While Leinster are winning without touching their best, it's worth remembering just how depleted Leo Cullen’s side currently are.
Between Andrew Porter, Tadhg Furlong, RG Snyman, Ryan Baird, Garry Ringrose, James Lowe, Jamie Osborne and Hugo Keenan, the province were without more than half an international side Saturday night, not to mention a few other wider squad players like Jack Boyle, Rabah Slimani and Jordan Larmour.
It meant that the seventh instalment of Leinster v La Rochelle on Saturday saw some new faces introduced to the rivalry.
A few months ago, Joshua Kenny and Jerry Cahir were names unfamiliar to even the most ardent of Leinster supporters, and yet both were key characters at the Aviva on Saturday, as Leinster won a thriller 25-24.
Kenny scored two tries on his Investec Champions Cup debut, with the 22-year-old now up to eight tries in just six games for his native province.
The Enniskerry native (below) only joined the province’s academy in the summer after impressing on a summer trial when he had been called in to make up numbers in training, having ended his involvement with the Ireland Sevens programme.
"It's amazing for JJ, isn't it?" head coach Leo Cullen said after Saturday’s win against La Rochelle.
"Where he's come from since pre-season, when he came in, he was on a trial basis and he's been outstanding.
"He's just literally been better and better. He's an amazing role model really for young academy players and players that are in the system, just to stick at it. He finished two tries incredibly well."
Cahir has also taken the road less travelled to Champions Cup rugby, with the 25-year-old recently agreeing a short-term contract, after impressing for Lansdowne and previously Dublin University in the Energia All-Ireland League.
It’s not the first time that Leinster have dipped into the AIL in recent seasons, with Clontarf pair Dylan Donnellan and Ivan Soroka both drafted in for appearances across the last two years.
With Porter and Boyle both out, Cahir found himself in a Champions Cup squad for the first time this week, before an injury to Paddy McCarthy saw him called in early in the second half, where he was briefly packing down opposite La Rochelle’s behemoth tight side of Uini Atonio and Will Skelton.
"Another great role model is Jerry Cahir, who's been phenomenal as well," Cullen added.
"I think he got called in for an 'A' game last year. To see him come on and up against Atonio first and obviously Kuntelia later on. Two great stories for those guys.
"We've got the likes of Jerry in and he comes in today and does an incredible job. JJ Kenny, another one that we've got a number of games into and he's taken his opportunity now. He's scoring tries in Champions Cup games.
"Andrew Osborne, who's come on during the game as well, early in the game. Again, another very young player just out of the academy. We've used a lot of younger guys that are accumulating experience.
"We've a lot of experienced guys [injured]; the camera pans to the sideline there in terms of into the stand, the non-23. There's a ton of experience in that group.
"It's getting everybody together and everyone needs to be ready. That's the bit that's pleasing.
"The challenge is trying to build cohesion with the group. I think that will come in time."
There could have been another debutant in the front row, with 21-year-old tighthead Andrew Sparrow among the replacements.
The St Mary’s clubman will have to wait for his European bow, however, with Thomas Clarkson (below) putting in a tireless 80-minute shift, continuing his impressive progress in the last 12 months.
"I thought TC was looking good out there, so hence we didn't make the change," the Leinster coach said of Clarkson.
"Eighty minutes, TC has done it before for us so we knew he could do it.
"He's been building for this for a long time now, so, and yet another player that works incredibly hard at this game.
"Tighthead, it's not easy either to get through from being your 19, 20-year-old to whatever, 25-26, trying to build that experience all the time.
"There's very few tightheads come through at a young age so but he’s getting better all the time and I thought he was unlucky, they were as a front row, with a few of the calls that went against us.
"We weathered the storm at different stages and got the positive outcome."
