LIPE OF FAITH FOR BLUES
Leinster bring in Argentinian old boy to work with ex-protege Sexton
THEY were once rivals for the same jersey but now Johnny Sexton and Felipe Contepomi will join forces in a bid to keep Leinster on top in Europe.
After losing former Ireland full-back Girvan Dempsey from his coaching set-up, Leo Cullen has added a true cult hero in Contepomi as backs coach.
Contepomi, 40, hung up his boots after a post-leinster playing spell in France with Toulon and Stade Francais, and one final stint at home in Argentina with Club Newman.
But he has now rejoined the province after a couple of seasons with the Argentinian Rugby Union and a spell as assistant coach for the recently formed Super 15 club, Jaguares.
Towards the end of his sixyear spell with Leinster, Contepomi faced competition from Sexton, who was emerging as a serious rival for the No.10 jersey.
In fact Sexton replaced Contepomi in the Heineken Cup semifinal defeat of Munster in 2009, when the former Puma suffered a cruciate ligament injury.
Sexton, who was then 23, started in the final against Leicester Tigers, the first of four triumphs by Leinster in the competition.
The latest arrived only last month and now Contepomi has been brought on board to try to maintain that success and will work in conjunction with Stuart Lancaster in devising a plan of attack for next season.
Cullen (below) is enthused at the prospect of Contepomi helping to guide the glut of young backs coming through Leinster’s hugely fruitful academy conveyor belt.
“Definitely yeah, although
Johnny says he’s going to play into his 40s, so I think Felipe’s got to try to help him get to there first,” laughed Cullen.
“But Johnny and Felipe have a very strong relationship going back to when they would have been competing with each other. They played a little bit together as well.
“I think Johnny is very, very excited about Felipe coming back as well.
“A lot of guys come through the system here, whether through the clubs or the schools, into the sub-academy and the academy, and you’re producing from within so much.
“Every now and again it’s nice to have a bit of an outside perspective coming in.
“And Felipe gives us that because he’s been in Leinster and understands how things operate and played in England and in France afterwards.
“So I think he’ll add a huge amount to some of the young players.”
As a former team-mate Cullen has a huge appreciation of what 87-times capped Contepomi brought to the province, and also what he’ll bring now. Cullen said: “He was a great character in the dressing-room and wants to do well, wants to come and try and add value as best as he possibly can.”