Stuart Lancaster says he wants to coach in Ireland again after his four year stint with Racing 92.
Leinster's senior coach has less than a week left in the job before taking on his first head coach role since leaving the England hot-seat in 2015.
Lancaster has played a massive role in the Blues' resurgence. He brought through young stars such as Caelan Doris and Dan Sheehan.
READ MORE: Leinster now hope their own singular focus gets them over the line in Europe after URC semi loss
After last Saturday's URC semi-final defeat to Munster, he is doing everything in his power to avoid a second trophy-less season on the spin.
He knows how difficult that will be against La Rochelle, who got the better of Leinster in the last two seasons - and who, in Ronan O'Gara, have a "deep thinking" head coach, as Lancaster describes the Corkman.
Lancaster said: "You definitely want to win but it won’t define me. Ultimately what defines you is your integrity, your values and your ability to build relationships, to get on with people and develop people.
"I’ve been around rugby long enough to know that there are so many variables that can influence the outcome, that you’re not in control of as a coach.
“It’s trying not to hold on too tight to the outcome. The last thing I want to do is be consumed by the result.
"I want to enjoy the occasion, the week, what happens at the end - but then look back at a brilliant period in my career, and hopefully not the last time I’m back.
“I do genuinely mean that. I would like to come back, definitely, to coach.
"It definitely feels like a big step to leave. In the background you're trying to organise things and there's been times I've sat on Zoom calls thinking, 'I've absolutely no idea about what that guy's said'.
"So it's going to be a hell of a coaching challenge, but one I feel I'm ready for.
"Ultimately in four years time or however long it lasts, I think I'll be a better coach on the back of that. You look at the great football managers or the great American Football coaches, when they're at their best is when they're in their late Fifties, their Sixties.
"Hopefully I still have a bit to go before I achieve that - and Ireland will always be a place I'd love to come back to, definitely. "
His focus is on Leinster winning a second Champions Cup crown since he joined in November 2016 - and a fifth overall. James Lowe's return to fitness will aid that cause.
Still, there are practicalities to attend to as his time in Dublin runs out. Lancaster hasn't owned a TV since joining the province. Apart from watching rugby, he spent his spare evenings buying and reading books.
He smiled: "I’ve had this massive library of books so I was thinking, ‘what the hell am I going to do with all these books now?’
“I’ve got my favourites, some have gone to Leeds. In the morning, I take down five books and put them in the free library in Rathmines. Gradually my book supply has gone.
"There have been hundreds I’ve given away - and now the flat is looking pretty empty.
"It’s amazing how what seems like months and months away creeps down into weeks and days and now we’ve lost to Munster it’s now the last week, that’s the reality.
"It’s in the deep back of my mind because the only thing that matters is preparing the players to hopefully deliver as best as they can."
And this is it, now. One game left.
"There were probably four clear things that we could have done better in that game (against Munster) that we'll definitely use as learnings going into this game.
"Definitely, there was 44 minutes ball in play - it's a game at the highest level of club rugby, certainly in Ireland. On 77 minutes we had the ball on their line and we lost the game. There's definitely lessons to be learnt.
"Equally, what you don't want to do is spend the whole week analysing that game and not thinking about what's coming around the corner.
"So, yeah, it was a quick bang, bang, bang - show some examples, got it, let's go.
"You want to win, the goal for the season is to win the double and it's bloody hard to do.
"It narrows the focus, for sure, it was always do or die but it's definitely do or die now."
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