Leinster Team Talk/Gossip/Rumours Thread.

anonymous_joe

Saint Marcus of Horan has never exactly been the cleanest of players.

tolosenc

anonymous_joe wrote: »

Saint Marcus of Horan has never exactly been the cleanest of players.

Whatever about there being a "don't tackle Dan Carter" thing in NZ before the World Cup, there really should have been a "don't shoulder charge BOD off the ball" moratorium here.

anonymous_joe

tolosenc wrote: »

Whatever about there being a "don't tackle Dan Carter" thing in NZ before the World Cup, there really should have been a "don't shoulder charge BOD off the ball" moratorium here.

I wouldn't like to see that happen to anybody tbh.

Burgo

Shaggy not selected for the HC squad due to his knee injury

funky penguin

Saw that, such a pity. Doesn't mean he's out of it completely though. It'll be interesting to see who steps up now.

durkadurka

tolosenc wrote: »

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ofho-CKSXX8

2 minutes in.

Definitely Horan.

The knock he got from tackling Tuilagi in the HEC QF was awful. He wasnt right for the rest of the match. Right shoulder too.

durkadurka

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GLVf8DKltR8

go to about 3.05 in the clip. I think BOD was damaged here.

wixfjord

Burgo wrote: »

Shaggy not selected for the HC squad due to his knee injury

****e. That's unfortunate, and not great for our HEC chances, he's a big loss.

GerM

My first choice back line for the HEC with Shaggy out at this moment in time would be:

15. Kearney
14. McFadden
13. BOD
12. Fitzgerald
11. Nacewa
10. Sexton
9. Reddan

Interesting to note that along with Horgan, Willis and JHW have been left out. We can assume Willis' and JHW's Leinster careers are at an end.

wixfjord

GerM wrote: »

My first choice back line for the HEC with Shaggy out at this moment in time would be:

15. Kearney
14. McFadden
13. BOD
12. Fitzgerald
11. Nacewa
10. Sexton
9. Reddan

Interesting to note that along with Horgan, Willis and JHW have been left out so we can assume their Leinster careers are at an end.

Woah woah woah! Shaggy will be back and raring to go by Christmas I'd wager, bit premature! Agreed on the other two though, which is a big shame imo.

durkadurka

I've loosely grouped the players below

LEINSTER SQUAD:

FORWARDS:

Heinke Van Der Merwe,
Nathan White.
Mike Ross,
Jamie Hagan,
Cian Healy,
Jack O’Connell,
Jack McGrath,
Aaron Dundon,
Seán Cronin,
Richardt Strauss,

Damian Browne,
Leo Cullen,
Steven Sykes,
Devin Toner,

Jamie Heaslip,
Shane Jennings,
Kevin McLaughlin,
Seán O’Brien,
Rhys Ruddock,
Dominic Ryan,
Leo Auva’a,

BACKS:
Isaac Boss,
Eoin Reddan,
John Cooney,

Jonathan Sexton
Ian Madigan,
Mat Berquist,

Gordon D’Arcy,
Brian O’Driscoll,
Eoin O’Malley,
Luke Fitzgerald,
Brendan Macken,
Fergus McFadden,

David Kearney,
Rob Kearney,
Isa Nacewa,
Fionn Carr,
Andrew Conway,

GerM

wixfjord wrote: »

Woah woah woah! Shaggy will be back and raring to go by Christmas I'd wager, bit premature! Agreed on the other two though, which is a big shame imo.

Badly worded. I meant that they've been left out along with Shaggy and that those two players' Leinster careers are at an end, not Shaggy's. I'll edit for ambiguity's sake. With that said, I would be concerned about Shaggy's career. He had to go back to the specialist last week and it's now 5 months that he has been out. I think that he's in the last year of his contract so I am fearful he'll be finishing up.

jacothelad

durkadurka wrote: »

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GLVf8DKltR8

go to about 3.05 in the clip. I think BOD was damaged here.

You can also see Tuilagi jnr making a filthy, late shoulder charge on Shaggy just as he has passed the ball to Nacewa. The guy needs to be cited for every unpunished piece of dirt with which he litters the game.

totallegend

Interesting that Berquist is included in the squad when he is out injured until January, yet Horgan is left out. Maybe I'm reading too much into it, but does that tell us something about Horgan's prognosis?

