THEY MADE LIFE difficult for themselves but Leinster are back in another Champions Cup final after surviving a late scare at Croke Park, beating Northampton Saints 20-17 at the home of the GAA.
The province were 20-3 ahead early in the second half and looked to be cruising to victory, yet found themselves clinging on by the end as Northampton crossed for two tries to set up a tense finish.
The final whistle was met with a mix of elation and relief, with head coach Leo Cullen admitting his team have plenty room from improvement as they look to win a fifth Champions Cup title later this month.
“The score goes to 20-3 pretty early in the second half, and then I suppose there’s a human nature part to it. You can try and sit and protect what you have,” Cullen said.
“That can be the real challenge, can you try and push on at that stage? We maybe struggled with that a little bit, but credit to Northampton as well. They dug in well defensively and made life tough for us. We didn’t quite execute on certain things and they fight their way back into their game.
“They win a few 50:50 scraps and before you know it it’s down to the wire. There’s plenty of learnings there for our guys, some guys haven’t played in the last couple of weeks, does that have an effect? I don’t know.
“Listen, we’ve done enough to get through, we know we can be better, and that’s the bit we have to go after over the next couple of weeks.”
Northampton struggled to make any real inroads in the first half but eventually turned the game into a contest with their spirited second-half display.
“It’s not like anyone thinks we’re going to roll these guys over,” Cullen added. “Nobody is thinking that at any point. At 20 points to three we’re not thinking it
There’s always a bit where you can try sit and try manage the game out, but unfortunately you can manage yourself into a bit of trouble if you do that.
“There’s also the opposition, and all the things that they’re doing. For a team that has such attacking threats, to hold them to just three points for as long as we did… and there’s probably other opportunities we had, but they would say the same. That’s what you get in a knock-out game of rugby.
“The most important thing is that you get over the line, and we managed to get over the line thankfully.”
The province will now play the winners of tomorrow’s meeting between Toulouse and Harlequins in the 25 May final at London’s Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
It promises to be another memorable occasion at one of the most impressive grounds in Europe, fresh on the back of today’s sell-out semi-final at Croke Park, which set a new Champions Cup attendance record of 82,300.
“I think everyone was shocked in the most positive sense of the word when the tickets started going on sale and this thing is going to get sold out as quickly as it did.
“It was amazing the response really. We talked about it yesterday. It’s an unbelievable privilege for us to be here in front of a full house. It’s remarkable really.
We’re relieved that we were able to get a win. There’s plenty of parts to the performance that we can improve upon.
“Ultimately the most important bit is to get through and now hopefully we have a good crowd over in Spurs stadium in a few weeks’ time.”
Cullen also confirmed that Ciarán Frawley was not a concern after being forced off with a late injury.
“He’s ok, got a whack on the back. He’s alright, and he was cramping.”
Great player, did very little wrong this year.
An absolute gentleman , hed walk onto the dubs starting team.
Great to see such an honest insight. Firstly in regard to Dublin and Mayo’s desire to win at all costs and his honesty about what happened Kerry so soon after losing to mayo. Kerry only blame themselves when they are found wanting. Same in 2011. No blame to Billy John Keane or cluxton eating up the clock. The attitude was they should have had us beaten out the gate before Kev mcs goal
@Bill Clay: well they kinda have to be honest because the cat is out of the bag. Kerry having the highest number of black cards received of the top teams shows the cynicism that is there.
It’s sad all the same.
@Peter McGlynn: can you back that stat Peter regarding black cards? I suspect not.
@Peter McGlynn:
It’s very sad Peter altogether. Only four minor All Ireland’s in four years. Awful sad.
@Peter McGlynn: Whats even sadder is the state of Donegal football.
@NeilGoochFerriter: here you are boy
http://m.independent.ie/sport/gaelic-games/gaelic-football/25-in-four-years-kerry-are-the-market-leaders-when-it-comes-to-league-black-cards-35634272.html
@Bill Clay: who is billy john Keane you stupid preck
P Geaney is about the only kerry player that would make the Dublin squad at the moment.
@John Carroll: I’d say a few of them would make the squad in fairness but he’s about the only one who’d start.
@Conor O’Riordan: O Donoghue, Donaghy and David Moran would be close to. Kerry aren’t far away and are always capable of beating any team.
Kerry will win an all Ireland in the next 3 years… and I’m a dubs fan!
