With an abundance of talent and one of the world’s most respected club infrastructures behind him, the head coach of Leinster Rugby, Leo Cullen, could only secure the 2018 Investec Champions Cup and has since reached multiple finals without success.
Recent years have seen them fall agonisingly short in Europe, losing several Champions Cup finals and semi-finals to French opposition. Cullen, however, has remained resolute, constantly evolving the team’s approach and refusing to deviate from the province’s identity.
His leadership continues to set the tone, understated, unyielding, and uncompromising in the pursuit of excellence.
"We always feel like we have a point to prove," Cullen said ahead of their Grand Final showdown with the Vodacom Bulls.
"Certainly I do anyway. Because that’s just the nature of the job I'm in, and the team are in a pretty similar situation, so listen, we would love to go out and win every week."
"What have we played this season now? Eighteen regular season games and two knockout games, four pool Champions Cup games and three knockouts. What’s that, 27 games, next week we get to play a 28th. A perfect season, you get to play 29."
"We will get to play 28, we have lost three. Every week you play, you feel like you have a point to prove. I don’t think it’s hugely different, to be honest."