Such are the typically gradual return-to-play protocols of the season, with Ireland frontliners drip fed back (to Leinster especially), that only in the second weekend of October did it finally feel like Leo Cullen’s side were fully back in action.
That was exactly how Cullen put it after his side’s 29-5 win over Cardiff that was at times snazzy and other times clunky. Hardly surprising given nine of his starting XV were playing their first game in months.
“Yeah, up and running,” was the head coach’s immediate verdict, said with relief as much as elation. “It was a great build-up to the game. The players were really excited to be back now, and it’s great to see the turnout of fans that we had there today.”
While Cullen said there was “lots of good stuff in the first half”, Leinster having opened up a 22-5 lead by the break, he added: “Unfortunately, at the start of the second half, we don’t put on much of a show, it gets a bit disjointed.
RM Block
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“The big challenge is when you have so many players coming back in for the first game of the season, it just looks like lads haven’t played in a while. But we stuck at it, defended well, scrambled well on lots of different stages and got over towards the end.”
Taking comfort in their use of 40 players across the opening three rounds, Cullen said it was a “really positive start”, “but we just need to work at getting better across the board”.
His enthusiasm over Leinster’s return to the RDS, now the rebranded and refurbished Laya Arena, was undimmed.
“It’s such a great venue. It’s amazing we’ve sold out today, but we would love that to be just the norm now.”
On how his team can help that endeavour, he added: “We can do better in terms of our performance. I think there’s lots of great effort and intent, but it’s just making sure we gel and get more cohesive as a group.
“We don’t have another game in the RDS during this first block of the season, so it’s into the next block of the season, but you’d love for us to have this place as a really special venue to be part of – as in, players and supporters. We all need to work at that.”
Asked about Sam Prendergast’s starring role, Cullen said: “He’s just building all the time. That’s what we’ve been saying for the last few years.
“He has a really positive mindset, wants to keep getting better at all aspects of his game. Once you have young players that are like that, they will get better. That’s the main thing. We all have to be patient.
“As young players, particularly in a critical position like that, playing at 10, there are so many moving parts to manage. He’s getting better all the time, and we want to continue the growth of all our young players.”
Prendergast certainly lived up to the occasion of Leinster’s competitive return to the RDS, the young outhalf describing the atmosphere as “unreal”.
“There’s been a serious buzz for the last number of months about getting back, and everyone was looking forward to playing in front of that crowd,” said Prendergast. “We kind of knew it was going to be a sell-out and then, as soon as we walked in off the bus, you could feel the buzz.
“Before kick-off was pretty special as well. You could see within the whole organisation, it wasn’t just the players who were excited to be home, it was all the backroom staff too, and I think that’s pretty special.”
The team came through with a winning result to cap off the celebrations, with Prendergast admitting their effort was “good in parts” and “scrappy” in others.
Of his own man-of-the-match performance, in which he took on more of a ball-carrier and running role, he added: “It’s probably something that I’m trying to work on personally, being a bit more of a running threat, so it was nice.
“There’s still a few opportunities where I probably ran when I should have passed, and I probably could have done better when I was running. There’s probably a lot of improvement on it, but it was promising.”
