Gerry Thornleytalks to Felipe Contepomi about his love for a club that is maturing nicely and has embraced him and his family

Talk of a post-World Cup hangover would be more appropriate in Felipe Contepomi's case. In contrast to all others returning to these shores from the Coupe du Monde, Contepomi had plenty to celebrate.

Playing wonderfully through a virus, and alongside his twin brother, Manuel, and fellow Puma, Contepomi had what he admits was the time of his rugby life in France.

"More than winning third place, it was being part of a squad that was so united, with everyone thinking the same way and in the same direction.

"Hopefully with the new players coming into the squad we can keep the same ethic. It will be hard, though, because it was quite unbelievable the way we got on with each other, it was more like a family."

Although he was therefore pitched straight into the Heineken European Cup opener at home to Leicester, the two-week break was probably no bad thing. He hit the ground running, orchestrating Leinster's 22-9 win, and in his fifth successive outing, helped himself to 17 points in the win over Edinburgh last Friday night.

It helped, too, that, after four years, Leinster have become like a family to him. "I think people here have been great to us, to me and my family, and the Leinster set-up is very good and very enjoyable.

"And with the players we have, you can't ask for more. It probably would have been much tougher to go to a new club or somewhere else who don't have the quality of the players we have here or the set-up we have here in terms of the coaches we have and how enjoyable it is to come in and train every day. That makes it easier."

As much as any of their so-called galacticos, Contepomi would seem to represent their free spirit; launching stunning tries from deep in those wins away to Bath and Toulouse two seasons ago. Surprisingly though, Contepomi is a fan of the remodelled, more pragmatic Leinster.

"At 10, as the playmaker, you play as good as the team plays, it's as simple as that. I think if there is good form with some players in Leinster at the moment it's simply because the forwards are doing a magnificent job and it makes things easier for the backs, and you can see that it's a team that's enjoying itself inside and outside the pitch.

"It's also learning to win games. It doesn't matter if it's pretty or ugly, but we are winning games and that's the most important thing."

Can this really be Felipe Contepomi talking? It sounds almost sacrilegious, as much to himself as to Leinster, although the way he tells it, it's not quite the sea change in personnel and mentaliy one might think it to be.

"Every year they says there's a big change. I think we are maturing, that's it. It takes time and now I think having the same coach for three years is paying off; people are starting to understand."

Of course, Contepomi had the misfortune to begin his time at Leinster in the unsteady, post-Matt Williams era. In his first year, under Gary Ella, he wasn't registered for the European Cup, and in the second under Declan Kidney he was largely on the periphery of the team.

"It's difficult to bring concepts from one year to another and when a new coach comes they bring new concepts. Now there's been a bit of consistency on and off the pitch, and I think we need to keep it. Players are becoming more confident and reliable, and I think the team is maturing."

The improved forward play and the increased winning ratio has come with a reduction in tries, though, Leinster scoring 21 in 11 games this season and registering only one try-scoring bonus point, in game two away to Cardiff.

"I haven't seen many bonus points throughout Europe at all," he counters validly. "The conditions haven't been great in the last few weeks. If you don't score many tries, you've got to win ugly.

"I think people are starting to get very picky on the way Leinster win. If you win pretty it's because Leinster don't know how to win ugly, and I think it's unfair.

"It's a team that is top of the (Magners) League and is there in contention to go through in one of the toughest pools of all. So I'm happy with the way we are going."

Contepomi knows full well how difficult it will be to win in Murrayfield, having been there for one of Leinster's two cup defeats away to Edinburgh.

For starters, beaten sides in back-to-back games often learn more from the first meeting and will come at Leinster with something different.

"They have a young, enthusiastic team and a good squad, and they have a very good coach and you can see they enjoy their rugby, and they won't give up for the 80 minutes.

"Personally, I like the way they play, they are similar to us, which maybe makes them so difficult for us, and now they are hitting form."

Yet, due to their new-found maturity, Contepomi believes Leinster are better equipped to cope. "I think we are starting to get to know the opposition and be confident in our game plan, and have confidence that we can get a result at home and away.

"We take each game as a single entity. If we lose, we learn and put it into practice for the next game.

"It's a long season, but our next game is our most important game, because it is the next game. I think mentally we go with a better approach into every game."