Leinster head coach Leo Cullen says coach Jacques Nienaber is “fully committed” to the province who are “lucky to have” him.

The two-time World Cup winner with the Springboks had cast doubt on his Leinster future earlier in the week after claiming he does not feel valued by the media and fans in Ireland.

However, Cullen is hopeful he will remain as part of the coaching staff and that Nienaber’s comments may have been misunderstood.

“I think what he [Nienaber] was referring to is there are no guarantees in sport, is there?” Cullen said.

“So, I think what he is trying to get across, is that when there is a lot of flak on the team from media, sometimes a club will make changes, and I think that is what he was referring to.

“But I think in his own mind, yes, he is fully committed to Leinster so please don’t get confused by that and I would be of the same opinion as well.”

Nienaber is under contract until 2027 and helped Leinster win the United Rugby Championship title last year.

However, they suffered their fifth defeat in a Champions Cup final since 2018 in May when Bordeaux-Begles produced a ruthless display in Bilbao.

Cullen added that he has enjoyed Neinaber’s three years at the province and confirmed he is in his future plans.

“Jacques is brilliant, I have to say I have really enjoyed working with Jacques,” Cullen continued.

“I think we have a great group of coaches here. I think we have a great staff as well; there are so many great people in the building and it’s a very enjoyable place to work.

“We are very lucky to have him [Neinaber]. He is a brilliant person, brilliant individual to work with and that is very much the plan for sure.”