The collective frustration continues. A win against Harlequins has maintained festive spirit but long faces around the training pitches in UCD tell a story of grievances of a sort and it's nothing to do with Rhys Ruddock's broken arm which means the flanker will be out for the next for to six weeks. A suggestion aired was that perhaps the Leinster quality of play isn't living up to the Leinster brand. Ouch.
Devin Toner understands this may be a luxury worry after coming away from the Aviva with a win against the Premiership side. But Toner like the rest of the panel always seeks betterment.
To improve the performance for this week’s game against Connacht is not seen as an insurmountable problem after the lineout and scrum troubles of Saturday evening.
On those issues, there’s no real delicate way of phrasing the question. Without a functioning set piece the team goes nowhere Devin?
“One hundred per cent you are right,” says the Ireland lock. “We had a forwards meeting this morning. Even though we did win, lads felt down after it because we didn’t show our ability. Set-piece is a huge part of that.
“If you look at the lineout, we won 11 out of fourteen. But, it’s how we play off it. Our scrum, we weren’t getting what we wanted. We weren’t able to play off it. Our percentages were way down there. It is something we need to look at, we need to rectify quickly.”
Both ways
Leinster manager
Guy Easterby
spoke of player frustration. But he also echoed what a tetchy Matt O’Connor said a couple of weeks ago about some people wanting it both ways.
If you want 'Lady Boys, ' Leinster can play fancy and lose like pageant queens, or they can play hard and win tough.
But even Toner acknowledges that there is some patching up to do before a rampant Connacht hit them with their confidence and upward swing in the RDS this week.
"The intensity of the games is going to be massive," says Toner. "This next block, including these last two games, are so important to our season. It's kind of make or break. If we beat Connacht we're in the top four which is where we want to be. Connacht are just one point behind us . . . Munster and Ulster a way ahead of us. Everyone is going to be taking points off each other. It's massively important and as I say it's kind of make or break for our season."
Tweaking
There is also an opposing parallel belief to those of the doubters, which is that the team is close to straightening out some wrinkles that have besieged the mood. Although all of the things that are not working seem wildly magnified in the heat of a European Cup match, they are in fact tweaking arrangements. It’s just that there are several areas that need tweaking.
Frustrated they may be but the players are holding out and maybe hoping for patience. It’s not all weights and training ground moves that bring improvement. Belief is part of it.
“The mood is good,” says Toner flatly. “We’re obviously delighted that we won. It’s the frustration of that we know that we could have played better and we didn’t, that we know we have the performance in us but that it didn’t come out.”
Aside from the stricken Ruddock , Guy Easterby admitted frustration with the side’s injury list. He pointed to Dave Kearney, who injured himself on the way back from injury. Leinster are otherwise operating a wait and see policy with players such as Richardt Strauss, Shane Jennings and Gordon D’Arcy.
“Hopefully a few of those will be able to come back into the mix,” added Easterby. “And make it a more even selection across the board.”
Seán O’Brien, however, is not an imminent returnee. The Ireland and Leinster flanker’s recovery from a shoulder injury will not be hurried.
No recruitment drive
Despite the problems Easterby says that Leinster will not be going on a recruitment drive for big name players next season. While
Johnny Sexton
will return from Paris (what weighty expectations will he carry), the emphasis in the province is on holding on to what they have.
That includes Zane Kirchner, who may not be getting the sort of game time an experienced Springbok might have thought before he arrived.
“Certainly we would like Zane to stay around next year,” says Easterby. So no big recruitment drive?
“Not really, I guess, we’re only allowed to have a certain amount of non-Irish eligible players. It’s four next year and we already know three in terms of players we have here.
“What we’re working hard on is retention, because we have a strong squad here and we want to keep that together. Any players that we can’t retain, then that will give us a better idea of whether we need to recruit a fourth overseas, non-Irish eligible player and where we might go.
“Certainly, our major focus is on retaining the players we want to retain who are Irish-qualified, Leinster players.”
Fifth in the Pro12 table, still in the qualification race for Europe and Christmas around the corner. Really, what could be bugging Leinster?
