WELCOMING 17 IRELAND internationals and an All Blacks star back into the mix is a nice thing to be able to do in the week the Champions Cup kicks off.
It brings challenges for Leo Cullen’s Leinster, of course, but they’re well used to reintegrating a big group of players from Ireland camp at this stage.
There’s extra excitement with Jordie Barrett now properly up and running as a Leinster player having trained with his new team-mates on the pitch for the first time yesterday.
He has recovered from the knee injury that meant he missed the last game of New Zealand’s autumn campaign against Italy but it remains unclear whether Leinster will unleash Barrett for his debut away to Bristol on Sunday.
“Well, he’s being monitored with regards to how he’s got to get through the week but he took part in training today,” said Leinster assistant coach Robin McBryde yesterday.
“It was a light day today so it’s a case of seeing how he reacts and taking it step by step.”
The 27-year-old has already made an impression and appears to be feeling at home pretty quickly.
“He’s big, he should be playing second row,” said McBryde of 6ft 5ins Barrett, who has played most of his rugby at inside centre and fullback.
“He is more than comfortable with the players. They would have played against him many times. He’s got good connections with fellow Kiwis here, with Brian Colclough the analyst, they both went to the Irish game on the weekend.
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“I think he has settled in really well so far.”
Leinster captain Caelan Doris is back from Ireland camp. James Crombie / INPHO
James Crombie / INPHO / INPHO
With the Ireland contingent back this week, the selection meeting for Bristol was as tough as ever.
Many of them had heavy workloads over the past month. Leinster and Ireland captain Caelan Doris played all 320 minutes for Andy Farrell’s side, while Josh van der Flier also started the four November Tests.
Joe McCarthy, Andrew Porter, Hugo Keenan, and James Lowe were busy too, as youngsters Sam Prendergast and Gus McCarthy got their first taste of international rugby.
As ever, Leinster have to manage the minutes of Ireland’s big players over the coming weeks. The Six Nations is only two months away so Leinster must pick and choose where they use their top players across the busy festive period.
And with Leinster having enjoyed a good win away to Ulster in the URC last weekend, with several non-current internationals, many others have put their hands up for Champions Cup selection.
Also to be factored in is the six-day turnaround from the Bristol game to the home tie against Clermont at the Aviva Stadium.
“There is a discussion amongst us as coaches,” said McBryde of the selection process, which extends well beyond just the next game. Leinster plan far in advance.
“We may go six [opposition] teams deep, we look at the fixture list.
“You see who needs… the international players coming back, their workload over the previous month has been massive. When you look at each player individually, some of them would have played all the minutes.
Springboks lock RG Snyman. James Crombie / INPHO
James Crombie / INPHO / INPHO
“You have to take that into consideration – ‘These are the games coming up, I think he is due a break here and a break there.’
“I think it’s important that the player knows that as well so he can organise his recovery and life around it as well. Getting that balance is important, it is key really.
“We discuss, sitting down, looking at the teams, it could be five or six weeks ahead. You look at the training teams, you look at the teams coming up from the academy, who is going to be doing what as regards the [Ireland] U20s, etc.
“It is a weekly meeting and it needs to be because you can’t allow any player not to be on top of his game. You can’t set them up to fail, you’ve got to give them the backing they deserve.”
So it could be that Leinster don’t bring every single one of their top internationals back against Bristol, possibly holding some back for the Clermont game.
“Exactly, that’s the discussion,” said McBryde.
“The one thing I will say is that it’s a Champions Cup game and that’s a big motivator, a big carrot because of what’s gone on. It’s not just a URC game, not being disrespectful to those fixtures, but it’s Champions Cup and we’re going over to play a team who are flying high in the Premiership, scoring tries for fun.
“As a player you want to be involved in those games, it’s a motivating factor. It’s not a case of going away to play so-and-so, it’s a big opening game of the Champions Cup.”
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Barrett settling in as Leinster welcome back Ireland internationals
WELCOMING 17 IRELAND internationals and an All Blacks star back into the mix is a nice thing to be able to do in the week the Champions Cup kicks off.
It brings challenges for Leo Cullen’s Leinster, of course, but they’re well used to reintegrating a big group of players from Ireland camp at this stage.
There’s extra excitement with Jordie Barrett now properly up and running as a Leinster player having trained with his new team-mates on the pitch for the first time yesterday.
He has recovered from the knee injury that meant he missed the last game of New Zealand’s autumn campaign against Italy but it remains unclear whether Leinster will unleash Barrett for his debut away to Bristol on Sunday.
“Well, he’s being monitored with regards to how he’s got to get through the week but he took part in training today,” said Leinster assistant coach Robin McBryde yesterday.
“It was a light day today so it’s a case of seeing how he reacts and taking it step by step.”
The 27-year-old has already made an impression and appears to be feeling at home pretty quickly.
“He’s big, he should be playing second row,” said McBryde of 6ft 5ins Barrett, who has played most of his rugby at inside centre and fullback.
“He is more than comfortable with the players. They would have played against him many times. He’s got good connections with fellow Kiwis here, with Brian Colclough the analyst, they both went to the Irish game on the weekend.
“I think he has settled in really well so far.”
With the Ireland contingent back this week, the selection meeting for Bristol was as tough as ever.
Many of them had heavy workloads over the past month. Leinster and Ireland captain Caelan Doris played all 320 minutes for Andy Farrell’s side, while Josh van der Flier also started the four November Tests.
Joe McCarthy, Andrew Porter, Hugo Keenan, and James Lowe were busy too, as youngsters Sam Prendergast and Gus McCarthy got their first taste of international rugby.
As ever, Leinster have to manage the minutes of Ireland’s big players over the coming weeks. The Six Nations is only two months away so Leinster must pick and choose where they use their top players across the busy festive period.
And with Leinster having enjoyed a good win away to Ulster in the URC last weekend, with several non-current internationals, many others have put their hands up for Champions Cup selection.
Also to be factored in is the six-day turnaround from the Bristol game to the home tie against Clermont at the Aviva Stadium.
“There is a discussion amongst us as coaches,” said McBryde of the selection process, which extends well beyond just the next game. Leinster plan far in advance.
“We may go six [opposition] teams deep, we look at the fixture list.
“You see who needs… the international players coming back, their workload over the previous month has been massive. When you look at each player individually, some of them would have played all the minutes.
“You have to take that into consideration – ‘These are the games coming up, I think he is due a break here and a break there.’
“I think it’s important that the player knows that as well so he can organise his recovery and life around it as well. Getting that balance is important, it is key really.
“We discuss, sitting down, looking at the teams, it could be five or six weeks ahead. You look at the training teams, you look at the teams coming up from the academy, who is going to be doing what as regards the [Ireland] U20s, etc.
“It is a weekly meeting and it needs to be because you can’t allow any player not to be on top of his game. You can’t set them up to fail, you’ve got to give them the backing they deserve.”
So it could be that Leinster don’t bring every single one of their top internationals back against Bristol, possibly holding some back for the Clermont game.
“Exactly, that’s the discussion,” said McBryde.
“The one thing I will say is that it’s a Champions Cup game and that’s a big motivator, a big carrot because of what’s gone on. It’s not just a URC game, not being disrespectful to those fixtures, but it’s Champions Cup and we’re going over to play a team who are flying high in the Premiership, scoring tries for fun.
“As a player you want to be involved in those games, it’s a motivating factor. It’s not a case of going away to play so-and-so, it’s a big opening game of the Champions Cup.”
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Jordie Barrett Leinster Robin McBryde Selection squad management