Key member of Dublin GAA's success warns Leinster not to overhype Croke Park visit
"The result will dictate where we got it right or not," admits Robin McBryde after Leinster's frontliners stayed at home to prepare for Northampton semi-final as a second string squad lost top spot in the URC in South Africa
Declan Darcy has warned Leinster not to overhype their big move to Croker.
Darcy is the province's ace in the hole this week, having previously played a central role in another team in blue's unprecedented success at GAA HQ.
The ex-Leitrim and Dublin footballer was on the coaching tickets of Dublin bosses Jim Gavin and Dessie Farrell as he helped the county to the historic six in a row.
READ MORE:Leinster v Northampton: Ireland stars poised for timely Champions Cup return
Gavin brought him on board in 2013 to work on the team's defence. By the time he left the set-up in 2022, he was performance coach. He has performed that role for Leinster ever since.
The province should be driven on in Saturday's semi-final against Northampton Saints by having the massive majority of the 82,300 sell-out crowd on their side.
But, Darcy has told the players and coaches, they can't allow this massive occasion - rugby's return to the hallowed Jones's Road venue after 14 years - to take over.
"Declan's got experience of Croke Park and he's warned that it's a double-edged sword, really," said assistant coach Robin McBryde, who worked under Warren Gatland when Wales won at Croke Park on their way to the Grand Slam in 2008, but also lost their with the Welsh two years later.
"You can't allow it to become something bigger than what it is.
"But if you play well out there it gives you more energy - that's true for whichever team is playing well on the day.
"So we've got to make sure that we start well and feed off that energy.
"The La Rochelle quarter-final, because of the history between the two clubs, it was nice to get over the line.
"But it's just another game and just gets us to somewhere we've been before and come away empty handed, so we've got to make sure that we go one step further.
"It's going to be a pressurised environment, obviously."
Hugo Keenan trained yesterday but is not expected to recover from a hip injury in time as Leinster aim to make it three Champions Cup finals on the spin.
Ciarán Frawley stepped into the full-back role after Keenan pulled out in the warm-up. Frawley was in the Leinster squad in South Africa for the last fortnight and will resume training today.
Leinster also have Jimmy O'Brien available for the first time since the pool clash with Sale in December. The versatile Ireland back was absent with a neck injury.
Garry Ringrose could also return after a shoulder injury but his co-captain James Ryan isn't yet ready after bicep surgery.
While the Saints have got on with the business of staying on top of the Premiership, Leinster lost their place at the URC summit by keeping their frontliners at home to prepare for the semi-final rather than bring them to South Africa.
The onus is on Leinster's top players hitting the ground running after three weeks without a game. If they don't, the Saints' more battle-hardened approach could win out.
"The result will dictate where we got it right or not," said McBryde.
"I think everyone understands the reasons why we chose to do what we did. It’s a fine line between being battle-hardened and battle-weary.
“Those guys have had a lot of minutes in the Six Nations(but) the level of detail retention is second to none. I’ve never worked with a group of players like them.
"They know taking to the field they're going to be in a good place. It's having confidence in your own ability - you’ve got to back yourself.
"It's given us a bit more prep time, not so much intense game time. But I'd like to think that won’t be so much of a factor.”
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