Brendan O'Brien: Victory over La Rochelle was tip of the iceberg in great week for Leinster brains trust

Leinster's Ciaran Frawley celebrates kicking a late penalty with Jamison Gibson-Park.

It’s human nature to look more benignly on a coach and their decisions after a win. Victories bathe everything in a kinder light and make molehills out of issues that would loom like mountains the morning after a loss.

Leo Cullen knows this.

The Leinster head coach had to stomach two single-digit defeats to La Rochelle in the last two Champions Cup finals and then all the debate that flowed from them. The introspection would have been exhaustive even without that harsh spotlight from others.

Sunday in the Stade Marcel Deflandre was the mirror of all that.

A seven-point win for the province in horrifically bad weather conditions, and without a handful of key players, made for a day of days but it isn’t just the scoreboard that tells us this was a good week for the brains trust.

The big call was opting for Harry Byrne ahead of Ciaran Frawley at out-half but there were other departmental decisions of note too. Naming Will Connors ahead of Josh van der Flier. Ryan Baird at the blindside. Even the decision not to start the in-form Charlie Ngatai.

One wonders what input Jacques Nienaber had in all this so early into his time in Dublin.

Some selections are made for you. The unavailability of Tadhg Furlong meant Michael Ala’alatoa was next in line and, though the Samoan international struggled at the scrum, he stayed on for the 80 minutes with the inexperienced Thomas Clarkson unused.

The choice of Byrne had been bounced around by the media and fans since Friday team’s announcement and the 24-year old gave an assured performance before being removed with a head injury shortly before half-time.

Byrne had one kick that dribbled over the end line but, that apart, he did just fine in the cauldron and with very limited supply of ball. He passed the ball just six times in his 40 minutes but his handling for Jordan Larmour’s try was superb.

“It was a great piece of skill execution from Harry,” said Cullen, “and he nails the conversion as well. And, literally, the points meant so much, didn’t they? We just had our noses in front all the time and La Rochelle are under a bit of pressure to change the game after that.” 

Frawley had even less opportunity with ball in hand as the hosts dominated the third quarter but, one fumble aside, he did well with his few chances. He managed only four passes, but carried for 34 metres and closed the game out with an outrageous 60m penalty.

This was a big step up in class for both men but Cullen linked their efforts to recent URC games where they helped close out similarly tight games: against Munster last month when Frawley replaced Byrne, and in Galway against Connacht when the pair connected for Frawley’s winning try.

“It’s great exposure for the two of them because they are still young tens. Like, it’s bloody hard to be a top-end ten because there are so many moving parts. There’s managing the week, particularly from an attacking point in managing the team.

“So it’s not just getting yourself ready, it’s making sure you get everybody else around you ready as well. I thought Harry did that really, really well and then Frawls was ready to step in like he was minutes into the Munster game a couple of weeks ago as well.” 

Byrne is now a doubt for Saturday’s round two Champions Cup engagement, with Sale Sharks at the RDS, so it may be that Frawley gets the start at ten many have championed for some time. If he does then Sam Prendergast may provide back-up off the bench.

The hope is that Jack Conan will be fit enough to come into contention after missing the trip to France, Furlong’s return is less certain, while James Lowe is “less likely” again to be involved against the English visitors.

One interesting aside from Sunday’s opener was the fact that both sides finished with ten of the 15 players they started the game with. Cian Healy did count as a sixth ‘replacement’ for Leinster but only for seven minutes at the end of the first-half.

Clarkson and young scrum-half Ben Murphy were unused against the Top 14 side but, while a six-day turnaround is challenging, Leinster will have ten days after it to prep for their annual festive trip to Limerick.

“Thanks very much whoever organises those fixtures,” Cullen joked. My family are complaining! Put in a good word for us, please. It's a tough schedule of games this time of year, so it's making sure the lads try and manage themselves well and get excited for the next challenge.”