It's not easy being a young backrower in Leinster. Indeed, it's probably as tough a nut to crack as any area of any provincial team in the country. Dan Leavy, their 22-year-old, former Ireland under-20 product of their academy, looks at the competition within and sees seven backrowers, all of them capped.
You certainly cannot afford to have a limp, as Leavy did last season in an injury affected campaign, or anything less than a very big game when opportunity knocks, as he’s been doing this season and did so here again.
Entire tally
Involved in every game so far this season, Leavy has started five games and been on the bench for four others – already within one more start of equally his entire tally last season.
“It’s definitely coming together a bit more for me this year compared to last year. I just thought last year I was sitting on the bench a lot and not really getting genuine opportunities for me to shine. It was extremely frustrating but that is the nature of the game, especially within the backrow at Leinster.
“There are eight quality backrowers here, all [of the others] Irish capped. It’s hard to get into the team and then when you get into the team, you have to stay in the team for as long as you can and make sure the jersey is yours for as long as it can be.
“So I’m happy, I’ve been involved in every game so far this season. I’m not in the Irish camp, I’m always trying to push on that’s what I’m trying to say. Things went well for me tonight, it’s my job to make sure they go equally well next week against Zebre and keep pushing on.”
Leavy knows he has to make every appearance count, as Josh van der Flier did last season, that it’s not good merely performing to par. “It’s about taking my opportunities. I started a game and maybe didn’t play as well as I could have. Josh got in, got man of the match and I was on the bench for the rest of the season.
“Credit to Josh, he has done brilliantly. It’s every day a fight to get in the backrow at Leinster but that’s what pushes the standards and that’s why the Leinster backrow is always up there with the best clubs in the world for that position. You have to take your chance every week, and all the backrows have to do that. Because if you aren’t performing, it doesn’t matter who you are, you are not going to get the jersey the week after.”
He has not changed his game technically in any way. “No, I haven’t really changed anything. I’m always knocking on Leo’s office. ‘What am I doing wrong? Blah, blah, blah.’ He’s sick of me at this stage. But I just try and stay in the game as much as I can, keep my discipline.”
The return to fitness and form of Seán O’Brien has only added to the intense competition within this backrow club but, like everyone, Leavy knows what an asset a fully fit and healthy O’Brien can bring to Leinster.
“He was good,” said Leavy of his fellow flanker’s near hour on the pitch. “He is such a threat on the ball. He is such an extremely powerful carrier. He is getting back, he’s back the way he was, the old Seán O’Brien. It’s great to see.”
Everyone in blue maintained a strong defensive line, with Leavy having an immense game, and he hailed the influence of Stuart Lancaster, newly co-opted onto the coaching ticket as their defence coach.
“Yeah, he’s been brilliant. There’s a really good dynamic in the coaches at the moment. Stuart has changed up the ‘D’ a little bit for us, and everyone has bought into the system and it’s working brilliantly for us, and added a few little things with Leo and Girv to attack. So it’s coming together really well. Everyone has full faith in the coaches. Buy into the systems and you’ll get returns, and that’s what we’ve been doing.”
Bonus point
That Leavy took so much pleasure from “strangling” Connacht and denying them even a losing bonus point is, along with the capacity crowd, testimony to the new-found level of respect last season’s champions have engendered.
“Traditionally maybe it was the Leinster-Munster game which was the big one, but now we have six huge games, home and away with Ulster, Munster and Connacht. It’s great for the competition and great for the fans, and it’s great for the players. We love playing these games.”
