HIGH ON EMOTION

LEO CULLEN admits he was moved by AIL recruit Ivan Soroka’s upset reaction to losing narrowly to the Bulls on Saturday.

- MICHAEL SCULLY

Clontarf’s Soroka (30) made his debut for the province in the URC victory over Cardiff Blues at the Aviva Stadium at the start of the month.

A financial advisor with AIB, the loosehead prop hadn't played professionally since his year with Connacht in 2016/17, but Leinster were threadbare in his front-row position due to Six Nations and injury absences.

Soroka came off the bench against the Bulls in Pretoria and the hosts powered through on Leinster's scrum put-in in the dying moments, earning the penalty converted by David Kriel that gave the hosts a 21-20 victory.

"Yeah, we have a pretty young group there," he said.

"You take Steve Smyth, who, is a year one academy player in the middle of that scrum, and Ivan has been amazing.

"It's an amazing story. He was upset after the game, I don’t mind sharing this, which makes me upset. He is such a great fella.