Sting in tale of Wasps ensures Blues’ Reddan stays on guard

Ulster captain Johan Muller was quick to correct one reporter earlier this week when the word “holiday” was used to describe the team’s stint in sunny Portugal last week.

There may have been a barbecue one night and the odd round of golf but it was far more work than play. Contact drills were a constant, apparently, but it still sounds preferable to the wintry week Leinster were made endure here at home.

Topping it off last Saturday was a gruelling 80 minutes against Glasgow at the RDS punctuated by Leinster players being helped off the field by the province’s medical staff.