Edinburgh v Leinster, Heineken Cup

davyjose

juvenal wrote: »

So by your reasoning then any action that is 1 second of play shouldn't be allowed to change the shape of the match, be it a punch, a stamp, a bite or an offside, try-saving interception.

I think that Contepomi's Yellow Card shouldn't have been given, for the exact reason you give above. Because it's not nearly comparable to the above.
Finding yourself with the urge to run onside is not the same as the urge to punch someone in the face. If you can't seperate the gist of what I'm saying from the semantics of how I say it, then we're going to get nowhere.
I just think a penalty try and a yellow is over the top in that sort of situation, be it the laws or not.

SpAcEd OuT

I'd like to see Sexton put on now just to secure it

SpAcEd OuT

once again excellent break by BOD

Nice hit by CJ

juvenal

Another great break by BOD there, thought we'd get over.

Nice hit by CJ, Leinster need to go throught the phases. The amount of turnovers by both sides is staggering.

juvenal

davyjose wrote: »

I think that Contepomi's Yellow Card shouldn't have been given, for the exact reason you give above. Because it's not nearly comparable to the above.
Finding yourself with the urge to run onside is not the same as the urge to punch someone in the face. If you can't seperate the gist of what I'm saying from the semantics of how I say it, then we're going to get nowhere.
I just think a penalty try and a yellow is over the top in that sort of situation, be it the laws or not.

Fair enough, we'll agree to disagree.

I just think that there's a difference between the urge to run back onside, and the urge to run back onside and also catch a ball in an offside position.

Rocky Elsom is MOTM from Sky.

marco_polo

Good days work there BOD

copacetic

juvenal wrote: »

Another great break by BOD there, thought we'd get over.

Nice hit by CJ, Leinster need to go throught the phases. The amount of turnovers by both sides is staggering.

probably would have done if fitzgerald wasn't taken out off the ball. don't think I've ever heard a ref shout 'play on' so much before when all the players are pausing assuming he is going to give a decision.

Inquitus

juvenal wrote: »

Fair enough, we'll agree to disagree.
Rocky Elsom is MOTM from Sky.

He was one of the few players who I thought looked good against Connacht last week, he's proving to be a quality signing straight away, not that I had any doubts.

juvenal

Couldn't believe that the second half was as bad as the first!

Edinburgh had chances there but had too many mistakes. Not a great performance by us, but a winning BP away from home is very satisfying.

A big step us is needed for Wasps next week.

copacetic wrote:

probably would have done if fitzgerald wasn't taken out off the ball. don't think I've ever heard a ref shout 'play on' so much before when all the players are pausing assuming he is going to give a decision.

Yeah, I thought I saw hands on his shoulders there before it was even offloaded. The refereeing was like a social tag rugby game at points.:D

Jackz

A win and hopefully a confidence building exercise for the team, especially the backs.

davyjose

juvenal wrote: »

Fair enough, we'll agree to disagree.

I was just gonna say the same

Good first half performance by Leinster. Job done, as they say!!!

Trojan

Nasty but we'll take the BP win.

wixfjord

Thanks be to the rugby gods!!! What a horrible game, horrible stadium, irritating team, mediocre leinster performance, but above and beyond what we couldve expected.

Inquitus

Not doing well this weekend on the live rugby front, the Munster game last night was shockingly poor, and this one was nearly as dire. Looks like it's down to Glaws Biarritz to save things.

Super Sidious

BOD doiing very well at inside centre... should keep him there, let fitzgerald grow! Can't see D'Arcy coming back to the set up at centre, with these two being giving a chance!

Trojan

juvenal wrote: »

Edinburgh had chances there but had too many mistakes. Not a great performance by us, but a winning BP away from home is very satisfying.

A big step us is needed for Wasps next week.

Agreed.

I think sometimes it's hard to play quality rugby when your opponent is playing that poorly. So by my logic if Wasps (10th of 12 in the Premiership) bring a good game we'll match it

Aside, was at the Wasps away match last year (2 years ago?), brilliant craic.

SpAcEd OuT

Excellent first half, poor second half. Leinster will need consistency if they are to beat Wasps.

Postives :
BOD looks to have regained his form, lets hope it continues.
Win and bonus point away against a bogey team.
Fitzgerald showed again he is competent at 13
Another cracking performance from Rocky
Forwards turning over was immense as was general awareness.
Confidence booster for backline
Scrum in second half was fantastic

Negatives :
Poor kicking from Contepomi
Leinster lost concentration in second half
Jackman's throwing off
Still not good enough.


Anyone know if Wright is injured? I thought Healy more than showed he was ready to step up today

[Jackass]

Fitzgerald actually played more at inside centre imo.

