What Harry Byrne said moments before kicking match winner against La Rochelle

Harry Byrne revealed he left no room for doubt in the dying moments at the Aviva Stadium, telling Leinster captain Caelan Doris exactly what he wanted before stepping up to decide a classic against La Rochelle.

The replacement’s match-winner put the cherry on top of what was a roller coaster of a game, very much in the tradition of contests between these two European heavyweights. Byrne – who returned to Leinster this season having spent a rejuvenating sojourn with Gallagher PREM outfit Bristol Bears – backed himself to take home the ‘W’.

“I just said to Caelan [Doris], ‘I want it’,” Byrne said after his late penalty sealed a 25-24 Investec Champions Cup win for Leinster.

Both replacement Byrne and starting fly-half Sam Prendergast wanted the kick, but it appears the former insisted despite having struck the post with his previous attempt at goal.

The pressure was considerable.

“I wanted to take it, I’d taken the one before and hit it off the post, but I’d hit it well. So, I felt I wasn’t going to miss that one.”

When the ball sailed over, the out-half admitted the moment only really landed afterwards.

“It was special, definitely special,” he said. “I guess you don’t realise until after the kick has gone over, watching it eagerly, but yeah delighted it went over.”

It was a telling moment in the context of Leinster’s selection pecking order at stand-off. Byrne is currently playing second to fiddle to the undoubtedly talented but at times cavalier Prendergast, but his current form suggests maybe that order needs a reassessment by head coach Leo Cullen.

Cullen was quick to credit both Byrne’s individual composure and the wider resolve shown by his side during a game that repeatedly swung away from them.

“I thought the players dug in incredibly well, didn’t they?” Cullen said.

“When we went behind, when it was 17-12 at that stage, we were hanging in there for a period.

“We probably just dug in there at different stages. We just stayed in the game, kept fighting and eventually took an opportunity.

“Fair play to Harry [Byrne], who stepped up and kicked the goal at the end. Again, I thought it was really good intent to play off some of that transition ball that we would have had, which leads to Robbie’s try and to Josh’s try. They’re two great moments.”

Cullen accepted it was far from a flawless display, pointing to discipline issues and time spent down to 14, but felt the manner of the finish said plenty about his squad.

“It was far from a perfect performance. We started the game well. There’s probably a bit of discipline that gets us in a bit of trouble, two yellow cards. It’s very hard to impose your game when you’re down to 14 men at this level, because you’re up against a good team.

“Overall, to find a way at the end is probably the most pleasing bit, because we’ve had to do a little bit of that this year.

“The group are showing strong characteristics. It’s not necessarily us imposing our game, but we’re finding a way somehow, which is good.”