Leinster v Wasps

Sangre

The Leinster squad to face London Wasps in Saturday's Heineken Cup Quarter Final at Adams Park (KO: 5.45pm) has been named.

FORWARDS: Fosi Pala’amo, Stanley Wright, Reggie Corrigan, Will Green, Bernard Jackman, Brian Blaney, Malcolm O’Kelly, Trevor Hogan, Owen Finegan, Cameron Jowitt, Devin Toner, Keith Gleeson, Stephen Keogh, Jamie Heaslip


BACKS: Chris Whitaker, Guy Easterby, Christian Warner, Felipe Contepomi, Kieran Lewis, Luke Fitzgerald, Rob Kearney, Gordon D’Arcy, Shane Horgan, Denis Hickie, Girvan Dempsey

I'm assuming it will be;

15 Dempsey
14 Horgan
13 Lewis
12 D'arcy
11 Hickie
10 Contepomi
9 Whitake
1 Wright
2 Jackman
3 Green
4 O Kelly
5 Hogan
6 Keogh
7 Gleeson
8 Heaslip.


So what are everyone's predictions then? Tbh, the front 5 look a little 2 week for my liking but everything outside that is peachy. Of course without any possession from the front 5 then it doesn't matter who you've outside the rucks.
I don't know the Wasps squad yet or know enough about them to make a call on this yet. Anyone wanna have a stab?

bugler

Wasps will probably look like:


1 Payne
2 Ibanez
3 Vickery
4 Shaw
5 Palmer
6 Worsley
7 Rees
8 Dallaglio

9 Reddan
10 King

11 Voyce
12 Waldouck
13 Erinle
14 Lewsey
15 Van Gisbergen

If Leinster can perform reasonably well up front then they can win it. But I feel if Wasps execute the right game plan of keeping the ball as much as possible they may be able to squeeze the life out of Leinster.

The rush defence will be interesting to see. Occasionally it gets torn to shreds if they get it wrong, like when LI put 60 points on them last season. To exploit it Leinster need ball though...

I hope Leinster do it but the realist in me says Wasps by a score.

Marshy

Sangre wrote:

Tbh, the front 5 look a little 2 week for my liking on.

Duh..... come on its leinster youre talking about here.

Goodluck2me

bugler wrote:

Wasps will probably look like:


1 Payne
2 Ibanez
3 Vickery
4 Shaw
5 Palmer

this who will win it for wasps, leinster just cannot compete here. i dont understand why we dont just splash out on a decent proven international Prop or two, instead of overpriced pretenders...

zAbbo

Thats an International class front 5 from Wasps, and

6 Worsley
7 Rees
8 Dallaglio

are no mugs either.

You couldn't write Leinster off though, should be interesting.

Goodluck2me

imagine this
1 Payne
2 Ibanez
3 Vickery
4 Shaw
5 O KELLY
6 Worsley
7 GLEESON
8 Dallaglio


15 Dempsey
14 Horgan
13 Lewis
12 D'arcy
11 Hickie
10 Contepomi
9 Whitaker


Leinster are only in the need of a few world class players to become international class. maybe other leinster forawrds would get in, but you get the idea im sure...

daveirl

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zAbbo

Lewsey can play Inside Centre as well, but to say he's ahead of Girv is madness.

Lewsey is in terrible form, compared to Swervin he's in the form of his life.

davyjose

Wasps first 5 is fearsome alright. Leinster are going to have to make every bit of possession count (a là Toulouse last yr) - I would have a lot more confidence in Leinster's ability to do this if BOD was fit.
But Wasps will have their work cut out for them too - the Leinster pack isn't nearly as shoddy as it was a year ago, and but for an awesome Munster performance, and a Leinster capitulation, we could quite conceivablyhave been champions then.
I'm quietly confident.

Chucky the tree

Wasps by about 5 - 7. They are just too strong up front and have an excellent defense. With out BOD its going to be too difficult for them to score tries.

Sundy

daveirl wrote:

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Yeah i think your right with the reddan call, whitaker kills the leinster backline by taking a couple of steps before he passes.

At FB id have dempsey all day, think back to the 6N. Who was it got dropped for being a bit rubbish?

Sangre

Tbh Lewsey was the victim of a drowning team, I definitely still rate him as world class. Maybe not played him ahead of Dempsey atm but I rate him as a better player overall all (or at least more talented). Its a lot easier to play fullback in Leinster/Ireland's backline than England's.

Anyway, Wasp's front 5 are extremely intimidating looking, will need a huge performance from our boys to win it.

davyjose

I agree, I would in no way attribute England's crapness to Lewsey (aka the Scapegoat). But I'd sooner have both Whitaker and Dempsey. Sorry.
One thing about Leinster is that they rarely play well and lose. They are quite often a victim of their own inability to spark. Not saying that they won't lose anyway if they do play well - e.g., they probably still would have lost had they played well in last year's semi (but maybe not ...) - but they'll be bloody hard to beat.

Minesapint

This Sat will be unbelievable, Wasps will be tough but we've got all the elements to do it-one of the best teams about, hopefully Heaslip won't be robbed of another try-that was painful!

Anyone know who Jamie Heaslip's bird is? she's unbelievably fit! No doubt another rugger-model couple...

Crash

If leinster play as they should be playing, then they should put a hell of a fight up to wasps and hopefully pull it.

If they dont, then we're boned. thats basically it.

funky penguin

Leinster Backs v Wasps Forwards...... Its going to be a tight game. Can't wait! I'm being optomistic, so Leinster to win, but only just.

