Leinster head coach Leo Cullen doesn’t trade in reputation, form is the preferred currency when it comes to team selection.
In some respects, it can be summed up quite simply in suggesting that it is not what a player has done but what he’s doing that holds sway.
There is less wriggle room in some units within the team and arguably the most claustrophobic is the backrow. Jack Conan was a Test starter for the Lions against South Africa in the summer of 2021 but now finds himself fighting tooth and nail for a jersey in the matchday squad at Leinster never mind Ireland.
Cullen’s charges are unbeaten across all matches in the United Rugby Champions (URC) and Heineken Champions Cup this season to date, so the selection policy is authenticated by success. It is therefore imperative to take opportunities, no matter what a player’s pedigree.
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Conan understands and is typically forthright and honest when expressing his views.
“I’m probably a little bit frustrated, [I] set high standards for myself, probably feel like I haven’t hit my straps as well as I have had previously times [and] would have liked to play a lot more.
“But that is the nature of Leinster rugby with so many high-quality backrowers. Fortunately, I get a shot this weekend against Ospreys. The body feels good, mentally I’m hungry so, yeah, I’m looking forward to taking my next opportunity.”
Caelan Doris has usurped his team-mate as first-choice No 8 for club and country while the return to form and fitness of Max Deegan – at present sidelined with an ankle issue – in the last six months and Ryan Baird’s facility to play in the backrow has further added to an already congested suite of backrow options at Leinster.
Conan admitted: “That’s it. Deego [Max Deegan] had started the season well and he got a few opportunities when the lads were away and stuff. It was great for him to get back into [Ireland] camp, get another cap and get back into that environment. He’d been away for a little bit through injuries.
“The standard is high. There are [other] lads in there, Scott Penny is going really well. He’s hungry to get an Irish cap. Ryan Baird played at the weekend against Connacht. He’s a different kind of mould of any backrower that’s here. He’s very athletic and his lineout abilities are top notch.
“Caelan [Doris] won two out of two, man of the match [awards] in Europe. There’s another fellah there that won World Player of the Year two weeks ago [Josh van der Flier] so we’re in a very fortunate position where standards are very high. Ultimately [it] puts the team in a good position so if that doesn’t do something to motivate you, to make you better, you are in the wrong environment.”
The list goes on. Rhys Ruddock is rarely less than excellent, Will Connors return from a bicep injury is imminent, while Martin Moloney, currently injured, and academy prospects, Alex Soroka and James Culhane, last season’s Under-20 Six Nations player of the tournament who excelled with Emerging Ireland in South Africa during the summer, further underline the depth of quality in the backrow.
Shifting from personal considerations to the team dynamic, Conan pointed out: We [Leinster] are in the position we wanted to be in a few months ago. We spoke about winning all our provincial games which was great to do, especially in the fashion we did.
“Munster the other week was closer than we would have liked. It’s an unbelievable achievement to go six from six [in the interpros] and then 11 out of 11 games [in the URC] so far, it’s been a really good start to the year.
“It sets us up well this week against Ospreys and then two more rounds of Europe, so we’re collectively really happy though some of the performances along the way wouldn’t have been what we wanted. We were at a high level against Racing away then Gloucester at home kind of dipped.”
Conan acknowledged that Leinster escaped “by the skin of their teeth” against Munster in Thomond Park and that there were plenty of imperfections in the first-half display against Connacht. There are always things to improve upon.
The disappointment of last season when Leinster eventually came up empty-handed still rankles and it drives the group forward.
“You can only truly judge it in its entirety come the business end of the year. Leinster rugby is all about winning trophies.
“That’s all that it’s about, getting more silverware and building on a legacy that past players and coaches have built. We had a good start, and we are in the position we want to be in.
“We’re going full steam forward, but this will count for absolutely nothing in six or seven months. It’s great to be here but it’s not the end destination that we want to get to.”
Nor is it where Conan wants to be as he strives to reclaim the primacy he once enjoyed.
