THERE’S NO QUESTIONING the fantastic rugby Leinster have been playing of late.
They’ve gathered maximum points from this block of Pro12 games. 20 points from 20 on offer over four games, scoring tries and collecting bonus points for fun.
Their current momentum is admirable. But now, they head into a three-week break before they host Cardiff on 25 March.
With such a head of steam built up, the intermission isn’t ideal, but head coach Leo Cullen declines the invitation to bemoan the schedule. After all, it allowed his side to power through the past four weeks and make 40-point hauls a regular occurrence.
“It is what it is,” he said after the Saturday night win over Scarlets. “We will reassess where we are now and put some plans in place.
“We went hard at this block knowing that a break was coming. We have been very focused on this period and try and get as much out of it as possible. To get four wins is fantastic.
The signs are good. Though Scarlets left Dublin after a thrashing, they dominated the majority of the first-half. The game swung with half-time, but it also took the problem solving ability of players to dismantle the Welsh outfit.
Leinster players after Saturday’s clash. Source: Dan Sheridan/INPHO
“We do a lot of work with the game managers,” Cullen says.
“Over this block of four weeks they have worked really, really well together; against that problem solving and reviewing games, working in their sub units. They have put a lot of work into this block so it is great to see the rewards they got out of it.”
All breaks are not created equal, of course. The Six Nations climax will occupy many of Cullen’s charges, others will get a chance to recharge their batteries before a crucial point in the provincial season. For Cullen, the challenge will be to reintegrate the international contingent with the in-form tyros who impressed so much in recent weeks with just one fixture before the Champions Cup quarter-final against Wasps.
“Some guys go into national camp others will have a bit of recovery time. We come back in for a week’s training with Cardiff here in three weeks time. All the teams change after that so the league takes on a different complexion.
Two-try scorer and Man of the Match on Saturday, Luke McGrath also knows his side are entering the business side of the season and that the pressure is ever-increasing.
“Each game is getting harder from now on, isn’t it? We just have to take it one game at a time.