Bernard Jackman

to prepare for the knockout rugby season.

And that's not good to split your squad.

I understand completely why they did it.

You don't want to put mileage on your best players at the time of year when most of them have already played a Six Nations November Series, helped you qualify for those knockout stages.

But the fact that they got the URC to commit...

to change it to early in the season.

It meant that they were chasing lead position for a while, but the effectiveness of the two losses that they've had traditionally a little bit later happened at the start, and that did put a bit of pressure on them, but it meant that for the last four or five weeks post-Six Nations...

Leinster have had all the group together and they look better for it they look better for it and you know it was there was seven I think starters well I think could be starters started against the Ospreys but they look like a team who are very cohesive they got game time into the belt the ones who didn't play played the previous week

As I said, they've been at home and got the points.

Now they're second seed in the URC.

They'll worry about that afterwards.

They won't fear anyone in the URC, regardless if they even have to go away in the final, providing they get there, obviously.

But now they can just go to Bordeaux or play Bordeaux in Bilbao and go in there with a bit of momentum, a bit of confidence.

Obviously, lots of top-class talent there.

but probably feeling pretty good about ourselves.

Yeah, and the only rumour going around South County Dublin is that Jamie Altman's on the bench.

Okay.

So that's the only selection that I've heard anyone talk about, which would mean you would think that Robbie starts or I'd say Robbie, obviously Rico might start 12, but I think it would be Robbie, Gary as the combination there.

So you're thinking Rico on the wing?

Yeah, I think Rico on the wing, but I think when you look at how Leinster have been good in a lot of areas, but that left footer on the wing is a big part of how they run kick.