They were swoping 12 & 13 between them, but certainly without the ball Fitz was always at 12.

Good win. Would have taken any sort of win before, so a bonus point win with Edinburgh picking up nothing is as good as it gets.

Will be interesting to see tomorrows game and hopefully we can do the business next week (and prevent Wasps from getting a losing BP). Then we would be in serious business.

Trojan

Worst refereeing I think I've ever seen.

juvenal

Trojan wrote: »

Nasty but we'll take the BP win.

Thank God that was the opening pool game and it's out of the way - imagine travelling there in round 6 and needing a BP win to qualify

SpAcEd OuT

Inquitus wrote: »

Not doing well this weekend on the live rugby front, the Munster game last night was shockingly poor, and this one was nearly as dire. Looks like it's down to Glaws Biarritz to save things.

Agree on the Leinster front but I thought the Munster game was good for tension alone. I wasn't really sure what to think on the one hand I didn't want an Irish rugby team to lose but on the other hand the opposition were such vast underdogs, the whipping boys of rugby and came inches away from beating the european champions that it was heard not to root for them!

Inquitus

Scarlets v Quins up ahead of Glaws Biarritz, lets see what this serves up, I backed the Scarlets @ -4 @ 1.91

Good start lol 5-0 10 secs

RuggieBear

tbh can't even believe we got a bonus point we were so poor but that Embra team is awful.

a win is a win.

Inquitus

RuggieBear wrote: »

tbh can't even believe we got a bonus point we were so poor but that Embra team is awful.

a win is a win.

Agreed, but both Munster and Leinster need to step up alot next week or both HC campaigns could be over before they have begun.

Jello

Shocking refereeing and still a lot to work on, but still delighted with the BP win, some great performances too.

Bring on Wasps!

ironingbored

Fantastic result but still a long way from being the finished article. BOD was excellent both in defence and attack. Very impressed with the back row even if the tight five are still not firing on all cylinders.

impressed with dempsey although I had wanted to see kearney at 15. Phil's kicking left a lot to be desired. Am I the only one who thought Whittaker was slow getting ball out? I also think Fitzgerald had a quiet game offensively even though defensively he performed well.

I can only see edinburgh improving at home against the other teams in the pool. We really need to up the ante if we are to win the HC. Look at Sale getting a BP in Clermont. Munster have their work cut out. Who'd have thought we'd get a BP in Edinburgh while Munster would struggle to beat the debutantes?

fifth

RuggieBear wrote: »

tbh can't even believe we got a bonus point we were so poor but that Embra team is awful.

a win is a win.

Exactly what I was saying after the match..

Edinburgh imo were doing a lot of passing just for the sake of passing. Not much thought put into it especially in the closing minutes.

Good to see BOD putting in a better effort and well done to Bernard jackman for catching that ball with the sun shining in his eyes, he never took his eye off it. Fair play.

A win is a win though.

Stev_o

Missed the game dew to a match at the exact same time ( i know the horror) anyway like to tell me how good Leinster were? The tries were they good or just sustained pressure? Cheers

Inquitus

Stev_o wrote: »

Missed the game dew to a match at the exact same time ( i know the horror) anyway like to tell me how good Leinster were? The tries were they good or just sustained pressure? Cheers

Neutral viewpoint, Leinster were average at best, Edinburgh were woeful, all the tries from turnover ball and from deep, helped by turnstyle tackling and non existant defense - Leinsters hands were good though.

RuggieBear

Some flashes of skill but then it would just collapse into rubbish almost immediately ...each try was more or less due to an individual line break. No real sustained evidence of team skill except the defence and even it was breached a good few times and but for utter ineptitude Edinburgh would have scored more

A-Train

As has been said a win is a win. The match wasn't the greatest but good to see Drico making and hitting gaps and all the front back 3 playing well. Elsom was good so was Jennings and Heaslip.

Roll on Wasps!

phog

RuggieBear wrote: »

tbh can't even believe we got a bonus point we were so poor but that Embra team is awful.

a win is a win.

Didn't see the match but I thought by the result that Leinster must have been awesome, was the game that bad?

Congrats btw.

RuggieBear

not really. Edinburgh were just terrible. Leinster have been the same all season...just not clicking or any proper cohesion. Like i keep saying: flashes of brilliance but they immediately **** it up somehow.can't really explain it...

Zzippy

Delighted to see Leinster put that bogey to rest, well done lads. A team that can win when playing poorly AND get a bonus point isn't doing too badly...

efb

at wasps castres game and the unforced errors by both teams is shocking, Leinster shouldn't have any problems with either team, edenbrugh must fancy their chances against Wasps too on this medeocre performance...

