Richard Wigglesworth admitted the 55-24 defeat to Leinster in Dublin might sting for a while among he and his Leicester Tigers squad.
However, while they may be hurting, the Head Coach was adamant his players would “pick themselves back up” and get back to work after being knocked out of the 2022/23 Heineken Champions Cup.
“We were close for 50 minutes but, after that, they were the better team and scored successive points that put us too far behind,” said Wigglesworth.
“It hurts, it really hurts, because we were in that contest for 50 minutes tonight.
“It is hugely disappointing and will hurt for a while, that’s reality, but these players will pick themselves back up.”
Despite the scoreboard showing a 31-point difference, which Wigglesworth said was down to the more “clinical” Leinster, the sides were locked in a contest up until 30 minutes to go, when the home side’s experience showed.
“We came to create a contest. With the quality we have, when there is a contest, you can win games,” he said.
“But we made too many errors tonight, gave away too many penalties which both compounded to give a team of Leinster’s experience field position.
“If you give them that territory, they are going to make you pay.”
Much to the delight of Wigglesworth, when Leinster looked try and get away from their visitors in the first-half, Leicester refused to give up.
“The way we fought back, that was pleasing, but we just didn’t do it for long enough,” said the Tigers boss.
“I thought we showed some real quality with the ball, we used the ball well but it just wasn’t for long enough periods together.
“What I didn’t see tonight was a single Leicester Tigers player give up; this group do not stop fighting, do not stop getting up, over and over again, for one another.
“Again, like I have all season, I saw a group of Leicester players tonight that fight for everything.”
Speaking about the opposition, Wigglesworth added: “Leinster are an outstandingly coached side, full of top of the class international players, who are able to be so clinical because of the amount of rugby they have played together.”
Meanwhile, on the experience for his group and “lessons” to be learned, he added: “The experience our group gains from this is invaluable.”
“The contrast is there to see, when we have a third of our side who are new to Leicester Tigers this season but we’re here, fighting for everything on the same stage.
“What is important is that we learn the lessons from tonight, don’t just talk about it but go away and take all we can from this experience - together - to make us a better side.”
Wigglesworth also paid tribute to the few hundred Leicester Tigers supporters who made the journey to Dublin, on short notice, to get behind their team.
“It is some effort, absolutely phenomenal in such a short time to get themselves here and be such a loud part of a big Leinster crowd,” Wigglesworth said.
“We might say it every week, how special Leicester Tigers fans are, but that’s because they deserve to keep hearing from us how much it means.
“Factor in the limited days to plan, the cost, the time of year and it is an even bigger ask for people to make the trip and we are so grateful to each and every fan that did that.
“I hope they saw what I saw tonight, a team who kept fighting for each other and for them in the stands.”
