Leinster may have their "backs against the wall" but finding themselves in an unusual position at the start of their season might just be the wake-up call they need.
Traditionally, Leinster have cruised, relatively speaking, through the early stages of their domestic and European campaigns.
This time, however, there's a different dynamic at play.
Leo Cullen's side suffered opening back-to-back URC losses in South Africa before Munster handed them a sobering defeat in round four.
The manner of subsequent wins over Dragons, and last weekend's 45-28 success in their Champions Cup opener against Harlequins have done little to dispel the sense that all is not right.
There's a significant caveat in the form of the club's Ireland and British and Irish Lions representatives, as outlined in Jonny Holland's column this week.
Injuries and suspensions are all in the mix as well but the fall-off from their own high level of standards and expectations is notable.
For all their early-season dominance as they reached three successive finals, and a semi-final in the last four years, it hasn't helped at the business end when the margins are tighter and room for manoeuvre becomes smaller.
So, are there positives to having shortcomings exposed at this point of proceedings as opposed to halfway through a Champions Cup semi-final or final?
"Yeah, absolutely," Leinster and Ireland back row Jack Conan told RTÉ Sport ahead of Friday night's visit to Leicester Tigers in Pool 3.
"We've fallen short in the last few years in Europe and in the big games in particular but a lot of times we get to that stage of the year and we haven't lost many games and you learn a lot about yourself when you are not winning big matches.
"It's definitely been a harder start to the year.
"There are other upsides as well, getting a younger cohort of lads out there to play, especially those first few games in South Africa, I know it wasn't ideal... but it's never bad when lads are gaining experience and finding out what's required to play at this level.
"It hasn't been ideal but you can always have it your own way. Once we take the lessons from it then we'll be all right.
"Then you look back and think, 'right, well that was worth it in the end', but if it comes to the latter stages of seasons and you fall short again you'll be disappointed but it's 'Magic 8 Ball' stuff at the moment."
Robin McBryde (above) agrees that the nature of the matches to date, four wins and three losses, does entail a change in the tone of discussion among the coaches.
"Yeah, it obviously changes you a little bit," said the forwards coach.
"But in a... what sort of way, I don't want to say 'perverse' cause you probably twist my words and make it sound like something else, but the fact that we've got our backs against the wall from the start of the season, it is a little bit different.
"And in a funny way, it's, I wouldn't say it's refreshing, but it's a different challenge so it's a different mindset.
"And it is a challenge to stand up to and see how you go, see how people react under pressure right from the word go.
"So this season's different, after a long summer for a lot of the boys, one game after coming back before the autumn internationals, so you've got to manage these players and it's not going to get any easier.
"It's going to get harder, if anything, to manage the, the integration, the reintegration, the management of players, et cetera.
"So maybe that needs to alter our approach as well with regards to how we prepare for different periods of the season.
"You could argue we haven't got it right so far.
"It's something that because of the nature of how many players we miss during international windows, it's definitely something that we are gonna have to get to grips with and try and find the answer to it.
Allied with Ireland's return of two wins, against Japan and Australia, and two two-score defeats, to New Zealand and South Africa, Leinster's form has opened Irish rugby up to accusations of falling behind the pack.
Andy Farrell's Ireland dropped down to fourth in the World Rugby rankings after the autumn window.
"I don't think there's any case for panic," added 33-year-old Conan (above).
"There's still unbelievable quality here in Leinster and across the country in the other three provinces.
"You're playing against good opposition teams that are highly motivated and like ourselves always trying to get better.
"Especially on the international stage, you're never going to have it [all] your own way.
"I know that some of the results and performances weren't exactly what we wanted but that's life in international rugby, and it's the same here in Leinster where we probably haven't hit our straps consistently.
"There's been great parts in certain games but you're probably looking now saying we haven't really performed fully.
"The onus is on us as players is to make sure we're better and we're putting those pieces together and searching for that 80-minute performance because we haven't gotten it yet.
"But yeah, I wouldn't say it's time for panic."
