Leinster Team Talk/Gossip/Rumours Thread.

porterbelly

shuffol wrote: »

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.

And as long as Strauss is in Leinster he won't see any gametime in big games unless Leinster are winning handy. He'll start some Magners games, but that's all.

jacothelad

I really think if he was really good enough he would never have been allowed to leave Munster. He is a decent player but a bit over-rated and with a few flaws to his game. Being quick in open play is an asset but it doesn't make you indispensable as a hooker. Strauss is just as quick and seems to be a better thrower and handler. In terms of Ireland's 2 over the next 3 years I'm sure he will be in the mix as Kidney is obviously a fan. With Best, Sherry, Cronin, Strauss, possibly Flannery and perhaps a newcomer such as Niall Annette we are well served. Even if all these guys were injured we still have really good hookers available such as Kyriacou and Brady who wouldn't look out of place.

CatFromHue

Strauss has a bit of an unfair advantage on Cronin at the moment in that he has played 5 full games, nearly 70 mins in two others, and then 30 mins against Edinburgh. This is with a team he is very comfortable with.

Cronin on the other hand has played 50 mins and a pre season friendly with Leinster, where everything is new to him. Even in the pre season friendly he was training with Ireland for most of the time beforehand. For Ireland he had a full game against Russia, an hour against Scotland which seems a life time ago now, and 26mins against Italy.

Cronin has been the guy holding the tackle bags for nearly all of his season so far whereas Struass has been the guy hitting them. They're two different worlds.

I don't think Cronins throwing is as bad as people say either. It will take him time to bed in with Leinster and get some match sharpness back but this will come. His arrival puts Leinster in a far better position than they have been for a few seasons now and I think he will be putting serious pressure on Strauss when he beds in. Strauss is ahead of him at the moment though.

MaryKing

Correct - it wasn't a good time to introduce Cronin with Leinster down a man. They needed all their experienced/best forwards on the pitch.

MaryKing

jacothelad wrote: »

I really think if he was really good enough he would never have been allowed to leave Munster. He is a decent player but a bit over-rated and with a few flaws to his game.

I believe he was offered a contract, but decided to go to Connacht as it looked like Munster were well served with hookers at the time and he wouldn't get a look-in for a few years. He was a bit unfortunate I suppose in that Sherry appeared from nowhere (Sherry has no ireland underage caps for some reason).

His throwing is a bit suspect (like a lot of Irish hookers). With practice, that can improve.

PhatPiggins

MaryKing wrote: »

I believe he was offered a contract, but decided to go to Connacht as it looked like Munster were well served with hookers at the time and he wouldn't get a look-in for a few years. He was a bit unfortunate I suppose in that Sherry appeared from nowhere (Sherry has no ireland underage caps for some reason).

His throwing is a bit suspect (like a lot of Irish hookers). With practice, that can improve.

Can't sit in the same dressing room as Jerry Flannery, and vise versa. Don't know the reason why but was quoted as saying he won't go back to Munster while Flannery is still there.

Both BOD and Earls being injured could turn out to be a blessing for Ireland in terms of findingt the future Irish 13.

CatFromHue

PhatPiggins wrote: »

Can't sit in the same dressing room as Jerry Flannery, and vise versa.

Jackman and Flannery are seemingly just as good friends.

Cpt_Blackbeard

PhatPiggins wrote: »

Can't sit in the same dressing room as Jerry Flannery, and vise versa. Don't know the reason why but was quoted as saying he won't go back to Munster while Flannery is still there.

Both BOD and Earls being injured could turn out to be a blessing for Ireland in terms of findingt the future Irish 13.

I've heard that thrown around before but, I'm pretty sure that Cronin and Fla were throwing around some banter at each other on Twitter a few weeks ago. I seem to recall Fla calling Cronin the ginger honey badger

CIARAN_BOYLE

MaryKing wrote: »

I believe he was offered a contract, but decided to go to Connacht as it looked like Munster were well served with hookers at the time and he wouldn't get a look-in for a few years. He was a bit unfortunate I suppose in that Sherry appeared from nowhere (Sherry has no ireland underage caps for some reason).

