LEINSTER’S CURRENT BACKS coach Girvan Dempsey is remaining coy at the prospect of taking on the role full-time.
The former fullback has been installed as part of Leo Cullen’s backroom until after the autumn’s Rugby World Cup.
However, after almost three years in charge of the eastern province’s academy, it would be understandable if Dempsey wished to take on a new challenge, coaching closer to the front of house and more frequently than he currently takes charge of the A team.
“At this moment in time, what I’ve agreed with Leinster is to assist with this period, because the fit works,” Dempsey told The42 today.
“I’ve spoken to the academy board and the IRFU and they’re happy that it’s feasible within this period. Because of the nature of 23 players being away, the academy has been integrated with the senior squad so I’d be naturally working with them anyway.
“As a coach, I’ve thoroughly enjoyed working with the A team for the last five years. It’s a different dynamic being in it on a full-time professional basis day-to-day, but I’m enjoying the dual role at the moment. It’s an opportunity for me to grow and an opportunity for Leinster to see my coaching credentials.”
As talk of Carlos Spencer and other backs specialists have cooled, Dempsey was asked again if he hopes to hold a longer term coaching role come November.
We’ll wait and see. We’ll reassess. Leo has just been appointed so he’ll have the opportunity to see how I work. He’s looking at all possible options that he’ll have in place and maybe look at that in the coming weeks.”
In the interim period before a long-term solution is announced, the 39-year-old is promising Leinster fans a more traditional approach from the side under the watch of former stalwarts like himself, Cullen, John Fogarty and the returning Kurt McQuilkin.
“The overriding feeling among the coaching staff is that we have a strong sense of ‘The Leinster Way’ and the way we want to play the game. Obviously we’ve got to be able to change that, depending on what’s in front of us and what the gods put out there.
“You’ve got to be adaptable. Your team have to be adaptable and you have to be able to change your plan and players have to be able to change the way they go about it and adapt to those variable conditions. That’s massively important. I’m constantly trying to equip academy players and younger players to be able to do that.”
Though the return of Jonathan Sexton and Isa Nacewa will undoubtedly aid whoever is to take charge of the backs for the full course of the season, the 82-cap international has a clear goal in his head for how to get the team to balance that adaptability alongside ‘The Leinster Way’.
“What we’re looking for first and foremost is accuracy. How we execute our play and our core skill-set.
“I think that is massively important to the way we want to play the game and the way Leinster aspire to play the game.”
Originally published at 4.41pm
