Cullen not too worried on Sexton

YOU can’t win the Champions Cup in the depths of winter, but you can certainly lose it and for long tracts of a crisp December Saturday in Dublin, Leinster were dangling on the tightrope.

Defeat would have wrested control of Pool Three from their grasp, leaving rejuvenated Montpellier, to whom they must travel in January, breathing down their neck.

However, they managed to absorb a terrible opening halfhour that had them 14 points and two yellow cards down to strike back for one of the most satisfying wins of the Leo Cullen era, skipper Isa Nacewa taking over the kicking from the concussed Johnny Sexton and his 17-point return – allied to Luke McGrath’s try – eventually quelled the Chiefs in front of a 40,064 attendance.

The relieved Cullen wasn’t punching the air, though. There was composed chat about Sexton’s premature departure. ‘He was up and around at half-time talking to Ross Byrne, managing the game plan, talking about a few ideas. He looked pretty good to me at that stage.’

Cullen (right) also spoke about whether ruckcharging Cian Healy might have seen red when he was sin-binned in the first-half along with Scott Fardy, who took a rest after collapsing a maul.

‘Players need to be careful in those contact areas. Yellow card was probably the right outcome. We discussed this with them during the week, the players are well aware,’ he said. He also dismissed queries on why Sean Cronin hadn’t had an HIA for a first-half collision, Cullen suggesting the hooker only took a bang in the tooth. There was also praise for skipper Nacewa, the veteran a calming presence when a 17-3 deficit on 33 minutes threatened a first pool defeat since the October 2016 loss at Montpellier. ‘It had a little bit of everything,’ reflected Cullen on a duel where Leinster conceded 11 penalties after coughing up just 18 on the first three days. ‘Mixed feelings about the game. We can be a hell of a lot better but we’re also very proud of the players the fact they were able to dig themselves out of that situation against a very good team… but if we want to progress we need to get better.’