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'We're too negative' - Keith Wood on Leinster build-up

Keith Wood believes it is important to look at the bright side ahead of Leinster's Champions Cup ...



'We're too negative...
Rugby

'We're too negative' - Keith Wood on Leinster build-up

Keith Wood believes it is important to look at the bright side ahead of Leinster's Champions Cup semi-final against Toulon.

With low expectations ahead of the match, Keith told Off The Ball that negativity must go out the window.

"The standard that Leinster fans accept is a winning standard so this is below that for them at the moment. If they don't get into a playoff position in the Pro 12, that would be a huge disappointment. But they're still in the semi-finals of the Champions Cup. This is a huge thing. They're the only Irish team in it and we're too negative even talking about it beforehand," he said.  

Grenoble head coach Bernard Jackman and The Irish Times' Gerry Thornley also joined us to preview the match.

Gerry believes Leinster are "going to have to play with a lot more ambition" against Toulon than they did against Bath in their quarter-final win.

Eoin Reddan and Jimmy Gopperth after the recent defeat to Dragons ©INPHO/Simon King

Bernard gave his take on the French perspective to the match and explained that "Toulon are ridiculously good at disrupting opposition attacking ball at the ruck" and spoke of the potential issue of refereeing.

But Keith also shared his concerns about fatigue he noted in certain power players.

"I'd say, for the some of the guys coming back from injury like Sean O'Brien and Cian Healy, they looked jaded. They've had an unbelievable effort in the previous month from having had no rugby. They just looked tired, wrecked. So the Six Nations does exact a toll and I think some of the Leinster players were tired coming back," said Keith.   

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