Leinster Team Talk/Gossip/Rumours Thread.

roycon

dare i say it but devin toner seems to be finally coming good. i think hes getting a bit more confidence too and hopefully he starts pissing people off a bit more at line-out and ruck time like leo and donncha tend to always do and just generally slow the other teams ball. mcluaghlin most certainly has a part to play at leinster over the next 5 years.if you doubt his ability have another look at leicester -v- leinster 6months ago.very good standard pack to come up against in leicester, high intensity game, good line-out operators and locky ruled the roost over all of them

roycon

1. VDM
2. Strauss
3. Ross
4. Cullen
5. Toner
6. O'Brien
7. jennings
8. Heaslip
9. Boss
10. Sexton
11. Nacewa
12. D'arcy
13. Fitzgerlad
14. McFadden
15. Rob Kearney

16. Cronin
17. Healy
18. Hagan
19. Sykes
20. ryan
21. Reddan
22. Madigan
23. carr


my team v montpellier - cant bring myself to drop rob kearney. people are playing nacewa at full back under the presumption that everything will be the same as last year. he was somewhat of an unknown quantity last year at full back and he played brilliantly but things have changed and we need a stronger more direct carrier in our backline if odriscoll isnt playing. therefore id have rob at fullback. possibly even move nacewa into 13.hes good defensively so maybe he should be given a shot there

[Jackass]

I think Toner is in the form of his life. He seems a lot more physical now and has clearly worked a lot on that part of his game, even his few carries have been good.

I am worried about his scrummaging ability though. Second Rows are the props anchor, and if a prop gets nudged back, it's good to have a shove from behind to get you on the front foot again, I'm not sure Toner can even straighten his legs in a scrum such is his height, so that could be an issue.

McLoughlin is now in a make or break situation as a second row, and I think he's done well there, I don't see where the problem would be with a very good back-row player and ball carrier who is good in the lineout slotting in there, but it seems like it's been a reluctant transition for all involved, but it looks like it's back on the cards now, which is good, as he could be essential for us there, and the back-row is so full of quality and the second row isn't, we have to try and re-allocate that ability to our weaker areas if we can.

My team for Montpellier would be:

1. Healy
2. Strauss
3. Ross
4. Cullen
5. Toner
6. O'Brien
7. Jennings
8. Heaslip

9. Reddan
10. Sexton
11. Fitzgerald
12. D'Arcy
13. McFadden
14. Nacewa
15. Kearney

16. Cronin 17. Van Der Merwe 18. White 19. McLoughlin 20. Ryan 21. Boss 22. Madigan 23. Carr

I think Hagan has still a long way to go before he's ready, and it was noticable when he came on in the Leinster scrum (all be it with only a 7 man pack), I don't know why so many people want to drop Kearney, he's playing well, centre is fast becoming an issue with us, it seems like we have lots of options but can't find a settled combination which I hope doesn't become a problem when the masters move on.

Although I never want us to be missing players, I think looking on the bright side of BOD's injury is that we can now play other players there, give them experience, and sort out an idea of who we want in the centres. In the longer term, the 2 players for me are Fitzgerlad and McFadden, which wears 12 and which wears 13, I'm not sure yet, but I'm thinking McFadden 12, Fitzgerald 13.

padser

wixfjord wrote: »

Talk on LF that BOD is out for the whole season. :eek::eek:
Well thanks for that Declan.
.

Congratulations Deccie in managing to F#ck up Leinsters season without even achieving anything more than a QF with Ireland.

(btw I know it was almost certainly bods decision but I find it difficult sometimes to pass up an opportunity to vent about DK)

durkadurka

From fanning in the indo today:



