Fatigue not an issue for Leinster - Nienaber

Nienaber took over as Leinster senior coach after leading South Africa's successful Rugby World Cup defence in 2023

For much of the Leinster squad, the past month has stirred a broad spectrum of emotions.

There was the agony of an Investec Champions Cup semi-final loss at home to Northampton, denying the province a shot at redemption after a hat-trick of final defeats in the previous three seasons.

Just a few days later, the bulk of the squad were confronted with the whirlwind that is British and Irish Lions squad announcement day.

For most of them, it was good news, but for those who missed out it was another bitter pill so soon after their Champions Cup demise.

But the rugby season is relentless and Leinster can still end the season on a high note. Winning the United Rugby Championship title would both prevent a fourth successive season without silverware and soothe some of the lingering European pain.

However, the challenge of fending off exhaustion while chasing trophies has seemingly weighed heavily on the players in recent weeks, labouring to a 33-21 URC quarter-final win over Scarlets at Aviva Stadium last weekend despite having raced into a 12-0 lead in the opening 10 minutes.

Next up is a last-four encounter with holders Glasgow on Saturday (14:45 BST). Leinster have beaten Glasgow twice this season: a whopping Champions Cup quarter-final shutout and a less convincing URC win, both in the past seven weeks.

And while the prepare for a trilogy at the end of an enervating campaign, Jacques Nienaber - under whom the team's defence has thrived - does not sense depleted levels of energy or focus within the group.

"No, not at all," said the 52-year-old South African.

"We're cracking on. It's a privilege for any team to be involved in the knock-out stages.

"It's a privilege for us definitely to be testing ourselves against Glasgow this weekend, the reigning champions, who obviously understand how to play knock-out games if you look at what they did last year. It's a privilege to test ourselves against a quality side like that."

Nienaber has been impressed with his fellow countryman Franco Smith's work with Glasgow

If Leinster beat Glasgow, they will welcome the Bulls or Sharks to Croke Park in the final on 14 June, just six days before the Lions face Argentina at Aviva Stadium in their pre-tour warm-up fixture (although Leinster's Lions contingent will not be involved in the Argentina game if they contest the URC decider).

Pressed on the difficulty of focusing on closing out the URC campaign in such close proximity to the Lions series, Nienaber said: "I'm not a mental expert or a mental coach. That's not my expertise at all.

"I just must make sure that they are prepared for the challenges from an attacking point of view that Glasgow will throw at us, which is multiple. That's all I focus on, the other stuff is for other people."

Leinster and Glasgow are well acquainted at this stage. So, too, are Nienaber and Glasgow's South African head coach Franco Smith, who first met in the 1990s, long before Smith they emerged as two of their country's most respected coaches.

"I was his physiotherapist way back in 1998," recalled Nienaber.

"We didn't go to school together but we were in rival schools so I know him and his family quite well. I actually coached with him with the Cheetahs in 2006 and 2007 before he went to Italy.

"He was their attack coach while I was dipping my toes in defence. Franco is an incredible human, a good person and you can see how he is leading Glasgow and the quality they have produced in the past couple of seasons under his guidance and leadership.

"He is a wily character, he understands the game and gets the team to gel so it'll be a nice challenge for us."