ON SQUAD PREPARATION: "The break is good for about a week but then you want to get back into it. The team had a week off and a lot of the players got away. We've tried to give some time off to the guys who played Ireland 'A' also, so everyone has been given some time off.
"We've changed our format to last year when we had the breaks to do some more individual skill-based work and then did a reintroduction to things during the week and we're now looking forward to the Cardiff game, which is the most important thing."
INJURY UPDATE: "Gordon (D'Arcy) is visiting the surgeon tomorrow (Wednesday) so we'll get a clearer picture after that when the cast will come off. The idea will be: re x-ray - see how they're healing and see from there how he comes up. Hopefully he'll be coming back six to seven weeks after the injury happened.
"I think the biggest thing for players is to get out of the cast because you can't do stuff. With a removable cast at least you can work away and do other training, you can maybe go away and do something away from the game. But until that cast comes off you're incapacitated so you've just got to hang around.
"With (Jonathan) Sexton injured, we'll have to look at our resources this week. We would hope that he'll be back for the Connacht match because he's presenting us with a viable option now, and he is giving us more depth in our squad which is what we want. It's a bit of a bummer for him because he'll miss the two Ireland 'A' matches."
ON RETURNING IRELAND PLAYERS: "Out of the squad we've got Shane (Horgan), Luke (Fitzgerald) and Leo (Cullen), while there's also the likes of Cian Healy coming back. So it's good for us that they're back.
"It'll be good for us to have Shane back because he hasn't played (for Leinster) for a while through his injury, while the other boys will be keen to get back on the field.
"I'm sure he'll be looking forward to the game as well as being a finisher again, because he'll be on the wing for us this week. We'll try to get the ball to him and let him use his experience and strength and take advantage of that.
"I'm sure Fitzgerald will be keen to also take his opportunity to put his case forward, be it on the wing or at full-back."
ON CARDIFF: "They'll have nearly a full deck to choose from but from what I know Nicky Robinson might still not be available. It's going to be a very tough match because we beat them away from home and they'll be looking to address that.
"I think that in the context of it all, they're one place behind us and they'll be coming over here very fired up because they will want to beat us. The way they're going, they're in a good run of form and they have a Heineken Cup Quarter Final to look forward to so I wouldn't be taken this game any different (than I would) a final because of the nature of the competition and because of the standings.
"I know I said that they're a side in form, but because this part of the season is in blocks there's no real running form to have a good look at, so that's going to be a factor as well."