Leinster will be without Ireland captain Brian O'Driscoll for the defence of their Heineken Cup if specialists this week recommend surgery on the shoulder injury he has been carrying since last season.
And Shane Horgan's career is also in the balance after knee surgery to fix a persistent problem.
Leinster coach Joe Schmidt conceded this weekend that the reigning champions might have to cope without both players, and fears that repeated stinger injuries which O'Driscoll suffers now require an operation. Stinger injuries are common in rugby and involve temporary nerve impairment caused by trauma. Although transient, they can cause weakness to the area and have a tendency to recur, sometimes becoming chronic.
"That's one of the things we're trying to decipher at the moment and that's the reason he's gone to some more specialists and had some more scans, so that we can either find a solution to the stinger that kind of comes and goes," said Schmidt. "He's a fairly precious commodity, BOD, so we want to make sure we don't play him in the condition that's going to affect him in the future and we look after him as best we can. Because if we can get him right, he's a fairly handy fellah to have."
It is understood that O'Driscoll, who will be 33 in January and is contracted up until the end of next season, was receiving cortisone injections to the shoulder/neck area over a number of months last season to keep him on the field.
On a few occasions during games he could be seen favouring the shoulder, or avoiding contact altogether until power returned.
"He's copped a few shots where he hasn't really been ready for the contact, you know?" said Schmidt. "There was one in the Magners final last year which gave him a bit of whiplash and that didn't help either. Every time we've kind of got him right, something's happened -- whether it's been a full impact or it's been an unexpected impact, it's caused discomfort. As I said, we just want to get him back to 100 per cent."
If O'Driscoll receives the all-clear
for now, he may be in contention for next weekend's Heineken Cup opening-round trip to Top 14 side Montpellier, having missed the victory over Munster at the Aviva Stadium on Friday night.
LEADING MAN DREADING FINAL CURTAIN CALL Page 8
The situation with Horgan's knee will also become clearer this week, and he was due home yesterday having had an operation in Sweden to correct a problem that ruled him out of the World Cup.
"The last operation went really well," Schmidt said., "but there was a build-up of scar tissue and that was very inhibiting for him and so, hopefully this time . . .
"I certainly hope for us and for Shaggy (Horgan) that he does come through this one and he's back playing soon. But the prognosis would still be months of rehab. He's probably in the condition of his life. But the best we can hope for is January at this stage."
Meanwhile, it has been confirmed that the medial ligament injury which Keith Earls suffered against Leinster on Friday night will keep him out for four weeks at least.
Ulster have their injury worries too, with captain Johann Muller being led from the filed at the final whistle of last night's victory over Connacht with a suspected broken arm. Stephen Ferris also went off after going over on an ankle, and Tom Court suffered a knee injury.

Hagz

I don't know if we're gonna be able to do this without Drico and Shaggy. We should be able to advance out the group, but come knockout it's gonna be tough. Horgan was huge for us last year, he and Sexton make an awesome combination at the re-starts.

durkadurka

We've ll the squad depth. Time to put it to the test.

roycon

with every death comes a rebirth

madigan, conway etc. now is their time to shine

CatFromHue

"He's copped a few shots where he hasn't really been ready for the contact, you know?" said Schmidt. "There was one in the Magners final last year which gave him a bit of whiplash and that didn't help either."

Good man Marcus Horan.

wixfjord

CatFromHue wrote: »

"He's copped a few shots where he hasn't really been ready for the contact, you know?" said Schmidt. "There was one in the Magners final last year which gave him a bit of whiplash and that didn't help either."

Good man Marcus Horan.

Exactly what I was thinking.
Anyone hear the booing when Horan came on on Fri?

tolosenc

wixfjord wrote: »

CatFromHue wrote: »

"He's copped a few shots where he hasn't really been ready for the contact, you know?" said Schmidt. "There was one in the Magners final last year which gave him a bit of whiplash and that didn't help either."

Good man Marcus Horan.

Exactly what I was thinking.
Anyone hear the booing when Horan came on on Fri?

While I don't advocate cheap shots on the rugby field, maybe, just maybe, he deserved a bit of "rough treatment" from Seanie & co...

Gelio

I lost all respect for horan during that game

.ak

My team for Montpelier...

15. R. Kearney
14. Nacewa
13. McFadden
12. Darcy
11. Fitzy
10. Sexton
09. Boss
08. Heaslip
07. Ryan
06. SOB
05. Toner
04. Cullen
03. Ross
02. Strauss
01. Healy

16. Cronin
17. Heinke
18. White
19. McLoughlin
20. Jennings
21. Reddan
22. Madigan
23. D. Kearney


If we're ahead in the final quarter I'd like to see Darcy come off and baby Kearns come onto the wing with Fitzy moving into 12 and try out that Fitzy/Mcfadden experiment. I'd also like to see Ryan having a start, with Jennings on the bench if things go wrong. Other than that it's as you were.

profitius

Maybe Horan was trying to block his run? Horan isn't a dirty player.

chancer12

profitius wrote: »

Maybe Horan was trying to block his run? Horan isn't a dirty player.

Are you joking me, one of the dirtiest tackles I've ever seen and the ref managed to ignore it

thomond2006

I was surprised Cronin didn't come on at all against Munster. Isn't he on a central contract?

CIARAN_BOYLE

thomond2006 wrote: »

I was surprised Cronin didn't come on at all against Munster. Isn't he on a central contract?

nope players moving province never get central contracts. I believe its so that no one can accuse the IRFU of favoring one province over another.

wixfjord

profitius wrote: »

Maybe Horan was trying to block his run? Horan isn't a dirty player.

