Leinster head coach Leo Cullen not surprised by Ulster performance in European Cup tie

Leo Cullen acknowledged that the next couple of weeks will define Leinster’s season after a hard-earned 21-18 victory over Ulster secured a Heineken Champions Cup semi-final spot.

Ulster gave the defending champions a huge test in this all-Irish quarter-final at the Aviva Stadium, leading early on through Kieran Treadwell’s try with Luke Marshall’s 63rd-minute touchdown bringing the visitors level at 18-all.

However, Ross Byrne completed his 16-point haul for Leinster with a decisive penalty, nine minutes from the end.

Leinster head coach Cullen said: “We know we’re in two semi-finals now (in the Guinness PRO14 and Champions Cup), but it’s about how we build the cohesion and our levels of performance so that, when it comes to the two semi-finals, we give probably a better account of ourselves than we did today.

“We’re always having to chase the game from so early. Once Ulster had the lead, they were able to play that pressure game on us.

“We didn’t respond particularly well to it, I didn’t think. But ultimately we got the job done. It’s pleasing on one hand, but frustrating on the other.”

Ross Byrne and Adam Byrne crossed the whitewash in each half for Cullen’s charges, who battled through to set up an Easter weekend semi-final against either Racing 92 or Toulouse.

Having highlighted their threats leading into the game, the Wicklow man was not the least bit surprised with Ulster’s performance on the night.

“We talked about all the threats that they have,” said Cullen. “(Stuart) McCloskey in the middle of the field gives them go-forward, good direction.

“We even talked about (Jacob) Stockdale going up the left hand side of the field or chipping the ball over the top when he gathered. It all played out, what we talked about.”

Jacob Stockdale was scoring tries for fun for Ulster and Ireland last season – he should have added to this season’s tally on Saturday in Dublin, but the flying winger uncharacteristically dropped the ball attempting to dot it down.

It came as a crucial point of the game as Ulster led Leinster 13-11 early in the second half of an enthralling European Champions Cup tie.

The winger had done all the hard work in beating the Leinster defence but that last crucial act failed him. Leinster then went up the pitch and scoring a try to go 18-13 ahead and eventually they booked a semi-final spot 21-18.

Rather than identifying Stockdale’s blunder as a turning point in the game, Ulster head coach Dan McFarland focused on other areas that contributed to their eventual exit from the tournament.

“I know what you want me to say and I’m not going to say that,” said McFarland. “I was asked four times about Jacob dropping the ball over the line.

“My answer is: there are not many people in the world who could beat that many players, to even get in the position to put the ball down.

“I’m proud of Jacob, he played a great game, did a lot of really good things.

“He’s disappointed, but that’s not the reason we lost the game.

“I’d say the key points in the first half were: our collision work, contact work wasn’t good enough. That’s on me, I’m the coach of that area.

“Leinster stole balls of us, we couldn’t get our attack into the rhythm – when we did we showed really good glimpses.”