LEO CULLEN’S FINAL season as Leinster head coach may or may not deliver the holy grail of a fifth Champions Cup star, but Reggie Corrigan admits he’s not surprised that his former team-mate has put a deadline on his long tenure.
As captain, Corrigan lifted Leinster’s first trophy of the professional era at the end of the 2001-02 campaign, when Cullen was in his third season with the province.
The latter went on to have a stellar playing career, famously leaving for two years with Shane Jennings to join Leicester Tigers in 2005 before returning with the knowledge and know-how to help their home club to get over the line for their first European trophy three years later, with Cullen playing the role of talismanic captain.
Corrigan was helping out on the coaching side of things under Michael Cheika by that stage but had already been long impressed by how Cullen went about his business.
“You knew he had something about him,” said Corrigan. “He was a quality player. He just happened to be up against quality opposition, the likes of Malcolm O’Kelly, Bob Casey and others in the second row. It was difficult enough for him.
Leo Cullen in action during his playing days with Leicester. Lorraine O'Sullivan / INPHO
Lorraine O'Sullivan / INPHO / INPHO
“It was a real measure of his ambition, rather than sit on the sidelines and not attain the goals he wanted to, he went to Leicester to learn his trade. At that time, a lot of players didn’t have the guts to go overseas and take on a challenge like that because they were probably afraid of getting lost in the ether and never being heard of again.
“He brought back different methodologies, different ways of looking at things, maybe a different attitude and certainly a different level of professionalism to Leinster. When he came back, you could see how important that was in his leadership role.
“You knew Leo was somebody who was meticulous in the work that he did and would do whatever it took to be successful. I think that’s translated into the way he has managed Leinster as well.”
Move On
But everyone has their time, Corrigan believes. This year will be Cullen’s 12th in the hot-seat and the former Ireland prop feels that every coach eventually has to move on, for their own sake as well as their players.
The 55-year-old likes that Cullen will be part of the succession process over the coming weeks and months.
“I wasn’t surprised,” Corrigan said of his old colleague’s departure announcement in late June. “I think the way rugby works, or any sport works, is that a coach has a tenure. That happens in every sport and with every coach. It’s not a bad thing. Players get to see different ways of thinking from different coaches.
Leinster head coach Leo Cullen and James Lowe celebrate winning the URC final. Dan Sheridan / INPHO
Dan Sheridan / INPHO / INPHO
“He’s probably got one of the best CVs with all of the success Leo has had, but that’s not to say that after a while it doesn’t need to be freshened up.
“It’s good that he made the decision himself and decided to go out on his own terms. That also gives Leinster the opportunity to look at who they might want to bring in, somebody who fits Leinster.
“That’s the biggest issue you have with appointing a coach. You’ve got to find somebody who fits the ethos of the environment they’re going into. You look at football or any other sport, how many coaches have we seen come and go because they don’t fit the style of play or the type of club they’re joining?
Him being there for that final year to oversee the transition will be very valuable for Leinster.”
Reign
Cullen’s reign has delivered sustained domestic success, including back-to-back URC titles in the last two seasons to bring his total to six in that competition.
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But it has also been defined by agonising near misses in Europe. Since Leinster last lifted the Champions Cup in 2018, they have lost five finals, a record that has intensified scrutiny.
Corrigan feels those disappointments have fuelled unrealistic expectations around a side that has become a victim of its own success.
“People think because they’ve done it before they should just keep doing it,” he said. “It happens with great teams. Look at Manchester United, Kerry football or Dublin football. People think it’s not a successful season unless you win the biggest prize.
“The expectation is always going to be there because of the success they’ve had in the past. People think, ‘If you’ve done it before, why can’t you do it again?’ But the Champions Cup is incredibly difficult to win.
“I think it’s a big ask to think they’ll send Leo off on a high in his final year. All they can do is put themselves in the best possible position, work as hard as they can, prepare as well as they can, have the players in the best possible condition and then hopefully a few things will fall into place.
“People have fallen into the trap of thinking, ‘They have the facilities, they have the players, so they have to win it.’ But it doesn’t work like that.”
To illustrate the fine margins involved, Corrigan pointed to this year’s All-Ireland football championship.
“Just look at Kerry,” he said. “They were All-Ireland champions, and it didn’t happen. Look at Mayo — 75 years waiting to get it across the line and 11 finals. Along the way you need that bit of luck.
“If David Clifford had landed that two-pointer for Kerry and we’d gone all square, who knows? You’d put any amount of money on Clifford being the one to get it.”
Corrigan was speaking as Leinster unveiled a modern interpretation of the jersey worn during that breakthrough Celtic League triumph 25 years ago.
JOE LADRIGAN
JOE LADRIGAN
“It is absolutely crazy,” he smiled. “We had a reunion at 20 years and that seems like yesterday. Now, all of a sudden, it’s 25. It’s insane how quickly time has gone.
“It was an unbelievable season. We went through 15 games undefeated, which was kind of unheard of at the time.”
Leinster’s victory over Munster in front of almost 40,000 supporters at Lansdowne Road proved a defining moment in the province’s professional journey.
“The atmosphere was unreal,” Corrigan recalled. “The blue and the red around Lansdowne Road that night was just unbelievable.”
And, looking ahead, he believes Leinster’s return to the redeveloped RDS, now the Laya Arena, can provide another significant boost.
