And the former Clermont backs coach has backed his new side, who claimed the Heineken Cup in 2009, to bolster the club’s trophy cabinet while helping Ireland prepare for their trip down under.

He said: “We will be strong and fully capable of contesting things fairly vigorously both in the Heineken Cup and the Magners League.

“However, next year will be a little more complicated than normal because there is a World Cup coming up.

“We will be trying to work with Declan Kidney to try to give him the best opportunity he can have at the World Cup.

“I know he wants there to be a fair bit of rotation of players, so we won't have the best guys available all the time at Leinster so people might just have to be patient with that.

“So it will be a tough job for me in the first year. But I have a lot of confidence in (forwards coach) Jono Gibbes, and Richard Murphy is going to give us a hand. He has done a great job with Jonny (Sexton) and his kicking.”