Leinster benefits from closer alignment with Ireland

Of course there are subtle adjustments and different calling systems, but the manner in which Leinster seamlessly switched back into gear and tore Munster apart at Thomond Park last weekend was ruthless.

Leo Cullen has always done well to get his frontliners back in the side and that he could afford to leave Johnny Sexton at home and keep his starting front five on hold spoke volumes for the head coach’s confidence in his style, Things to do.

Because the ridiculously high level of skill displayed by Leinster’s scintillating set pieces was such that one might think this was a team that had played in blue together for the past few months.

As we enter the business end of the season, that bodes well for Leinster and with Connacht lying in wait on the sports ground in the first leg of the round of 16 on Friday night it will take something special to stop this juggernaut.

“It’s always been, I wouldn’t say, easy, but it’s always been somewhat seamless,” Leinster senior coach Lancaster said of getting his stars back on track.

“Andy Farrell, Mike Catt and I we’ve worked together for four years so there’s a common understanding of how we coach and that definitely helps with re-engagement because we generally speak the same language. We’re probably singing from the same hymn sheet.

“It’s hard for the players because it’s a different language, it’s a different calling system, so they have to learn that, and while they’ve been away obviously we’ve been developing our game and learning some things, we’ve won games, we lost games.

“So it’s more of a process where I fill their heads about what we’ve been doing in their absence, I take away from them the lessons they learned that they thought they could return to Leinster and then, to be honest, the most important thing is to get them on the training field because that’s when muscle memory kicks in again.

“And we had a lucky fixture list where we had a Saturday game so train Monday Tuesday Thursday travel Friday play Munster Saturday that got us going but this week Monday Tuesday Wednesday free, captain’s run Thursday and travel, play on Friday. Next week is a Friday game so for me it has a lot to do with how often I can get them on the training ground and that definitely helps with reintegration more than any other meeting.”

Although Munster could be taken down with relative ease, Lancaster hesitated when told that such a perfectionist must have been extremely pleased with his side’s performance in Limerick, especially once they resume their European attack.

“You hope for a good performance and you hope for cohesion and accuracy and we’ve largely achieved that, but there were also many examples I was able to show this morning where we’ve been … there’s another level that can go” said Lancaster.

“And I think it’s good news for the group of players in the first leg to Europe that we need to get to this point because it’s knockout rugby now, even if that’s a two-legged affair. Pleased with the bonus point gain down there but there is work to be done.”

That sounds ominous from a Connacht point of view, but Lancaster warned not to interpret too much of most of the game into their recent win in Galway against 14 men.

“It’s the first time that Connacht is in this part of the knockout stages in Europe, so it’s a big event for the club and for the people,” he added.

“I know we beat them at the RDS but I don’t think anyone who was there thought it was an easy game at all. You can multiply that by 10 in a Champions Cup play-off in Galway.”