Ever since his arrival at the province, Leinster have been on an upward curve with Stuart Lancaster as part of their coaching team.
The former England head coach was appointed as a senior coach last September. That deal was due to end at the conclusion of this season. It was reported yesterday that Lancaster and head coach Leo Cullen have both agreed new deals which will keep them at the RDS for at least the next two years.
In an interview with BT Sport ahead of this weekend's Champions Cup game between Leinster and Wasps, Lancaster explained why it's worked so well for him in Dublin.
The 47-year-old said that many had thought he would want to be head coach. However, he said he'd had 'enough of that'.
I owe them a lot. They were the ones who had the confidence to ring me up and say, 'Would you like to join us?' It's a difficult position when you've lost you position as a national coach. You sit down thinking, 'What's the next step?'
I got two bits of advice. One from Wayne Smith was, 'Get back to doing what you love', which was coaching. Wayne Bennett, the Australian rugby league coach, said to me, 'Wherever you go. Make sure 100 per cent you want to go and 100 per cent they want you to come.
That's how it feels here and that's why it's worked so well.
Lancaster also added that Leinster's identity, build upon the abundance of homegrown players in the squad, is a major factor in the province's success.
I've not come across a team with so many homegrown players. The identity is incredibly strong. That's why their success is the way it is in the Pro12 but also in Europe this year.
You can watch Lancaster, along with Leo Cullen and Tadhg Furlong speak on BT Sport below.
