O’Connor: It’s not the end, we just under-performed

Leinster will be back. Matt O’Connor was adamant about that last night.

The Leinster coach refuted suggestions made to him on TV afterwards this convincing defeat marked the end of an era for a Leinster side that has won four European trophies since 2009.

“It’s a disappointing result,” said the Australian. “Not so much to lose but the performance is disappointing because we’re a better side than that and we were second best today.

“But quarter-finals are quarter-finals, knockout footy is that. If you’re not very, very good, especially away from home, you won’t get the result. So I wouldn’t read too much into it. I don’t think it’s a bigger issue than we under-performed today.”

Whatever about that, Leinster are clearly at a very perilous crossroads. Jonathan Sexton and Isa Nacewa departed last summer and Brian O’Driscoll and Leo Cullen will clear out their lockers next month. With the likes of Shane Jennings and Gordon D’Arcy also approaching the end, the province must look to new leaders within their four walls if they are to maintain their place near the summit of European rugby. O’Connor believes they possess just the types.

“Definitely. The big lesson is you probably need to be at home in a quarter-final and that’s where a day like today matters. We’ve got a really good group (of players). There’s some big names moving obviously, but the core of that group will be there and be there for a long time. So it’s not all doom and gloom.”

O’Connor preferred to focus on the intricacies of where it all went wrong. Preparation had been good all week and Leinster did well to claw their back from the brink after a tough start and take the interval at six apiece but they never could quite nip Toulon’s momentum in the bud.

Problems at the lineout in the first-half were compounded by their difficulties in securing quick ball at the breakdown and the result was that their attack “never really fired a shot.”

Mike Ross has known many a good night in Europe as a Leinster player and he seemed an ideal candidate to ask why this particular occasion wasn’t added to that scrapbook. His answers were as candid as ever.

“It was just our execution. A couple of times we were in the right area and we didn’t put good pressure on them. To get into their 22 was hard work and we had to be flawless when we got in there.

“A lot of times we weren’t. Other times we got a bit unlucky. I thought the backs did really well to put pressure on them in the air but sometimes it didn’t happen and they got the bounce of it.”

Leinster have bettered French aristocrats before in these parts. Clermont and Toulouse were both dispatched in knockout fixtures before this but Toulon come as close an anyone to bridging the gap between European and Test rugby. Munster will hope the same won’t be said after the semi-final later this month but O’Connor was not in the business of providing succour to an old enemy when asked how Rob Penney’s men may fare against the Toulonnais.

“Munster always have a chance, don’t they? They will be incredibly hard to beat. Ít will be a fair battle but you would imagine Toulon would win.”