Cullen praises Leinster character after comeback win

Leinster head coach Leo Cullen praised the character of his side, after they fought back from 19 points behind to defeat Ulster 38-29, and maintain their 100% record in the BKT United Rugby Championship.

The leaders looked destined for a first defeat of the season when they fell 22-3 down approaching half time, while they had also been reduced to 14 men on 20 minutes after a red card for Cian Healy.

However, after getting back into the game with a Rónan Kelleher try just before the break, they looked a new side in the second half, scoring four further tries to go nine clear at the top of the table.

"That was stressful, wasn't it?", a relieved Cullen exhaled.

"It's a pleasing win, with all that was going on in the game. Some good character, and all the rest, and that's the game, isn't it?"

Ulster looked on course for a second successive win away to Leinster when Rob Herring, Kieran Treadwell and Ethan McIlroy crossed within 15 minutes of Healy's sending off, and Cullen admits it took his side some time to adjust to their numerical disadvantage.

"The way the game is now, you have to be able to deal with that some point, a red card. Then there's a few decisions you've to make, do you go with seven forwards or eight forwards?

"We take Jimmy [O'Brien] off when Andrew [Porter] comes on, and it leaves us a bit vulnerable in the backfield, and Ulster - they kick a lot - we know we'll have to deal with the aerial threat.

"Credit to Hugo [Keenan] and to James Lowe, in terms of dealing with that aerial threat that comes from them. Ulster are very clinical, the red card happens, and we're weighing up what exactly we'll do and they dragged us over, eight forwards against seven.

"Ulster are on top during that period, we get a little bit of