ON A BITTERLY cold and frosty Monday afternoon in UCD, the mood is understandably upbeat around Leinster’s training base. 

The Christmas decorations are up and the squad have every right to be feeling good about themselves. The province have spent the morning dissecting Saturday’s hugely impressive 42-10 win over Racing in France, as attention turns to Friday’s round two Champions Cup home date with Gloucester. 

Yet while those outside the camp purr over Leinster’s latest big European win, as usual, the staff inside the building have been stressing the areas for improvement. 

Robin McBryde takes a seat in a downstairs meeting room, and is asked to offer his opinion on how Leinster’s scrum went at the weekend.

“We were alright,” he replies.

“Trevor Nyakane, when he came on he caused us a bit of difficulty. We gave a penalty away, but he’s a big man. He scrummages in a certain way as well. We need to be able to deal with that a bit better. Problem solve a little bit on the field as it were.”

It was a typical McBryde answer, always looking to where the team can get better. He continued to pinpoint other areas of the performance where the province can look to improve this weekend, but there were some kind words too.

McBryde has been impressed with Ryan Baird over the last two weekends following his energetic displays in the back row against Ulster and Racing.

He is a superb athlete, first and foremost. Some of the things he does, you just say wow! His natural ability… He is fit as a fiddle and has great skills. Good collision dominance both sides of the ball. His aerial ability in the lineout.

“So it is just harnessing that and giving him a bit more direction really. A bit more clarity around his role. The last couple of games he has been outstanding and his own mind is clear as to what he is focusing in on. (It’s) Very competitive in the back row and after the last couple of weeks he has definitely put his hand up.”

There was much excitement about Baird’s potential when he first broke through back in the 2019/20 campaign, but the next step hasn’t happened quite as quickly as he would have hoped.

Baird has started Leinster's last two games in the back row. Billy Stickland / INPHO Billy Stickland / INPHO / INPHO

That may be about to change. Able to play in the second row or the back row, it has been interesting to see all five of his starts this season – a nasty head injury in early October halted his progress – come with the number six on his back, suggesting Leinster now primarily see the 23-year-old as a six who can cover lock.

“Personally, that’s the way that I see him,” McBryde says.

“He is still young, he is still finding his way. Because of the nature of the competition here in Leinster, in the back row and with the locks as well, there is going to be quite a bit of turnaround in those positions.

You ask a player, ‘what is your point of difference? What are you going to bring and set you apart from everyone else looking to play in the same position?’ Fortunately or unfortunately for Ryan he can play lock and he can play six. Sometimes that can work against you or work for you.

“As a six in the last couple of games he has been great. His aerial ability, a jumping back rower, he is very quick into the air and great skills.

“We will work on him having the ability to call lineouts as well. Maybe we will have two big second rows who don’t call lineouts and marry them up with a six who can, similar to what [Peter] O’Mahony does down in Munster.”

It will be interesting how Baird progresses over the rest of the season, with Gloucester the next challenge in Leinster’s diary. The Premiership side also made a winning start to their European season over the weekend, overturning a 17-5 deficit to beat Bordeaux 22-17 at Kingsholm.

“Knowing Gloucester, they’ve got a very good defensive lineout and a mauling team again so our maul defence has got to be on the money,” McBryde continues.

“So it’s just different threats, different mindset, a different approach to the game. So we have got to be at our best. Our plan has got to change. 

“This week is about tipping a bit of the water out of that full cup and refilling it with what we need this week. It’s a short week for both teams so a lot of it is about what we can get in in that time. The nature of the week helps you prioritise. 

“You can’t introduce too many things or you’ll lose that cohesion. You have to introduce some new things because the nature of the opposition changes but you have to get that balance right.”

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