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London - Former Leinster centre Gordon D'Arcy is hopeful that the addition of Stuart Lancaster to the coaching staff will help improve their results this season.
D'Arcy, who also played 82 Tests for Ireland, believes former England coach Lancaster's arrival will give Leinster a welcome boost after some tough times last season.
"You’ve got to say he brings an awful lot to the table. He has coached at international level with probably the most scrutinised team behind the All Blacks in world rugby, and has proven his ability to do it,” D’Arcy told the42.
"The best way to look at it is if you take away the last World Cup, which is about 5%-10% of his tenure, he was an incredibly successful coach, and the most successful English coach since Clive Woodward. He has shown amazing strength of character to come in and work under a very young head coach, and again that same compliment goes to Leo Cullen, that he is happy to bring an international head coach to work as a senior coach with him."
Lancaster was brought in after defence coach Kurt McQuilkin left Leinster to return to New Zealand for personal reasons. However, D'Arcy says Lancaster is likely to have a bigger role than just that of defence coach.
"I wouldn’t say he is going to be completely pigeonholed (as a defensive coach), he has a wealth of coaching experience. He is going to be helping Girvan (Dempsey) with the backs, he will probably be helping with the attack too, but he is not just going to be a defensive coach. He will be developing a lot of facets to their game."