“A full stadium, even if it’s 20,000, creates a much better atmosphere than playing in a half-empty one,” he said. “It’ll be a huge success. It’ll bring people back and create that sense of home again.”
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'It's good that he made the decision himself' - Corrigan believes Cullen made right Leinster call
LEO CULLEN’S FINAL season as Leinster head coach may or may not deliver the holy grail of a fifth Champions Cup star, but Reggie Corrigan admits he’s not surprised that his former team-mate has put a deadline on his long tenure.
As captain, Corrigan lifted Leinster’s first trophy of the professional era at the end of the 2001-02 campaign, when Cullen was in his third season with the province.
The latter went on to have a stellar playing career, famously leaving for two years with Shane Jennings to join Leicester Tigers in 2005 before returning with the knowledge and know-how to help their home club to get over the line for their first European trophy three years later, with Cullen playing the role of talismanic captain.
Corrigan was helping out on the coaching side of things under Michael Cheika by that stage but had already been long impressed by how Cullen went about his business.
“You knew he had something about him,” said Corrigan. “He was a quality player. He just happened to be up against quality opposition, the likes of Malcolm O’Kelly, Bob Casey and others in the second row. It was difficult enough for him.
“It was a real measure of his ambition, rather than sit on the sidelines and not attain the goals he wanted to, he went to Leicester to learn his trade. At that time, a lot of players didn’t have the guts to go overseas and take on a challenge like that because they were probably afraid of getting lost in the ether and never being heard of again.
“He brought back different methodologies, different ways of looking at things, maybe a different attitude and certainly a different level of professionalism to Leinster. When he came back, you could see how important that was in his leadership role.
“You knew Leo was somebody who was meticulous in the work that he did and would do whatever it took to be successful. I think that’s translated into the way he has managed Leinster as well.”
Move On
But everyone has their time, Corrigan believes. This year will be Cullen’s 12th in the hot-seat and the former Ireland prop feels that every coach eventually has to move on, for their own sake as well as their players.
The 55-year-old likes that Cullen will be part of the succession process over the coming weeks and months.
“I wasn’t surprised,” Corrigan said of his old colleague’s departure announcement in late June. “I think the way rugby works, or any sport works, is that a coach has a tenure. That happens in every sport and with every coach. It’s not a bad thing. Players get to see different ways of thinking from different coaches.
“He’s probably got one of the best CVs with all of the success Leo has had, but that’s not to say that after a while it doesn’t need to be freshened up.
“It’s good that he made the decision himself and decided to go out on his own terms. That also gives Leinster the opportunity to look at who they might want to bring in, somebody who fits Leinster.
“That’s the biggest issue you have with appointing a coach. You’ve got to find somebody who fits the ethos of the environment they’re going into. You look at football or any other sport, how many coaches have we seen come and go because they don’t fit the style of play or the type of club they’re joining?
Reign
Cullen’s reign has delivered sustained domestic success, including back-to-back URC titles in the last two seasons to bring his total to six in that competition.
But it has also been defined by agonising near misses in Europe. Since Leinster last lifted the Champions Cup in 2018, they have lost five finals, a record that has intensified scrutiny.
Corrigan feels those disappointments have fuelled unrealistic expectations around a side that has become a victim of its own success.
“People think because they’ve done it before they should just keep doing it,” he said. “It happens with great teams. Look at Manchester United, Kerry football or Dublin football. People think it’s not a successful season unless you win the biggest prize.
“The expectation is always going to be there because of the success they’ve had in the past. People think, ‘If you’ve done it before, why can’t you do it again?’ But the Champions Cup is incredibly difficult to win.
“I think it’s a big ask to think they’ll send Leo off on a high in his final year. All they can do is put themselves in the best possible position, work as hard as they can, prepare as well as they can, have the players in the best possible condition and then hopefully a few things will fall into place.
“People have fallen into the trap of thinking, ‘They have the facilities, they have the players, so they have to win it.’ But it doesn’t work like that.”
To illustrate the fine margins involved, Corrigan pointed to this year’s All-Ireland football championship.
“Just look at Kerry,” he said. “They were All-Ireland champions, and it didn’t happen. Look at Mayo — 75 years waiting to get it across the line and 11 finals. Along the way you need that bit of luck.
“If David Clifford had landed that two-pointer for Kerry and we’d gone all square, who knows? You’d put any amount of money on Clifford being the one to get it.”
Corrigan was speaking as Leinster unveiled a modern interpretation of the jersey worn during that breakthrough Celtic League triumph 25 years ago.
“It is absolutely crazy,” he smiled. “We had a reunion at 20 years and that seems like yesterday. Now, all of a sudden, it’s 25. It’s insane how quickly time has gone.
“It was an unbelievable season. We went through 15 games undefeated, which was kind of unheard of at the time.”
Leinster’s victory over Munster in front of almost 40,000 supporters at Lansdowne Road proved a defining moment in the province’s professional journey.
“The atmosphere was unreal,” Corrigan recalled. “The blue and the red around Lansdowne Road that night was just unbelievable.”
And, looking ahead, he believes Leinster’s return to the redeveloped RDS, now the Laya Arena, can provide another significant boost.
“A full stadium, even if it’s 20,000, creates a much better atmosphere than playing in a half-empty one,” he said. “It’ll be a huge success. It’ll bring people back and create that sense of home again.”
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Leinster Leo Cullen Moving On? Reggie Corrigan Rugby