SAINT THAT A SHAME

'Bitter disappointment' for Cullen after falling short in Europe again

- BY MICHAEL SCULLY

LEO CULLEN is certain he is the man to lead Leinster back to Champions Cup heaven but right now his players and their fans are in hell.

The long-time Blues leader - as captain and then as head coach - has built an organisation that has grown stronger and stronger over the years. With international stars Jordie Barrett, RG Snyman and Rabah Slimani buttressing a quality-laden selection of Ireland internationals, they had what was billed as one of their best-ever squads.

That they fell at the penultimate hurdle in Europe's premier club competition on Saturday makes the sudden impact even more damaging.

The shock 37-34 loss to a superb Northampton Saints outfit in the province’s 16th semi-final was a golden opportunity squandered.

Bordeaux are into the final in Cardiff after beating a Toulouse side that isn't the same without their game-changing captain Antoine Dupont.

But Leinster would have fancied their chances against a defence that suffered a lot of problems against mis-firing Munster in the quarter-finals.