Williams salutes brave victory

RUGBY: Leinster coach Matt Williams was not about to exacerbate the ill-feeling that surrounded the twice postponed European Cup tie against Newcastle following Leinster's 17-15 triumph at Headingley last night.

"Newcastle's offer to change the game from Sunday in a week when their behaviour left a lot of the desired was one of the best single bits of sportsmanship that I have seen in my time," he said.

The verbal sparring from both camps that had accompanied the farcical situation at Kingston Park over the weekend took a back seat in Williams' view as he marvelled at the courage and commitment shown by his players to eke out a narrow success.

Leinster have made a quantum leap mentally this season and nowhere was it better encapsulated then at Headingley last night. They are now within touching distance of a home quarter-final.

That matter will be resolved against Toulouse at Stade Les Septs Deniers on Sunday.

Williams enthused: "What else could you throw at us? The game was postponed twice in a week. We got up at 6.30am yesterday morning to travel. We had lost two No10s prior to the match and lost another during the game (Nathan Spooner's injury is almost certain to keep him out of Sunday's match) and still didn't bow. Champs get up when they can't.

"They (his players) did so much and almost blew it. We had a bit of luck with (Johnny) Wilkinson missing that conversion, but we deserved it. We showed great courage and character. Twelve months ago we would have lost that game."

Leinster's 15th successive win was borne of character, resilience and staggering defending in the last 15 minutes of the match.

They did concede a try to Inga Tuigamala and few in the ground expected Wilkinson to miss the conversion but he did.

It was to be Leinster's last bit of good fortune. The outstanding Trevor Brennan was dismissed to the sin bin on 74 minutes and for the remaining 14 - referee Gareth Simmonds played eight minutes injury time - the margin between victory and defeat could be measured in inches.

Williams insisted: "I thought Trevor was very unlucky to get the yellow. He was pinned there."

Time and again Newcastle battered a path to the Leinster line only to have the door firmly shut. One missed tackle and the Irish province would have succumbed to defeat.

In the immediate aftermath of the game the main concern was Spooner's rib injury. He wasn't ruled out of Sunday's match on the spot, but the Leinster contingent wasn't optimistic.

Leinster fly out of Leeds tomorrow and head straight for France. Williams took the precaution of bringing 27 players to Yorkshire, but would be loathe to head into the Toulouse match without Spooner.

Newcastle's Director of Rugby Rob Andrew, though, was not about to let an opportunity to complain go abegging.

He reiterated the fact that the Kingston Park pitch was playable Sunday and yesterday added: "It gives Leinster an unfair advantage in the competition."

Like they'll care this morning.