'They said it was Ireland v Bulls. We said, 'Right, let's not disappoint them''

The 42

7 hours ago

LEINSTER'S MESSAGES IN the media have traditionally been all about focusing on themselves, getting their performance right, and ignoring the outside noise.
But in recent weeks, we've seen and heard a shift.
It has been obvious that the negative words being spoken and written about Leinster have been discussed within the set-up.
Joe McCarthy gave us an insight when he said that 'everyone loves to hate Leinster' after their semi-final win over Glasgow. After Saturday's final victory over the Bulls, skipper Jack Conan spoke about how Leinster had 'silenced a few critics.'
Head coach Leo Cullen went a step further and invited more of the negativity towards his team.
'Pressure is great, it's part and parcel of sport,' said Cullen after his men had beaten the Bulls in dominant fashion. 'It's a great way to feel alive, we're lucky to be involved in it.
'Keep the abuse coming, we don't mind – thick skins.'
It's clear that Leinster have leaned into what people say about them more than ever on the run to this URC title. And so they should. Sport is simple sometimes. Being able to generate a f**k-you mindset is valuable, especially in a physical game like rugby. Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls always had an 'us against the world' mindset, even when the world wasn't actually against them.
The venom in Leinster's play over the last two weekends has been impossible to miss. The prospect of winning a trophy inspired that, of course, but it seems like paying more attention to the outside noise might have been helpful too.
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Rather than ignoring Bulls boss Jake White pitching this final as Ireland against the Bulls, the Leinster players took his words on board.
Leo Cullen with Jordie Barrett. Ben Brady / INPHO Ben Brady / INPHO / INPHO
The massive defensive holdouts from Leinster late in the first half were partly inspired by White's provocative comments.
'You've got to love those physical moments, the lift that it gives you, and says so much about where we are mentally,' said Conan.
'They came out with a lot of stuff in the media during the week about it's Ireland versus the Bulls.
'So we said, 'Right, let's not disappoint them, let's be at our best, let's give them Irish rugby,' and I thought we did that.
'I don't know if I had too many collisions out there but I was absolutely loving seeing the lads whack people and forcing them back.'
As Cullen outlined, Leinster were under huge pressure to end their wait for silverware.
The Leinster boss is not someone who shows his emotions in public often but this success must have sparked great joy and relief after the travails of recent seasons. Cullen dislikes how Leinster have been perceived as failures because they haven't won more trophies, but he knows trophies are crucial.
Cullen's biggest smile in the post-match press conference came when one reporter made the mistake of thinking that the 'Leo, Leo, Leo' chants from Leinster fans were for their head coach.
'That was for Leo the Lion!' said Cullen. 'Just to say I don't want to take the credit here!
'One of my memories when I came back from England – I was playing in England between 2005 and 2007, Leinster wasn't a happy place back in those days – but I remember playing in the RDS in 2007 and we were defending a lineout and I could hear the crowd go, 'Leo, Leo!' and I was thinking 'this crowd love me' and then in the corner of my eye I could see the lion doing a dance, and I was like, 'Ah, good luck'.
'But Leo the Lion did a great job!'
Leo the Lion with Caelan Doris at Croke Park. James Crombie / INPHO James Crombie / INPHO / INPHO
It was a laughing matter but it was interesting to hear Cullen note how Leinster 'wasn't a happy place' while he was over in Leicester. The return of Cullen and Shane Jennings was crucial in helping the province to win their first-ever Heineken Cup.
Cullen has won one of those trophies as a head coach too, while coming up just short on three other occasions.
Leinster wasn't the happiest of places when Cullen first took over as head coach and his reign started in rocky fashion. Stuart Lancaster's impact was important in turning the ship around to win four consecutive Pro 14 titles and the Champions Cup in 2018. Then Jacques Nienaber succeeded Lancaster and has helped drive them to this first URC title.
But Cullen is the connecting factor between every single one of the 14 trophies Leinster have won in their professional history. That's remarkable stuff.
Cullen has always had his fair share of critics, as a player and as a coach. Now it looks like he and his Leinster team are taking energy from that outside noise.