Are you serious?!
Horan was running back, stopped with his arm up and moved toward BOD, who wasn't looking at him at all. Stupid, dirty play from a hasbeen which was never brought up in the media.
Unlike Munster fans though, it was never brought up as a reason why Leinster lost that game.

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

thomond2006

CIARAN_BOYLE wrote: »

nope players moving province never get central contracts. I believe its so that no one can accuse the IRFU of favoring one province over another.

Interesting.

Do you think Strauss is the stonewall first choice like last season or will Strauss and Cronin be rotated (a la Boss and Reddan)?

wixfjord

thomond2006 wrote: »

Interesting.

Do you think Strauss is the stonewall first choice like last season or will Strauss and Cronin be rotated (a la Boss and Reddan)?

Strauss has to be #1, he's a far superior player. Would expect Cronin to be played a lot more than JHW last year though. Magners games, the Glasgee game, and to be brought on at the end of games too.

thomond2006

thomond2006 wrote: »

Interesting.

Do you think Strauss is the stonewall first choice like last season or will Strauss and Cronin be rotated (a la Boss and Reddan)?

I imagine there'll be a lot of 60/20 switches over the course of the season, but Strauss will undoubtedly be our Hooker for all Heineken Cup games.

profitius

Horans block wasn't that bad. BOD wasn't expecting it which made it look alot worse.

Thats my opinion.

CIARAN_BOYLE

thomond2006 wrote: »

Interesting.

Do you think Strauss is the stonewall first choice like last season or will Strauss and Cronin be rotated (a la Boss and Reddan)?

Strauss should definitely be first choice there is pretty decent distance between the two in quality imo.

With Boss and Redden they are pretty close in terms of quality (different strengths to be sure) and you can pretty much guarantee that if one is on the bench the one coming on will do better than the one he is replacing since the one coming on is fresh. The same was pretty true last year with VDM and Healy.

IRFU pressure might see them rotated for first choice but I reckon Strauss will end the season with twice as much game time as Cronin in terms of total minutes.

Podge_irl

I've seen worse but it was a distinctly unpleasant bit of play. If he was just trying to block him off the ball, which I would imagine he probably was, he screwed it up massively and it ended up fairly dirty regardless of his original intention.

profitius

profitius wrote: »

Horans block wasn't that bad. BOD wasn't expecting it which made it look alot worse.

Thats my opinion.

It's essentially a blind shoulder charge? It's sly and reckless and petty. How can that even be defended??

bizarre thing to try to play down.

CatFromHue

profitius wrote: »

Horans block wasn't that bad. BOD wasn't expecting it which made it look alot worse.

Thats my opinion.

Horan did a a number on BOD, Horan knows this, BOD knows this, I know it, but I don't understand why you don't!

He dropped the shoulder into a fella running at 75% and who was completely open. Of course BOD wasn't expecting it.....he didn't have the ball so why should he?

GerM

profitius wrote: »

BOD wasn't expecting it which made it look alot worse a lot more dangerous.

Edited your post to reflect how I see it.

I normally agree with most of what you post, profitius, but the shoulder by Horan was nasty and he should have been carded at the time. Horan isn't what I would ever describe as a dirty player but he's a niggly player and is no stranger to little pulls off the ball or doing what he can to gain an advantage over opposition.

GerM

I don't think the IRFU will interfere with any selections at Leinster. Strauss is going to be IQ in 10 months so I'm sure they're aware that there's benefits to be had from Strauss continuing as first choice. Cronin will get games but there's a gulf between himself and Strauss. He was given a chance against Edinburgh and was quite poor. I can see him getting 20 minutes in a few of the HEC pool games and a couple of Pro12 starts as the 6N approaches but, being honest, I think Sherry will leapfrog him for international selection if he gets back fit and playing. Cronin will improve though over the next year and be a better player by the end of his contract.

MaryKing

While Horan was out of order and deserved a card for that, why was Brian O'Driscoll playing in that match in the first place? He picked up that injury against Leicester, and while I could understand risking him in a HCup final (where I think he got another bang), it was madness not to get it seen to then rather than risking him in the Magners Final.

shuffol

I'd be fairly hopeful that Cronin will come good and be a quality international hooker, he hasnt really impressed for Ireland so far but it must be really tough making the step up from Connacht to test rugby. The only reasonably high intensity games he would've played with Connacht were the interpros and the latter stages of the challenge cup, even they'd be a million miles away from test rugby.