12 December 2025; Jamison Gibson-Park of Leinster scores his side’s first try during the Investec Champions Cup match between Leicester Tigers and Leinster at Mattioli Woods Welford Road in Leicester, England. Photo by Brendan Moran/Sportsfile
The more I think on that performance, the more I reckon the 1% is right.
The previous big obvious things (scrum, lineout, discipline) are more or less fixed, certainly improved.
Outside of that we’re getting into the right patterns and areas both sides of the ball, pretty much, but then… it falls apart. The reason differs. Sometimes it’s ruck resourcing. Sometimes it’s ball placement. Sometimes it’s offence or defence position or role confusion. Sometimes it’s accuracy/execution.
None of them feel like they’d be a massive issue to fix by themselves. But they’re all happening in every match like a random failure generator.
It needs fixing, and quick.
Darach Kennedy
An away win in Welford road. I’ll take that. Someone else can try and gather up some negatives.
Greg Kelly
Leinsters poor attack and sloppy execution continues. You wonder what’s really going on. We were the better team overall and they never really looked like scoring in the second half but our attack was woefully sloppy.
Irish rugby should be concerned overall with the loose head situation. Regardless of what happens referees seem to think we are weak there. There were some real garbage calls against McCarthy in the first half but as with Porter there is a perception.
Christy O’Connor
Another poor performance overall with some good individual performances. So many poor passes and spilled balls. At least our lineout was the best I’ve seen in a good while.
Doris needs to be careful moaning at the ref so much, the hit on Conan was a rugby incident and nothing more.
Our defense is not going to be good enough when we come up against better teams
Kevin Kelehan
Very happy that despite conceding two really well taken tries against the run of play the lads kept their belief and upped their work rate. The coming six weeks will make or break Leinster’s season, Ulster, Munster, Connacht, La Rochelle and Bayonne. Great to be heading into that run knowing that when the opportunity for players to go missing, they refused to take it.
Odran John OBrien
Brilliant win away from home but the Leinster attack is simply awful
anyone have Isa’s number? We could all do a whip around to persuade him to come back and coach
Chris McDonnell
If we could only put the straps Robbie henshaw has on his accordion on to a rugby ball, he might not drop the ball as much.
Craig Grehan
Win is a win. Grafted that one out
Tom Fingleton
Look at all the stats from tonight and the try return from the dominance . Tells you all really
Richard Collumb
4 points away, despite playing at times like they only met each other in the dressing room.
Eamon Saunders
Not a great team performance but again some very good individuals
Lorcán Murphy
The good news is they’re getting gritty away wins playing poorly with injury disruption. Can only get better
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“Welcome to our latest bonus chat, if you missed our podcast looking back at Leinster v Harlequins be sure to check it out on Apple, Spotify and all the other usual places. I was joined on the pod by Tom Coleman who’s last appearance was way back on September 21st, right before Leinster’s season kicked off in Cape Town so I thought this was a perfect opportunity to give an overview of Leinster’s season so far – well Tom, after 6 rounds of the URC and 1 game into the latest quest for that 5th star, how have we been doing?”
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For the past decade, Leo Cullen has been the steady hand guiding Leinster Rugby through an era of domestic dominance. Since taking the reins in 2015, Cullen has delivered five United Rugby Championship titles and a Champions Cup triumph in 2018. Yet, despite their glittering squad and attacking flair, Leinster have fallen short on Europe’s biggest stage in recent years—losing four consecutive Champions Cup finals and suffering a semi-final defeat to Northampton in 2025.
Often spoken about as a future Ireland Team Manager, Cullen’s stock has fallen in recent years. The aforementioned European defeats, in particular, have been very damaging. Costly refusals by his teams to “take the three points on offer”, whether by penalty or drop goal, stands in stark contrast to the mindset of the top clubs and international sides – the reigning world champions, South Africa, being a prime example of how to consistently win finals by keeping the scoreboard ticking over.
In comparison to Soccer, Rugby union’s revenue is far smaller and only concentrated in a few regions. Rugby Union relies heavily on Marquee Events, such as the Rugby World Cup, every four years, and British & Irish Lions tours. These events effectively subsidise the rest of the game. Outside these peaks, most unions and clubs operate at a loss. In 2023/24, the top 10 unions posted a combined loss of almost €130 million, and Premiership/Top 14 clubs lost over €90 million. Figures are harder to come by / assess for the Irish provinces, but the IRFU share was recorded as €18.4 million, which led to the discontinuation of the Men’s Sevens programme, earlier this year.
The precarious financial position of Rugby Union finances is a problem for Cullen in that he is perceived, by many, to have underachieved with the resources at his disposal. This makes landing another head coach role in the professional game that bit more challenging for him. Clubs and unions want to extract every last ounce from their teams and not be too calm and/or comfortable with defeats.
