This split is a typical one over the past few years, with Cullen’s side — double PRO14 champions and 2018 Champions Cup winners — naturally dominating the national setup. But it’s the impact of Lancaster, who arrived in Dublin in 2016 a year after leaving the England national team following their World Cup collapse, that has caused the two ex-Leinster captains to speak out. Both believe the arrival of the Englishman, and his more expressive style of play, had an unintended negative consequence for the national team at the World Cup. “Joe started to go away from his tried and trusted drills and introduced a bit of what we call ‘unstructured play’. Meanwhile, Cullen has revealed that Seán Cronin is a doubt for the province’s Champions Cup opener next month.

Source: Irish Examiner October 29, 2019 05:48 UTC