Jack McGrath cherishes nights like the one Leinster enjoyed at the RDS last Friday. They represent a reward for the months of toil on the training paddock. The key to success is being able to produce that high-calibre performance on a regular basis.
Leinster haven't managed to as often as they would like this season, but when their mettle was questioned ahead of their Guinness Pro12 victory over Ulster, Leo Cullen's charges answered in an emphatic manner that brooked no argument.
McGrath, who has been outstanding for club and country this season, explained that within the squad, the players and management knew that they were on the cusp of a display like that, especially if they could marry intensity and accuracy, be a little more clinical.
The trick now is to replicate those levels on Saturday in Edinburgh when provincial rivals Connacht stand between Leinster and the silverware they crave.
There is enough of a time lag between now and kick-off for the players to speak warmly of international team-mates, friends and 80-minute foes. McGrath admires what Connacht have achieved.
“You can’t not say that they’ve done well,” he says. “Look where they’ve come from in three years – it’s brilliant. The quality of the players and coaches that they have now is excellent. People are talking about them being the underdogs, [but] I don’t think that’s the case; it’s not a fluke that they’re here. They’re not up there in the try-scoring stats, defensive stats, winning stats, by accident. They’ve had a winning season and they’ve got key players in key areas that have played really well.”
Suspension of friendship
An example of the suspension of friendship is provided by McGrath and
Finlay Bealham
, someone whose company the St Mary’s College prop enjoyed during the Six Nations Championship. Bealham’s Irish cap came about when replacing McGrath during the Italy match in the Six Nations.
“He’s been great,” McGrath said. “I’m quite pally with him, I got on very well with him during the Six Nations; he’s a nice guy. We’ve a lot in common and we had a bit of craic. He’s a very strong player, great scrummager, skilful too.”
McGrath is expecting a decent tussle in the scrum, pointing out that Connacht are “positive” in what they try to do in this facet of the game. Players draw motivation from both positive and negative experiences, and one thing that still grates from a Leinster perspective is missing out on the league playoffs last season.
“It was massively difficult, for everyone. I don’t even think we did watch the semi-final last year, but it was hard knowing they [the matches] were going on without us in them,” McGrath says. “I remember thinking last year: ‘This is somewhere you never want to be again.’ Just left in limbo, training until the middle of May with nothing to play for. So I think everyone got a bit of a root [up the backside] at the end of last season to buck up.
“It’s not just going to happen for us, we have to work hard. It is a squad effort – even the young guys realise that now.
“Maybe previously they’d come in and winning was a culture that just happened. But it has to be rebuilt. It’s happening again, which is great to see.
“We lost to these [Connacht] boys down there and there was a lot of hurt because we were so close. The game in the RDS was pretty tight. If you look at both of those games they were fairly abrasive and I don’t think anything’s going to change this weekend.”
McGrath doesn’t subscribe to the notion that Leinster’s greater experience of these occasions will be a factor at Murrayfield, pointing out that the Connacht players and management will be determined to round off a marvellous season with the perfect finale. They’re not going to die wondering.
