'We definitely tried something new' - Jacques Nienaber offers explanation on Leinster's lineout mess

Leinster senior coach Jacques Nienaber has offered an explanation into his side's lineout mishaps from Saturday’s Investec Champions Cup win against Clermont Auvergne, admitting his team were trying out a new set-up ahead of a tweak to the laws next month.

The province appeared to have a complete meltdown on their own throw, winning just nine of their 16 throws, which contributed significantly to a patchy overall performance against the French side.

When asked about what went so badly wrong for them to get just over a 50% return on their own lineout ball, Nienaber explained how they had been using a new calling routine.

Last month, World Rugby confirmed a number of law changes which will come into effect from next month and are designed to speed up the game, one of which will be putting a 30-second limit on how long it takes to set up a lineout.

Nienaber and South Africa head coach Rassie Erasmus have previously had a reputation for innovation – with Damian Willemse calling a 'mark’ inside his own 22 against France at the World Cup a prime example.

And Leinster’s Mad Scientist says their brutal lineout return was simply a case of some test tubes blowing up in their faces.

"Obviously with anything you try out, there is going to be a couple of hiccups, and you could rightly see there were a couple of hiccups," Nienaber (below) told RTÉ Sport.

"It’s stuff we’re going to have to iron out going forward.

"We definitely tried something new and something different in our lineouts that we feel will benefit us going forward. I don't want to give it away too much about what we’re trying to do, but there were definitely some sort of creative things that we were trying to install from a lineout point of view."

Saturday’s litany of errors at