Going back to the full-back selection, I definitely think it will be Kearney wearing 15 and Nacewa on the wing. Kearney is too good to be on the bench and we'll have better balance with him at 15 than with Nacewa there and Kearney on the wing. I reckon Carr has done enough to be considered the favourite for the other wing jersey at this stage but there's a lot of competition from McFadden and Dave Kearney. The really interesting call is where Luke ends up.

durkadurka

We could be looking at a situation where World Cup players are not making the 23 for Leinster. Jennings and McFadden are possibilities.

totallegend

durkadurka wrote: »

We could be looking at a situation where World Cup players are not making the 23 for Leinster. Jennings and McFadden are possibilities.

Can't see a situation in which Jennings is left out completely, I don't think McLaughlin has really taken advantage of the absence of the first-choice guys (injury didn't help) and I'd be surprised if we went out with both Ryan and Ruddock in the 23.

McFadden is a different matter. If Carr holds on to one of the jerseys, that leaves D'Arcy, McFadden and Fitzgerald fighting it out for #12 and #23, so at least one big name is going to miss out...

molloyjh

shuffol wrote: »

Would you say Carr is ahead of D. Kearney?

For me he isn't. Carr is prone to going missing in games and isn't the sort to come in-field looking for work. He was the same at Connacht tbh. I was willing to overlook that for the first couple of weeks but it's been pretty obvious (and damning) in a couple of the games so far. D Kearney, while not as flashy, is far more dependable. He'll do the job in every game and is getting better and better.

The back 3 is going to be tough. I'd say Schmidt will rotate Kearney and Nacewa at FB to a degree. After all we'll need Nacewa there during the 6 Nations. With Horgan gone the winger spots are tough to call. Nacewa will get some time there that's for certain. I can't see Darce not getting the 12 jersey in the HEC so I think the 11 shirt will go to Fitzy, with him getting 12 for some of the Pro12. That leaves Ferg, D Kearney & Carr battling it out for the 14 shirt. Ferg is viewed as a utility back which will probably see him on the bench and I'd personally have D Kearney ahead of Carr at 14. I think Schmidt would too.

So a loose combination of R Kearney, Fitzy and Nacewa for HEC with Nacewa, Carr, D Kearney for Pro12 with a bit of mixing and matching for good measure.

totallegend wrote: »

Interesting that Berquist is included in the squad when he is out injured until January, yet Horgan is left out. Maybe I'm reading too much into it, but does that tell us something about Horgan's prognosis?

I'd say it's more to do with our options at back 3 vs our lack of at 10. If either Sexton or Madigan get injured we have no back-up other than Nacewa.

wixfjord

totallegend wrote: »

Interesting that Berquist is included in the squad when he is out injured until January, yet Horgan is left out. Maybe I'm reading too much into it, but does that tell us something about Horgan's prognosis?

Going back to the full-back selection, I definitely think it will be Kearney wearing 15 and Nacewa on the wing. Kearney is too good to be on the bench and we'll have better balance with him at 15 than with Nacewa there and Kearney on the wing. I reckon Carr has done enough to be considered the favourite for the other wing jersey at this stage but there's a lot of competition from McFadden and Dave Kearney. The really interesting call is where Luke ends up.

Indeed, one of the big pluses of Horgan being out is we can now slot Kearney back in, and keep Isa in the team. I think Kearney is too good to be left on the bench, and so is Isa, but Isa is effective at 14, and Rob isn't.

I really can't wait to see the Munester and Montpellier selections! Literally no idea what we'll go for.
You could realistically see Boss, Sexton, Fitz, Darce, Drico, Nacewa, Kearney for the Montpellier game, but only Nacewa and Sexton are really guaranteed a start!

Same in the forwards where VDM or Healy, Sykes or Toner (or Browne), Jennings or Locky or Ruddock or Ryan could all conceivably play.
MOUTWATERING!

WeeBushy

All these permutations make my head hurt... but in a good way.

WeeBushy

Players that are realistically competing for the 1st XV:

VDM, Healy, Strauss, Cronin, Ross, Hagan, Cullen, Sykes, Toner, McL, Ruddock, Ryan, Heaslip, O'Brien, Jennings, Boss, Reddan, Sexton, D'Arcy, O'Driscoll, Fitzgerald, McFadden, Carr, D. Kearney, R. Kearney, Nacewa, and you could include Berquist and Horgan when fit.

That's 28 players who if on top form could all expect to start... and all of them are internationals, or will become internationals quite soon. That's some scary competition.

And you could include Auva'a, Browne, Madigan, O'Malley and Conway as players who, while won't be near the starting XV, would be more than capable of doing a job if called upon.

Wouldn't like to the man to tell players they're not in the 22.

