Jonathan Sexton feels Leinster are back on the "right road" this season.
Last term, Sexton had told Off The Ball that Leinster were "culturally nowhere near where we were when we were winning" European trophies.
But with the Rugby World Cup preparation not an issue at the start of this season as it had been for the early portions of the 2015-16 season, Leinster and others have reaped the benefits of more work together provincially as Sexton confirmed.
"It's been great and a part of that is us having time together," he told Off The Ball.
"I suppose last season, it was all about the World Cup and all our prep was towards that and we sort of get thrown together then; a lot of new players, even I was new - even though I wasn't really but [there were] new setups and that kind of stuff. It's been brilliant so far and we're on the right road."
As for those previous comments, Sexton acknowledged there had been a "small reaction which was good" and he would have "tried to do it more in-house" if he had the chance to do things differently.
"At least it got things out of the open," he added.
Sexton also praised the addition of ex-England head coach Stuart Lancaster to the Leinster coaching team.
"He's given us a fresh voice, fresh pair of eyes and seem some areas of our game that needed improving and that's been a positive as well," said the 31-year-old.
Sexton also reserved praise for young 10 Joey Carbery, who has got an Ireland call-up now and made "such a big impact" since reaching the Leinster first-team reckoning.
And with the challenge of New Zealand to come in Chicago on November 5th, the Ireland out-half says that for he and his team-mates "it's been something we've been building up towards for the summer, over the last few Irish camps we've had. It's all been about the All-Blacks and trying to be the best-prepared we can be to take them on".
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