Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
THE BAR MUST BE SET HIGH
Lancaster says Irish provinces can’t let an inferiority complex hamper their ambition
STUART LANCASTER says Leinster, Munster and Ulster should be aiming to lift the Champions Cup trophy this season.
While Blues head coach Leo Cullen was moaning about the cash on offer at some top English and French clubs, Lancaster believes there’s more than enough talent in Irish clubs to compete.
Leinster and Munster made it to the semi-final stage last season – and the former England boss thinks there’s reason to believe they can do better again this time around.
“My expectations were high last year and I think the expectation should be there for the Irish teams,” the Leinster senior coach said.
“The players who play for them, I don’t see why the Irish teams can’t be at the top in European table.”
Montpellier are first up for Leinster this Saturday, and the Top 14 side have a budget that far exceeds any Irish team’s.
Last summer they snapped up All Black Aaron Cruden, former Ulster great Ruan Pienaar and France flanker Louis Picamoles, showing their intent to compete in both Europe and France.
The trio join an already well stocked squad and give coach Vern Cotter, another summer arrival, top class options all over the park.
“It is a very powerful side and a lot of it is based on driving line-out and physicality,” Lancaster said.
“They use that driving maul to suck in the defenders and use the width because they have got very good passers in 10 and 12 in Cruden and Francois Steyn and they have very powerful wingers.
“So they play with a lot more width than people give them credit for and certainly when we played them away from home they caused us problems, and we lost.
“Their attacking game caused more problems than any other team in any other pool game without a doubt.
“So there is a slight myth that they are big and powerful and just try and rumble over you because they don’t.
“You layer on Cruden’s kicking game and Pienaar’s kicking game and it makes them a very, very complete team.”
Leinster are still waiting for good news on the availability of Sean O’brien and Isa Nacewa, with just four days to go to kick off.
The pair missed Leinster’s win over Munster last weekend, and are only rated at 50/50 for the visit of the Top 14 heavyweights.
Robbie Henshaw will have another week of training under his belt, as Leinster’s Lions continue to build up to full match sharpness.
Lancaster said: “This time last year the Lions players had played two/three games by now.
“This year the Lions players – Johnny Sexton, Jack Mcgrath, Robbie and Tadhg Furlong, have only played one/two games so we are a bit further away in terms of match fitness, but they are all pretty fit.”