Morne Steyn’s penalty when the Bulls won at the RDS two seasons ago and Jack Crowley’s moment of brilliance to end Leinster’s URC campaign last May are the two most recent examples of opponents exposing Leinster’s fallibility. This has raised a few questions about the quality of players coming through the Leinster system. Luke Fitzgerald was one of the rare Leinster players who fit into the team without dimming his creativity. Underage players that are identified in the Leinster system get more support than ever before, strength and conditioning programmes, nutrition advice and rugby technical support. However, the window to bed in genuine rugby skills is limited, and I think we have that balance a little wrong in some positions.

Source: The Irish Times January 11, 2024 00:52 UTC