Jordan Larmour says Leinster must learn to "channel their emotions" after conceding 14 penalties in the defeat to Munster on Saturday.
‘We pride ourselves on our discipline’ is a stable mantra of Ireland’s rugby players but, by their own admission, Leinster had little to be proud of in that department after their second Guinness Pro14 defeat of the season.
That tally, their highest of the season – they conceded 13 in the loss to Scarlets in September – was spread across 11 of the starting 15.
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It included two yellow cards, Cian Healy and Tadhg Furlong, while James Lowe will face a disciplinary panel via video conference tomorrow to present his view of the challenge on Andrew Conway that resulted in a red card.
It’s uncharacteristic indiscipline for a side that ended up as European and Pro14 champions last season.
"We’ve addressed that," Larmour told RTÉ Sport at an Energia and Leinster partnership announcement.
"We’ve had our review on Monday and we talked about where we need to get better and improve on, and then just kind of channeling our emotions and our discipline.
"We conceded about eight or ten penalties in the first half. You are just putting yourself on the back foot, they get field position and momentum.
"We let ourselves down just giving away that many penalties, you give away that many penalties to a team like Munster and they’ll rip you apart.
"All those incidents that happened were accidents.
"No one actually intentionally tried to hurt them so they were all accidents. I don’t think there was a need for an apology [to the squad]."
Larmour played the full game in Thomond Park but was well rested having spent a week away from the set-up in advance of Christmas.
"Christmas Day was nice just with the family and another family at our house. It was good," the 21-year-old, who is hoping to be involved against Ulster at the RDS on Saturday, said.
"I enjoyed the food and the company, chilled out, I think I was in a food coma afterwards so I had a nap, it was really enjoyable."
Despite the time off, Larmour, who enjoyed a stellar breakthrough year that included Six Nations, European and Pro14 titles, a series win in Australia and a victory over New Zealand, says there wasn’t time for reflection, to let it all sink in, but that’s not his thing either.
Keeping busy is better.
"I keep on moving and staying in the present," the Dubliner said.
"It was a great year for Irish sport but it’s so busy it doesn’t stop. The matches just keep coming and I like it that way, just keeping myself busy. You don’t have to think about what’s happened."
But how do you follow that? What will drive on the players to emulate the success of last season?
"From my point of view I’m as hungry as ever," he said. "I think everyone else’s mindset is they want to win and it’s a good mindset to have.
"It keeps driving standards, pushing you as a player to get better.
"Once you get that taste of success and winning you just want more and more.
"[I want] to keep growing as a player and to get better, to be involved in the big games and to be in the teams on match-days, to grow my knowledge of the game, watch more rugby.
"Those are the goals I’ve set myself this year."
'We’ve had our review and talked about where we need to get better' @leinsterrugby star Jordan Larmour talks to @MicilGlennon about room for improvement after @munsterrugby loss and what's next on his list with club and @irishrugby from @RTERadio1's @drivetimerte #rterugby pic.twitter.com/KRLhJzIrvA
— RTÉ Sport (@RTEsport) January 2, 2019
