‘LET’S NOT STEW ON EURO AXE’

Leicester 14 Leinster

ALEX SPINK

FREDDIE STEWARD has demanded Leicester park their Euro disappointment and not let it derail their Premiership tilt.

Table-topping Tigers were well beaten by Ireland’s fourtime champions in a European Cup clash played at a higher level than they have experienced all year.

England fullback Steward (above) said: “You only get one chance and we didn’t get the win, so that’s us.

“They were more clinical than us. We have got a job to do in the Premiership now.”

Leicester, 12 points clear of third place with two rounds of the regular season left, have already secured a home semi-final.

But momentum is key heading into the play-offs – as Harlequins proved a year ago with a charge from mid-table to title glory.

Captain Ellis Genge vowed: “It won’t be hard to pick ourselves up. We’ve got silverware to chase. It doesn’t take a loss to get you up for the next one.”

Genge’s post-defeat frustration was clear after Tigers blew their chance by allowing Leinster to open a 20-point lead before they fired a shot of their own.

“I haven’t come in here for people to say we gave it a good crack and we’re plucky losers,” bristled a player who, like fly-half George Ford, leaves the club this summer.

With Steve Borthwick in charge, Tigers are sure to grow from this defeat – as Leinster did in their years of near-misses before breaking through.

Borthwick pointed out: “In Leinster’s team there were 670 Ireland caps. Only five of our guys had played a quarter-final before.

“We’ve learned a whole lot of lessons on this adventure, the biggest of which is you’ve got to attack the game from the very start.”