Leo Cullen on Leinster player exodus: 'He's probably been in a bit of a hole'

Leinster head coach Leo Cullen has addressed the much-talked-about exit of James Lowe from the province, as well a number of other high-profile stars, ahead of Friday night’s URC Grand Final with the Bulls.

The Ireland international winger is among a group of senior figures set to move on, prompting questions about squad evolution, tightening ‘purse strings’ and succession planning at the province.

Cullen, however, struck a pragmatic tone when addressing the changes, pointing out it was the nature of the professional sport.

“There’s always these things, isn’t there? Across the board. You go into every single example of players that are moving, but that’s the nature of the business that we’re in. Business gets done, we move on and that’s all you can do really, isn’t it?” said Cullen.

“James has been brilliant for the club. I still remember the conversation I was having with him when he was in New Zealand. We had our end-of-season awards dinner, he was bringing up when my wife and I took James out for dinner at a restaurant in Dublin back in those days. It’s amazing to think what he’s gone on to achieve with Leinster and Ireland since then.

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19 Jun 26

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“He’s such a big, colourful character and definitely he would be missed. Then you go on to someone like Luke McGrath who has been a warrior for the team. He’s the most capped player we have in the group at the moment.

“We touched on Jerry [Cahir], who’s obviously made his debut during the course of the season.

“Will [Connors], yeah, he’s injured at the moment. Frawls [Ciaran Frawley] as well, obviously they’ve crossed [to Connacht], so we’ll see plenty of them. Rabbah [Slimani] another one who’s in the group in terms of the mentality he brings to set-piece. He’s been an incredible guy to have in the group, so, so fond of him now.

“Everyone brings their different piece. You obviously Rieko [Ioane], another one in the starting 15. Again, a shorter stint, but it’s great to see him grow as the weeks have gone on. I think everyone’s seen that, even the way he communicates some of that as well.

“He’s probably been in a bit of a hole, or a rut, maybe is the polite way of saying it before he came here. Now his love for the game, you see it every day. He’s coming more and more out of himself in the group, and that’s a credit to the group that we have as well.

“That’s just the nature of the business that we’re in, isn’t it? Simon Broughton, our academy manager, will have seven or eight fresh faces to come in and everyone just gets a year older in the building. That’s the way it is every year.

“Because we’re in the ‘grow your own’ business primarily rather than recruitment, it’s more like you retain what you retain from the senior group and then you’re recruiting from the system.

“That’s why I wouldn’t ever get that bogged down by it. We understand that people move for all sorts of different reasons and we move on. The next group is the next group.

“I’ve loved working with all those people I’m talking about, very, very passionate about them. You’d love all these journeys to go on forever more but we’re all wise enough to understand that’s not the reality of top-end sport, is it? Nothing stays the same forever.

“We need to continue to evolve. We need to continue to bring young guys through, keep that pressure coming from the younger cohort, always looking to push through and put pressure on the more senior players.”

Cullen also addressed suggestions Leinster are operating under tighter financial constraints, but insisted the focus remains on internal development.

“Yeah [regarding the tightening of Leinster’s purse strings], but let’s try to have a more positive spin on it. As I said, it’s on to the next academy guy coming through into the senior system and putting pressure on.

“That’s the way it happens. Luke McGrath at one stage was getting his first cap, now he’s on whatever it is, 260 or whatever it is. That’s just the evolution of the team.

“Every year everyone gets a little bit older and, yeah, we’re all comfortable with that.”