Such is Leinster's dominance of the rugby landscape in Ireland right now, they're probably only a trophy or two away from sparking the 'Split the province in two' hot takes, a la Jim Gavin's Dublin footballers of a few years ago.For the next two weeks though, that's exactly what Leo Cullen's side will be doing.
The Leinster coach will bring a squad of 30 down to South Africa for their games in the Highveld against the Lions and Bulls, while Stuart Lancaster will stay back at base in UCD with the frontline players, and prepare specifically for their Heineken Champions Cup semi-final against Toulouse at the end of the month.It's a phenomenal luxury for the province to have.
With a top-seed already secured in the URC play-offs, their results in Johannesburg and Pretoria will have no material impact on the table.
In a best case scenario they win two matches, and in a worst case scenario they provide an invaluable learning experience to younger players.While it's a luxury, it's a luxury they've afforded themselves for their unbeaten season so far.