Leinster senior coach Stuart Lancaster admits he will miss the interprovincial derbies in Ireland when he trades the United Rugby Championship for the Top14 at the end of the season.
Last month, Lancaster was announced as Racing 92’s director of rugby starting at the beginning of next season, where the former England coach hopes to make his mark on the French side.
Irish derbies are “unique”
Leinster face Munster this weekend in their third Irish derby in four weeks, and the 53-year-old admits he will miss these occasions in France.
“I’ll miss them massively,” Lancaster told RTE.
“The Top 14 is different, you’ve got 14 teams going at it and some big away games – Toulouse, Toulon. Nothing quite compares to the interprovincial derbies in my opinion.
“You get a little bit of that in England sometimes when you’ve Bath v Bristol, teams in the south-west playing each, teams in London playing each other.
“But it’s pretty unique in Ireland. I will miss them and will enjoy them while I’m here, for sure.”
Munster have endured a tricky start to the season and to life under new coach Graham Rowntree but claimed a positive 31-17 win over last year’s finalists, the Bulls.
Lancaster knows their rivals must not be underestimated as he expects a “proper” derby this weekend.
“They’ll be pleased with their performance, they beat a team that beat in the semi-finals last year,” said Lancaster.
“Denis Leamy was here, I know him well and worked with him particularly in the contact area and defence. I can see the influence he’s had. Mike Prendergast has done a great job on the attack, you can see the improvements there.
“I know Graham [Rowntree] very well. His energy, competitiveness and desire to build a winning team will make sure they’re more than prepared.
“There’s a lot of knowledge about Leinster in the Munster camp. That’s what makes them tricky opponents. The rivalry between the provinces means form goes out the window. It’s a proper derby.”
South African teams boosted URC
Lancaster feels for Wasps and Worcester Warriors in England, who have both gone into administration and credited the introduction of the South African teams as one of the reasons the URC has become a compelling product.
“It’s a tough environment to be in,” said Lancaster. “The South African teams have been a good addition to the URC with the TV revenue and interest it’s generated to make it very competitive league.
“I don’t think Leinster or any team will be sitting there thinking they’ve all answers covered in terms of the growth of the game. If we can put performances in like we did against the Sharks, in front of 18,000 people at the RDS, and 35,000-40,000 people at the Aviva Stadium this weekend, that’s amazing when you consider the sport in the country.
“Ireland in particular, the four provinces and the union are in good shape.
“In England it’s very sad to see. I know a lot of people at both clubs, both young and older players and a lot of the coaching staff as well.
“My son [Dan] plays in England at the moment and I’m just grateful he has got a job and an opportunity to progress as a rugby player.”
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