Leinster forwards should be ‘licking their lips’ for Bulls test – Cian Healy

Rather than focus on how difficult it all is, the veteran prop is relishing the challenge of taking on the Bulls in a URC semi-final at one of rugby’s great cathedrals.

“You see so many things that are stress tests and how we dealt with that was to have a bit of craic in the airport,” he shrugged when asked about the adversity of it all.

“It wasn’t us booking the flights, [operations manager] Ronan O’Donnell had a hard time dealing with that sort of stuff while we were sitting at home after the game.

“We just showed up at the airport, got chaperoned to South Africa. It was handy enough in that regard. We lose one day of a training week, but most of us when we got here went over to the gym and flushed the legs out, got in the pool and stuff. Everyone was running on to the pitch, feeling pretty good.”

Healy was part of Leinster’s first travelling party to South Africa in 2017, when they experienced all sorts of logistical challenges.

Isa Nacewa and Jamison Gibson-Park didn’t get through immigration, the Ireland prop was kicked off a plane for not putting his laptop away in time for take-off, and they played in front of largely empty stadiums as they hammered the Southern Kings and lost to the Cheetahs.

Now, things are very different with the big four franchises involved.

“It’s added huge challenges to it and that’s great. You want this league to be as competitive as possible and I think it’s done that,” he said with enthusiasm.

“It’s been a success in that regard. You feed off the atmosphere. If there’s a big buzz in the stadium and a bit of a show you want to get involved and be part of it.

“Energy is energy, it’s just what you take from it.”

Cian Healy speaking in South Africa ahead of URC semi-final against Bulls

Leinster’s pack has been impressive in recent weeks, and, in particular, the aggressive way they’ve gone about their work at the scrum has been notable.

Healy believes it has come from the experience of being battle-hardened rather than a mindset shift.

“There’s a lot of time put into it, I suppose we’ve gone through all the big end-games, the quarters and semis and finals of the Champions Cup and when you’re tested at such a high end you start to find what really clicks properly for you,” Healy said.

“I think that’s been happening; lads are figuring things out a bit and getting to that comfortable point where you might feel as a loosehead that you’re getting an easier feel of what your tighthead is doing or what he needs.

“I think it’s time in the saddle under serious pressure is where you can produce some goods like that.”

Like any Jake White team, the Bulls will look to test Leinster’s capacity to produce those goods at Loftus Versfeld.

“It’s a great test. Any forward should be licking their lips. it’s a proper physical test, you know?

“There’s not going to be many tip-on passes played from them I wouldn’t imagine, carries are going to go up the guts and it’ll be a bit of ‘me v you’ and that’s a great test for us, how we can band together and deal with that.

“We hit in twos and threes, break them down that way, and that’s a bit of a way where we’ll try and take their legs; constantly shut the door on them when they try and come down the neck,” added Healy.

“They’ll be physical up front; their scrum, maul and lineout are danger points in how they enter the game, if we can put a net over that, deal with it and let the backs do their thing and get involved as much as we can, I think that’s how we get into it.

“Shut out their scrum, shut out their maul and that will let us get on top a bit.”