LEINSTER FANS WILL QUICKLY FORGET ABOUT RIEKO IOANE’S SPAT WITH JOHNNY SEXTON IF ALL BLACKS STAR DELIVERS SOME CUTTING EDGE
Disruption has defined Leinster’s season thus far.
The province had a messy start to this campaign as head coach Leo Cullen tried to integrate his sizeable stable of Lions tourists back into first-team action in the latter rounds of the URC.
Did all that chopping, changing and rearranging play a role in that middling first block of league games? Leinster were successful in just two of their opening five URC outings.
The last time all the frontliners were on duty, they suffered a galling 31-14 hammering at the hands of a resurgent Munster at Croke Park on October 20. The best part of 20 players, who departed for Ireland camp, weren’t even in the building the following Monday for what would have been an uncomfortable video review session.
That result at GAA headquarters threw up some alarming red flags about this squad.
Cullen and his coaching team could perhaps console themselves with the notion that the Test stars were still rusty and getting up to speed in the wake of their exploits for the Lions in Australia.
As the URC went on hiatus during the November international window, Cullen and Co watched on as an Ireland team – with Leinster as bulk suppliers – stuttered through the autumn. A worrying campaign bookended by poor displays against New Zealand and South Africa.
It’s not like the second stringers have been tearing up trees either. Friday’s 24-10 win against the Dragons at Rodney Parade was another ragged performance.
The visitors had three players sent to the sin-bin and Cullen’s troops conceded a whopping 17 penalties across an error-strewn evening. RG Snyman arrived from the bench and made a massive difference, the towering Springbok setting up one try and scoring another as Leinster finished with a flourish.
Cullen won’t be fretting too much. For Leinster, it’s all about peaking at the business end of the season.
Another URC title would be welcome, but the province got that monkey off their backs last season. Europe remains the most prized asset. The quest for a first title since 2018 goes on. Fittingly, the Champions Cup final takes place in Bilbao, the place where Leinster last landed the title seven years ago.
Once again, they will look to scale this mountain in the coming months, beginning with Harlequins at Aviva Stadium on Saturday. The Londoners have some real quality in their ranks, namely England out-half Marcus Smith, prop Fin Baxter, backrower Chandler Cunningham-South as well as flying Argentina wing Rodrigo Isgro.
But Leinster, for all their recent troubles, should have too much for the visitors, who are currently eighth in the English Premiership. The real test will be at Welford Road the following Friday night with a hardy Leicester Tigers outfit waiting for them.
Leinster are straight into the festive interpro stuff after that. Ulster, who look to be turning a corner on Richie Murphy’s watch, are paying a visit to the Aviva. There’s the small matter of a rematch with Munster at Thomond Park on December 27.
Connacht will be in the capital the following Saturday and then it’s back to Champions Cup mode. Ronan O’Gara’s La Rochelle are back in Dublin before Leinster travel to Bayonne, a place which has never been kind to Irish teams in the past, for a final pool game.
Finally, Leinster will head to Galway for another derby before the Six Nations break. And breathe.
When Cullen gets his players back after the 2026 championship, his squad will be straight into knock-out rugby.
So, to describe this middle third of the season as pivotal would not be understatement. Leinster need to start finding a bit of form. And a bit of stability.
The squad got a triple boost ahead of their first training session of the week in UCD yesterday. Joe McCarthy, who has been sidelined with a troublesome foot injury since the Lions tour, is back on duty.
The powerful Leinster lock was sorely missed by Ireland last month. McCarthy can bring some much-needed ballast back to this Leinster side. Tommy O’Brien has also been declared fit after he suffered a nasty blow to the head in the sobering loss to the Springboks a fortnight ago.
Rieko Ioane, meanwhile, is officially on the ground at Leinster. The All Black, who is on a ‘sabbatical’ with the province for six months arrives in these parts with a point to prove.
The 28-year-old fell out of favour with the New Zealand selectors and he was scarcely seen in the black jersey last month. A mainstay for the All Blacks since he burst onto the scene in 2017, Ioane 38 tries in 88 international appearances, but his Test career has stalled of late.
He will be hoping that the change of scenery with Leinster can ignite a spark again.
Ioane also has as bit of PR work to do. He will face the media soon and no surprises what will be top of the agenda. He knows that a grilling about Sexton-gate at the last World Cup is coming. No doubt, he’ll say the right things. If Ioane starts carving it up in the blue jersey, the fanbase will quickly forget about his spat with Sexton.
He has big shoes to fill. Jordie Barrett had a huge impact during his short say in Dublin last season. Ditto Brad Thorn. Isa Nacewa, another versatile back who was lured from Auckland, is a Leinster icon. No pressure, Rieko.
Otherwise, Cullen is missing some big names. Hugo Keenan, Jamie Osborne and Ryan Baird are all on the long-term injured list at present while Andrew Porter, James Lowe and Robbie Henshaw are doubts this week.
For Cullen, there is some extensive emotional damage, too. How much did that trouncing from South Africa affect his players?
And how much turbulence did Jacques Nienaber’s rather pointed comments, in an interview with a South African sports broadcaster, in which he opened the door to rejoin Rassie Erasmus’ coaching team ahead of the 2027 World Cup, generate in the Leinster camp as well?
There’s plenty of issues, on and off the field, in this setup at the moment. Disruption, indeed. Cullen has a big repair job on his hands by the looks of it.
2025-07-03T06:50:49Z