"There's no secret to success, is there? Preparation and hard work play a huge part. That's the bit that will always be with me. It was tough going but I loved my time there. Cockers [Richard Cockerill] was starting off on his [coaching] journey. He was a hard taskmaster and he had attention to detail. There was great camaraderie, people coming together, an expectation with who you were representing. People used to queue outside, before the gates opened, to get their spot on the terrace."
"Since Leinster first won Europe's top club competition under Michael Cheika defeating none other than Leicester at Murrayfield in 2008-09 expectation in Dublin has risen. They have won four titles but been runners-up four times, including a hat-trick of consecutive final defeats in 2022, 2023 and 2024. There is a growing feeling that another title is overdue, and pressure is something Cullen learn"
Leicester v Leinster fixtures have become common recently, with a fifth meeting since 2022 scheduled for Friday night. Leo Cullen spent seasons at Welford Road in the mid-2000s, winning the Premiership in 2006-07 and losing a Heineken Cup final the same year. Since 2022 Cullen has overseen four Champions Cup victories against Leicester, including two in 2023-24, and a dominant quarter-final win three and a half years ago forms part of the recent history. Leinster will seek a hat-trick of Welford Road wins this decade, with New Zealand international Rieko Ioane making a full debut. Cullen appealed for support for Lewis Moody after an MND diagnosis and emphasized that preparation and hard work were formative lessons from his time at Leicester. Since winning Europe under Michael Cheika in 2008-09 expectations in Dublin have risen, with four titles and four runner-up finishes, including consecutive final defeats in 2022-24.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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