Leo Cullen: 'Some lads didn't go as well as we'd have hoped. Is that the way that we're preparing them?'

What’s not to like?

Plenty, as it happens. This was a fitful, imperfect curate’s egg of an evening. Yes Clermont were gritty and effective but Leinster’s lineout was an absolute mess and they never got a full grip on a game won courtesy of first-half tries from Garry Ringrose and Jordie Barrett.

Leo Cullen took stock afterwards and, in admitting his frustrations at the day’s work, put it out there that his side was not operating at the level Toulouse had displayed a week earlier when putting 61 points on a flawed Ulster.

These are the standards they judge themselves on.

There’s time yet, of course. Leinster have blitzed through seasons in recent times and still come up agonisingly short on the days when it mattered most. No harm now if they still have a way to travel, although their next ‘European’ engagement will sharpen minds.

Next up in Pool Two is a date away with Ronan O’Gara in mid-January.

"Yeah, in this competition: La Rochelle, that's what we'll all be focused on over the next few weeks. We've got a competitive group [of players]. Some guys will be pissed off that they haven't been picked over the last couple of weeks and they'll get an opportunity against Connacht next week. It's up to them to deliver and show what they can do.

"Because guys had an opportunity today and it was mixed,” Cullen added. “Listen, let's face it, some lads didn't go as well as we'd have hoped they'd go. Is that the way that we're preparing them? We need to look at ourselves as coaches and go away and be very self-reflecting in terms of messaging and all the rest.

"Then, making sure the group that plays next week, it'll be a mix of guys that played today and some guys that didn't play today. So, you can figure that out! But, we've got through this week. We've got four points. It's winter time, conditions, playing against a very physical team who are used to dog fights. They're in a dog fight every week in the Top 14.” 

Leinster’s strength in depth is taken for granted now a strength. There’s no denying this but it’s fair here and now to ask if the loss of 16 or 17 players to Team Ireland over the course of the November window is having a trailing effect at the minute.

The shoehorning of an extra Test into that schedule, the game against Australia to mark the IRFU’s 150th anniversary, meant that Cullen had players returning to camp on the Monday and trying to get their heads around a Champions Cup opener in Bristol six days later.

Not easy.

It is not a new problem in theory. Leinster had to sit out those who toured South Africa with Andy Farrell’s squad during the summer when the URC got underway back in September, and the likes of Bristol and Clermont have far less in the way of such disruptions.

The good news going forward is that there is a gap in the schedule after these next two URC interpros against Connacht and Munster before they turn towards the Champions Cup dates to follow against La Rochelle and Bath. Sixteen days, to be precise.

Welcome as that is, the sheer volume of the workload on front-line players of late will mean that Leinster will have no option but to “chop and change” their personnel for Connacht’s visit to the Aviva this coming Saturday.

“We have to manage them, even off the last six weeks. There has to be changes for next week. If you look at Connacht they are playing in the Challenge Cup, they have chopped and changed their team over the last couple of weeks.

“It looks like they are gearing up for a proper test against us next week, which will be a great challenge for our guys. Yes, we will have to make some alterations to our team but that is just managing players. We have all been through it.

“You can argue the pros and cons but we want our best players playing in Ireland. On the flip side of that it comes with some management. We accept it. You could say, ‘should we not do this and this,’ but we have to be able to manage the players.” 

LEINSTER: J Barrett, L Turner, G Ringrose, R Henshaw, J O’Brien; S Prendergast, J Gibson-Park; A Porter, R Kelleher, T Clarkson; J McCarthy, J Ryan; M Deegan, J van der Flier, C Doris.

Replacements: J Conan for van der Flier, R Slimani for Clarkson, RG Snyman for Joe McCarthy, G McCarthy for Kelleher (all 48); A Osborne for Turner (53); F Gunne for Gibson-Park and R Byrne for Prendergast (both 65); C Healy for Porter (76).

CLERMONT AUVERGNE: A Newsome; L Tauzin, P Fouyssac, G Moala, A Raka; I Simone, B Jauneau; E Falgoux, E Fourcade, M Ala’alatoa; P Yato, R Simmons: K Tixeront, A Fischer, F Lee.

Replacements: B Urdapilleta for Moala (HIA, 18); T Giral for Fouyssac (27); C Ojovan for Ala’alatoa (HT); B Massa for Fourcade and G Akhaladze for Falgoux (both 52); O Rixen for Simmons (62); S Bezy for Jauneau and A Chalus-Cercy for Fischer (both 68).

Referee: L Pearce (England).