Ryan Baird on Leinster's Croke Park drama: 'We're not letting this f***ing happen again'
The big forward wants to play on with a triumphant URC and Champions Cup double in mind
Ryan Baird wants to keep painting and not keep his powder dry as Leinster look to create a season-ending masterpiece.
Baird believes the Blues' frontliners benefited from not playing between the Champions Cup quarter-final win against La Rochelle to the semi-final victory over Northampton Saints.
In between, however, the province's second string lost twice in South Africa to lose top spot in the URC and victories are now imperative in the race to be a top seed in the playoffs.
READ MORE:Connacht snap up Leinster men on the double for next term
"Coming away trophyless for the last two years is 'no bueno', as they say in Spanish," Baird said.
"Who doesn't want to achieve the double? That's our objective.
"We're in a League and a Cup and want to win both. Losing the final of the Champions Cup and the semi of the URC both hurt as much because you put as much time into both.
"One's perceived to be bigger but the work that goes into both is equal. Therefore you want the same output - a trophy."
Baird doesn't want to be wrapped in cotton wool ahead of the European decider against Toulouse and Leo Cullen has said strong teams will be selected for the URC games before then, starting with Ospreys at the RDS on Saturday.
"If I get to play I'd be really excited because I get to build on momentum, I'm not keeping the powder dry," said the No.6.
"I'd love to get out there again and just keep improving. I'm thinking, 'how can I be a better player? Forget the occasion, but can I get better this week, next week?'
"It's another opportunity to see what I'm like under pressure.
"We're second in the table, we need to push to get back up top, there's a hell of a lot on the line.
"People might be distracted by the Champions Cup but there's a hell of a lot on the line in the URC to get that top seed."
The 24-year-old is pulsing with confidence in the knowledge that he has been a regular in the big games this season for Leinster.
He did allow himself a brief look back on Leinster's Croke Park triumph - especially that dramatic end game when the Blues almost blew it having been in a commanding position.
"It’s natural to feel the nerves," Baird said, reliving the moment when the Saints made it a three-point game with six minutes remaining.
"To be in that position when we've been on the other side I was like, ‘I'm not letting this f***ing happen again, we're not letting this f***ing happen again...go attack this game, attack it now, these last few minutes'.
"We wanted to attack it and finish it and get into the final.
"You learn your lessons. As Jacques (Nienaber) says, you pay your school fees and now it's time to push forward and get what we want, which is a fifth star."
Baird quotes a saying that originally comes from the controversial podcaster Joe Rogan.
He remarked: “A good saying one of my close friends has is, ‘you’re building a mountain by painting it with layers of paint’.
"One stroke at a time. You’re slowly building that mountain, that’s all we're doing.
"That was another layer of paint on what we do every day for the last number of years.
"It's evidence-based confidence to show that we can do this because we have done that.
"It's undeniable successes, that’s what confidence is, stacked up on top of each other.”
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