DESPITE BEING THE defending champions of the competition, Jacques Nienaber has acknowledged Leinster are trying to get to where ‘trendsetters’ Munster are currently sitting in the United Rugby Championship table.
While they suffered a 27-21 defeat to the Stormers at Thomond Park on 29 November, this is the only game Munster have lost in this season’s URC. Six wins from seven fixtures to date has them second in the championship standings during Clayton McMillan’s debut campaign as head coach and the southern province have already registered an eye-catching 31-14 triumph over arch rivals Leinster at Croke Park under his stewardship.
That game is one of three Leinster have already lost in the 2025-26 edition of the URC and the Blues currently sit in sixth spot ahead of their return meeting with Munster in Thomond this evening (kick-off 7.45pm). The eastern province normally find themselves occupying one of the top-four spots in the table at this point in the season and Nienaber admitted this is where Leinster needs to get to if they are planning on having another successful league season.
Munster head coach Clayton McMillan. Billy Stickland / INPHO
Billy Stickland / INPHO / INPHO
“They are currently in the top-four. We want to get in the top-eight first as Leinster [to make the URC knockout rounds]. Then you try to get into the top-four. Currently, that’s our goal. We’re trying to get where Munster is. If you look at where they are currently on the log, they’ve only lost one in the URC,” Leinster senior coach Nienaber remarked earlier this week.
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“That was against the Stormers and it was a top of the table clash. They were actually comfortably ahead. I think they were 21-6 ahead, probably up to 45-50 minutes in the second half. They probably will be disappointed with that result, but that’s where they are.
“They’re really on form, playing good rugby like the Stormers. They’re probably the trendsetters, I would say, currently in the URC. So for us, it’s just trying to close that gap between us and them.”
Even though Leinster have recorded five victories on the bounce across the URC and the European Champions Cup since that defeat to Munster at Croke Park on 18 October, it has been far from plain sailing for Leo Cullen’s men in the majority of those encounters.
Before eventually coming away with a 23-15 triumph over Leicester Tigers in the pool stages of the Champions Cup at Welford Road on 12 December, Leinster had faced into a nine-point interval deficit (15-6) against the English Premiership outfit. Seven days later, the eastern province were 10 adrift (17-7) of interprovincial rivals Ulster in the URC at the Aviva Stadium, only to rally in the second half for an ultimate 24-20 success.
They were also second best to Munster in the opening period of their aforementioned clash at GAA HQ, but their opponents on that occasion went from being 14 to the good at the break (21-7) to earning a deserved 17-point victory.
Given Munster showed on that day they are more than capable of sticking with their rivals for a full 80 minutes, Nienaber (who missed that Croke Park tussle for family reasons) accepts Leinster can ill-afford to be slow starters in Limerick this evening.
Yet the South African stressed this is easier said than done and that the main priority for the Blues is to fully capitalise on the opportunities they have been creating in recent weeks.
“I feel always [with] a good start. Obviously we plan for it, they plan for it, but you can’t guarantee it. Sometimes you lose a ball at the breakdown or it’s a forward pass. Or you step out of touch or there’s [other] reasons. You get an opportunity and you don’t nail it. I think the important thing for us is to start with intensity and intent,” Nienaber added.
“Then try and capitalise on the opportunities, which we are currently not doing. I think it’s the frustrating thing currently with us. Even the Dragons game [in the URC back in November], you’re over the try line twice. Try is not awarded or we score with Tommy [O’Brien] with the inside pass, but then Robbie [Henshaw] was a half a metre or a metre offside.
“You do the business, you get over the try line, but somewhere there was a clean out around the neck or we kind of dig a hole for ourselves. I think the key thing for us is, yes, we’re creating the opportunities, but let’s now combine that with being incredibly accurate and disciplined. I think that’s the big thing for us.”
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'We’re trying to get where Munster is' - Nienaber outlines Leinster's URC ambition
DESPITE BEING THE defending champions of the competition, Jacques Nienaber has acknowledged Leinster are trying to get to where ‘trendsetters’ Munster are currently sitting in the United Rugby Championship table.
While they suffered a 27-21 defeat to the Stormers at Thomond Park on 29 November, this is the only game Munster have lost in this season’s URC. Six wins from seven fixtures to date has them second in the championship standings during Clayton McMillan’s debut campaign as head coach and the southern province have already registered an eye-catching 31-14 triumph over arch rivals Leinster at Croke Park under his stewardship.
That game is one of three Leinster have already lost in the 2025-26 edition of the URC and the Blues currently sit in sixth spot ahead of their return meeting with Munster in Thomond this evening (kick-off 7.45pm). The eastern province normally find themselves occupying one of the top-four spots in the table at this point in the season and Nienaber admitted this is where Leinster needs to get to if they are planning on having another successful league season.
“They are currently in the top-four. We want to get in the top-eight first as Leinster [to make the URC knockout rounds]. Then you try to get into the top-four. Currently, that’s our goal. We’re trying to get where Munster is. If you look at where they are currently on the log, they’ve only lost one in the URC,” Leinster senior coach Nienaber remarked earlier this week.
“That was against the Stormers and it was a top of the table clash. They were actually comfortably ahead. I think they were 21-6 ahead, probably up to 45-50 minutes in the second half. They probably will be disappointed with that result, but that’s where they are.
“They’re really on form, playing good rugby like the Stormers. They’re probably the trendsetters, I would say, currently in the URC. So for us, it’s just trying to close that gap between us and them.”
Even though Leinster have recorded five victories on the bounce across the URC and the European Champions Cup since that defeat to Munster at Croke Park on 18 October, it has been far from plain sailing for Leo Cullen’s men in the majority of those encounters.
Before eventually coming away with a 23-15 triumph over Leicester Tigers in the pool stages of the Champions Cup at Welford Road on 12 December, Leinster had faced into a nine-point interval deficit (15-6) against the English Premiership outfit. Seven days later, the eastern province were 10 adrift (17-7) of interprovincial rivals Ulster in the URC at the Aviva Stadium, only to rally in the second half for an ultimate 24-20 success.
They were also second best to Munster in the opening period of their aforementioned clash at GAA HQ, but their opponents on that occasion went from being 14 to the good at the break (21-7) to earning a deserved 17-point victory.
Given Munster showed on that day they are more than capable of sticking with their rivals for a full 80 minutes, Nienaber (who missed that Croke Park tussle for family reasons) accepts Leinster can ill-afford to be slow starters in Limerick this evening.
Yet the South African stressed this is easier said than done and that the main priority for the Blues is to fully capitalise on the opportunities they have been creating in recent weeks.
“I feel always [with] a good start. Obviously we plan for it, they plan for it, but you can’t guarantee it. Sometimes you lose a ball at the breakdown or it’s a forward pass. Or you step out of touch or there’s [other] reasons. You get an opportunity and you don’t nail it. I think the important thing for us is to start with intensity and intent,” Nienaber added.
“Then try and capitalise on the opportunities, which we are currently not doing. I think it’s the frustrating thing currently with us. Even the Dragons game [in the URC back in November], you’re over the try line twice. Try is not awarded or we score with Tommy [O’Brien] with the inside pass, but then Robbie [Henshaw] was a half a metre or a metre offside.
“You do the business, you get over the try line, but somewhere there was a clean out around the neck or we kind of dig a hole for ourselves. I think the key thing for us is, yes, we’re creating the opportunities, but let’s now combine that with being incredibly accurate and disciplined. I think that’s the big thing for us.”
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