Jake White was hugely impressed by Sam Prendergast's man of the match Leinster debut in the Lions' den.
But ahead of the province's meeting with his Bulls side this afternoon, White insists he was not surprised by the young out-half's display given the conveyor belt of talent in place at Leinster.
“It’s the envy of any club team to see what they produce," he said. "We often speak about the schools systems that they have in Ireland – Blackrock, Terenure and those colleges with good coaching.
READ MORE: Ross Byrne the right man to take keys to Leinster's kingdom from Johnny Sexton, says Gordon D'Arcy
"Then they go into the academy and they get good coaching there and then they go into the franchises. All four franchises have done really well this year. Connacht, Munster, Leinster and Ulster. It’s incredible that they are all there or thereabouts.
“If you look at the integration of their international players and the signings they make at all four provinces from outside the country.
"Whether it is Dwayne Vermeulen, Jason Jenkins, Marcell Coetzee or RG Snyman, there is a definite process into how they can use the skills of outside players to upskill their own players and (cover) the weaknesses they have in their four regions.
"That’s very good work done by (IRFU performance director) David Nucifora and the system."
White noted that Prendergast had a similar haircut to a certain veteran Leinster and Ireland skipper.
“I saw that and I don’t think that’s by coincidence," he laughed.
He explained that he had, by chance, watched an under-20s game involving Prendergast and had wondered if he was the younger brother of Connacht and Ireland flanker Cian.
"And Leo (Cullen) told me he was, and that they come from Leinster," said the Bulls supremo.
"Again, it just shows that the system is working. I can’t remember a new no 10 coming into any team and being man of the match in a game - where you are 36-21 down and you still end up being man of the match.
"It just proves again a lot of the psychology and a lot of the backing that those guys get from the academy must say something in terms of the way they are coming through on and off the field.”
With Leinster's frontliners at home, there is again a real chance that the province's unbeaten record will finally go in South Africa in their last regular fixture of the season.
The Bulls want to record a home win in Pretoria to ensure a URC play-off berth.
And, with Cullen back home after last week's dramatic late victory, Sean O'Brien has stepped into the head coach hot-seat for the first time. There are five changes to the pack, with the front row fully changed and with hooker Tadhg McElroy making his first start.
In the second row, Alex Soroka makes his first start of the season and partners Brian Deeny while, in the back row, James Culhane also makes his full debut.
On the bench, Liam Molony and Conor O’Tighearnaigh are in line to make their Leinster debuts, while Temi Lasisi is set for his first appearance of the season.
“One thing that they are very good at, every game, is playing quickly," added White. "So I don’t think that they are going to change their style.
"I don’t think the altitude factor will hit them as hard as it did last week because there is always that scientific debate about how you should either come one day before or 10 days before and they now have been here long enough to get used to the altitude.
“Someone told me last week, interestingly enough, that Ellis Park is higher than Loftus, so who knows? Maybe it helped them training last week in Johannesburg. I don’t think they will move away from the things they do so well.
"They move quickly, they have lots of tempo in their game, they don’t waste time between phases in terms of lineouts and scrums so I can’t see them trying to slow it up and change what has worked for them, not only this year but the last number of years.”
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