[Jackass]

Wasps v Castres finished 25 - 11, neither team picking up a bonus point. Good result for Leinster.

marco_polo

efb wrote: »

at wasps castres game and the unforced errors by both teams is shocking, Leinster shouldn't have any problems with either team, edenbrugh must fancy their chances against Wasps too on this medeocre performance...

Not sure the performances of Leinster or Edinburgh yesterday would justify them getting overly confident TBH, although Leinster took their chances very well and showed flashes of their potential.

Wasps are in dire form in the GP at the moment though, so the group is definately there for the taking from Leinsters point of view if they continue to improve.

toomevara

marco_polo wrote: »

, although Leinster took their chances very well and showed flashes of their potential.

Did what they had to do, but a hugely cynical performance, disappointing to see.

copacetic

toomevara wrote: »

Did what they had to do, but a hugely cynical performance, disappointing to see.

don't agree there, cynicism (or professionalism as the media call it) is a big part of what has gotten munster to where they are and lack of it has cost leinster dearly over last couple of years.

juvenal

There are highlights of this and all the European matches at the weekend on Sky Sports 1 right now - not Sky Sports Xtra as advertised/in your digi-guide.

They've just shown Toulouse-Bath first, and are analysing that match, rest to follow. Programme will run until after 11.30pm due to late finish in Darts.

marco_polo

toomevara wrote: »

Did what they had to do, but a hugely cynical performance, disappointing to see.

Cynical perhaps, but perfectly understandable given their recent record there. And I wouldn't knock a side for playing to the limits of the ref.

[Jackass]

Yeah I have to say, thinking about it and after watching the highlights of Wasps v Castres, we really do have a massive oppertunity here.

I wouldn't underestimate Wasps, but they haven't been on top form and if we can beat them first and foremost next week in RDS, where we have been superb in Europe, and if we can prevent them from getting a losing bonus point (as we did against Tolouse and Leicester last season) then we really are in control of this group.

Castres don't look dangerous and we should be looking for 8 or 9 points off them in the head to head and Edinburgh at home shouldn't be a major concern, so Wasps will have it all to do if we put them away next weekend.

Not many teams will get a 4 try bonus point in Edinburgh.

It's only one game down and a lot of rugby to play, but I'm optomistic heading into the weekend, it's a game that may define out season.

Also don't forget a good group performance here and Quarter final rugby + would more or less certainly put us into the top tier next season and give us a much easier draw going forward ... no Tolouse's, Wasps, Leicesters etc. etc.

phog

[Jackass] wrote: »

Also don't forget a good group performance here and Quarter final rugby + would more or less certainly put us into the top tier next season and give us a much easier draw going forward ... no Tolouse's, Wasps, Leicesters etc. etc.

Dont want to spoil your party but Munster were No1 this year and look who we got in the draw, Sale and Clermont are hardly minnows. I suppose in a way that's what makes the H/Cup, not too many poor teams and a few teams have the chance of making it out of their pool stages.

[Jackass]

Yeah, but I'd take either of those teams any day over a Wasps or Tolouse etc. etc. ... plus Munster were unlucky to get Clermont considering they could have gotten Castres - it was a 50/50 call with Leinster for them.

But if you look at some of the groups, with Stade for example, there are some p!ss poor ones. Lenister and Munster seem to be in the toughest groups each year but that can't be the case all of the time.

ALH-06

So relieved about that result and delighted to see BOD looking sharp. Not gonna mention any names but would be interested to hear what his many detractors on these boards have to say now... ie 'BOD should be dropped / rubbish in attack / lost all his acceleration / got no pace left' etc.

We can't base his form this season on one performance of course but I reckon on Saturday he proved alot of the criticism to be very misjudged. Talk of his decline is premature, and I'm glad he's going out and proving that.

ALH-06

[Jackass] wrote: »

Yeah, but I'd take either of those teams any day over a Wasps or Tolouse etc. etc. ... plus Munster were unlucky to get Clermont considering they could have gotten Castres - it was a 50/50 call with Leinster for them.

Based on current form, I'd take Wasps any day over Sale. Wasps look vulnerable this season (tho Cipriani's back and he's already looking sharp) and Sale were absolutely immense on Saturday at Clermont. They're really playing top quality rugby, looking forward to seeing how Munster compete next weekend. Should be a great match.

Crash

Its all luck of the draw really though - last season I would have taken Sale over Wasps any day.

Anyhowk, as previously said, scrappy but some great personal performances: BOD, Heaslip, Rocky all looked sharp and on the game. Roll on Wasps (erk :P)