Leo Cullen is locked in until 2027, so there’s no immediate vacancy. Yet with the RDS Arena redevelopment set to be unveiled ahead of the 2026 Dublin Horse Show, could Leinster Rugby view a change at the helm as part of their new era? Or, indeed, could Cullen himself decide to move on to new pastures?
With speculation mounting, here are some possible names in the frame to take over:
Jacques Nienaber – The Defensive Mastermind
Currently serving as Leinster’s senior coach, Nienaber arrived fresh from guiding South Africa to back-to-back Rugby World Cup titles. His defensive systems have already tightened Leinster’s game, and his contract runs until 2026. If Cullen moves on, Nienaber is the most logical successor—continuity, pedigree, and proven success at the highest level. Springboks will rarely let their teams turn down three points on offer.
Stuart Lancaster – The Architect of Leinster’s Modern Game
Lancaster’s fingerprints are all over Leinster’s attacking identity. During his tenure (2016–2023), he transformed the province into a powerhouse of skill and structure. After a stint at Racing 92, Lancaster returned to Ireland as Connacht head coach. His familiarity with Leinster’s culture and player development makes him a compelling candidate—if timing aligns.
Michael Cheika – The Maverick Option
Always be wary about the return of a head coach – Warren Gatland and Wales comes to mind! Cheika is a name that sparks debate. The Australian coached Leinster to their first Heineken Cup title in 2009 and has since led national teams and World Cup campaigns. His fiery personality and bold approach could inject fresh energy, but would Leinster gamble on a coach known for volatility?
Internal Promotions – McBryde or Bleyendaal
Robin McBryde (forwards coach) and Tyler Bleyendaal (attack coach) have both signed extensions through 2027. Highly respected within the Leinster setup, they offer continuity if the province opts for evolution rather than revolution. However, neither has head coach experience at this level, which poses a risk. Given the scrum’s standout performance against Munster in an otherwise disappointing defeat, McBryde would likely be the preferred internal candidate over Bleyendaal should Leinster choose to promote from within
External Big Names
Leinster’s job is one of the most coveted in world rugby. Expect speculation around:
Joe Schmidt It is hard to keep up with Schmidt. Since stepping down as Ireland head coach in 2019, he has been the Director of Rugby and High Performance at World Rugby, joined the Blues (Super Rugby) as an assistant coach and became a selector and attack coach for the All Blacks, helping them reach the 2023 Rugby World Cup final (lost narrowly to South Africa). He was then appointed Wallabies head coach in January 2024 on a two-year deal, replacing Eddie Jones, tasked with rebuilding Australia ahead of the 2025 British & Irish Lions tour and preparing for the 2027 Rugby World Cup. He has always stated that he wishes to prioritise family commitments but he does still own a house in Dublin! Again, as with Cheiks, always be wary about the return of a head coach.
Ronan O’Gara Despite being a fully paid up member of Ireland’s “Sparta”, ROG has family ties to Blackrock (The Dublin one!). Very familiar with Leinster, both as a player and a manager, the mere thought of him taking the job would be too much for many of our southern brethren. Archie Macpherson’s description of the legendary Celtic FC manager, Jock Stein, was that he was “A Protestant chieftain of a Catholic clan”. Sport has seen stranger twists. His arrival would have many players on edge long before the first team meeting.
Andy Farrell Although his current contract with the IRFU runs until the end of the 2027 Rugby World Cup, Andy Farrell and Leinster could be a perfect match for each other. He has often highlighted his Irish roots and the sense of community he and his family have found since moving to Dublin. Whilst the life of a rugby coach is often nomadic, Farrell may be reluctant to move again – at least for a while. And who knows, Owen, who will be thirty six in 2027, might decide to join his father as a coach at Leinster? That would be box office!
Eddie Jones The “Davy Fitz” of rugby coaches would certainly get a response! Not going to happen, though. Would be box office times ten!
Rising stars from Super Rugby or the Top 14 Leinster, as a general rule, have tended to recruit well when looking for head coaches. However, it is unlikely that they will look past established candidates this time around.
The Big Question
Leinster’s next head coach must do more than maintain domestic dominance—they need to conquer Europe. Style of play, cultural fit, and timing will all shape the decision. For now, Leo Cullen remains in charge, but the succession debate is only just beginning…
I’m Andy Corbett and I live in Leopardstown, Dublin. I am a huge sports fan but GAA, Rugby (Both Codes) and Football are my favourites. Enjoy a bit of writing here and there but have been advised to stick to my day job.
