Cullen – ‘We got away with it’

Leinster head coach Leo Cullen admitted his side were lucky to come away with a hard-fought 21-18 win over Connacht on Monday.

The sides scored two tries apiece at the RDS but Leinster's experience got them over the line in the end – managing to hold on to their lead in the frantic closing exchanges.

"These games are tight provincial games," Cullen told the Irish Mirror afterwards.

"Conditions are poor, it’s difficult to play. You arrive here today and the wind is blowing 45km per hour – it’s starting to lash rain even though it was forecast that it wasn’t going to rain.

"I just had a feeling that it was going to be one of those really tight difficult days today.

"We looked a little bit flat. It can be difficult this time of the year because we have made changes (13) this week.

"Connacht have a lot more settled look about them and the way they played. But it was good to get away with the win – I think we got away with it.

"Four points and on we go to next year. At least we don’t have a long time to wait."

Cullen's opposite number Kieran Keane agreed that his side let the game get away from them having led 13-11 at half-time.

"It certainly felt like that," said Keane, when asked if Connacht allowed the win to get away from them.

"We're all pretty disappointed we didn't get the result, but it was a very brave performance. A lot of character within the team shown tonight again so we could construe it as one that got away.

"I think the emotion took over, the boys had complete control of aspects of that but we didn't really take the right options and to be honest we didn't really shape the defence well enough to give us our plan As and Bs.

"So, from my perspective, I think that the boys had a rush of blood and it took over which is a learning for us and we're learning every day."