He was offered a development deal with Munster and Connacht offered him a full contract I think

thomond2006

On Setanta, Franno and Williams were bemoaning the fact that Fionn Carr moved to Leinster. He was playing AIL this weekend and he won't get a look in come HEC game, even with Horgan out. Dave Kearney appears to be ahead of him.

Did Carr make the wrong choice coming home?

Hagz

thomond2006 wrote: »

On Setanta, Franno and Williams were bemoaning the fact that Fionn Carr moved to Leinster. He was playing AIL this weekend and he won't get a look in come HEC game, even with Horgan out. Dave Kearney appears to be ahead of him.

Did Carr make the wrong choice coming home?

I think so anyway. I just don't see how he fits in. I'd rather we give minutes to Conway than Carr. Should've stayed in Connacht, but I think in the end he made it so clear that he wanted to leave he was gonna go somewhere else if Leinster didn't take him. I hope I'm wrong though. Maybe he's gonna have a break-through and score buckets of tries.

tolosenc

profitius wrote: »

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

Thats my opinion.

If the ref had whipped out a red card he would have had very little to complain about. It was dirty, cynical, intentional and premeditated. Not to mention extremely dangerous...

CIARAN_BOYLE

thomond2006 wrote: »

On Setanta, Franno and Williams were bemoaning the fact that Fionn Carr moved to Leinster. He was playing AIL this weekend and he won't get a look in come HEC game, even with Horgan out. Dave Kearney appears to be ahead of him.

Did Carr make the wrong choice coming home?

Pope made the same point last night on RTE.

Carr had 6 starts so far this season he looked ordinary in attack and somewhat flakey defensively in the games I've seen.

He missed his shot and D Kearney seems to have goten ahead of him and Carr is likely to be stuck on the fringes mixing AIL and A appearances along with RDPro 12 cameos untill the 6 nations where Ireland is likely to include Fitzgerald, McFadden and R Kearney in the squads for either the senior team or the wolfhounds and Carr will get another shot then.

What I'm worried about is if Carrs presence will reduce AIL game time for Macken and Conway (only two pros in a team).

jacothelad

thomond2006 wrote: »

On Setanta, Franno and Williams were bemoaning the fact that Fionn Carr moved to Leinster. He was playing AIL this weekend and he won't get a look in come HEC game, even with Horgan out. Dave Kearney appears to be ahead of him.

Did Carr make the wrong choice coming home?

Carr was also offered a contract at Ulster but Ulster couldn't meet his terms apparently. I wish they could have had an agreement. Ulster lack real pace outside of Trimble and Cochrane and Allen who never get games anyway.

PhatPiggins

tolosenc wrote: »

If the ref had whipped out a red card he would have had very little to complain about. It was dirty, cynical, intentional and premeditated. Not to mention extremely dangerous...

I know I'm appalled by the barbarity of it :eek::eek:

I don't which was worse, when he tipped him and drove him head first into the turf, stuck his finger in Brians eye or when he drove his shoulder into O'Driscolls face? Oh wait none of that happened. It was a penalty and a card but we wouldn't still be talking about if it happened to anyone else.

PhatPiggins

PhatPiggins wrote: »

I know I'm appalled by the barbarity of it :eek::eek:

I don't which was worse, when he tipped him and drove him head first into the turf, stuck his finger in Brians eye or when he drove his shoulder into O'Driscolls face? Oh wait none of that happened. It was a penalty and a card but we wouldn't still be talking about if it happened to anyone else.

the reason we're still talking about it is that it seems that it could be directly involved in costing BOD an entire season. That's a fairly huge matter.

Cpt_Blackbeard

Deleted User wrote: »

the reason we're still talking about it is that it seems that it could be directly involved in costing BOD an entire season. That's a fairly huge matter.

BOD's willingness to destroy his body for club and country has cost himself a full season. Leinster are better off being without him for the majority of the season and blooding a successor rather than allowing him to play when he wants and watching his missed tackle count rise exponentially. I said during/after the WC that BOD shouldn't play (much) for Leinster before Christmas.

He either does the smart thing, has surgery and continues playing for another 2-4 seasons or, he continues pushing himself and becomes a liability in defense and loses his place/retires.

