James Ryan insisted “failing greatly” was a worthwhile risk following Leinster’s latest bout of European Champions Cup final heartbreak.
Leinster’s 31-22 extra-time defeat by Toulouse meant the Irish province completed an unwanted hat-trick after losing both the 2022 and 2023 Champions Cup finals to another French club, La Rochelle.
It was also their fourth defeat in the showpiece match, all of them coming since Leinster won the last of their four Champions Cup titles in 2018.
Neither Toulouse nor Leinster managed a try in the initial 80 minutes of Saturday’s gruelling encounter at London’s Tottenham Hotspur Stadium that ended with the European heavyweights level at 15-15.
Toulouse wing Matthis Lebel then scored the first try of the match early in extra time before team-mate Richie Arnold was sent off for a dangerous clear-out at a ruck.
Leinster hit back with a try from Ireland flanker Josh van der Flier, but Toulouse replacement Thomas Ramos’ two penalties in the second half of the 20 minutes of extra time proved decisive.
Ireland lock Ryan, who came off the bench at half-time in regulation play after Jason Jenkins was injured, said: “It was very intense. It’s a final. Obviously, it went to extra time so 100 minutes of Test match rugby is probably what it felt like.
“It was some effort from the lads to stick into the game. Sometimes it just doesn’t go your way.”
Defeat cemented Leinster’s reputation as the ‘nearly men’ of rugby, with the Dublin-based side also providing the bulk of the Ireland squad that yet again fell short in their quest to win the country’s first World Cup title at last year’s tournament in France.
But Ryan was adamant Leinster’s mentality was sound, the 27-year-old second row saying: “What we said in the changing room was when you want to achieve great things, you always have the risk of failing greatly as well.
“Would I rather be in a team that tries to be the best team in Europe every year and risks feeling like this? I still would.”
‘Hurts a lot’
Toulouse had averaged 6.6 tries and over 44 points per game in the competition on their way to this season’s final.
But it was defence that was the foundation of their record-extending sixth Champions Cup title triumph.
Toulouse made 242 tackles to Leinster’s 137, England back-row Jack Willis leading the way for the reigning French Top 14 champions with 30 of his own.
Nevertheless, Leinster captain Caelan Doris said: “I don’t think the belief came specifically from the fact they were making a lot of tackles.
“I think we back our attack philosophy in general and even in a short space of time, we believe we can score tries.”
The Ireland No 8, asked how this latest reverse compared to the two losing finals against La Rochelle, replied: “Recency bias can be in play a little bit but it feels like the hurt is right up there. The changing room is devastated.
“I think the fact that we believed and we were knocking on the door right through the game, it hurts. It hurts a lot.”
