Isa: We’ll use Euro heartache

ISA NACEWA insists Leinster will bounce back stronger after the disappointment of losing their Champions Cup semi-final in Lyon. The Blues skipper admitted his “dumb” sin-binning early in the defeat to Clermont didn’t help the cause. But Leinster can make some amends in eight days’ time when they take on the Scarlets for a place in the Guinness PRO12 final. “It is pretty tough standing on halfway in Lyon in a huddle knowing that you’ve just fallen short,” Nacewa said. “I’ve found it worse losing in a semi-final than a final. But it was a pretty tight huddle out there. “We had to take learnings to really kick on. The guys that played, and the guys that didn’t, have been hurting. We don’t want that feeling again.” Nacewa is critical of how Leinster failed to address system failures against Lyon early on and that it took them until the second quarter to gain a foothold. But on the plus side, what he saw as the Blues came close to reeling Clermont in, was an inner hunger to succeed. “We’ve got a dogged team, we aren’t happy just getting to a semi-final,” said the back three specialist. “We saw the reactions on guys faces. The fact that we didn’t talk to each other for a good couple of days was a sign that there’s a lot of competition in the team and a lot of drive and desire. You only learn that going through hard times.” CONNACHT centre Bundee Aki’s appeal of a three-week suspension for misconduct was rejected by an appeal committee in Glasgow last night.

COSTLY Nacewa picks up yellow card against Clermont

PRIZE GUY Isa Nacewa has his eye on PRO12 title