Ryan Baird has had a chance to decompress, swapping post-match review lessons from the Champions Cup semi-final win over the Northampton Saints for some new homework in preparation for the visit of the Ospreys to the RDS on Saturday night. The United Rugby Championship (URC) becomes the focus for the next fortnight.
Two defeats on the province’s tour to South Africa meant they dropped to second place in the standings, four points behind Glasgow Warriors and with Munster and the Bulls nipping at their heels.
Leo Cullen’s charges need to win their final three games – two before and one after the Champions Cup final against Toulouse – to try to wrestle back the number one seeding for the playoffs. The head coach gave a commitment after the Saints match in Croke Park that Leinster will prioritise fielding strong teams in both league and cup competitions.
The 24-year-old Baird, who signed a contract extension with the province earlier this week, retained a positive outlook when quizzed about his thoughts on what, for many supporters, would have been a nervy climax at Croke Park, where Leinster led 20-3 before managing to close out a 20-17 victory.
He credited the Saints with the way they fought to close the deficit but maintained “we thought we managed those last few minutes nicely”. Managed? Survived? The performance aesthetic is in the eye of the beholder.
When asked about Saints fullback George Furbank’s assertion that Leinster had shut up shop, Baird explained: “Of course you’d love to finish off the game, score two tries and put them away, but saying we tapped out would be disrespectful to Northampton and the incredible attacking side they are.
“They were pounding the rock for those 50-60 minutes and then got two great tries that put them back in the game. So, no. You learn your lessons. As Jacques [Nienaber] says, you pay your school fees and now it’s time to push forward and get what we want, which is a fifth star.
“Jacques didn’t really show us any clips of the game, he was just showing us the threats that Ospreys have. Review is over and I’m thinking now about the Ospreys.”
There was one final reference to the European match. Asked about the mental fortitude Leinster displayed in coming up with that crucial turnover to close out the Northampton game, Baird offered an analogy.
“A good saying one of my close friends has is that ‘you’re building a mountain by painting it with layers of paint’, one stroke at a time. You’re slowly building that mountain. That’s all we are doing. That was another layer of paint on what we do every day for the last number of years.
“It’s evidence-based confidence to show that we can do this because we have done that. It is undeniable success, that’s what confidence is, stacked up on top of each other.”
Baird is generous in his praise of Joe McCarthy, who has taken over as the youngest member of the pack and marvels at how quickly he’s adapted to elite senior rugby. The two would spend 40 or 50 minutes a week discussing lineouts, “making sure that we have a plan in place, where we’re seeing the same pictures, we’re all on the same page”.
“What is he, 125kg, of just pure muscle? He is a battering ram. He is as much a power forward running at people as well as having the ability to dance around people, offload in contact. He has an incredible skill set, I wouldn’t put him into one category, I’d say he is multi-skilled in many facets.
“There is an incredible individuality about his play in terms of how he puts his statement on to the pitch. He is so unique in how he plays. I think he’s absolutely phenomenal.”
Baird is a tremendous athlete as anyone who’s had to try to chase him down in open spaces will attest, but his game is maturing too, taking on the lineout-calling duties, carrying in heavy contact, and chasing kick-offs and restarts to very good effect. It’s won him a starting role on merit.
“I think it shows the coaches trust you if you’re being selected for occasions like Saturday, La Rochelle as well, and other big games. That’s all you want, to earn the trust of your peers, your coaches, their respect as well. I believe that is highlighted in the selection. For me, it’s an absolute honour to continue to play for Leinster.”
Baird just wants to play rugby, as many games as possible, building on each one to develop and evolve. That’s the genesis of his next answer if not the exact words. Nor does he run away when questioned about Leinster’s ambition.
“Coming away trophyless for the last two years is ‘no bueno’ as they say in Spanish. Who doesn’t want to achieve the double? That’s our objective. We are in a league and we are in a cup and we want to win both. Losing the final of the Champions Cup or losing in the semi of the URC, both hurt as much.
“One is perceived to be bigger but the work that goes into both is equal, therefore you want the same outcome which is a trophy.”
