Bleyendaal: Ulster Are Riding High, It’s An Exciting Challenge

Converting more of their scoring opportunities is high up on Leinster’s Christmas wish list, according to attack coach Tyler Bleyendaal, as they face into three interprovincial derby matches in Dublin and Limerick.

Both Ulster and Connacht will visit the Aviva Stadium, either side of Leinster’s traditional festive trip to play arch rivals Munster at Thomond Park on Saturday week. Tickets for Friday’s showdown with Ulster (kick-off 7.45pm) are available to buy here.

Leo Cullen’s charges may have started their Investec Champions Cup campaign with back-to-back wins, but definite areas for improvement remain as they bid to climb the BKT United Rugby Championship table heading into the new year.

Bleyendaal said that the review of their hard-earned 23-15 victory over Leicester Tigers, where they overturned a nine-point half-time deficit at Mattioli Woods Welford Road, highlighted the need to sharpen up an attack that has been stuttering at times.

“It was a frustrating one where we weren’t converting some pretty clear opportunities. We had a chat about that this morning as a group,” admitted the New Zealander, speaking on Monday.

“Sometimes it’s just an individual area. Sometimes it’s a bit of composure, other times it’s decision making. I think, just as a group, we’ve got to be better because we created opportunities to score points and apply pressure.

“Even worse, then we turn one over and Leicester score the length of the field (through Adam Radwan). So it’s like a double whammy, and definitely something we’ve identified as an area for improvement.”

Given their enviable record in both competitions, Leinster are judged by the highest of standards, and while they have not been at their fluent best of late, they are still nicely positioned in their Champions Cup pool and within reach of the top four in the URC.

The festive interpros offer the chance to improve their form and push further up the table after only three wins in the opening six rounds. They are currently sixth in the standings, five points behind Friday’s visitors Ulster who have played a game less.

Jack Conan will be available for selection having come through the graduated return-to-play protocols. A decision on Tadhg Furlong, who missed the Leicester tie through illness, will be made later in the week.

Following his arm injury, Will Connors returned to training last week and will be assessed further as this week progresses. That will be the case with Jimmy O’Brien too, after he sustained a hamstring injury during the opening quarter against Tigers.

“We’re probably going to have to make some changes and rotate our squad, which is good for us. Other guys will get opportunities,” explained Bleyendaal.

“We won two European games, which we’re really happy about. Now we’ve got a very tough Christmas period where we’re going to have interpros.

“We’d like to be further up on the URC log, that’s for sure, but we are where we are. We tackle a very tough Ulster team that are riding pretty high at the moment. It’s going to be a pretty hard challenge for us.

“We need to turn up and it’s going to be an exciting challenge for us. I would expect them to come here fully loaded and very motivated. We’re going to have to match that and better that.”

Showing more cutting edge will be key if Leinster are to make it five straight wins in all competitions. James Lowe said there is a lot for Cullen’s side to prove as ‘we haven’t had the better of teams like we have at the start of competitions’.

They are up there with the URC’s leading try scorers at present, touching down 23 times compared to the 26 tries registered by both Ulster and the Vodacom Bulls. A dozen of their tries have originated from the lineout, with five each from tap penalties and turnovers.

Notably, it is taking them longer to break down defences. Seven of those lineout-launched tries took between five and nine phases to get over the line, and four of the tap penalty or turnover variety went through seven to eleven-plus phases.

Individual wise, recent debutant Josh Kenny (4 tries) and Alex Soroka (3) are the province’s top try scorers in league action, while Brian Deeny, with 128 attacking ruck arrivals, and Soroka, with six lineout steals, are also ranking high in those categories.

Meanwhile, there are no further injury updates on Cormac Foley, Hugo Keenan, James Culhane, Jamie Osborne, Ryan Baird, Jordan Larmour, Andrew Porter, Garry Ringrose, and RG Snyman.