Ulster v Leinster: Ireland’s Cian Healy focused on Ulster test

Leinster prop Cian Healy says his side’s full focus will first be on Saturday’s United Rugby Championship game against Ulster before turning their attention to the following week’s Champions Cup final against Toulouse.

Leinster may be expected to rest some of their frontline players for the encounter at Kingspan Stadium but Healy maintains it is a case of “one game at a time” for the Irish province as they prepare for the interprovincial match-up in Belfast.

“I expect Ulster to be very strong this weekend and that’s what I’m preparing for,” explained Healy, 36, when reporters’ line of questioning strayed towards next week’s continental decider at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium at Leinster’s media conference.

Leinster sit second in the URC table, one point behind leaders Glasgow Warriors, with two sets of fixtures remaining in the regular season before the start of the end-of-season play-offs.

“We could screw up our whole league by focusing on next week,” emphasised the 125-times capped Ireland prop.

“We do well in the early part of the season because we’re day by day, week by week, so there’s no reason to vary off that because it’s the business end of the season.

“That’s the model that works. That’s how players are trained, how kids are coached now, it’s week by week, don’t look forward.

“That’s the Leinster way, and it’s the way that keeps people focused on the task in hand.”