Leinster Rugby co-captain Garry Ringrose is hoping that the forthcoming arrival of South Africa’s World Cup-winning head coach, Jacques Nienaber, at the Irish province will end their Investec Champions Cup drought.
Leinster have had golden chances to add to their four titles in EPCR’s elite competition in the past two finals, but on both occasions, they have been narrowly beaten by Stade Rochelais.
Speaking at the launch of this season’s competition on Wednesday, Ringrose said of his new senior coach: “He’s won at the top. It’s what Leinster have struggled to do over the last two, three years – that final hurdle in those big games with tight margins, falling on the right side of them.
“His track record would suggest that he’s fallen on the right side. He would definitely have an insight into how to win on the big days. It will be interesting to pick his brain or see what he implements or how he challenges us.
“I don’t think we would necessarily be an easy team to play against anyway, but if he can have that impact to make us a tough team to play against or help us improve in that area, it would be massive. Hopefully on the big days we will see that.”
Leinster face La Rochelle again in the opening game of their 2023-24 Investec Champions Cup challenge on December 10, but Ringrose stressed that the Irish side won’t treat the Pool 4 tie at Stade Marcel Deflandre as a chance to settle a couple of old scores.
“There is no feeling of revenge,” said the Ireland centre. “There’s no easy match in the Champions Cup. We cannot afford to be timid or to look too far into the future. It's going to be a huge match, away, in La Rochelle. We are going to have to give everything.
“History suggests that we haven't figured out how to beat them yet, but this kind of match is decided on fine details.”
Ringrose discounted La Rochelle’s poor start to the TOP 14 season, which sees them lying in eighth place after four defeats from seven games.
“I don't believe their recent results reflect their true level or their true value,” he said. “They have quite a few players coming back and we expect to find them at their best. We know from experience that we also have to be at our best if we want to have a chance.”
