Last year's PRO12 finalists have won their last three games after an opening-day 45-20 humbling by Scarlets but their last two against Treviso and Edinburgh have been won by one and six points respectively.
Leinster came out on top against Edinburgh thanks to a second-half Brendan Macken double as the 21-year-old centre showed his limitless potential after coming on for the injured Gordon D'Arcy.
And the week before it took a last-minute Jonny Sexton drop-goal to secure the win against their Italian opponents - not the dominant displays you might expect of the Heineken Cup champions.
But Schmidt was pleased to leave with the points against a stubborn Edinburgh team.
"They were able to put pressure on us right until the end of the game. It was a little bit nerve-wracking," he said.
"We got the win, a pretty untidy one, but we knew that after the last result here against Edinburgh that they would come here with a lot more resolve.
"As I said before the game, they're a team that has certainly stepped up from last season. We always know that we're vulnerable at this time of year.
"It's not just about getting players back, it's about getting continuity between those players. Losing Gordon D'Arcy early on, losing Eoin Reddan in the lead up to the game wasn't ideal."
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