GerM

For this week I'd like a pack of:

1. VDM
2. Cronin
3. Hagan
4. Sykes
5. Cullen
6. Ryan
7. Jennings
8. Ruddock

Ease back in a few of the internationals and let them bed in with a few of their new team mates. Should be a nice test to see how things go. I'd like to see the others coming in around 50-60 minutes and get a chance too. McLaughlin, Toner and Strauss should all get time to make an impact on the game.

Would like to see a pack of the following for Munster:

1. VDM
2. Strauss
3. Ross
4. Toner
5. Cullen
6. McLaughlin
7. SOB
8. Heaslip


Big heavy hitting pack with plenty of mobility in there. Would like to bring in Sykes, Jennings, Healy, Cronin and Hagan as the game opens up which would give us a massive amount of impact from the bench. I don't mind if we sacrifice the game somewhat to see how our team gels in a big encounter. The starting pack should attack the Munster set piece and really go at them there. If the stories are true about Sherry being injured also, they'll have Varley throwing in and he can be very wobbly. Munster's scrum will be much improved this season but the depth is poor and if Botha has to come off or fades, Archer could be in for a rough ride.

shuffol

If Conway gets a run of games I'd say he could make the wing spot his own, he's not a kid anymore and if he's as talented as is said should be soon pushing for selection. Just getting a run of games will be the problem, he's been very unlucky so far, had a chance of pushing for a HEC start last december but got injured and the start of this season was a golden opportunity missed for him too.

wixfjord

shuffol wrote: »

If Conway gets a run of games I'd say he could make the wing spot his own, he's not a kid anymore and if he's as talented as is said should be soon pushing for selection. Just getting a run of games will be the problem, he's been very unlucky so far, had a chance of pushing for a HEC start last december but got injured and the start of this season was a golden opportunity missed for him too.

I've nightmares about Conway coming up against a Rougerie, Nalaga or A Tuilagi in a big game and being run over. Last I saw of him he was still not very filled out.

andrewdcs

wixfjord wrote: »

I've nightmares about Conway coming up against a Rougerie, Nalaga or A Tuilagi in a big game and being run over. Last I saw of him he was still not very filled out.

Is that not the case for a lot of smaller players? or at least, non-monsters.
You just have to limit the opportunities to be got at in defence.
You can build weight / muscle in 2-3 months, surprised he's not bulked over the summer.

totallegend

wixfjord wrote: »

I've nightmares about Conway coming up against a Rougerie, Nalaga or A Tuilagi in a big game and being run over. Last I saw of him he was still not very filled out.

We all thought the same (I did anyway) about O'Malley and McFadden in the Clermont game last year but both stood up well; at some stage you have to move guys on to the next level and see how they perform.

However, I think Conway is just too far back in the queue to make any sort of an impression this season - he needs to be playing HC rugby to really make a statement of intent and the back three is very congested at the moment. He will probably get game time in the Rabo league but nothing of any note.

wixfjord

andrewdcs wrote: »

Is that not the case for a lot of smaller players? or at least, non-monsters.
You just have to limit the opportunities to be got at in defence.
You can build weight / muscle in 2-3 months, surprised he's not bulked over the summer.

Indeed, but even compared to the likes of Shane Williams and Earls, Conway seems like he has no bulk at all. Reminds me of a good U12 player playing U16 or something!

O Malley and McFadden are both heavier guys I'd presume, or maybe I'm just reading a big too much into Conway's lack of bulk.

Just had a look there, and O Malley is a stone heavier, with Mcfadden 1 1/2 stone heavier than Conway. Even Reddan and D. Kearney are more than half a stone heavier than Conway.

andrewdcs

wixfjord wrote: »

Indeed, but even compared to the likes of Shane Williams and Earls, Conway seems like he has no bulk at all. Reminds me of a good U12 player playing U16 or something!

O Malley and McFadden are both heavier guys I'd presume, or maybe I'm just reading a big too much into Conway's lack of bulk.

Just had a look there, and O Malley is a stone heavier, with Mcfadden 1 1/2 stone heavier than Conway. Even Reddan and D. Kearney are more than half a stone heavier than Conway.

I wouldn't like to say how many stones I am heavier than him

I think he can put it on, but you're right you wouldn't want to "carry" more than one nipper in the backs in defence. I know its 90% positioning 10% tackle, but having an underweight backs line causes big problems with turnover / physical strenght needed to place the ball, not get held up.
Darcy isnt a "big" guy but he's very powerful/squat so Conway has a season to build it up.

two of my favourite sportsmen in the world!

shuffol

Deleted User wrote: »

two of my favourite sportsmen in the world!



Seanie carrying a few extra kilos, even on his holidays he cant resist picking up a bull

wixfjord

That is ****in class!