If the Six Nations Championship game against France left an unwanted negative imprint on Irish minds, Leinster have anticipated it and acted. On their first day back after a week off, the largely international group of players were taken to a retreat to clear heads before the new challenge of Harlequins on Saturday.
While another group of players are looking at the positive side of finishing with a win in South Africa at the weekend, the reality is the match most likely to play on the minds of the players to feature in the Round of 16 Champions Cup game in Croke Park is Ireland’s defeat to France.
Such is the juggling of players hearts and minds that one squad arrived home early on Monday morning having built up momentum with a 7-10 win over Sharks and another squad that remained in Ireland will step up and run with it to face the Premiership side.
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But an off switch is required before the on is flipped. Bruised confidence is no way to resume European rugby even as Leinster look at an almost full deck to play with.
Michael Milne came through the game at the weekend with no issues and will be available for selection this weekend, while Rónan Kelleher will step up his rehabilitation from a neck injury this week, with a final call made towards the end of the week. Alex Soroka has entered the graduated return to play protocols and will also be assessed during the week.
“We didn’t go into any specifics, we left it to the boys as to which avenue they wanted to go down,” said former Welsh hooker and Leinster assistant coach Robin McBryde.
“From my perspective, you’ve just won a Triple Crown and, okay, maybe it’s not what you wanted to end up with, but sometimes that’s life. Shit happens. You take on board the lessons learned from that.”
Of the 23-man squad that were beaten by France almost a month ago, 16 were from Leinster, and of the 15 that started that match in Aviva Stadium, 11 were Leinster players.
“When they first came in with us, they’d a day with Ronan Conway, who we’ve worked with before,” said McBryde. “He took them to a retreat to allow the players the space to have a chat and reconnect with each other after a week off.
“It’s important, you can’t be too critical of them. The expectation is up there, I get it because they’re professional athletes, but it’s tough. It’s fine margins sometimes, if you’re a little bit off you get caught out.”
That will be the theme of the week, not to get caught out or flat footed and to find some of the energy that was missing from Ireland during the championship. Sometimes new faces and a new environment and different voices make that happen. But Leinster know that Harlequins arrive having beaten Saracens in Tottenham Hotspur Stadium at the weekend, their first away win against them for 13 years.
Another reality is that travelling back on Monday and expecting to play on Saturday could be a challenge, but players such as Jack Boyle, Gus McCarthy and Thomas Clarkson, who were in South Africa and were exposed to game time during the Six Nations, will be hoping to push on. The prospect of playing on an Irish tour in the summer increases the incentive to perform in high-profile matches such as this one.
“It’s not ideal [to play on Saturday] from a travel point of view, but if you’re good enough you’re good enough and they’re professional athletes as well,” said McBryde. “It is tough, but we’ve got to weigh that ... we’re taking it one game at a time, but we know that should we win on Saturday. The game the following week is a Friday so there’s a short turnaround there and that’s the time to change.”
McBryde says he has had no contact from the Welsh Rugby Union regarding a coaching job and is not interested in moving from Leinster. “Not at the moment,” said the former caretaker coach of the Welsh side. Nor has McBryde been contacted by Irish rugby as coaches move into the Lions set up and Ireland face into summer matches against Georgia and Portugal.
