Lingering frustrations for Leinster despite comfortable win
Leinster head coach Leo Cullen believes there is plenty of room for improvement after their 45-20 victory over Bath in their Champions Cup opener in Dublin.
With seven tries securing the bonus point – Jamison Gibson-Park crossing for two and star of the match Tadhg Furlong one – the home side were rampant early on.
However, a converted Gabriel Hamer-Webb effort meant Bath outscored Leinster during the final quarter and this was a source of frustration for Cullen at the whistle.
Some frustrations
“Pleased to get a win, and to get a bonus point is great. Lots of good stuff, particularly early in the game I thought,” he said after the win at the Aviva Stadium.
“The last 20 minutes is probably the thing that is lingering a little bit for us, in terms of some frustrations. Because ultimately Bath win that last 20-minute period 7-0.
“If you had given it (the result) to us earlier in the week, we probably would have settled for it. For now it’s just trying to turn the page, because we’ve a short turnaround into Montpellier away next weekend.”
While Leinster ultimately emerged as emphatic winners, Cullen still feels his charges will have to step things up considerably for their round two trip to the GGL Stadium next Friday night.
“In terms of putting together an 80-minute performance, we’re still a bit off,” he added. “Montpellier picked a bit of a scratchy team for tonight’s game (against Exeter), but they’ve been going very, very well in the Top 14.
“It’s a great challenge for us. Going away to France is always tough. I think it’s important for the group to get excited now and look forward to that challenge.”
Having already suffered 10 straight defeats in domestic action, this latest loss will do little for Bath’s confidence levels ahead of their home clash with last season’s runners-up, La Rochelle, at the Recreation Ground next Saturday.
Although disappointed with how the game panned out at Irish Rugby HQ, Bath director of rugby Stuart Hooper is realistic about where they are currently at in the European rugby landscape.
“I think it’s really important, from a players and club perspective, that we understand the context of where we are right now,” he said in the aftermath.
“It doesn’t cover over any of that as a performance or a result, but there’s lots of people here playing their first ever time in Europe, which is a big step for some.
“The energy of some of the young guys that came on today was outstanding and similarly with the leadership of some of our experienced guys. We’ll need all of that again into a home game against La Rochelle next week.”