It was a disappointing opening weekend of the United Rugby Championship for the Irish provinces. It is the first time in 17 years that all four teams have lost on the opening day of the season.
Munster and Connacht were ahead for large periods of their respective games before frustratingly allowing those leads to slip away. Both struggled to hold on in the final quarter, highlighting some of the concerns around quality and squad depth in Irish rugby at present.
Ulster, meanwhile, gave Edinburgh too much of a head start before launching their own fightback and coming within a score in a tight finish. The contrast between their start and finish will frustrate head coach Richie Murphy, but the fact that they finished the game playing their best rugby should provide some encouragement ahead of their second-round clash with Glasgow Warriors.
Despite losing their opening fixture, Leinster will probably be the happiest of the four provinces after fighting to secure two points away to the Lions.
Losing on the opening weekend immediately puts pressure on a team, and it will not get any easier for Leinster when they face the Sharks in the second round. However, there is plenty for Leo Cullen and his coaching staff to be pleased about.
They have got the South African trip out of the way early in the season, and in many ways, this could be the perfect time to take an extended squad away for two fixtures.
There is an opportunity to double down on team activities, clarity meetings and the various conversations that naturally take place at the beginning of a season. Important details can be ironed out away from the training pitch, while the time spent together as a group can help build the foundations before the majority of Leinster's international players return.
Look closely at the matchday team sheet from the Lions game and there is a substantial number of players who have spent the last couple of years playing in the All-Ireland League while gaining experience within Leinster's URC squad. Some of those on the bench could barely be described as experienced AIL players, never mind established professionals.
Josh Ericson is a hugely powerful back-row forward who has played with Old Belvedere and could develop into a really important ball-carrying No. 8 for Cullen. Dylan McNiece and Conor O'Tighearnaigh offer big frames and powerful contact abilities that we do not always see coming through Irish rugby.
There are high hopes for Niall Smyth too, a sizeable tighthead option whose development was slowed by a shoulder operation during the year he left school. Irish rugby needs to continue developing more props, and Leinster have repeatedly shown their ability to bring players through their academy and ultimately into Ireland jerseys.
Smyth has spent time with Clontarf in the AIL and will be hoping for plenty more opportunities in blue during what is a World Cup season.
The combination that will have really pleased Cullen and his coaches, however, is Fintan Gunne and Caspar Gabriel. The Terenure team-mates made their first start together and linked up well for one of Gunne's three tries.
Gunne has already played almost 30 times for Leinster, but this feels like the season in which he could showcase his talent on a more consistent basis. With Luke McGrath's move to Perpignan, and Jamison Gibson-Park's importance to the Irish team, Gunne has an opportunity to push his case in a hugely important year.
He has a strong kicking game and reminded everyone of his poaching ability last weekend. It can sometimes look as though he is simply finishing off somebody else's line break, but his ability to get up the field and support the attack is an important part of his role as a scrum-half. That link play can often result in tries, as it did against the Lions.
There is plenty more to come from Gunne, and this could be the season in which he really establishes himself.
His younger half-back partner, Gabriel, is a unique character. He plays with a sense of freedom and perhaps a little less fear of consequences than your typical Irish rugby player.
Gabriel has moved between a few positions for both club and province, although it increasingly looks as though he will settle in his preferred No. 10 jersey.
What makes his game adaptable across different positions is his aerial ability, both in chasing attacking kicks and dealing with the ball in the air, combined with an impressive offloading game. His ability to stay square and remain physical at the tackle line also makes him a genuine threat, and we saw glimpses of that against the Lions.
Leinster will face a much bigger threat this weekend. If they can take points away from their second game in South Africa, the trip will already have provided a positive start to their season.
Regardless of the results, however, this South African tour could have a significant ripple effect among the younger players in the squad.
Over the last few seasons, Leo Cullen has been scrutinised for Leinster's wins and losses. He takes great pride in the province's success and has consistently spoken about the importance of developing talent.
This is a trip that he has orchestrated with the bigger picture in mind, ensuring the strength of the Leinster squad continues to deliver long after his departure.
He may have had less choice when it came to selection with his international players unavailable, but he did not have to bring such an extended squad or place such a clear emphasis on development. It would have been easier to tighten the group and focus solely on chasing victories.
Instead, Cullen has remained true to his values as head coach, and Leinster could benefit from that approach in the longer term.
For now, Leinster and the other Irish provinces will simply be focused on getting off the mark in the league.
It is a long season, but the first win is vitally important.
