Younger Leinster<\/a> players were getting minutes ahead of me. I could not argue, the evidence was undeniable, and I knew Cheika was telling the other centres to prove that they deserved to stay in the team. <\/p>\n That is an uncomfortable conversation, between coach and established international, but a necessary one that needs to start happening across the provincial squads. <\/p>\n Players rarely remember any game. The losses are hard to shake. The wins that stay with them are the ones they earned, particularly derby matches where emotion and momentum collide. <\/p>\n Leinster\u2019s performance against Ulster<\/a> last Friday was flawed, but what is emerging this season is their willingness to fight through sketchy form. There was genuine appreciation on the players\u2019 faces when the final whistle went. The winning mentality remains intact. <\/p>\n Individuals are putting their hands up. Joshua Kenny has been excellent since the switch from Sevens. Harry Byrne is consistently impressive at outhalf while Scott Penny and Alex Soroka keep showing their value in the backrow. Harry has four caps for Ireland, the other three have zero between them. <\/p>\n Their form raises a question Leinster rarely need to answer: are some selections beginning to tilt towards merit rather than reputation?<\/p>\n If you are selected for a province, Ireland or the Lions, you are there because you have the capacity to play at that level. Your challenge is to stay there. <\/p>\n There are matches that linger long after a season has finished. The ones when you sit in your locker a little longer, the body more bruised than usual as a quiet satisfaction numbs the pain. A line from A League of Their Own always comes to mind: \u201cIt\u2019s supposed to be hard. If it wasn\u2019t hard, everyone would do it. The hard is what makes it great.\u201d<\/p>\n I remember some games so clearly. Toulouse. Croke Park. Twickenham. Some became personal reference points, while others defined teams that I played on. <\/p>\n That felt like the case for Leinster last Friday and, while a victory proved elusive for Ulster, the performance will go a long way towards building a clearer understanding of how they can take the next step. <\/p>\n These type of games form part of the story you return to when you want to understand how far you have come, or how far you still need to go. <\/p>\n From Leinster winning for the first time in France against Montferrand in 2002 to beating Munster in 2009, we built a body of work that proved we could win the tight games.<\/p>\n Despite being capped at 19, when it came to Ireland selection I was behind players like Tyrone Howe and John Kelly for a few years. <\/p>\n Kelly was someone I would later come to admire. Often underrated, the Munster winger was relentlessly consistent. He was a better player than me at that point, and I either had to improve or accept my fate. <\/p>\n Things began to shift under Cheika. There were landmark moments: our first win in Thomond Park, victory in Toulouse, the Bloodgate<\/a> match against Harlequins. Each experience sharpened our understanding of what was required in pressure moments. <\/p>\n That is why, when I saw Leinster\u2019s team to face Ulster, my initial reaction was surprise. It felt like a risk, a stick to beat them with over selection: a new half-back pairing, changes in the pack, a reshaped back three.<\/p>\n By winning, Leo Cullen and his coaching staff looked brave to trust squad depth and current form. It raises an important point about the club\u2019s selection policy as picking a provincial side based on reputation rather than form does everyone a disservice.<\/p>\n![\"Leinster’s](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/2B4COJHPWXJA5UMKV32HXREG2M.jpg\")
Leinster\u2019s Harry Byrne celebrates winning the URC match between Leinster and Ulster at Aviva Stadium last Friday. Photograph: Dan Sheridan\/Inpho <\/p>\n![\"Leinster's](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/R4BIVPVCFFBCVBZANKY6N42GFM.jpg\")
Leinster’s Gordon D’Arcy is tackled by John Kelly of Munster in October 2006. Photograph: Billy Stickland\/Inpho <\/p>\n