Cpt_Blackbeard

Cpt_Blackbeard wrote: »

BOD's willingness to destroy his body for club and country has cost himself a full season. Leinster are better off being without him for the majority of the season and blooding a successor rather than allowing him to play when he wants and watching his missed tackle count rise exponentially. I said during/after the WC that BOD shouldn't play (much) for Leinster before Christmas.

He either does the smart thing, has surgery and continues playing for another 2-4 seasons or, he continues pushing himself and becomes a liability in defense and loses his place/retires.

Of course he took calculated risks, but the Horan incident above is not a "normal event" that happens in a rugby game.

That's like saying that someone who drove at the speed limit needs to share the blame for an accident after being crashed into by a drunk driver.

MaryKing

Deleted User wrote: »

the reason we're still talking about it is that it seems that it could be directly involved in costing BOD an entire season. That's a fairly huge matter.

If it was deserving of a red card, Horan would have been cited, particularly since it was such a high profile person.

I think Schmidt is trying to deflect the spotlight off himself for playing him when he obviously was not fit - it is a contact sport and players are going to have to take contact. How did he get the injury in the first place when he was fully fit?

CIARAN_BOYLE

BOD was injured for 3 HEC group games last year and was injured again against Leicster in the HEC QF last year. He ignored that injury and played injured in two SFs and two Finals.

He then went injured to the RWC.

I want BOD to do the surgery and come back 100%. I agree with Blackbeard that I don't want BOD to push through injury and for him losing his place tainting his record. I don't want people to remember him playing injured and making mistakes.

jacothelad

MaryKing wrote: »

If it was deserving of a red card, Horan would have been cited, particularly since it was such a high profile person.

I think Schmidt is trying to deflect the spotlight off himself for playing him when he obviously was not fit - it is a contact sport and players are going to have to take contact. How did he get the injury in the first place when he was fully fit?

I think he was just pointing out an unnecessary piece of filthy thuggery which contributed to the exacerbation of an already formed injury..

phog

tolosenc wrote: »

If the ref had whipped out a red card he would have had very little to complain about. It was dirty, cynical, intentional and premeditated. Not to mention extremely dangerous...

The independent citing commissioner didnt think it warranted a hearing.

Hagz

phog wrote: »

The independent citing commissioner didnt think it warranted a hearing.

Rougerie has't been cited for his eye gouge either, don't make it right.

Hippo

How many times have players been cited for incidents in interprovincial games in recent years?

MaryKing

jacothelad wrote: »

I think he was just pointing out an unnecessary piece of filthy thuggery which contributed to the exacerbation of an already formed injury..

Why wasn't Horan cited then? Thugery usually gets a Red Card.

MaryKing

jacothelad wrote: »

Carr was also offered a contract at Ulster but Ulster couldn't meet his terms apparently. I wish they could have had an agreement. Ulster lack real pace outside of Trimble and Cochrane and Allen who never get games anyway.

I understand that Ulster offered him a contract and then withdrew it and went for Jared Payne instead. Ulster did compensate Carr though. Leinster took pity on him and gave him a 1 year contract.

MaryKing

MaryKing wrote: »

Why wasn't Horan cited then? Thugery usually gets a Red Card.

How do you feel about the Mealamu/Umanga incident?

No citing so all good in the hood?

This kind of crap is what really annoys me about some people on here. There is literally no way that you believe what you are saying, you are being hyperdefensive of "one of your own" as you see them.

MaryKing

Hippo wrote: »

How many times have players been cited for incidents in interprovincial games in recent years?

John Hayes & Jonathan Sexton are two that spring to mind immediately.

wixfjord

MaryKing wrote: »

John Hayes & Jonathan Sexton are two that spring to mind immediately.

Was he cited?

MaryKing

Deleted User wrote: »

How do you feel about the Mealamu/Umanga incident?

No citing so all good in the hood?

This kind of crap is what really annoys me about some people on here. There is literally no way that you believe what you are saying, you are being hyperdefensive of "one of your own" as you see them.

No. I said Horan deserved a Yellow Card for that. He should not have done it. If Horan had that kind of contact with any other player on the pitch, they would have been fine.

Brian was not fit enough to be playing then which was very soon after his original injury.