Nienaber finger-pointing unjustified for crumbling Leinster empire

OPINION: Oh, the blame game. It’s a psychological defence mechanism. It gives us an avenue to shift that disappointment and emotional burden onto something or someone else, someone other than ourselves.

It gets you nowhere, and it’s almost always unfair.

But the blame game is not something you need to school Irish supporters and media on; they know it all too well. And so does the target of their misdirected anger and frustration – Jacques Nienaber.

*Also read: How France took South Africa’s strengths and conquered Europe

At the weekend, Leinster produced yet another anticlimax in a Champions Cup Final as they were on the wrong end of a 19-41 demolition job by Bordeaux Bègles at San Mamés Stadium.

With the score 35-7 at halftime already, Leinster were never going to come back from that. They simply weren’t good enough.

And given the vast difference in the quality that was on display in Bilbao, it’s not harsh to say that the score flattered them.

They seemed rattled by what was being thrown at them; the intensity with which Bordeaux played was just too much for them.

They were nowhere in the physical contest; in fact, calling it a contest is being generous.

The gainline success belonged to Bordeaux, so did the collisions. Bordeaux smashed them back, and it didn’t even seem like an effort.

When they opened the scoring through Tommy O’Brien, it looked like Leinster might be in it.

Other than that, that notion never really resurfaced, not even when Leo Cullen’s team were up against 14 men a couple of times after Maxime Lucu and Ugo Boniface were yellow-carded in the third and fourth quarters.

Leinster did not even then manage to pull it together. It would have been too late by then anyway.

They came close to capitalising on their numerical advantage a number of times late in the game, but they did not.

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Just like they did not take the points on offer, kicking for the corner instead, only to turn over possession in prime areas.

They stuck to their scripted attack even though it clearly did not work; they couldn’t adapt.

And let’s not forget that they were loaded with internationals, yet you never would have guessed, given the massive disparity in Bilbao.

Yet they blame Nienaber. But their defence cannot take the fall for a subpar performance.

There is no single area that can take full blame for the mess that was their performance in the Final, and the reality is that Leinster’s problems have been a long time coming.

They are far removed from their golden era steered by greats Brian O’Driscoll and Johnny Sexton, an era during which they won three Champions Cup titles in four years.

Despite their very obvious shortcomings, the Irish media have, to no surprise, made Nienaber the scapegoat for not only their finals loss, but for the club’s decline over the years.

Media and supporters are of the opinion that Leinster’s identity has changed, that it now relies too heavily on their defensive structure under Nienaber as senior coach, claiming that they have lost some of their attacking potency.

Leinster, their fans, former players, and media need to accept the realities – they have now suffered five finals defeats since last being victorious in 2018. Their problems started well before Nienaber’s arrival.

When Nienaber arrived in Dublin at the end of 2023, he was fresh off the Springboks’ 2023 World Cup triumph.

His recent resume at the time included back-to-back World Cups as well as the 2021 British & Irish Lions Series.

He was the defensive mastermind behind South Africa’s success in those events. While he was winning global trophies with the Boks, Leinster were watching on as their finals opposition took to the podium, repeatedly.

After winning the Champions Cup in 2018, they went on to fall short in the Final for five years – in 2019, 2022, 2023, 2024, and now 2026.

They have devolved from European giants to perpetual chokers, putting on strong performances in the United Rugby Championship and Champions Cup league stages to wilting when it matters most.

Nienaber’s detractors are also quick to forget the role his defensive system played last year after Leinster won the URC for the first time (since the inclusion of South African teams) – in his first full season with the outfit – claiming their first silverware since the 2021 Rainbow Cup.

Jacques Nienaber is not to blame for Leinster’s latest finals shocker.

And pointing the finger at him instead of fixing what blocks them from getting over that final hurdle will have them watching on as runners-up for years to come.