'It's very much game on' - Connacht and Leinster's Sportsground thriller sets up exciting second leg

The full time whistle brought with it strange scenes at the Sportsground last night.

The previous 80 minutes had been hugely tense and highly enjoyable, Leinster just about getting over the line on a 26-21 scoreline after Connacht kept fighting back.

Normally after games like that, there would be the surge of emotion at the whistle, Leinster's players holding hands in the air, Connacht players with hands on their knees.

But with another 80 minutes still to come next Friday at the Aviva Stadium, it seemed that neither group of players knew just how to react, such is the unfamiliar territory of these two-legged Round of 16 ties

While it was job done on the night for Leo Cullen's side, it's really only job half-done. They got what they wanted to out of the Galway trip - a first leg lead to pack onto the bus and bring back up the M6.

But they were given a major scare by Andy Friend's side, who flat out refused to quit, giving all 8,129 of the sold-out crowd every cent's worth for their ticket price, and probably putting some extra bums on the seats at the Aviva Stadium next week for good measure.

Even Leo Cullen wasn't sure how he felt after the game, happy that his side held on, frustrated the lead isn't what it maybe should have been. Ultimately, we won't truly know how he feels until next Friday night at 7pm.

"They haven't been in that situation before," he said of the contained scenes on the final whistle.

"We knew that would be the case going into the game, even at the end it's not like the team behind has to chase the game to try and win it, because they know there is another 80 minutes to go after the final whistle. That was always going to be the case, it would always feel a little bit unusual. It's very much game on.

"They