Thirty days have now passed since the former Munster assistant and Rassie Erasmus guided the Springboks to a second successive Webb Ellis and hopes are high that he can add the extra few per cent that Leinster have lacked in getting over the line this last two seasons.

Cullen’s side have fallen at the semi-final phase in consecutive URC campaigns and found themselves pipped at the post by La Rochelle in a pair of Champions Cup deciders. They will be chasing silverware on both those fronts again next spring.

And, according to forwards coach Robin McBryde, it looks as if the new senior coach has wasted no time in getting down to work at a club which is already six rounds into the URC season and less than a fortnight out from its opening Champions Cup action.

“He has turned up this morning, very unassuming really. There was no big fanfare. He was left a slab of Guinness on his desk as a welcome to Ireland. It’s pretty low key, just a round of applause when he was introduced to the squad. He has pretty much hit the ground running.

“He has obviously done his homework with regards to the language we use here at Leinster so he has been able to get into the rugby straight away really. Even on the training field, he wasn’t on the touchline very long. He was on the training field and, yeah, hitting the ground running.” 

McBryde singled out the cohesiveness that the Springboks brought to their World Cup campaigns as one of the secrets to their successes. Back row Scott Penny opted for their breakdown work and blitz defence. And another obvious strength, literally.

“Their physicality,” said the 24-year old ahead of the province’s URC game away to Connacht next weekend. “They are obviously big units of men but you can see in their defence that they show a lot of physicality.

“Obviously their size helps but you can see with their line speed and how aggressive they are in contact and at the breakdown. It makes them a real force to be reckoned with.” 

Leinster will be without out-half Ross Byrne for the game in the Sportsground after he picked up an arm injury six minutes into their defeat of Munster at the Aviva Stadium on Saturday.

No further detail was given and it remains to be seen if Byrne's issue is short-term or if it keeps him out of their trip to La Rochelle a week later and even beyond.