Why CJ Stander believes Leinster will now go to the next level

Jacques Nienaber has not arrived in Dublin yet, but Leinster is already the envy of their European rivals.

While Nienaber is preparing to take the Webb Ellis Cup on a victory parade around South Africa, the four-time European champions, Leinster, are gearing for his arrival at the RDS.

Retired Ireland international CJ Stander is a huge fan of Nienaber, having had first-hand experience of his coaching during his stint at Munster in 2016 and 2017.

The much-anticipated arrival of the two-time World Cup-winning mentor (first as an assistant and then as head coach) is seen as the move that can finally end Leinster’s trophy drought.

Having lost in the United Rugby Champions semifinals the last two years and the European Cup Final twice in succession, they are looking for a person to can take them to the next level.

“I am actually jealous of the Leinster squad getting Jacques [Nienaber],” Stander said at a media briefing to promote Round Three of the URC.

“I was coached by him at Munster and I just loved him as a coach.

“The thing about him is he is unbelievable technically and defensive-wise, he is the best.

“Between him [Nienaber], Andy Farrell and Simon on defence – if you get them together you are not going through.

“He will, mentally and physically, give them another step in the ladder.

“Will it be enough? We will have to see.”

Stander said only time will tell how soon Nienaber’s arrival will get Leinster over the line.

“The Leinster set-up is, as always, pretty well-oiled,” the 51-times Irish capped South African said.

“There is a lot of new talent coming through.

“He will definitely take them to the next level.”

WATCH as retired Ireland international CJ Stander speaks about the value World Cup-winning Springbok coach Jacques Nienaber will add to Leinster

Meanwhile, Stander says winning over in Europe remains a big challenge for the South African sides in the URC, but that it’s one they are happy to embrace.

No team from the Rainbow Nation has won on European soil so far this season, with the Sharks losing away to Munster and Leinster, while the Lions and the Bulls both went down to narrow defeats in Edinburgh and Ulster respectively last weekend.

Now all four of the South African franchises are on the road for the next two weeks, while the Stormers are heading into a four-match tour, with the Bulls and the Lions both facing three successive trips.

The table-topping Stormers begin their extended stay in Europe by travelling to Glasgow on Friday, while the Sharks take on the Ospreys at the Twickenham Stoop on the same day in a first-ever URC match in London.

The Bulls and Lions will both be out in Italy for games against Zebre and unbeaten Benetton respectively.

Former Munster and Ireland star Stander, who is now back in the land of his birth South Africa, has been speaking about what lies in store for the SA sides in a URC round table.

“It’s still a big challenge for them to travel,” he said.

“It’s something they are trying to get their heads around and it’s probably going to take another half a season to get to a place where they are well rested when they arrive.

“It’s about getting that balance correct when they go over to Europe to get those points.

“If you look at the Stormers and the Bulls the last two years, they didn’t get a lot of points when they travelled. They made most of their points when they were back home. If they can get that correct, then the machine will start ticking over.

“But the sense from the teams and the players is that being in this competition is exactly where they want to be. There’s a lot of excitement around it, especially now that the Stormers have tasted glory.

“The URC gives you the opportunity to play against world-class teams every weekend, to test yourself. It is also very important in terms of bringing young talent through.

“With the Springbok players coming back from the World Cup, there will be even more excitement around the competition as they will generally make those teams better. When they do come back, you will probably see a spike in performance.”

– Stander was speaking to rugby365.com