a trophy double hunt; Leinster still have some way to go to secure their coveted double Champions Cup/United Rugby Championship title, which has eluded them since 2018.
They struggled against Northampton last weekend and now face Toulouse on May 25 in the giants’ battle for European honours.
Jack Nynabar Leinster are alert with a trophy double hunt
But they are far from there, according to senior coach Jack Ninbar, who joined the Irish province last October after leading the Springboks to Rugby World Cup glory.
Ahead of their final in Tottenham, they have a pair of URC games to play as they look to reclaim the top spot they relinquished in Glasgow last month, starting next Saturday at home to the Ospreys at the RDS.
The pole position was lost due to a heavy two-match defeat on the tour of South Africa. However, despite concerns over some of their recent performances, Ninaber insists Leinster will only get better in the weeks ahead.
“We showed there are things we can improve on in attack,” he said after seeing off Saints 20-17 at Croke Park, as he returned his side’s focus to league action.
“When we reviewed the Northampton game with the players, they said, ‘We can do more’.a trophy double hunt
“We’ve got seven weeks until the end of the season and we’ve got seven weeks to make sure we get better at those things, but we’re not a finished product at all.
“Could we have done better? Yes. Could we have done better? Yes. The way we closed the game in the last four minutes was good.
“I think rugby is like life. It is raining in torrents. You don’t feel radiant every day for 50 years. Some days feel bad. Some days you feel great.
“That’s life, and rugby is like life. Sometimes momentum goes with you and sometimes it goes against you. It’s just how you absorb it. There will be opportunities. If you don’t take them, they’ll punish you. Simple as that. ”
Nienaber explained that the expectation that a team like the Saints would simply roll over in a major semi-final was not realistic. “I mean, which group buried them?
“They are not a team that goes fast. They are not top in the Premiership and have scored the most in the Premiership.
We saw it and we have to fix it, so we have to fix a lot of things. and a trophy double hunt
“That’s knockout rugby for you. No bonus points for knockouts, semi-finals, finals. You have to do everything in your power to win.
“That will be when we go to the URC quarterfinals. This weekend, it’s still bonus points and points difference for possession. But knockout games are about winning.”