YESTERDAY’S OBLIGATIONS AT the launch of the ‘I Can’t Believe It’s Not The Heineken Cup’ (or ERCC if you prefer) made for a minor disruption to the plans that surround the Leinster squad this week.
Where normally players face the mics and cameras indoors on a Monday, today was the day the gates of their UCD training ground were opened to the press again.
They were out a little early too. No use in dwelling any longer than necessary on Saturday’s home defeat to Munster (that’s a Monday job). By the time TheScore.ie arrived the warm-ups were long over and the pitch was humming with organising shouts from a squad with too many injuries to quite make a 15 v 15 training session.
Matt O’Conner had his squad laid out as he wants them this weekend, the Australian coach standing in the thick of the action booming out instructions, technical reminders and “The most important play is the next play” in between long blasts of his whistle to call a stoppage.
It’s nothing earth-shattering, but it’s a part of Leinster training we’re not usually privy to – since Joe Schmidt moved their primary base from the exposed-to-all pitch in the heart of UCD – and it gave the impression of a side that are just a little more angry, a little more intense than this time last week. With every fit player and coach needed in training, it was left to team manager Guy Easterby to set the record straight:
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“Ah they’re always pretty vigorous; it helps when the sun’s shining I guess,” he said.
“We’ve got a big game at the weekend over in Zebre and the enthusiasm levels have to be right up there for us to go over there and get a result.”
Obviously, no professional worth their salt would admit it, but that fixture is perfect opportunity to bounce back to winning ways. Granted, we can all rock back on the ‘ever-improving’ line and the recent scorelines against Ulster (albeit against 14 men) and Ospreys, but realistically the game will just be a question of how Leinster perform and they will only be forced to worry about a result if that does not happen.
“We’re looking for a bit more consistency in our performance,” admits Easterby.
“If we can go and perform somewhere within the best of our ability then we’re going to be in with a chance of winning the game. That’s what we can do, we can only control the controllable – going over there and making sure we deliver on the gameplan that the coaches have put in front of us we’re capable of getting a result.”
Injury list
With Fergus McFadden added to the growing list of injured Leinster can at least count on rugby league convert Ben Te’o bolstering the number of fit players, though Zebre will surely come too early for the NRL Champion.
Easterby insists that Rob Kearney, Mike Ross and Jack McGrath will also be cleared for take-off to Italy, the latter not risked against Munster due to cautious management of the prop’s calf injury – presumably with the November internationals as well as Wasps in mind.
The best way to prepare for their inaugural European Rugby Champions Cup adventure though, is to travel to Zebre and issue a reminder, to fans and upcoming opponents alike, of what Leinster are capable of.
“The guys are hurting. You can’t escape that feeling,” says Easterby, “because in professional sport that’s what you have to go through. “Hopefully we’re going to see the right reaction this weekend ahead of a tough trip away in Zebre.”
That would go some way to putting the province back on schedule.
O'Connor in the thick of it as Leinster aim to get back on track
YESTERDAY’S OBLIGATIONS AT the launch of the ‘I Can’t Believe It’s Not The Heineken Cup’ (or ERCC if you prefer) made for a minor disruption to the plans that surround the Leinster squad this week.
Where normally players face the mics and cameras indoors on a Monday, today was the day the gates of their UCD training ground were opened to the press again.
They were out a little early too. No use in dwelling any longer than necessary on Saturday’s home defeat to Munster (that’s a Monday job). By the time TheScore.ie arrived the warm-ups were long over and the pitch was humming with organising shouts from a squad with too many injuries to quite make a 15 v 15 training session.
Matt O’Conner had his squad laid out as he wants them this weekend, the Australian coach standing in the thick of the action booming out instructions, technical reminders and “The most important play is the next play” in between long blasts of his whistle to call a stoppage.
It’s nothing earth-shattering, but it’s a part of Leinster training we’re not usually privy to – since Joe Schmidt moved their primary base from the exposed-to-all pitch in the heart of UCD – and it gave the impression of a side that are just a little more angry, a little more intense than this time last week. With every fit player and coach needed in training, it was left to team manager Guy Easterby to set the record straight:
“Ah they’re always pretty vigorous; it helps when the sun’s shining I guess,” he said.
“We’ve got a big game at the weekend over in Zebre and the enthusiasm levels have to be right up there for us to go over there and get a result.”
Obviously, no professional worth their salt would admit it, but that fixture is perfect opportunity to bounce back to winning ways. Granted, we can all rock back on the ‘ever-improving’ line and the recent scorelines against Ulster (albeit against 14 men) and Ospreys, but realistically the game will just be a question of how Leinster perform and they will only be forced to worry about a result if that does not happen.
“We’re looking for a bit more consistency in our performance,” admits Easterby.
“If we can go and perform somewhere within the best of our ability then we’re going to be in with a chance of winning the game. That’s what we can do, we can only control the controllable – going over there and making sure we deliver on the gameplan that the coaches have put in front of us we’re capable of getting a result.”
Injury list
With Fergus McFadden added to the growing list of injured Leinster can at least count on rugby league convert Ben Te’o bolstering the number of fit players, though Zebre will surely come too early for the NRL Champion.
Easterby insists that Rob Kearney, Mike Ross and Jack McGrath will also be cleared for take-off to Italy, the latter not risked against Munster due to cautious management of the prop’s calf injury – presumably with the November internationals as well as Wasps in mind.
The best way to prepare for their inaugural European Rugby Champions Cup adventure though, is to travel to Zebre and issue a reminder, to fans and upcoming opponents alike, of what Leinster are capable of.
That would go some way to putting the province back on schedule.
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