JACQUES NIENABER IS keeping his cards close to his chest on whether he is in the running to succeed Leo Cullen as Leinster head coach.

Cullen will step down at the end of the season, while Argentina head coach Felipe Contepomi is believed to be among the contenders to replace him.

Nienaber, who joined Leinster after helping South Africa to consecutive World Cup triumphs, has been linked with a return to the Springboks ahead of next year’s World Cup.

“It’s a process that Leinster is busy with, and I’m sure the moment that all the parties are comfortable with an announcement, it will be announced, and it will be in the media,” replied the 53-year-old when asked if he had applied for the province’s top coaching position.

“But currently, it’s a process and let’s just leave it like that.”

Nienaber was speaking in Johannesburg, where Leinster are preparing to begin their URC title defence against the Lions on Saturday before facing the Sharks in Durban the following weekend.

The province also began their campaign in South Africa last season, losing 35-0 to the Stormers before going down 39-31 to the Bulls.

Nienaber admits it is always special to return home. Yet it’s a sign of how he feels about the speculation surrounding him that he mentioned how his comments could be interpreted in Ireland.

“It’s always nice to come back,” he said. “I always think it’s a tough question because if you say, listen, I enjoy coming back to South Africa, sometimes people will take it from an Irish perspective (assuming) you’re not enjoying (your) time there. But it’s always nice to come back.

“Obviously, it’s very familiar, and you get the opportunity to meet up with friends around South Africa, which you probably haven’t seen for a long time, and if there’s time and things work out, you get the opportunity to see the family.”

He also expressed his respect for Cullen’s decision to walk away. “It didn’t shock me,” Nienaber insisted. “I had the same path when I decided, listen, I’m going to join Leinster, leaving the Springboks.

“Every coach is going to get to a place in his career where he decides this is the best for me and for whatever reason. That’s up to Leo and his family and their thought process. Respect is probably the word that comes to mind.”

Nienaber also maintains that Cullen’s departure at the end of the season will not distract the squad now.

“Nothing has changed,” he said. “It’s the same coaching group. Maybe a couple of players came in and went out, but if you look at the team and how we operate and how we work, it’s the same. You should be professional enough to get on with the job.”

Andrew Porter and Tommy O’Brien are back in full training and could feature this weekend, according to Nienaber, who claims that Joey Carbery is also in contention as he continues his return from an ACL injury. Jamison Gibson-Park remains at home with a minor groin issue.

Nienaber believes Leinster must rebuild the cohesion that helped them reach two finals last season and win the URC.

“The team was pretty cohesive last year. No, very cohesive,” he said. “So, for us, it’s basically starting again. It’s a new group, it’s a new year, new season. It’s about building connections again.

“There’s been some evolution within the squad already. It’s making sure that we try and get back to where we were and kick on from there. The key thing for us is to try and start as strong as possible.”