Sport, as well as politics, is sprinkled with examples of the head coach or manager’s authority being undermined by their impending departure in an anticlimactic final campaign. Leo Cullen has no intention of this happening to Leinster under his watch, however.
Cullen made it clear that his enthusiasm ahead of a 12th season as Leinster head coach has, if anything, been heightened by the decision to also make this his last at the helm of his native province, which he has served for all but two years of his adult life.
“I won’t have it, honest to God. I hate that expression ‘lame duck’ and I have no intention of being one. It will be very clear. There’s no point in elaborating the message. We won’t be taking bullshit off anybody this year. Nobody. None of our players, nobody.”
Leinster's RDS bump and Munster's outhalf crisis
Nor, one senses, was he entirely joking when he added: “The shackles are well and truly off. Leo is not worried about consequences any more.”
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His mood was in keeping with Leinster’s 56-12 win over Zebre in their final preseason friendly on Saturday, which marked their return to the newly named Laya Arena.
There will be an altogether grander RDS reopening for the URC visit of Cardiff on October 10th in front of a 20,500 capacity. Still, this trial run in front of a crowd of almost 7,000 simply had a more homely feel.
In temperatures of 20-plus degrees, the longest prematch queue was for an opportunity to have a photograph taken with Andrew Porter, Josh van der Flier and Joe McCarthy.
“You want a proper club ground, is the big thing,” said Cullen. “When you go to an international stadium, it’s very hard to generate a club feel because you’re in the bus, you’re under the tunnel, it’s an international ground. With a club feel for the fans, they get proper engagement. You see how everyone is on top of each other. That’s what club rugby should be like.
“For kids that come into the ground, they can actually see their heroes. Whereas it’s always a bit more distant in the bigger stadiums, isn’t it, as in the Aviva? We’re very lucky to play there, don’t get me wrong, but it’s not a club ground.”
Cullen used 29 players, including 14 from the academy, for this enjoyable eight-tries-to-two romp in front of the gleaming new Anglesea Stand.
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A 40-minute run-out for Ryan Baird after an injury-afflicted season was particularly welcome. Alas, Caelan Doris’s recuperation from foot and knee operations has been “slow”, and Cullen did not anticipate his captain being back before November. Nor was he overly optimistic about Doris being fit for the Nations Championship.
“I don’t know at this point, is the honest answer. If you’d asked me two weeks ago, I would have said yes. But now it would be uncertain.”
However, Andrew Porter is back training fully, as are Tommy O’Brien and the prodigal Joey Carbery, after his ACL injury with Bordeaux-Bègles.
“I think most people know my feelings of that,” said Cullen of Carbery joining Munster from Leinster eight years ago. “He should never have gone in the first place, but that’s what happens when you get strong armed by somebody else at the top.”
Paddy McCarthy will “probably be a little bit longer than we originally thought”, while Jack Boyle and RG Snyman will “be a little bit later on” following their Achilles injuries.
At least the conveyor belt is still chugging. The all-action performance of Josh Ericson further vindicated Simon Broughton’s decision to recruit the Skerries backrower into the academy on the back of his AIL form with Old Belvedere.
“There’s still gems out there,” said Cullen. “He’s very diligent in how he goes about all aspects of his game. A very impressive young man. I really like his attitude to training and how he’s looking to improve constantly – all aspects of his game. I’m very, very pleased with how he’s progressing.”
Fintan Gunne scored a brace of tries to kick start what could be a big season for the scrumhalf, and alongside him the gifted Caspar Gabriel was controlled, accurate and efficient.
“He’s a very tough kid, he’s a very skilful kid. That’s a very good start,” said Cullen. “If you’re tough and skilful, it makes up for lots of other things that you might not be able to do. He’s progressing well. Learning all the time.”
The “only downside” to this friendly was the knee injury suffered by South African-born backrower Josh Neill.
Mindful of last season’s initial return of one point from 35-0 and 39-31 losses to the Stormers and Bulls, Leinster look better primed for their upcoming games against the Lions and Sharks. Several frontline internationals will be available for the latter, and Leinster will thus bring “as many as we can, even if they won’t play” to South Africa. “North of 40 anyway. So, there will be logistical challenges.”
