Leinster are taking a scorched earth attitude to 2024/25 URC league campaign

Leo Cullen's nine URC wins from nine, seven bonus-points banked, at the half-way stage in the league-proper is very impressive

By: irishmirror.ie

Dec 29 2024
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Leinster are taking a scorched

Leinster’s clinical, almost cruel, dispatching of Munster may have been festive cheer for the traveling fans contributing to the full house at Thomond Park.

But Leo Cullen was quick to point out what may have been blue Santa hats and a December result was more about April-May doctrine.

His side, and he makes no bones about it, are taking a scorched earth attitude to the 2024/25 URC league-proper campaign.

All fixtures are to be won, all bonus points are to be extracted, development/debuts can wait (not least as Jodie Barrett is in situ for the rest of the season).

Turns out Leo Cullen is still fuming about missing out on a home semi-final last season…

And, given the pressure is building when it comes to winning a trophy - either one - the route to URC silverware is the more straightforward.

Undefeated to here in the run to the turn of year the rest of the winter war and the spring campaign will have a similar laser-focus.

Says Cullen: “If you think of some of the slip-ups that we had last year in the league and the end of the season scrambling to get flights to Pretoria and the awkwardness of that.

“At this time of year, I’m not sure too many people look back at the specifics of these games, it’s trying to get the outcome from them and build your form as you go along.

“We are at the halfway point in the league or whatever and you want to try and get as high a seeding as possible.”

Leinster are, of course, in need of ready-to-go depth as they backbone the Ireland squad.

And remaining undefeated in the face of Andy Farrell's unprecedented strong selection policy over an unprecedented four game November Series was impressive.

“The first six games of the season we used a lot of players and you are trying to navigate the internationals being away and rested and all the rest.

“The group is working hard for each other and that is the important part. All across the board we could be better and maybe it isn’t helped by that cohesion part.

“The lads put in a decent short week's work this week and now we get to work on our game with the whole squad and try to build for the last two Champions Cup games and then Stormers after that.

“So, again, we’ll need the squad effort because that Stormers game will come with the international lads out and I think we are doing that okay but it’s a work in progress.”

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