Eoin Reddan offered a rueful smile. As the first Leinster player to venture into a media forum following the departure of coach, Matt O'Connor, he knew the primary line of questioning that would be pursued.
“It’s obviously tough for everyone; no one likes to see that happen. As players we backed Matt until the end and now it’s time to back the organisation.” He maintained that the decision did come as a surprise and that the players must take individual and collective responsibility.
“The criticism was always levelled at the group. As a whole we didn’t perform well enough. It’s very hard then for an organisation to come in then and rectify that. On this occasion they chose Matt. As a group, players are still looking at themselves and feel we could have done much more for Matt.
“We have to get our heads around it quickly, get training and preparing again. It’s very tough; Matt is a great guy who had lots of friends in the squad so none of us like to see that happen.”
New coach
On the subject of a new coach, Reddan admitted: “I trust the organisation enough that when they get someone I’ll back him, get on with my own stuff and deliver that as best I can all the time. That’s the important thing for a new guy coming in, that whoever it is, that people buy into what he wants.
“There’s a process of selecting that guy and, I suppose, the question really is ‘do I believe in that process? That is what it comes down to; and I do.”
Reddan also defended the IRFU’s current player management system. “I think Matt probably saw the worst side of it because we didn’t perform well enough as players when we came back for him. We’ve got a great group of players in Leinster from top to bottom. Going forward, I have full confidence that group can deliver if we up our own standards. We’re going to need to give more to the guy coming in than we gave to Matt this year.
“It is important for players to be managed properly throughout the year. The question is as a club do you still feel you can win trophies? And we certainly do. Someone [potential coach] out there will see it as an opportunity and someone out there will think it’s not for them.
“The last thing you want to get is someone – it is the same as a player if you’re recruiting a guy – who’s ‘iffy’ about coming to you. You want someone who’s ‘I’m all over this. I want this’.”
