Cullen: 'You have to beat the best'
Sun, 24 Jan 2010 17:24
Leinster skipper Leo Cullen has warned that clinching a home tie in the quarter-finals is no guarantee of an easier passage through to a potential successful defence of their Heineken Cup title.
Cullen and co. had new Irish flyhalf half Johnny Sexton to thank for stealing a draw at Twickenham in the 78th minute to stave off the threat of a double defeat against London Irish and the prospect of an away trip in the last eight.
Now they can prepare to put their title on the line at the RDS in Dublin in April and try to emulate Irish rivals Munster in winning the trophy twice - and possibly match Leicester Tigers' feat in being the only side to successfully defend their Heineken Cup crown.
"Getting a home draw is massive for us, but more for the club and the fans than anything else. We played away on the road to winning the title in last year's quarter-fial and we know that being at home doesn’t give us a divine right to reach the semi-finals," said Cullen.
"To win the Heineken Cup you have to beat all of the best teams at some stage and there are some great teams left in the tournament. Playing at the RDS will give us a slight advantage, but it really will come down to how we play on the day."
Man of the Match Gordon D’Arcy praised the way in which the Leinster fans backed their team at Twickenham and dedicated the battling draw to them.
"They follow us to hell and back and you just had to see the sea of blue in the crowd to understand how much they back us. We’ve given them quite a few ups and downs over the years, so it is great to be able to reward them with a home tie in the quarter-finals," said D'Arcy.
ERC
Contact Us | Terms and Conditions | Privacy Policy | Advertising