This article? Let’s just say it’s the lovechild of some wild spitballing with a few mysterious insiders who prefer to remain in the witness protection program…
The above article has been published without editorial modification, and the opinions expressed are solely those of the signed author. Harpin On Rugby is committed to providing a platform for rugby fans to share their views through comments, videos, and articles, provided they meet our moderation standards.
12. Charlie Tector 11. Andrew Osborne 10. Harry Byrne 9. Luke McGrath (c)
1. Jerry Cahir 2. John McKee 3. Rabah Slimani 4. Brian Deeny
5. Diarmuid Mangan 6. Max Deegan 7. Scott Penny 8. James Culhane
16. Bobby Sheehan 17. Alex Usanov 18. Andrew Sparrow 19. RG Snyman
20. Alex Soroka 21. Will Connors 22. Fintan Gunne 23. Caspar Gabriel
ZEBRE : 15 Lorenzo Pani 14 Mirko Belloni 13 Giulio Bertaccini 12 Marco Zanon 11 Albert Einstein Batista 10 Giacomo Da Re 9 Thomas Dominguez
1 Muhamed Hasa 2 Giovanni Quattrini 3 Matteo Nocera 4 Franco Carrera 5 Leonard Krumov (c) 6 Giacomo Ferrari 7 Samuele Locatelli 8 David Odiase
16 Tommaso Di Bartolomeo 17 Paolo Buonfiglio 18 Marcos Gallorini 19 Giacomo Milano 20 Giovanni Licata 21 Migael Prinsloo 22 Martin Roger Farias 23 Luca Morisi
18 October 2025; Leinster players after their side’s defeat in the United Rugby Championship match between Leinster and Munster at Croke Park in Dublin. Photo by Sam Barnes/Sportsfile
I feel for Cullen. All the riches in the world and none of them his. The team was disjointed, two dimensional and predictable. They played like strangers.
Munster, as good as they were, simply needed to do the basics well.
The end is nigh, for the team and for the ticket!
Kevin Kelehan
Munster came to Croker with a simple game plan and executed it, led by Tadgh Beirne who led from the front and dominated the breakdown, ending so many multi phase Leinster attacks with turnovers. Leinster were not cohesive and butchered so many decent attacks with bad handling. The ref was not test level, let Munster away with murder when not releasing the tackler going to ground, constantly half a yard offside at rucks, denied Josh van Der Flier a clear try and let a Munster deliberate knock on away as accidental. Leinster badly missed Joe McCarthy, Ryan Baird, Jack Conan, Hugo Keenan and Cealan Doris with Prendergast, Lowe and Snyman all extremely rusty. But hats off to Munster to playing to their game plan and executing scraps into 7 point scores, their new manager unlike Richie Murphy hit the ground full tilt in his first season.
Gavin Hegarty
I’m embarrassed by that performance. Lions and internationals on the pitch beaten by a team that just wanted it more.
I need to watch that penalty try again because from the Cusack stand it made zero sense. But that made no impact on the final score.
We thought the first two games were just blips,maybe not.
Colin Mehigan
We were missing key players and leaders (Doris, Conan, McCarthy, Keenan, Tommy OB, Baird etc). There’s too much hyperbole in modern sport and the aftermath of tonight from fan and media alike will be no exception.
I do have qualms about the Nienaber system which have been reinforced after that game but we did win a trophy 5 matches ago. Munster were due a win against us and they sensed our vulnerabilities before and during the game….now it’s time to see leaders step up for the rest of the season
Michelle Tobin
Injury count was horrendous on both sides. Having said that I’m happy tonight
Christy O’Connor
First off the better team by far won. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, Nienabars tactics are awful. We are playing the same awful tactics that Van Graan did for Munster, stick it up the jumper and just try to barge through. We spent the majority of the 2nd half in their 22 and done nothing with it, not once did I feel confident that we would score. Superb defence from Munster but we never stretched them.
Felt sorry Frawley, was a brilliant tackle to deny the BP try only for the ref to make up some new law to give it.
Chris McDonnell
I have been saying this for years now, Cullen is not a head coach. He is a great servant to the club but simply has failed time and time again as coach. Pendergast didnt pick himself for ireland or leinster but simply isn’t any where near good enough at the minute and he may find it difficult to come back from this.
John Hyland
The breakdown was a free-for-all. Leinster lacked any pace or physicality. Crowley bossed our back three, and Prendergast was very poor. I’m not buying the ‘let him develop’ line. If he was good enough we would have seen it by now.
Conor Lowth
Actually refreshing to have a competitive Munster side back.
Leinster are on the decline the last couple of years and are persisting with mediocre players like Osborne, Frawley, Pendergast. These guys are rugby robots, slow with little flair , I fear for Leinster and Ireland
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