HIGH ON EMOTION

Cullen moved by AIL unlikely lad Soroka’s woe over reverse to Bulls

- BY MICHAEL SCULLY

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

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