LEINSTER HEAD COACH Matt O’Connor believes Leinster have put their patchy early-season form behind them as they look to make it four wins on the bounce when they welcome Edinburgh to the RDS this evening.
Away victories on the continent over Zebre and then Castres in the European Champions Cup book-ended a hard-fought win over Wasps a fortnight ago and O’Connor is adamant the group have got their attitude right ahead of their return to Pro12 action.
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“Three wins back-to-back. Two very tough wins in Europe and a hardy away win in Zebre is worth taking a lot of confidence out of. From that end we’ve been happy with out form,” O’Connor said shortly after naming his side to face Edinburgh.
Kevin McLaughlin returns from injury to captain the side in one of eight changes from the win in France last week and with a host of players away on international duty, O’Connor claims the group have benefited from change this week.
“It’s a bit of a new group we’ve got this week, so we, me, the leaders have spoken a lot about making sure we get the attitude right. We make sure that we are incredibly hard on ourselves to deliver a quality performance.”
“I think if we can do that then we’ll be okay.”
Edinburgh arrive in Dublin with as many as eighteen players unavailable through injury or international commitments. Despite the Scottish side coming into the game off the back of just two victories from their opening six games of the campaign, McLaughlin is not taking anything for granted.
“We’re expected to win it, we know that,” he said. “I was just looking at their team and although they’ve a few injuries, they’ve got a lot of dangerous players. Tim Visser, Tom Heathcote and a lot of experience in the back line with Dave Denton because he’s dangerous.”
“We know they play a physical game but we only beat them by three points here last year and they beat us away. So we’re not going to take the challenge lightly. We’re going to make sure we’re switched on.”
Edinburgh play a very physical game. We only beat them by three points at home last year and they beat us away. So we’re not going to take the challenge lightly, we’re going to make sure we’re switched on. But obviously we’re going to look to win, we always look to win at home.
Leinster have turned a corner after three successive victories, insists O'Connor
Updated at 9.01
LEINSTER HEAD COACH Matt O’Connor believes Leinster have put their patchy early-season form behind them as they look to make it four wins on the bounce when they welcome Edinburgh to the RDS this evening.
Away victories on the continent over Zebre and then Castres in the European Champions Cup book-ended a hard-fought win over Wasps a fortnight ago and O’Connor is adamant the group have got their attitude right ahead of their return to Pro12 action.
“Three wins back-to-back. Two very tough wins in Europe and a hardy away win in Zebre is worth taking a lot of confidence out of. From that end we’ve been happy with out form,” O’Connor said shortly after naming his side to face Edinburgh.
Kevin McLaughlin returns from injury to captain the side in one of eight changes from the win in France last week and with a host of players away on international duty, O’Connor claims the group have benefited from change this week.
“It’s a bit of a new group we’ve got this week, so we, me, the leaders have spoken a lot about making sure we get the attitude right. We make sure that we are incredibly hard on ourselves to deliver a quality performance.”
“I think if we can do that then we’ll be okay.”
Edinburgh arrive in Dublin with as many as eighteen players unavailable through injury or international commitments. Despite the Scottish side coming into the game off the back of just two victories from their opening six games of the campaign, McLaughlin is not taking anything for granted.
“We’re expected to win it, we know that,” he said. “I was just looking at their team and although they’ve a few injuries, they’ve got a lot of dangerous players. Tim Visser, Tom Heathcote and a lot of experience in the back line with Dave Denton because he’s dangerous.”
“We know they play a physical game but we only beat them by three points here last year and they beat us away. So we’re not going to take the challenge lightly. We’re going to make sure we’re switched on.”
Edinburgh play a very physical game. We only beat them by three points at home last year and they beat us away. So we’re not going to take the challenge lightly, we’re going to make sure we’re switched on. But obviously we’re going to look to win, we always look to win at home.
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