Leicester ‘hurt’ after battle with ‘favourites’ Leinster

Leinster ultimately ran out 55-24 winners in Dublin last Friday, but Leicester were well in contention with half an hour to play, trailing by just 10 points until a late flurry of tries from the hosts.

Wigglesworth backed his team to recover from the loss but reiterated the frustration they were feeling after running the four-time champions close until just after half-time.

“We were close for 50 minutes but, after that, they were the better team and scored successive points that put us too far behind,” he told Tigers’ website.

“It hurts, it really hurts, because we were in that contest for 50 minutes tonight.

“It is hugely disappointing and will hurt for a while, that’s reality, but these players will pick themselves back up.”

Fly-half Handré Pollard, who kicked seven points for Leicester at the Aviva Stadium, echoed his coach’s sentiments but acknowledged that his side weren’t clinical enough to beat a team of Leinster’s quality.

“We fought hard, we fought really hard,” the South African added. “I mean, it was a seven-point game after 50 minutes.”

“But we didn’t convert opportunities we created tonight and that ended up hurting us the most.

“If you give a side of Leinster’s class a sniff, they will strike and – credit to them – they did that [on Friday].”

Wigglesworth went on to label Leinster as the favourites to lift the Heineken Champions Cup this season and maintained that Stade Toulousain will need to produce a world class performance to defeat the Irish province in the semi-finals in Dublin on April 29.

“They have earned their home advantage and with the fans here it will take a special team to beat them, but they have only won it once in 11 years,” he reminded.

“So there has been teams that have popped up and beaten them. They’ve got to go and win it.

“30 points, big enough gulf. Leinster were the better team today, an outstanding team who are quite rightly favourites to lift the trophy.”