James Ryan: Connacht defeat 'a reminder to us that we can't get complacent'

The Leinster team leave the field dejected after losing to Connacht in the PRO14. Picture: INPHO/Dan Sheridan

James Ryan admits a little bit of a “fear factor” has creeped into the Leinster squad this week as the province look to get their PRO14 title defence back on track against Ulster at the RDS tomorrow.

Last Saturday’s surprise defeat to Connacht has quickly changed the mood at Leinster HQ, that one result skewing the picture more than it usually would given the exceptional circumstances presented in this condensed season. That sole ‘L’ beside Leinster’s name in their Pro14 table leaves them trailing Conference A leaders Ulster by 10 points, with only one team qualifying for this season’s final.

Leo Cullen’s side have two games in hand on the Ulster men, but a second successive setback at the RDS tomorrow night would put their hunt for a fourth straight Pro14 title under serious threat.

"It's just a reminder to us that we can't get complacent,” says  Ryan, one of a number of internationals set to be reinstated to an injury-hit Leinster team.

“I think these inter-provincial games are a step up sometimes from some of the other league games, there's that extra bit of bite to them. There's a number of guys from Connacht who would have come through the Leinster system and you could see how much it meant to them (last week), guys like Tom Daly, Conor Oliver, these boys were up for it.

"It will be a similar intensity for us this week so we have to make sure we're at that level.” 

This is a point that has been touched on often in recent days, and with good reason. Like Connacht, Ulster will travel to Dublin with a number of players who were at one stage either deemed surplus to requirements at Leinster or decided to leave in search of more regular playing time.

Not long after the final whistle blew at the RDS last Saturday, Cullen noted the motivation and hunger evident in Connacht players that might have had “a point to prove.” You can be sure his coaching staff have spent this week ramming that message home again.

“If you look at all the areas of their game it's hard to pin-point any weaknesses. They're a top-quality team,” Ryan says of Ulster.

“We're treating this very much like a cup final and Ulster will be doing the same. They're probably out of Europe now but they're unbeaten in the league. They're the only team left that haven't lost. They've had some big wins recently, I think that win down in the Sportsground was big for them. So they'll back themselves going away from home and I think they'll have a lot of belief coming here.

"There's a bit of an edge to our preparation this week so far and I think there's probably that little bit of fear factor as well, which is often needed in these weeks, that if we don't perform then we won't get the result that we're looking for.” 

Leinster are due to follow-up the Ulster game with back-to-back Champions Cup ties against Northampton Saints and Montpellier, but the first of those fixtures is now in doubt after the Saints saw their Premiership clash with Leicester Tigers, due to be played on Saturday, abandoned yesterday after returning a number of positive tests for Covid-19. The club will return to training for further testing next Monday.