'you Guys Love Throwing The Boot At Us' - Leinster's Cullen Criticises Media

Cullen and Leinster, who had comfortably cruised done nan tourney past season, came nether aggravated scrutiny aft Northampton's accelerated commencement saw them return a 12-point lead astatine half-time.

The four-time champions fought backmost and almost snatched nan crippled astatine nan death, pinch Cullen revisiting precocious refereeing decisions that costs his broadside successful nan 37-34 conclusion past May.

A twelvemonth on, he defended his side, who had antecedently ne'er beaten three-time champions Toulon, and said he ever expects a Champions Cup semi-final to "never spell to script".

"Naturally [in nan past 10 minutes] you effort and protect things, don't you? Whereas nan different squad they don't person protection and propulsion everything astatine it," he added.

"We were sitting successful this room this clip past year. We were successful that business and we were throwing everything astatine Northampton. [Henry] Pollock gets a poach – it should person been a penalty.

"It's intelligibly illegal, but cipher wants to study astir it after. We should person had a punishment effort and cipher wants to study astir it. You conscionable want to footwear nan footwear into us, don't you? But that's nan measurement it goes.

"Semi-finals travel down to nan tightest of margins. In 2012, Wesley Fofana knocked nan shot complete nan tryline and that is really we [Leinster] sewage to nan final.

"I would beryllium benignant to Toulon arsenic they showed awesome tone to nan very end."

Leinster will recreation to Bilbao for nan last connected Saturday, 23 May, wherever they will look past year's champions Bordeaux-Begles aliases Bath, who play connected Sunday.

Cullen confirmed centre Robbie Henshaw and flanker Josh van der Flier, who near nan section pinch caput injuries, will acquisition nan graduated return-to-play protocol.

Flanker Jack Conan limped disconnected and "will get checked", pinch Tommy O'Brien said to beryllium apt suffering from cramp.

All 4 are important players for Cullen arsenic Leinster activity a 5th Champions Cup successful 3 weeks' time.