places you find out about the group and what they’re made of. So, a good challenge.”
