Dec 16,2024
Leinster boss Leo Cullen insists his coaching team won't escape scrutiny when questions about team performance are raised.
Despite a ninth straight win of the season against Clermont on Saturday, a star-studded line-up failed to fire on all cylinders, and wasted numerous chances to deliver a comfortable Pool 2 Champions Cup victory at Aviva Stadium.
In addition, the lineout malfunctioned badly, seven throws failing to find their target, while uncharacteristic handling errors littered the 15-7 win, secured by two first-half tries and a second-half penalty.
While Cullen and senior coach Jacques Nienaber have considerable resources at their disposal, that comes with the caveat of having to accommodate IRFU player-management stipulations, Emerging Ireland players, Hugo Keenan from Sevens duty, squad members returning from injury, and the development of academy prospects.
Cullen’s match-day panel for Clermont included 17 Ireland internationals, All Blacks star Jordie Barrett, double World Cup winner RG Snyman, and the experienced former French international Rabah Slimani.
After admitting to frustration in the dressing room, the head coach, whose side face Connacht in the URC on Saturday, added that the management team will look at how they can improve as well.
"Guys had an opportunity [on Saturday] and it was mixed," said the former Ireland lock.
"Listen, let's face it, some lads didn't go as well as we'd have hoped they'd go.
"Is that the way that we're preparing them? We need to look at ourselves as coaches and go away and be very self-reflecting in terms of messaging and all the rest.
"So, you can figure that out but, we've got through this week. We've got four points.
"It's wintertime conditions, playing against a very physical team who are used to dog fights. They're in a dog fight every week in the Top 14.
"They've a tonne of international experience, guys who are used to grinding it out in a physical league and you're seeing that with a lot of the French teams in this competition over the last couple of weeks.
"The two teams that we played against, Bristol and Clermont, they are not missing a huge amount of players really for November Tests so... we are coming up against very cohesive teams, whereas I feel that we are a long way off being a cohesive team.
"We chopped and changed 47 players in the first six rounds [of the URC], there is a little bit of needs-must there.
"The first couple of rounds we are not picking the guys who were in South Africa [for the Ireland tour]. There are a couple of guys who didn’t travel to South Africa or missed the tail end of last season for different reasons.
"We were able to muddle our way through but it did feel like we were muddling our way through.
"The reality is that we are not quite where we want to be.
"You have to get through to a position where we are playing the big games at the end of the season but we still have a good bit to go there."
Connacht recorded an impressive 31-18 win over Perpignan in the Challenge Cup yesterday, building on their round-one victory over Zebre.
Pete Wilkins’ side sit eight in the URC with three wins from seven games.
"If you look at Connacht, they have chopped and changed their team over the last couple of weeks," added Cullen.
"It looks like they are gearing up for a proper test against us next week.
"Yes, we will have to make some alterations to our team but that is just managing players. We have all been through it.
"You can argue the pros and cons. We want our best players playing in Ireland but on the flip side of that, it comes with some management.
"It was an ugly enough win [against Clermont] but we'll have to take it and move on the next challenge, which is Connacht here and we'd take an ugly win against them if we get it."
