Former hooker Bernard Jackman insists that incoming Leinster senior coach Jacques Nienaber could help elevate the Irish side’s game next season.
Nienaber, who will lead South Africa into the 2023 Rugby World Cup, will join the Dublin-based outfit following the conclusion of the global tournament.
He replaces Stuart Lancaster, who has departed the province to take up a role with Racing 92.
Lack of silverware
Lancaster was highly-regarded within the Leinster set-up, but it ended in disappointment as the team once again failed to lift a trophy.
They have not claimed the Champions Cup since 2018, while they have gone two years without tasting domestic glory, but Jackman, who played for the side between 2005 and 2010, but believes that Nienaber could change that.
“Jacques Nienaber is one of the best defence coaches in the world and understands the Irish system but also the Irish players’ mentality having spent time in Munster with Rassie Erasmus,” he wrote in his column for the Irish Independent.
“He will add something new to the team on and off the field, and their defence can be better for sure.
“It rarely gets exposed, to be fair, but as teams look to copy others that have beaten them by keeping the ball, it’s important to be even more destructive in defence and to use it as a weapon.
“Nienaber’s system is high-risk, high-reward and he seems to have an exceptional ability to coach it. All the South African teams try and use a similar system, but no one implements it like he does.
“Nienaber’s defence works well in part because the overall game plan is very much aligned with defence.”
Leadership
Jackman also says that a lack of leadership in the absence of Johnny Sexton could have played a part in their loss to La Rochelle in the Champions Cup final.
“Johnny Sexton’s retirement will leave a massive void on the field but also off it,” he wrote.
“He was huge in the dressing room and a player and character like him is irreplaceable. The likes of James Ryan and Garry Ringrose will step up and do it their way, but Leinster are weaker without him.
“The lack of obvious leaders wasn’t something that jumped out at me when I looked at this Leinster squad even with Sexton injured, but I was interested to hear Dan Leavy say on a podcast a few weeks ago that a lot of the boys are very quiet on and off the field.
“Being quiet doesn’t make you a bad leader, but certainly the way the team reacted to pressure in the last four knock-out games is a concern.”
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