LEINSTER’S RECENT WINS against Racing and Ulster look all the more impressive when you take into account some of the key players they didn’t have on the pitch.
Last Saturday, the province thumped French giants Racing 42-10 in Le Havre, a week on from a dominant performance with 14 men to see off Ulster at the RDS.
On both occasions, Leinster delivered statement performances without the services of Johnny Sexton and Tadhg Furlong. Ross Byrne has long been an able deputy for the Leinster captain at out-half, but the fact that Furlong’s power and skill were not missed in the pack will have been particularly pleasing for the Leinster coaching team, as Michael Ala’alatoa continues to grow more comfortable in the squad.
Signed from New Zealand’s Crusaders in the summer of 2021, the 31-year-old tighthead admits it took him some time to find his feet in new surroundings last season.
“I feel a lot more comfortable. It took me a while to adjust to the way Leinster play. We play a quite fast, attacking brand of rugby, coming from New Zealand, that’s the style that they play over there but it still took a while to adjust to.
But now I am pretty comfortable with the way we play and I have adjusted to the challenges of the set-piece as well because that was a big learning curve for myself last year – the scrum and the lineout.
“I feel like I have done well to get up to where the boys are at here. When you have world-class players around you, it makes it easier for me.
“Dublin, I have adjusted to life here too. It’s obviously a lot colder compared to this time last year but I am actually enjoying being in the snow. I have probably seen snow like three times in my whole life, so I have been embracing it, getting amongst it. It’s good.”
Leinster and Crusaders are kindred spirits when it comes to the way the game is played, but Ala’alatoa explains there are subtle differences too.
“There were similarities but the way that Stu [Lancaster] runs the game-plan, it did take a lot of adjusting. What I found is, the way we play, you have to be smart and be able to think a few steps ahead.
“It took me a while to get my head around that but now I am pretty comfortable with it.
Now that I’ve been here for a year that confidence comes a lot earlier in the week but last year I was probably getting to captain’s run and still going over things in my head around my role and what I needed to do to be my best. Now with all that clarity it’s coming a lot earlier in the week so it’s a lot easier.
“It took me about half of the season to get to where I wanted to be,” he adds.
“Front-rowers are always learning, scrums are always changing, especially in Europe where you’re up against French teams, English teams and now South African teams.
“ll three have different ways of scrummaging. For us, we have to adjust on the run and for me, I needed to adjust on the run too.”
Leinster take on Gloucester in a round two Champions Cup clash at the RDS tomorrow, and with Sexton expected to sit the game out again, Garry Ringrose is set to continue as captain. The 27-year-old isn’t the most vocal member of the squad but his leadership qualities have come to the fore recently – his two tries against Ulster crucial to securing the comeback victory.
“I think it (captaincy) sits really well with him,” Ala’alatoa continues.
“As you know, he is someone who is very calm in the moment. He leads by his actions and he’ll only say something if it needs to be addressed.
“Every time he speaks, he’s someone that commands a lot of respect and you want to listen to. I think every time he has had the captain’s armband on, he has been awesome for us. He has been leading by example, you can just see it in the last two weeks, he is playing out of his skin. You only want to follow a guy like that.”
Beat Gloucester tomorrow, and Leinster will have recorded 11 wins from their opening 11 fixtures across the Champions Cup and URC.
Following the heartbreaking loss to La Rochelle in last year’s European decider, they currently have the look of a team determined to make this season one to remember.
“We mean business all the time. We felt short last year and the goal is obviously to win the big one.
“In saying that, every week is different and I go back to what I said before, winning each moment and then this week it’s another moment that we want to win.
“We know the threats that Gloucester possesses, so we are treating them with all of the respect that they deserve. We’re going to go after them as best we can.”
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Originally published at 07.30
