I was pretty shocked to hear Ringrose say in his post-match OTB interview that he hadn't practiced goal kicking under the 60-second time limit. This means he either hasn't practiced kicking in a few years, or doesn't practice kicking under the conditions you'd face in a match.
I know you can't prep for every yellow/red/injury scenario that could unfold in a match, but it's shocking Leinster took to the pitch for a knockout match with the second choice kicker (in the starting 15, not 23) unprepared to take a kick.
This inattention to detail seems endemic in the Leinster setup. Another example is the team not being clear on whether to set up for a drop goal or a try in the final play of the 2023 final v La Rochelle when 1 point down.
Cullen likes to point out that each of Leinster's European losses have been down to fine margins, but is it any wonder that the team that fails to prepare for these scenarios gets caught out every year?
Had Toulon scored a converted try in the last few mins on Saturday, the loss would have been directly attributable to Leinster failing to make an easy conversion for Ringrose's try, but we all know that the loss would have been dismissed as another case of coming out on the wrong side of 'fine margins'. In my view, this is a major ongoing coaching failure, yet nothing seems to be done to fix it.
At least this has provided the lads another 'learning'. I just hope they take it before the final.