Sexton praises coach Lancaster

Jonathan Sexton says assistant coach Stuart Lancaster has revitalised Leinster's handling game since his appointment in September.

Leinster head coach Leo Cullen brought the former England boss in to replace defence coach Kurt McQuilkin, who returned to New Zealand for family reasons.

And Ireland fly-half Sexton says the 47-year-old has encouraged Leinster to play a more flowing game, as shown by Friday night's emphatic eight-try 57-3 victory over Montpellier which guaranteed the the three-time European champions a place in this season's European Champions Cup quarter-finals.

"It's not by accident that you see everyone wanting to get the ball in their hands. Stuart Lancaster has come in and had a big influence on the style of rugby," Sexton said.

"This is the stuff we practice every day in training, the unstructured part of our game. We spend time on our off-loading game, so it's not by chance or a fluke - it is being worked on every day.

"Stuart has had a great influence on us and the whole organisation and it is a great place to be again. You could see the crowd at the end - that's why we've got to perform next week and bring a quarter-final home to these supporters."

Leinster are guaranteed top spot in Pool 4 following the win over the Top 14 side, but Sexton is determined that there will be no slip-ups against Castres next Friday with a home quarter-final up for grabs.

"We have to go back to the standards we set at the start of the season, those values and goals we have. We need to live by them as much this week as we have in previous weeks," said Sexton.

"I have had to sit through some good performances this season and I am mad keen to get back out there next week and put in another good performance. I know there were some players who sat out this week to protect some niggles and they will have to come in next week and perform."

Photo: ©INPHO/Dan Sheridan

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