Johann van Graan: ‘Leinster is, in terms of their pipeline, the best in world rugby’
They will have a slight wait on their hands before finding out exactly where they finish in the overall rankings, but as things stand, Leinster head coach Leo Cullen is satisfied with how his side’s European Champions Cup campaign for 2024/25 has gone to date.
After previously securing victories at the expense of Bristol Bears, Clermont and La Rochelle, the eastern province recorded a 47-21 bonus point triumph over English Premiership leaders Bath at the Aviva Stadium on Saturday evening to emerge as comfortable winners of Pool Two in Europe’s top-tier.
Already guaranteed to have a home game in the Champions Cup Round of 16, Leinster have now given themselves every chance of remaining on Irish soil for the quarter-final and semi-final stages of this season’s competition – should they progress that far.
The final standings of the 16 teams that are set to compete in the knockout rounds of the Champions Cup will officially be determined on Sunday evening, but Cullen is pleased Leinster have done almost everything within their power to create a smooth passage back to a fourth consecutive European final.
“They were four very tough games. Bristol, the cohesion that they have versus our guys that had been playing in all four [international] tests [in the Autumn Nations Series]. Credit to the lads, the way they’ve gone about their work. Short turnaround into Clermont, very sticky team. They’re just a bloody tough nut to crack,” Cullen remarked in a post-match press conference at the Aviva on Saturday.
“Then you go away to La Rochelle. ROG, he has a, I’d say, strong dislike for Leinster. To put it mildly! Guys came through that well and again another six-day turnaround against Bath, who are riding high at the top of the Premiership and playing with a lot of confidence.
“Listen, to get four wins is great and we’ll see where we sit at the end of it. We’ve tried to do our bit anyway, which was battle away for every single point that is available. Maybe we didn’t get them all, but we’ve gone pretty close, which is good.”
For Saturday night’s game, Cullen found himself up against a familiar coaching adversary in the shape of Bath supremo Johann van Graan. Head coach of Leinster’s arch rivals Munster from 2017 to 2022, the South African had the Somerset-based outfit well prepared for his return to these shores and they stormed into a 14-0 lead with just under eight minutes gone in the contest.
Leinster eventually turned the screw, but it wasn’t until the 60th minute dismissal of Bath prop Beno Obano that the hosts opened up a significant lead over their cross-channel counterparts.
Despite not being selected to start the game, Leinster lock RG Snyman made his presence felt by grabbing a brace of tries off the bench. Along with Jordie Barrett and Rabah Slimani, the Springbok is a new addition to the Leinster set-up this season and van Graan – who signed Snyman went he was in charge of Munster back in 2020 – believes this triumvirate could provide them with the edge they need to go a step further in Europe at the end of the current campaign.
“In my view Leinster is, in terms of their pipeline, the best in world rugby. If you just think about it, 23 players going to the Six Nations from this team and if you add some of the best players in the world [they are formidable],” van Graan explained in his own post-match press conference.
“Slimani, he hasn’t played I think for the French in five and a half years and all of a sudden he’s back in the French picture. Do I need to say anything more about RG and then Jordie Barrett is one of the best in the world.
“They are a phenomenal team. They’ve played in the last three Champions Cup finals, they’re unbeaten in the URC. They definitely can win it.”