Ireland's Caelan Doris has said that it will take time for the Leinster players to adjust to World Cup winner Jacques Nienaber's new system.
Leinster were beaten by Ulster on New Year's Day by a single point in the RDS Arena and were left with more to ponder after the result. Ulster out-half Billy Burns produced three assists on the day and was able to unlock Leinster's defensive system on the day.
Despite the loss, Doris feels that Leinster will eventually click under Nienaber and that it is a matter of when, not if, for the blue Irish province.
“It’s still a new system,” said Doris. “We’re still getting used to the way Jacques wants us to learn—by making mistakes, by throwing us in the deep end, and by learning through mistakes as opposed to being a little bit cautious and not fully committing to it. It’s bound to happen at the start.
“We’re still only five games in with Jacques, and I think it will evolve as we go on. We enjoy it, and it’s an exciting way to defend as well, with the mindset to get the back always as well. In conditions like this as well, it’s something that puts a little bit more pressure on teams.
“Ulster has multiple threats. Two of them were kick passes, and fair play to them; they got them off. On another day, they mightn’t have, but we will still stick to our system and put them under pressure.”
"𝙄𝙩'𝙨 𝙖 𝙥𝙧𝙞𝙫𝙞𝙡𝙚𝙜𝙚." 🙏
Caelan Doris spoke to Leinster Rugby TV about what it means to Captain the side for the first time. #LEIvULS #FromTheGroundUp pic.twitter.com/nwUWqmx8Jh— Leinster Rugby (@leinsterrugby) January 1, 2024
Doris, who was captain in Monday's defeat, is also a contender for the Irish gig. Since Johnny Sexton's departure, there have been several candidates linked to the role already. They include the likes of Doris' teammate Gary Ringrose, James Ryan, Ulster's Iain Henderson, and Munster's Peter O'Mahony.
When asked how he felt about being captain against Ulster, the Ballina native responded by saying he enjoyed the responsibility.
“I enjoyed it,” added Doris. “Definitely a bit more pressure, a bit more responsibility. I've got more admiration for what the lads have done—certainly more to think about. It’s been a while for me, but I’ve enjoyed it.
“Yeah, like I said, there is a little more pressure with it,” he said. “You take defeats like that [Ulster] a bit harder as well. Look inward a bit more. It’s definitely an honour.
“But it’s easy with this group too. There are leaders throughout the team. You’ve got Dan Sheehan, who captained a few weeks ago; you’ve got Cian Healy, Robbie [Henshaw], so much experience.”
Leinster plays Stade Français in the Champions Cup on January 13.
