Not too worried about it signalling a change in our culture. The 'Leinster way' is as much Leo's legacy as it is anyones bar maybe Mick Dawson. I just can't imagine him doing anything to jeopardise that so if he feels JN can come in and work within that framework (and enhance it) then he has earned our full support on that.Flash Gordon wrote: ↑April 17th, 2023, 10:31 am This clearly a top appointment and Leo is doing what he has consistently done, surrounded himself with top coaches and knowledge. He knows that he will be measured on results and the collective delivers stronger than the individual.
Hope this one works out, the one concern I'd have is culture. Bok culture is win at all costs, how you do it doesn't seem to matter. Whereas there is a Leinster way in terms of how we compete and play - the style of rugby we play and the values that underpin that.
As you say, Leo has brought in someone who'l add knowledge and experience to our coaching group. JN will also come in to a much different coaching ticket to the one Stu first joined. The current coaching team is far more self-assured then it was in 2016. Leo is far further along his coaching journey, Robin McBryde is both well embedded in the Leinster system and has a wealth of international coaching experience in his own right, and Andrew Goodman has come in from the Crusaders and taken ownership of a lot of our attacking play and, by all accounts, has been very impressive.
As a result, I think we're far less in need of a jack-of-all trades HC/Senior Coach such as Stu (not to say that he won't be missed) and from a training field coaching perspective we can allow JN to focus solely on defence. Something he is world-class in and an area that massively important in its own right. Just look at the impact defensive specialists such as Farrell, Edwards, and JN himself have had on developing squads that can compete at the very highest level in the sport.
