Leo Cullen has vowed he and Leinster will be back after their Investec Champions Cup campaign came crashing down against Northampton Saints
The province's hopes of winning a fifth title will go on, after the Premiership champions stunned Leinster at Aviva Stadium, pulling off a 37-34 win, in one of the greatest shocks in the competition’s history.
Having lost each of the last three finals, it was semi-final heartbreak for Cullen and Leinster this year, who paid a heavy price for a disastrous first half, in which they allowed the Saints race out to a 27-15 lead, as Jacques Nienaber’s famed defence was ripped open by Northampton’s lethal counter-attack.
While Leinster remain a heavy favourite to win the URC and end their four-year wait for silverware, there will be serious questions about how the province have failed to get back to European rugby’s showpiece.
But a defiant Cullen believes he is the man who is capable of ending their Champions Cup wait.
"I think I am. Yeah. I believe that I am, yes," Cullen said.
"We've lost three finals over the last three years, yeah, but I believe we've a stronger group now than we've had and that's the way I will continue to approach the day to day in terms of preparing the short term, medium term, long term.
"And I'm very committed to that as well."
The Leinster coach was quick to praise Northampton for how they stretched the province in the first half.
And he says his side will have big regrets.
"The first thing is Northampton were excellent I thought," he said.
"We sat here yesterday talking about how strong Northampton are in terms of some of their attacking threats and what they are capable of doing. I think we saw that in lots of different parts of the game.
"In the dressing room it’s a pretty sombre place as you can imagine. You set off at the start of the season and you know the final is in Cardiff. Everything is building towards that. Everyone is imagining themselves, every team, I’m sure, is imagining themselves there in the final.
"So, not many people were giving Northampton a chance coming into the game. They come away with a famous victory and unfortunately, it’s at our expense.
"Some of the things they executed, how clinical they were and even they came up with a way to hold us out at the end. I’m not sure how they managed to do it but they managed to do it. So, yeah, it’s pretty a pretty horrific feeling for the group right now."
Cullen was asked his thoughts on the major TMO decision on 79 minutes when the officials denied Leinster a potential match-winning try, but declined to offer a strong opinion, saying he wanted to look at the incident in detail before speaking to it publicly.
Leinster 34-37 Northampton
— RTÉ Sport (@RTEsport) May 3, 2025
Late drama as the TMO rules out a Leinster try
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The Leinster coach backed his players for turning down a shot at goal to tie the game with just under five minutes to play.
They had won a penalty 15 metres in front the right touchline, on the edge of the 22, but chose to kick for the corner rather than potentially levelling the game.
"It's important, the players have a feel on the field, and they're all-in there. They backed their bravery to go and win the game. It doesn't come off, but everyone is a genius in hindsight.
"In the moments, these guys fancied it, and I'd fancy them 100%," he added.
The decision to leave Jordie Barrett (above) out of the starting team was also a major call before the game, and the New Zealander’s impact off the bench was a big reason why Leinster got back within touching distance of winning.
But Cullen says he doesn’t regret his decision to leave the All Black star among the replacements.
He said: "I will look back on lots of different things, over the course of the next few weeks. And, yes, when you don't win a game, particularly in a semi-final, everyone is going to second-guess everything.
"Listen, Jordie brought huge impact, and that is what we wanted from him. Similar with Jack Conan, as well, and a lot of other players that were on the bench.
"You look at us at the end of the game - we looked like a strong team, attacking the game. There's probably bits before where we weren't quite accurate enough. But I don't have regrets about that plan, specifically."
