THERE HAS BEEN so much talk about Stuart Lancaster’s departure over the last 10 days that it is worth reminding ourselves that Leo Cullen is actually the Leinster head coach.
He could pretty much write his own terms at this point as Leinster certainly want him to hang around. Mick Dawson their outgoing Chief Executive, told The42 yesterday that retaining Cullen is a priority.
“The most important thing going forward is to secure Leo Cullen,” said Dawson. “Leo will have the major influence on who comes in to fill that role.”
Speaking after Friday’s win over Ulster, Cullen made it clear that he isn’t tiring of his role as head coach, seven years after it started.
“We have to enjoy the here and the now and build that excitement about building the team,” Cullen said. “If you look too much into the future you are going to come unstuck now. At the end of last season it was so deflating. But I am as excited as I have ever been being in this role because of the here and the now and the great people we have. It is not by accident we have got to this point. I am hugely excited.”
Asked about the ‘upheaval’ in the club – Cullen joked about the terminology used. Yes, Lancaster is leaving next year and captain Johnny Sexton is due to retire around the same time – but that’s then. They’re still here now and with three wins from three in this season’s URC, living in the now is what Cullen is focused on.
“In terms of upheaval, a word I strongly disagree with, the thing with rugby is nothing stands still. Ever. People get older, players, coaches. Players retire; new players come through the system.
“We beat Ulster on Friday and are pleased by that win because they did the double over us last year.
“When you lose to a team you have those fresh scars but it’s an interprovincial derby game, so I think there’s plenty of motivation at stake there anyway,” added Cullen. “But definitely there’s a respect piece for what Ulster have done over the last couple of seasons. That focused the mind as well.
“My mind is already thinking over to Sharks now because the last time we lost in the RDS was against a South African team, the Bulls. With Noel McNamara (ex-Leinster academy coach), it’s always dangerous.
“That bit of inside information, understanding the RDS, lots of things about our game etc. Noel is a very smart coach as well. It’s going to be a good challenge for us.”
Ulster had their own challenges on Friday. Their squad isn’t as deep as Leinster’s and they were missing Robert Baloucoune, Tom Stewart, Nathan Doak, Stewart Moore and Ethan McIlroy after those players were called up to the Emerging Ireland tour. Was Dan McFarland annoyed by their absence?
“Don’t poke the bear,” he said in response to whether he was frustrated. ”No, I’m not. I’m glad that they’re getting the opportunity in South Africa to put their names forward for the World Cup.”
Asked what the key lesson from Friday’s defeat was, McFarland replied. “That we’re not as good as Leinster. They brought an extremely strong team up here. We were bested in that first half, but we’ve got some guts. There was no lying down and taking that. I thought there was some real fight in the fellas there to come back and squeeze a bonus point which I thought was terrific.”