@Sean O Draighneain: donaghy? Really
@Ollie Watson: I think so. He’s a better version of o gara and a big game player. hate seeing him on the Kerry team when they play Dublin.
@Sean O Draighneain: Paul Murphy would get into the squad too in my opinion. The most underrated player in the country. And I hope you’re right!
@John Carroll:
Star would walk on.
@Ollie Watson:
Without question. Lion led by donkeys.
@Con Murphy:Dont think so Ted !!!
Interesting article perhaps the gaa will run this for their next ad campaign waxing lyrical about the values and principles of this great organisation.
It’s a pity this attitude to sport is gaining popularity .
Rules are there to ensure fair play so that the team which wins does so because they are the best at the sport.
If your going to play that way ..fine ..but spare me the hypocrisy of claiming to be a noble sports hero .. if that’s sport put it in your next ad ..let the kids see what their hero’s are prepared to do to win..I think it’s wrong and diminishes the game and the winning.
A truly great Dublin team is on the cusp of true greatness – 4 in a row. Mayo have had more chances than most teams could dream of, unfortunately, they haven’t got what it takes.
Paul, the Kerry brains trust must prevent this calamity and rise from the ashes. Only one team can stop then now.
@Etherman:
Little chance with current management. Another wasted year ahead unfortunately.
Paul like the rest of Kerry are hoping to bring this Dublin run to an end. When Kerry beat Dublin in this years league final most of the pundits said it was a dress rehearsal for this years All Ireland how wrong they were. In this decade so far Dublin have beaten Kerry four times in the All Ireland,two finals and two semifinals, not even the great Kerry team of the 70′s managed to beat Dublin four times in that decade and they had the opportunity to do so had they won in 76 or 77. I hope Dublin go on and win four in a row and go down as one of the greatest teams to play the game if they are not already there.
Lets all hope Mayo finally win it next year or someone like kildare ,Galway, Roscommon, Monaghan, or Cavan maybe could manage to step up instead of Paul and and his feel sorry for me and kerry story, with their thirthy seven All-Irelands.Surely its the very last thing Football needs right now is another domination story begining in twenthy eighteen,you wont get much sympathy for that Paul.
@John Carroll: You need a woman John
@John Carroll:
There’s no feel sorry for me from Paul you would need to read what he wrote again.
Its not the Kerry way which has resulted in a record number of all Irelands. I was glad Dublin won against Mayo as I am sick of all the hard done by nonsense from Mayo. If you want to win it go out and do it. Paul isn’t looking for the sympathy that Mayo seem to thrive on and still win nothing. Mayo have turned losing all Irelands into an art form which is no good for their supporters. Best losers in Ireland, sad.
@Con Murphy: doesn’t say much for Kerry con. They were miles behind Mayo this year – in truth they could have lost by 12 points and there’s only about 3 Kerry players who’d make the Mayo team currently.
@Con Murphy :”Not the Kerry way” ah will you get off thd dung heap you clown.
@Summer bay Devil:Ask your sister :-):-)
Great article
Very honest alright but I would worry about sportsmanship in the game today. There is too much off the ball stuff going on. A second referee would need to be on the pitch to try and stop this. Linesmen and umpires have no authority to do anything about this, and it is becoming a blight on the game.
Kill or be killed what a statement to use in any sport
@Alan Scott: At this level it is all about winning and that won’t change. You would worry about sportsmanship in the game though. I would also be worried about young kids and underage players adopting this attitude which would not be good for them or our overall society.But at senior level this is the reality and it will not change. GAA today is such a part of Irish life that so much of a players life depends on how he and his team perform at the highest level. Their jobs and careers are intimitly bound up with their sporting success or lack of it.
For a top player like a Kieran Donoghy or Colm Cooper, both from not very well off backgrounds sport, and the GAA in particular, provides hope that they can reach fame and a little bit of fortune in a society where otherwise they would not have a lot of advantages and where people look down on people from their backgrounds. Sport is one of the few ways in which a guy from an ordinary background can make a name for himself in a society which is dominated by who you know and where you went to school or who your daddy knows.
As a Dublin fan the 2011 final was the best . Primarily because Kerry threw it at us . Kerry lost it , we didn’t win it . Kerry have always been the standard by which you measured yourself . It’s lovely to see them with their confidence shot but it won’t last .
Mayo are the arsenal of Gaelic football, afraid of winning and loving a good moan
Mayo bet Kerry by 6 points this year but it could have been a lot more. They totally dominated them.