Harry Byrne, the match-winner for Leinster, expressed his confidence as he prepared to take a last-minute penalty that secured a thrilling victory in the Investec Champions Cup pool 3 against La Rochelle in Dublin.
With Leinster behind 24-22, Byrne, who had earlier missed a conversion, stepped up to guide the Irish team to a dramatic bonus-point win.
After a brief discussion with Sam Prendergast—who had also struggled with two conversion attempts during the match—Byrne, 26, indicated that there wasn’t much conversation before he approached the kick.
“I just told Caelan [Doris, the captain] that I wanted to take it,” Byrne revealed to Premier Sports. “I had attempted one earlier and hit the post, but I felt good about this kick and didn’t think I was going to miss it.”
“It was a straightforward kick. Honestly, I probably aimed a bit off with the first one, hitting the right post. This time, I lined it up perfectly and focused on striking it through the middle.”
Leinster emerged victorious by the narrowest of margins after a tense back-and-forth match. They initially led 12-0 but fell behind 17-12, only to later edge back to 22-17.
Following a late try that put La Rochelle two points ahead, Byrne’s penalty finalized an exciting chapter in this gripping rivalry.
“It was chaotic,” Byrne reflected, noting that his last appearance for Ireland was in the 2024 Six Nations. “We wanted to keep the ball in play, but they had the same intentions, leading to a real battle to see who would falter first.”
“Our goal was to maintain possession and rely on our fitness, something we’d emphasized throughout the week. In that environment, with players tiring, we aimed to inject some pace into the game.”