Leo Cullen praises SA sides after back to back losses

The Stormers edged Leinster 20-13 at home in round 17 of the United Rugby Championship.

The Stormers kicked a penalty 15 minutes in, but Leinster followed that up with two quick shots at goal which saw them take a narrow 6-3 lead into the halftime break.

Leinster picked up a yellow card early in the second half and the Stormers capitalized with the game's first try to lead 8-6.

Another Stormers try followed after 52 minutes to extend the lead out to 13-6. Leinster hit back with a try on the hour mark to level matters at 13 apiece.

The Stormers were awarded a penalty try after 66 minutes, with Leinster picking up a yellow card in the process. That would prove to be the match winning score for the Stormers, but the losing bonus point for Leinster means they have wrapped up top spot in the standings.

The Leinster head coach Leo Cullen praised the performances of the SA sides in the inaugural United Rugby Championship after his side finished their short tour to the Republic.

A young and experienced Leinster side didn’t win a match on tour but Cullen said that recent selection decisions, results and performances must be viewed in that context.

“I guess it is a case of mission accomplished, if you look at it like that,” Cullen told The42.

“I’m not someone who likes to see teams kicking the ball out at the final whistle [when they’re still in a position to avoid a loss]. But that’s professional rugby. You have to do what you need to do with the bigger picture in mind.

“We came into this tour with the intent to win two games. We were frustrated with our performance against the Sharks, and there were moments when our composure let us down against the Stormers.

“However, we have always been aiming for that No 1 seed [in the United Rugby Championship] so to get a couple of losing bonus points is a case of job done.”

Cullen praised the performances of the South African sides.

“It’s a shot in the arm, to have these South African teams in the tournament. They’re just going to get stronger and stronger, and hopefully we will have some great battles with them over the coming years.

“I’ve been watching a lot of university rugby on TV over the past two weeks. There’s a lot of talent and depth in the lower leagues, and the future of South African rugby looks bright.”