Selection dilemmas abound as Leinster spoilt for choice

Leinster flexed their muscle on Sunday evening to beat Bristol Bears, in their opening Champions Cup game.

In a game where the weather caused disruption, both teams struggled to put their stamp on proceedings in the first half. Leinster then mobilised their international depth from the bench to ease to a convincing win.

Their squad depth is nothing new. However, the additions of RG Snyman and Jordie Barrett have given another dimension to the meaning of 'depth'.

I can’t describe the disappointment at hearing of their injury disruptions and the rotation that was needed due to the extra Irish international game versus Australia. Leo Cullen has a way of managing this squad so that everyone wants to play, yet nobody wants to leave.

The environment in Leinster is clearly of the highest possible standard. They don’t hold back in terms of bringing in the top-rated coaches across the globe, and the expectation on winning trophies is as high as ever.

Their players know that if they break into the side, they’ll be rubbing shoulders with arguably some of the best talent across world rugby. If they become a regular part of that squad then the opportunities are exponential.

Even if you’re not in the side, the developmental opportunities for an individual’s game are so good that players want to stay, win trophies, and become the greatest version of themselves. You can argue that playing games is necessary for that, yet something seems to work for Leinster in terms of how they manage the players.

Being a coach is difficult, and selection discussions are probably, at least in my view, the single hardest part of the job. There’s no upside to telling guys they can’t play at the weekend. I’m not sure if any coach can see the positive side to