It’s time to deliver, warns Leo Cullen as Leinster play for pride

Dave Bristol wouldn’t rank up there with the Vince Lombardis, Connie Macks or John Woodens of American legend, but he did manage to knock around Major League baseball for 30 years as a coach of various stripes and as a manager. 

That isn’t a record to be sniffed at given the volcanic nature and limited lifespan of those whose job it is to commandeer dressing-rooms and the inevitable frustrations that come with inveigling large groups of people to perform in unison in high-pressure environments.

Bristol’s ‘bon mot’ aren’t bandied around as motivational scriptures like those mentioned above, but he did deliver a great line once when, as manager of the San Francisco Giants, he addressed his players ahead of a fixture on the road.