Gerry Thornley finds Paul McNaughton angry but resolute after the latest Donnybrook debacle
Deeply angered by the manner in which Munster lured one of their coaches for the second time in three years, and determined not to go down a similar route again, Leinster will soon begin the process, steered by CEO Mick Dawson, of actively headhunting their fourth coach in as many years. Almost certainly, it will be an overseas appointment.
Regenerating the playing pool is also under way, in the clear realisation that as things stand the squad is not good enough to win the Heineken European Cup, according to the team manager, Paul McNaughton.
Though clearly annoyed with Declan Kidney over his "regrettable" departure, McNaughton is disinclined to throw any barbs Kidney's away, though he describes the whole process that led to it as "a shambles".
"Because of either Munster's insistence, or whatever, that applications had to be in the Wednesday before the European Cup quarter-finals, or the European Challenge Cup semi-finals, and that the interviews had to be held the Tuesday after those games, it was a shambles.
"People may have different feelings about Declan breaking a contract to go down to Munster, but the whole process, with details leaked publicly, and the nature of our defeat to Leicester exacerbated this."
The ultimate result, anyway, is that Leinster are in the same boat as the likes of Bath, Leicester and Harlequins, who are also headhunting coaches. John Connolly, whose future at Bath is unclear, is once more bound to enter the Leinster frame and perhaps can be installed as a tentative favourite. Others who might throw hats in the ring are John Kirwan, Kevin Putt and Dean Richards. Although there are a raft of indigenous coaches climbing the domestic ladder, there wouldn't appear to be any prime candidates among them, especially since Michael Bradley pledged allegiance to Connacht.
"There's every likelihood the new coach will be an overseas coach," admits McNaughton. And also someone with experience of the European Cup or Super 12. "Leinster are looking for somebody who definitely has to have had head-coach experience at the top level."
Ideally Leinster would want the new man in place well before pre-season training at the end of June, though McNaughton adds, "The emphasis will be on getting the right person, rather than getting a person quickly."
The ramifications of Kidney's departure would not appear so bad, according to McNaughton, were it not for the "flat" Leinster performance in the European Cup quarter-final defeat at home to Leicester.
Two issues arose from that game, says McNaughton.
"One is that Leinster didn't really perform on the day; that's stating the bleeding obvious. But maybe the second, scarier realisation among players and management is that if we had played well, and Leicester had played equally as well, maybe we just weren't good enough.
"This Leinster team needs to be strengthened to win the European Cup, because every other team, especially from the UK and France, is getting stronger."
In addition to Shane Jennings, who is joining Leicester, Niall Treston, Gavin Hickie, Peter Coyle, James Norton and John McWeeney have all been released, while Victor Costello is retiring, David Holwell is returning to Northland in New Zealand and Ricky Nebbett is joining Northampton.
The departure of Holwell is particularly lamented. McNaughton maintains that, being a man of his word, Holwell would have remained with Leinster next season had the IRFU's Player Advisory Group conceded to their initial request for a two-year contract.
"But that was not deemed to be in the interests of Irish rugby at the time by the PAG," says McNaughton. "It was an opportunity missed. To be fair to the PAG, they did come to agree with our plans to ask him to stay for another year but at that stage David had decided one season was enough."
It is also widely believed the PAG blocked Leinster's attempts to talk to Ulster's Ronnie McCormack, Kieran Campbell and Paddy Wallace and attempted to reroute Simon Easterby toward Ulster rather than Leinster, with the net result he is staying at Llanelli.
McNaughton declines to talk about individual cases, but does comment: "There have been a number of occasions when Leinster and the PAG have not seen eye to eye with regard to Leinster talking to players. It is an issue, and not just an issue with Leinster.
"I believe that with all these teams getting stronger there has to be a lot more freedom for the provinces to talk to players, be they Irish or foreign, if we're to compete in the European Cup."
Thus far, the only confirmed signing is that of the Wasps and ex-England prop Will Green, but it is believed Leinster are talking to Connacht hooker Bernard Jackman and McCormack, with confirmation of their capture expected next week.
An end-of-season hardly comes by at Leinster without some anti-climactic fallout amid rumours of divisions in the camp.
"This bull about a divide between the internationals and the non-internationals is a real hoary old chestnut that's dragged out every time there's a bad result or an unsatisfactory end of the season. That is my considered view after involvement for a year," says McNaughton.
What dissent and dissatisfaction exists, he says, is an inevitable effect of some players not making starting teams or match-day 22s or being released at the end of their contracts.
"What do you have in Leinster? A squad with 26 or 27 players contracted up to next season," he says. "We're third in the Celtic League. Yes we didn't perform in the quarter-finals of the European Cup, but we've had little credit for topping our pool by winning away to Bourgoin, the French league leaders, and Bath. That is not a team or a squad with no spirit.
"Is it a poisoned chalice? Well, it's a province of high expectations, from supporters as well as media, with six Lions and flexibility for a new coach to bring in new players, and it's still a competitive team.
"Is he taking over the best team in Europe? No. Is he taking over one of the best teams in Europe? Yes. And with some signings it can be significantly improved."
