PUT IT ALL ON THE LION’

LEO Cullen is urging some of his star names snubbed by the Lions to move on as they kick off the season this evening.

Leinster trio Johnny Sexton, Garry Ringrose and James Ryan were all left disappointed not to make Warren Gatland’s squad.

Ringrose has since had shoulder surgery and makes his comeback against the back-to-back Currie Cup champs.

And Blues boss Cullen believes Sexton’s presence for the full preseasonperiodwillbeofmassive benefit to the 36-year-old, who skippers the side.

“Hopefully it will really stand to him for us this season, because he has that influence on the group,” said Cullen.

He has switched Andrew Porter back to loosehead from tighthead for the Ireland prop’s first competitive outing there in five years, and he is another who looks back with regret on the summer after injury robbed him of Lions action.

Forward

“Players just need to look forward now. There’s always something big to look forward to,” stressed Cullen.

“They are three really top-end players who have performed on the world stage — and there’s a few other guys thrown in there as well who probably have similar aspirations just to kick on.

“Everyone starts off from scratch at the start of the season and everyone has all their dreams and aspirations.

“But we’re into the serious stuff now where everything matters, and all the points are up for grabs now. Our guys have worked hard during pre-season but now it’s just producing on the day.

Reasons

“We’re really looking forward to the season now and the crowds add a new dimension to it as well, we hope. It’s something we’ve missed badly for lots of different reasons.

“But it’ll be great to have a big crowd here tomorrow and we can kick on and have some excitement and atmosphere and all that good stuff that people want to see.”

“We’re not going to be in a packed capacity but hopefully as we progress through the various stages over the next few weeks and months that would be the case.”

The new, condensed format means that there are only 18 games in the regular season to make your mark.

With only one from the four provinces automatically guaranteed Champions Cup qualification next season, Leinster are in need of a fast start.

“Get off to a good start I think is the key,” Cullen said. “We’ve a fivegame block so it’s very hard to look beyond that at the moment.

“Five games, 25 points up for grabs, try to get as many points as you possibly can, then you can reassess during that November window which is different.

“It’s trying to get your head around it. For a lot of people this season will look the same whereas it’s quite different in reality when you think of the way the season is.

“It’s just trying to attack them block by block at the moment.”