Garry Ringrose reveals priceless advice from ex-Leinster captain after first Champions Cup title amid seven-year wait
GARRY RINGROSE remembers his first Champions Cup win.
Europe
and he was just 23.
2
Leinster last won the Champions Cup in 2018
Credit: SPORTSFILE.
2
Garry Ringrose wants to end the seven-year wait
Credit: Brendan Moran/Sportsfile
But if there was ever a risk that he would think that
rugby
was easy,
'So we'd gone through the celebrations in Europe and I was asking Nacewa . . . because in my head I'm thinking of all the greats that won in Europe and had a chance of a double.'
Leinster had twice before failed to do the double and Nacewa — who was in both squads — set him straight.
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Ringrose continued: 'I was asking, 'How come they didn't do the double? And, he said, 'Because it's unbelievably hard to do'. Just give it absolutely everything. Your prep, give it absolutely everything on the day. And then I suppose the result is, well it will be what it'll be if you can do those two things.'
And this is why he will not look back on his first
Ringrose added: 'I just wouldn't ever look back at my last ten years in a negative light considering how lucky I've been to be in the teams and enjoy any success.
'I wouldn't take for granted even one knowing how hard it is to get there and win. I wouldn't take one Champions Cup for granted.
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'You get a little taste for that success and that's what drives you, motivates you to keep going.'
Since that 2018 victory, Leinster have lost four finals, one semi-final and a quarter-final. They also reached the semis in 2017, with Ringrose a breakout
star
. The squad is now preparing for
next
week's last-four showdown with
Northampton
Saints.
Ronan O'Gara bizarrely ends press conference after 23 SECONDS amid La Rochelle's continued poor form
If successful, they will be through to their fourth final in a row and a shot at a fifth cup win — their first since 2018.
Ringrose is now 30, but the landmark birthday did not mean a period of reflection on his career. The Dubliner explained: 'I've been lucky to enjoy some unbelievably successful days. But when you fall short, it kind of increases your appetite to go out there and give it another rattle.
'There is a semi to attack and that's where my head is at. But if you're asking me what I remember from Bilbao, it was the lap around the pitch afterwards and certainly the changing room afterwards.'
GREAT EXPECTATIONS
Ringrose is now focused fully on Saturday where the majority in attendance will expect to be entertained.
Expectations are high after Leinster scored 114 to zero in their last two ties against
The mammoth points haul is impressive.
But so to has been the defending as no team in the Champions Cup had ever kept a clean sheet in 30 years of knockout games.
But Ringrose is not getting carried away. He added: 'I would have loved to have been a fly on the wall for a Glasgow or Harlequins
review
. Because it would have been too easy to think we were good, because they definitely did not perform to the levels that they are capable of.
'We challenge ourselves not to be delusional in that perspective.'
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an hour ago
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GER BRENNAN knew Louth would need a bigger boat when Donegal smelt blood in Ballybofey. The 2 Donegal sailed past Leinster champions Louth on Sunday afternoon 2 Louth manager Ger Brennan admitted his side were no match for the Ulster men But A devastating spell of 1-7 on the bounce blew Louth out of the water as Ciarán Thompson marked his 50th championship appearance with his first championship goal and hometown hero Oisín Gallen fired 0-5. Two-pointers from Michael Langan and Michael Murphy along with Peter Lynch's black card left the Wee County clinging for life before they gradually sunk out of the championship. And Brennan admits the high of winning their first Leinster title in 68 years caught up with them as they lost three out of their next four games to bow out. READ MORE ON GAA He said: 'It was a perfect storm. Unfortunately, we were the ones on the little boat with the oars. We couldn't survive it. 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Louth were all at sea as Lynch was black carded for a late hit on Murphy and the relentless hosts kept turning the screw. Langan boomed over another two-pointer as Conor O'Donnell, Gallen, Daire Ó Baoill and Shane O'Donnell followed suit to finish the devastating 1-7 flurry as McGuinness rolled in the cavalry from the bench. Mulroy thought he had scored on the double at the other end, but Patton got a hand to it to reduce it to one as they failed to stay in the game. Donegal skipper Paddy McBrearty failed to score, but created the next 0-3 for Niall O'Donnell, Ó Baoill and the brilliant Caolan McColgan before McFadden completed the rout on the hooter. And McGuinness beamed as 12 of his players hit the mark to fire them back to Croker against Monaghan or Meath this weekend. He said: 'In terms of the team, it's very important now that we dial-in very quickly to the next challenge which is going to be Monaghan or Meath and we wait for that draw to come and then we can start the ball rolling again for another week. 'Very happy, very happy obviously, one game more than we wanted but at the same time we're happy to take the game. 'Obviously loads and bits of pieces to work on as well, particularly in the first half in terms of decision making and stuff. 'We were clinical and done a good job to get over the line and get over the line with 20 minutes to spare basically and give us a chance to get some players on the pitch as well that have been doing well in training. 'Odhran McFadden-Ferry has been doing well in training, Niall O'Donnell coming back into it again. Daire Ó Baoill I thought was very very good when he went on and Patrick when he went on as well, and I think Patrick might have had three assists. 'Whenever we got beat against Tyrone we knew we'd be in this situation potentially and we were targeting these three weekends. So we're delighted we have an opportunity at the third game now.' DONEGAL 2-22 LOUTH 0-12 DONEGAL: S Patton, F Roarty 0-2, B McCole, P Mogan 0-1; R McHugh, EB Gallagher, C Moore; J McGee, M Langan 0-3, 1tp; C McColgan 0-1, C Thompson 1-0, S O'Donnell 0-1; C O'Donnell 1-2, M Murphy 0-3, 1f, 1 tp, O Gallen 0-5. Subs: H McFadden 0-1 for McGee HT; D Ó Baoill 0-2 for McHugh 49; P McBrearty for Murphy 51, N O'Donnell 0-1 for C O'Donnell 54, O McFadden-Ferry for Gallagher 54 LOUTH: N McDonnell; D Nally, D Campbell, D McKenny; E Carolan, P Lynch 0-1, C Lennon 0-1; T Durnin, D McDonnell 0-1; C McKeever, C Downey 0-1, D Corcoran; P Matthews 0-1, S Mulroy 0-3, 1f, R Burns 0-4. Subs: C Grimes for Carolan HT; S Callaghan for Durnin 48, R Walsh for Matthews 51, C McArdle for Lennon 53, C Byrne for Burns 57 REFEREE: B Cassidy (Derry)
