Leinster back Isa Nacewa hopes that last year's double semi final losses in the European Champions Cup and the Pro 12 will offer extra motivation to the province heading into the new season.
"It’s pretty lonely standing out on the middle of the field in a huddle after losing out on a Champions Cup Final, and then standing out on your home ground after losing what was the Pro12 semi final. You take a lot of learnings from those games - you have feelings that you don’t want to feel again. For all the young guys to feel that and then the old guys to get a kick up the arse," should help the team to grow, he told Oisin Langan at the Pro 14 launch.
"When you look back on things, which we maybe thought were rosy, probably weren’t so good. We are really going to be driving, raising the standard week on week.
"Always looking to improve and maybe we got a little bit comfortable last year and it wasn’t the way we wanted the season to finish. We’ve taken a real long, hard, look at ourselves from all aspects of the game, on the field, and off the field," he added reflecting on last season.
He believes that Leinster are ready to hit the ground running and that after the Lions tour and Ireland's trip to Japan players have had time to reflect on last season.
"Everything’s been really good, really positive pre-season so far, guys just can’t wait to rip into the new competition."
The Leinsterman is a fan of the tournament's expansion and believes that trips to South Africa will help the squad to bond and will offer valuable experience competing in the southern hemisphere for young players.
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