URC mid-term report: Leinster learning valuable lessons as other provinces struggle

We're halfway through the BKT United Rugby Championship and the top of the table has a familiar look to it.

Eight-time winners Leinster lead the way with a perfect nine from nine, with champions Glasgow in second place.

However, of the other Irish provinces, only Ulster are in the top eight, climbing into the Champions Cup places thanks to last weekend’s win over Connacht.

Munster are the definition of inconsistency and find themselves in tenth place, while Connacht are enduring a poor run of results that sees them sit fourth from bottom.

Here's our mid-term report card on the provinces.

LEINSTER

Position: 1st on 43 points; won 9, lost 0

It says a lot about Leinster that they can have a perfect return, 11 wins from 11 across all competitions, and still be unhappy with where they are.

As they come to terms with a new style of play under senior coach Jacques Nienaber – defence being the best form of attack – they are making enough mistakes to keep teams in the contests down the stretch.

But, overall, it's no harm that they are not having everything their own way.

Too often over the last three seasons, Leinster have had to learn about themselves in the final 10 minutes of the Champions Cup final where Toulouse and La Rochelle, and even Bulls in the URC semi-final, have left them scratching their heads wondering where it all went wrong.

There were predictable, if patchy, wins over Dragons, Benetton, Connacht (away), Lions and Munster, but Edinburgh and Connacht (home) made them work all the way.

In Europe, Bristol put it up to Leinster before fading in the second half, while Clermont stuck with Lee Cullen's side and their mis-firing lineout for a lot longer than anyone predicted.

But, with Sam Prendergast taking charge of the out-half