Will Slattery

Like two years ago was kind of a high point when they went back to Croke Park for the first time.

82,000 at Northampton, another 82 later on in 2024 against Munster.

I think from that Northampton game on...

There's been a disengagement.

I expect a very small crowd to be there this weekend.

And to Cullen's point about putting players into the Ireland team, the idea that another coach would come in and that wouldn't still be the case, I think, is fanciful.

I think there's plenty of coaches who could maintain Lentz's position as the bulk supplier.

A lot of people mentioned how many...

home playoff games have got another Leo Cullen's watch but again the idea that another coach couldn't come in and do that or potentially better that I don't really buy either I think it's a very cautious and safe approach to say oh if we get rid of Leo Cullen and get another coach in

Oh, what if we don't do as well as he's done?

Okay, that's a possibility.

But Jesus, if that's your outlook, you'll never make any big decisions or make any big calls.

And it did.

I remember...

myself again I saw quotes from Gary Ringrose in the build up that he kind of referred to that kind of thing I don't have the quotes in front of me so I don't want to misrepresent it but it was that kind of theme and even Leinster sent a press release Keane you might have got this they put up a one minute promo video and a really long press release accompanying it where it really talked about the achievement of getting back to the final stage and

It feels like it was a club-wide edict to talk up how great it was to get back to the final, even though, as we mentioned, they got a very, very soft draw and avoided all the big teams.

It was kind of a strange... It was like a full-court press to try to convince everyone that just getting to the final was enough.

where I don't think it was especially when you perform like that if they had gone out and played in a similar manner to the day the Toulouse and La Rochelle games where they were very very close and they were beaten by a very good Bordeaux team it would be one thing but to make that the narrative and then get absolutely humiliated in the first half and be 28 points down the worst first half scoreline in the history of the Champions Cup final is another matter and

For me, it's a natural time for a new era.

They're going into the new RDS.