You can very easily split Leinster's season into five segments - during the World Cup, post RWC, pre Six Nations, during the Six Nations, and post Six Nations.
For three of those sections, Leinster won more games than they lost. For a team that has over 20 representatives in the Irish international squad at any one time - you'd expect the two fallow periods in Leinster's season to be during the international windows.
You'd be wrong.
Leinster did well in winning three of their five games during the World Cup, and four of five games during the Six Nations. The real problems in Leinster's season have come when they try to assimilate the internationals back into a winning squad.
The first problem came at the beginning of the Champions Cup - leading to two woeful performances against Wasps and Bath that effectively knocked Leinster out of Europe. Then the issue cropped up again when they failed to beat Connacht, and beat Munster playing badly.
It's a far cry from the wonderful running rugby the likes of Ross Molony, Garry Ringrose, Ben Te'o, and James Tracey have been playing without the internationals around. The youngsters are thriving for Leinster this season, and their continuity is hampered by trying to bring in the senior players who are used to different calls.
Johnny Sexton admitted it was a problem trying to remember which were the Leinster calls and which were for Ireland against Munster - and that he called a few Ireland moves - thoroughly confusing Ben Te'o via the Irish Independent:
At times I was shouting Irish plays and Ben Te'o didn't have a clue what I was talking about and Garry had half an idea because he was in camp training with us.
It's hard to get out of that Irish mindset and into the systems here, as hard as you try and as much work as you do off the pitch, it sneaks back in there.
Leinster's best run came at the turn of the year, they recorded five victories and a loss after Toulon beat them home and away - and arguably the best performances of that period came from the youngsters when they were given the opportunity against Bath.
These issues might be heightened because of the World Cup, so hopefully it won't be as bad next season.
It goes to show the difficulties that Leo Cullen has had to endure in his first season in charge, and that he needs more help from the IRFU to better manage the legion of talent at his disposal. But also that he's done an exceptional job in getting the younger players to perform for him - when his predecessor couldn't do the same.
With Leinster at the top of the Pro 12 , Cullen has done an exceptional job given the situation he's found himself in.
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Picture credit: Brendan Moran / SPORTSFILE
