His South African side retained their World Cup title in France last month by virtue of three straight knockout games that were won by a single point each time. Leinster have lost two semi-finals and two deciders by a combined six points across URC and Champions Cup action.

Well, any fool can do those maths.

Leinster went three seasons on the spin without any silverware between 2015 and 2018. That was a spell that encompassed the back end of the Matt O’Connor era, the start of Leo Cullen’s rein and a fair degree of personnel change.

Johnny Sexton has departed the locker room now but the current squad, coaching staff and wider operation is thriving in every way. The thought of another empty hat-trick is unconscionable. Nienaber will be expected to bring his winning mentality, and touch, to bear.

Cullen intimated as much earlier in the season.

“That would be great, if he could do that,” said forwards coach Robin McBryde. “They have been tight matches over the last couple of years so he definitely has that winning mentality and if he can impart some of that knowledge then everybody has open ears at the moment.” It’s over seven years since the man from Kimberley in the Northern Cape first pitched up in Ireland as part of Rassie Erasmus’ coaching staff at Munster. This time he arrives on his own - Erasmus is staying put with the Springboks – and he is playing catch-up.

Leinster are six games into their URC campaign. They have a trip to Connacht awaiting this weekend and a Champions Cup opener away to La Rochelle eight days later, but Nienaber isn’t arriving to a blank page in Dublin. That was never going to be the case.

“There was no big fanfare,” said McBryde of his first day. “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.” He started work yesterday 30 days on from that World Cup final defeat of New Zealand in Saint-Denis. There has been a whirlwind, nationwide homecoming and some last duties to fulfil with the South African union but that desk, porter aside, is now clear.

The 51-year old is painted as a quiet, unassuming figure but he is well able to articulate his thoughts and comfortable with the media. He is, though, a very animal to Lancaster who was far more effusive and took on a wide-ranging brief at Leinster.

The Englishman delved deep into the culture of the dressing-room, into the minds of the players themselves, and he spread the gospel around the province at various levels with coaching clinics and with talks.

Nienaber’s job description is probably far more focused. Just win.

There can’t be any wholesale importing of the Bok way. Cullen again touched on this when speaking admiringly of the South African blitz defence, for example, and Leinster’s defence and breakdown work has been impressive for most of the last few seasons.

Back row Scott Penny touched on both those areas as obvious strong points for the new man. McBryde noted the cohesiveness with which the Springboks could operate regardless of personnel. Another factor will be attitude.

"They are obviously big units of men but you can see in their defence that they show a lot of physicality,” said Penny. “Obviously their physicality 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.”