Diamondmaker

Even the 2 boys on the guiness rugby club on SS would not call it. They done seem to offer as much respect o wasps as the posters here and are dubious as to whether Lawrance should play.

They are still very wary of leinster backs and are big fans of Gleeson.

They see Wasps a lot more than us and I took some comfort from their wariness to call against Leinster.

Linford

daveirl wrote:

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Munster fans bashing one of Ireland's greatest fullbacks again????

I think on current form Dempsey is head and shoulders not just above Lewsey but all full backs in the Heineken cup...

Linford

Linford wrote:

I think on current form Dempsey is head and shoulders not just above Lewsey but all full backs in the Heineken cup...

Umm Poitrenaud?

As a Leinster fan it pains me to say this but I'd probably put Lewsey ahead of Girv the Swerve as well. /dodges glasses of Heineken and pairs of Dubarrys

Linford

Deleted User wrote:

Umm Poitrenaud?

As a Leinster fan it pains me to say this but I'd probably put Lewsey ahead of Girv the Swerve as well. /dodges glasses of Heineken and pairs of Dubarrys

There is some debate with Poitrenaud V Dempsey. But on current form Dempsey is way ahead of Lewsey. Lewsey at his best is ahead of Dempsey... But it has been a while since Lewsey has performed.

daveirl

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RuggieBear

daveirl wrote:

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biased bastard
I think Lewesy is a better player but he ain't at the moment.

Diamondmaker

daveirl wrote:

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yeah but Hogan is a Munster man, biased F**K!

Laslo

12 minutes in and Leinster are being battered all over the park. Dire performance.

bazzman

any1 have any links to the game?

davyjose

bazzman wrote:

any1 have any links to the game?

I'm in work <--- nowhere near represents my dismay. How are Leinster looking? What was the try like?

rugbug86

Leinster aren't too bad, not too good either.

Contepomi having a shocker - missing kicks.

Redden just got lucky for his try. Ball lost in contact.

Dellallio getting sent off should have been a penalty try. Professional foul on the Leinster line. He got sent off tho so he'll be in the bin for the first 10 mins of the 2nd half.

13-10 to wasps

Funkstard

13-10 at half time. Intercept try from Redden after a spilled ball from a tackle, Contepomi has missed 3 penalties, Whittaker used the cover of the referee to the full extent to cut inside and score (he ran into him and suddenly was through the defence), D'Allaglio finally sinbinned for killing the ball. Leinster backs aren't showing much at the moment, but they're not headless like the Wasps back. The 19 year old full back is getting awful treatment, D'arcy screaming in his face after Hickie hit him into touch

Laslo

rugbug86 wrote:

Leinster aren't too bad, not too good either.

They're absolutely dreadful. The scoreline (currently 20-10) is flattering to Leinster. They've had little ball, Contepomi is playing very poorly as is Jackman, the backs are missing crucial tackles and spilling SO much ball. Dire, dire, dire.

rugbug86

to be fair, d'arcy didn't deserve the slap he got off lewsey!

Another try for wasps. 20-10.

rugbug86

another try for Wasps. King missed conversion. 25-10 Wasps.

Chucky the tree

game over. Both irsh sides spanked this weekend.

flsghujslkuo

I just want to smash all sky commentators... ridicules.

rugbug86

waldouck sin binned. prof foul on contepomi.

shocking performance so far. Dont deserve to win this

rugbug86

o kelly sent off - killin the ball

25-13

flsghujslkuo

O'Kelly sin bined

Game Over

Chucky the tree

haha, redan with another try.

rugbug86

this game reminds me of games i've played where we just keep losing!

another try for redden. 35-13.

Game defo over.

Laslo

I wouldn't mind if Wasps were playing the game of their lives but they're not. Leinster aren't even trying. A humiliating performance. Back to the good old days where people can't be bothered supporting them due to their lack of dedication and passion methinks.

davyjose

Chucky the tree wrote:

haha, redan with another try.

Cop on Chucky - I didn't see any Leinster fans laughing openly last night!!!! :mad:

crybaby

disgraceful performance

Contenpomi has absolutley and utterly choked just like he did last year against Munster. The pack have gotten torn apart in the second half aswell.

What a dire weekend for Irish rugby, the absurd part is that we looked like we would beat them at half-time

Chucky the tree

davyjose wrote:

Cop on Chucky - I didn't see any Leinster fans laughing openly last night!!!! :mad:

You should have. Even as a munster fan i found our performance last night comical.

Sangre

ive turned it off now. im disgusted

davyjose

Chucky the tree wrote:

You should have. Even as a munster fan i found our performance last night comical.

Next time

Laslo

I wonder will Contepomi choke against Ireland in the World Cup in September? He doesn't seem to be able for big games.

Chucky the tree

So its props for leinster and backs for munster.

Funkstard

What the **** was that. The end of the match was a farce - I lost count the number of knock-ons.

EdgarAllenPoo

I was impressed by Keogh and Wright. Strange as it may sound given that both teams lost I think Leinster will come out of this stronger than Munster. Munster were defending a title and lost, Leinster like the Scarlets last night had nothing to lose so instead of saying they got to the top and fell off as Munster did they can look at from the point of view that they got nearly there again this year.

funky penguin

Good lord what an awful performance. Just like Funkstard said....so many knock-ons.

Well done Wasps. Twice with 14 men they marched on defiantly.

Funkstard

Stan Wright? During the match he seemed to be everywhere and was carrying alot....except he kept on dropping the ball. Kept on dropping the ball