Jacques Nienaber cast doubt on his future at Leinster in an explosive press conference on Monday, claiming he doesn't feel valued in Ireland.
Two days on from a tense exchange between head coach Leo Cullen and a reporter after Saturday's 59-10 win against the Lions in the quarter-final of the URC, the province’s Monday media briefing saw Leinster’s senior coach also involved in a fiery back and forth.
The South African, who is nearing the end of his third season at the province, was asked if he would "definitely" be at Leinster for a fourth season, which prompted him to get some thoughts off his chest.
"If, like he said, I'm 'a devil’...So if it's according to him, probably not," Nienaber said, referring to Rúaidhrí O'Connor of the Irish Independent.
In January 2025, O’Connor wrote that Leinster and Ireland had "made a deal with the devil" in recruiting Nienaber as Stuart Lancaster’s replacement, referencing how the province had gone against type by hiring the ex-Springboks head coach, who is famed for his blitz defence.
Nienaber (below), who is under contract until the summer of 2027, was then challenged on his suggestion that his future would be decided by the media, but the South African disagreed.
"Let me put it to you this way. Who fires you? Do you know who fires you? The public, the media, they fire you," he added.
"Not the CEO, not Shane [Nolan, Leinster CEO]. He doesn't fire me, but you guys fire us, fire all coaches, because the pressure builds up and builds up, and the fans then build the pressure on them, and then they [the board] just ask this and say, ‘listen lads, I think we must part ways’.
"When I say you guys, I'm saying the media. There's a misconception that people get fired by the CEOs. That is because of pressure put on CEOs by the boards, by people listening.
"Let's say the board member has dinner with his mates and his friends, and they go, ‘Sheesh, that Nienaber, you signed a deal with the devil, man’. I'm quoting Rúaidhrí there: ‘You signed a deal with the devil, you need to get rid of that devil, he's killing Irish rugby’. That is how you get fired.
"So your question is, listen, am I going to be here? I hope so, OK. Currently I'm not sure, to be honest."
Nienaber was then asked why he felt his future was uncertain.
"Because I don’t think people value me here. They don’t value me here. They don’t."
To clarify, does Leo Cullen value him?
"It’s not for Leo [to value me]. People don’t value…. The moment you lose the team or the fan, you’ve got to go. The moment you lose the changing room or the club, the fan-base you’ve got to go.
"You could just hang there and take your cheque, but no. They don’t want you there," he added.
When asked, Nienaber made it clear he believes he has the support of the players in the changing room, before being asked if he wants to stay in Ireland and prove any doubters wrong?
"I’ve been here three years, coached two finals and a semi-final of Europe. One semi-final loss, two final losses. URC; semi-final and a final. Won one.
"Listen, I can only fight through results, can’t I? I’m asking, am I that s**t?"
"You say ‘you’re making the deal with the devil, this risk isn’t paying off’. Are you supporting me?" he asked of the reporters in the room.
Another honest and entertaining exchange followed, where Nienaber suggested the media were far much more supportive of his work during his time at Munster in 2016 and 2017. Eventually, the conversation got back on track.
In the wake of their Champions Cup final defeat to Bordeaux-Begles, Cullen suggested that every element of their performance and preparation would be up for review during the off-season, as they look to build the winning formula for a fifth Champions Cup title.
And Nienaber was asked would he be willing to compromise on his own high-octane defensive style which brought two World Cup titles to South Africa in 2019 and 2023, but which hasn’t had the same impact at Leinster.
"If it will be successful for the club, yeah, I will always serve the club. The moment you are not serving the club, your ego is done," the senior coach said, before putting it in words the journalists could understand.
"The question is, are you the best at that? For instance, you guys are in media and you’re good at writing and words, they [the editors] say they don’t like the style of writing, they want you to be romantic and you say ‘I’m actually a very factual guy’.
"Then, you must make a decision. Are you going to move away from something that is your strength and then adapt to something that you’re not comfortable with, to be something or someone else.
"But I think the important thing is it must always be to the benefit of the club, if you feel you can do it."
The 53-year-old pointed out that his blitz defence wasn’t the only system he has used in his career.
But whatever defensive system the province use going forward, he believes it has to be an all or nothing approach.
"I mean, before I went to Munster I coached the drift defence at the Stormers and we were pretty good at it, have a look. We didn’t concede too many tries in Super Rugby.
"It’s not the case that I don’t understand the other system, I understand it, but both systems… there’s not one that’s better than the other.
"You must believe in one, the team must believe in one. If the players don’t believe in that anymore and we have to do a drift defence, it’s ‘can I coach them the best drift defence in the world to make them win?’ If the answer is no, then s**t, I’m not the right guy."
