Read more
Leinster are once again touring SA in the URC without the vast majority of their A team players who just finished the Six Nations with Ireland.
Former Springbok and Leinster coach Jacques Nienaber says the team would like to tour SA in a different window so they can bring their full strength squad. Picture: Dan Mullan/Getty Images
Former Springbok and current Leinster coach Jacques Nienaber said that the Irish giants would like to tour South Africa during a different window, so that they can bring a full-strength squad to take on the country’s top franchises.
Over the past three seasons in the United Rugby Championship (URC) Leinster have toured South Africa during the window between the end of the Six Nations and start of two major competition knockouts, the URC and Champions Cup.
They have thus chosen to send an understrength squad featuring largely B and C team players to the country, and have thus suffered some massive defeats against South African teams.
Last season they were drilled 44-12 by the Lions and 42-12 by the Stormers, in the 2022-23 season they stunned the Lions 39-36 but were then destroyed by the Bulls 62-7, and in the 2021-22 season they went down 28-23 to the Sharks and 20-13 to the Stormers.
They have thus only come away from SA with one win out of seven games in the URC, as their full strength team was bested by the Bulls 25-20 in last season’s semifinals.
That was the second time the Bulls had beaten a full-strength Leinster side, as they stunned them 27-26, also in the URC semifinals in the 2021-22 season.
The Bulls will thus feel very confident of picking up a full house of points against Leinster on Saturday, before they head down to Durban to face the Sharks next weekend.
“In the two years I’ve been with the club we’ve always got our South African tour in this slot, between the end of the Six Nations and European knockout games,” said Nienaber during a press conference on Monday.
“It is always a nice challenge here, but we always get this slot. Last year, that semifinal against the Bulls was the first time that the majority of the (full-strength) group was able to travel to South Africa.
“So it’s not an injustice, but they are so keen to come and play here and to experience South Africa. A guy like Cian Healy travelled with us here during this slot last year, when we played the URC games, not the semifinal, and that was his first time in SA, and he is the most capped Irish international.
“It is a tour that the Irish internationals look forward to, and I feel so sorry for them that it comes in this slot and they can’t come to SA, because they want to experience it.
“It makes it tough. But this group that’s here, they relish the challenge. They are selected because we believe they’re good enough and can get a result for us.”
Although the Bulls will reap the benefits of not facing a full-strength Leinster, the Sharks may not be as lucky, as Nienaber claimed that they are hopeful that a few internationals will be able to make the trip down for the game in Durban next weekend.
“We are getting feedback from the Irish staff and medics regarding injuries and management protocols, if there are any to fulfil. The majority of the squad we used (in the wins) against Cardiff and Ospreys are here (in SA),” said Nienaber.
“We are hopeful that some of the lads who participated in the Six Nations can join us. Unfortunately with them playing in Rome (against Italy in the Six Nations over the past weekend) and us travelling, there are also those logistics at the front end of the week and some will only filter in when they become available.
“Possibly week two, we will get a few. However, we will wait and see. It’s all about individual management.”
Download our app