LANCASTER BOMBED

Stuart's career back Conn track after rehabilitation at Leinster.

- BY DEREK FOLEY

LEINSTER saved more than just Stuart Lancaster's career, they may also have saved his sanity in offering him a coaching lifeline in late 2015.

The Englishman's reputation was shattered, his name almost toxic, after a calamitous Rugby World Cup.

He was already planning to downsize the house, take his children out of their schools and return to teaching before rehabilitating himself with the Dublin-based club.

Lancaster is hands-on at Connacht now, numero uno, and he is excited about the job out west.

From a record 27,580 attendance at McHale Park, Castlebar for a first-ever Connacht game played in Mayo last March, to the appointment of Lancaster, to the revelation the new coach had persuaded Ireland star Ciaran Frawley to sign for next season.

The refurbished Sportsground opens this spring and the Frawley deal leaves rugby fans wondering just who else at Leinster might be on speed dial.

Players such as Scott Penny, John McKee or Stephen Smith, Alex Usanov, Caspar Gabriel, one of Jordan Larmour, Josh Kenny, Andrew Osborne or whisper it quietly, the return of Robbie Henshaw for a big finish at his native province to a sparkling career?

“Lowe Leinster everything” Lancaster says flatly of dark days following England-hosted RWC 2015 when they failed to get out of their pool - a first for a host nation.

“Whilst I applied for and was interviewed for the Queensland Reds job in June of 2016, and also the Toulon job, they both didn't play out.