Results didn’t exactly go Leinster’s way over the weekend in maintaining their hopes of reaching the Rainbow Cup North v South final three weeks’ hence. Not alone do they require the Ospreys to end Benetton’s unbeaten run next Saturday week, but both the Welsh region and Munster can still reach 20 points whereas the most Leinster can now accumulate is 19.
In any event, to begin with Leinster need to beat Glasgow, who themselves can also reach 20 points, in Scotstoun next Friday in what forwards coach Robin McBryde agrees is a win-or-bust game for both sides.
“The three games we’ve lost in the Pro 14 this year, we lost them to opposition who had something to play for, who turned up with an edge, motivated where we’ve questioned ourselves with regard to ‘did we have enough motivation and edge about us?’ he admitted, in reference to defeats by Connacht, Ospreys and Munster in the Rainbow Cup.
“It’s a great challenge for us as a group, to be heading to Glasgow. It’s still an opportunity for silverware, it’s a must-win game for both teams. So, it’s a big challenge mentally to go there and front-up. No excuses.
“We’ve got to do the same the following week when we welcome 1,200 supporters back and that’s great motivation for us as well,” added McBryde with regard to the Government sanctioning the return of a limited number of fans for Leinster’s final game at the RDS this season against the Dragons on Friday week.
“Some of the Lions boys want to give a good account of themselves, some of the other boys want to put their hands up for international honours in the summer. There’s plenty to play for when you look for it.”
The Leinster coaches have quite a balancing act over these final two games, be it enabling their four chosen Lions and some potential call-ups, along with Irish aspirants and others who’ve had little game time lately, to all maintain some degree of form and match sharpness.
Will Connors's season is over after he underwent a knee operation that has sidelined him since the Six Nations while Jamison Gibson-Park and Johnny Sexton could come back into the frame, more likely for the Dragons game.
McBryde revealed that Leinster used the two-week break to look ahead to next season.
“It gives us the opportunity to try out certain things in these remaining games, but not only that, off the field as well with regards to reassessing some of our values etc, and Johnny’s obviously got a major part to play in that because of his role in the club.
“It’s an important one because you’re shaping the future and what the future looks like, so there’s plenty to keep everybody occupied.”
Nothing will quite stir the players' motivation than the prospect of playing in front of family and friends for the first time since beating Glasgow at the RDS 55-19 in February 2020, and since when they've played five games at an empty Aviva and a dozen at an empty RDS (allowing for the exhortations of James Lowe and co at the Ulster game over a fortnight ago).
“We know we’re welcoming some supporters back for what could be the last game as well, and they all want to be part of that,” said McBryde.
“We’ve missed having supporters there so to have them back for that game against the Dragons, that’s motivation in itself for any player to get back, wanting to play in front of a crowd.”
