Leinster Team Talk/Gossip/Rumours Thread.

totallegend

durkadurka wrote: »

Cullen out for ten weeks with Achilles surgery....
I'm getting worried....

Baaaallllllllllssssss. Source?

Well look, if this turns out to be accurate, it's not the end of the world.

a) Toner has upped his game this season and we'll muddle through with Browne, Sykes (ahem) and McLaughlin, if it provides Flanagan with more game time that can only be good too.
b) Plenty of other leaders in the team
c) Ten weeks from now is the end of March, just in time to have him back for the HC QF; if he needs the surgery, I'd rather he get it done now when the QF is in the bag than be breaking down in a few weeks and being out for the season.
d) I don't think he was going to figure in the 6N anyway

In his book, his achilles makes a few appearances so this would not be a shock.

irishbucsfan

Maybe he was told he won't be in the 6N squad so the team made the decision to do it now and have him back for the QF?

I really hope we see Flanagan during the 6N again now. Let's see if he can continue to imporove beside his cousin.

Big Nelly

durkadurka wrote: »

Cullen out for ten weeks with Achilles surgery....
I'm getting worried....

Big loss, just for his presence on the pitch. I don't think the ref would have got away with the same bullsh*t in Cardiff match if Leo was on the pitch. I don't think Heaslip was strong enough. He went a few times to the ref and was just brushed off.

Heaslip will be captain so just need to grow a pair when talking to the ref and get his point across.

Apart from that in the game itself with Toner upping his game(I still think he was good last year:D) and lots of cover we have shown we can win without Leo. Also this weekend is in the RDS. Will be able to rock them on with crowd alone.....

When is next round of HC after this weekend? would he still be gone?

Interesting for Irish squad now, Toner has to be certainty in the squad!!

durkadurka

Source is newstalk and joe. Ie

fitz

He should be back for the quarter final, which will be the start of April.
So really, he's missing out on Rabo games and the 6 Nations, which he was probably not going to be involved in anyway. Better to get it done now and have him back for the QF.
I think we have enough cover to be ok.

Clegg

Toner may get into the extended Irish squad but he definitely shouldn't be in any matchday 22's just yet. He's 5th choice lock in my eyes.

POC
Tuohy
Ryan
Mc Carthy
Toner

Toner has shown improvement over last year but there are still a number of locks operating at a higher level than him.

Tuohy/POC would be the best lock pairing for the 6 Nations imo.

totallegend

irishbucsfan wrote: »

I wonder who is next in line. I guess Jenno? Perhaps Heaslip.

Reckon Heaslip will get the armband this weekend alright, but then he'll be gone for the 6N window so it will probably be Jennings alright.

BoardsMember

When you look at it in the cold light of day it doesn't bode well for the HEC. He might be back in 8 to 10 weeks, but not having played in that length of time. And he's on record as saying he needs four or five games to play himself into form. So you have a Leinster team minus Nathan Hines, Leo Cullen, BOD, and Shaggy trying to repeat last year's achievements. I dont think it's very likely, especially when you consider how close our knock-out games were, and the fact we had a home semi.

Neil3030

Whatever happened with Hines; I have heard that he wanted to stay but Leinster refused to extend his contract. Is this true?

totallegend

Neil3030 wrote: »

Whatever happened with Hines; I have heard that he wanted to stay but Leinster refused to extend his contract. Is this true?

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/sport/2011/0416/1224294803787.html

Don't mention the war!

Neil3030

totallegend wrote: »

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/sport/2011/0416/1224294803787.html

Don't mention the war!

thomond2006

Neil3030 wrote: »

Whatever happened with Hines; I have heard that he wanted to stay but Leinster refused to extend his contract. Is this true?

Both Leinster & Hines were happy to agree a one year contract. It was the IRFU who refused an extension, instead allowing the signature of a dud in Steven Sykes.

Zzippy

Neil3030 wrote: »

Whatever happened with Hines; I have heard that he wanted to stay but Leinster refused to extend his contract. Is this true?

Just reading Cullen's book and he says whiel rooming with Hines in Clermont that he told him the IRFU didn't want to renew his contract for this season, due to his age and the fact he would be away with Scotland at the WC for the first 2 months of the season.

LEIN

Looks like Cian got Jamie back.

FM104 Facebook page wrote:

Look what Cian Healy has done to Jamie Heaslip's jeep after the Proper Chapel call on The Strawberry Alarm Clock!!!

Link

leakyboots

Fitz more than likely out of Montpellier game, final decision tomorrow, Sexton to have a fitness test.

WeeBushy

leakyboots wrote: »

Fitz more than likely out of Montpellier game, final decision tomorrow, Sexton to have a fitness test.

Where did you hear this?

ambid

FM104 also just reported Fitz is likely out.

Still neck injury. Schmidt said he's "not fully there". Final decision tomorrow, same with Sexton although they are more confident of him.

Clegg

I imagine this is the reason for Fitzgerald being named in the Wolfhounds. Kidney was probably informed that Fitz would miss this game so the the Wolfhounds could give him much needed gametime before the 6 Nations.

irishbucsfan

Clegg wrote: »

I imagine this is the reason for Fitzgerald being named in the Wolfhounds. Kidney was probably informed that Fitz would miss this game so the the Wolfhounds could give him much needed gametime before the 6 Nations.

He was named in the wolfhounds because he wasn't at the world cup, like every other wolfhound except Boss.

Cpt_Blackbeard

irishbucsfan wrote: »

He was named in the wolfhounds because he wasn't at the world cup, like every other wolfhound except Boss.

and Varley

Tox56

Cpt_Blackbeard wrote: »

and Varley

3rd choice players who couldn't fit in the 24 man squad.

profitius

It doesn't matter at all that Fitz is in the Wolfhound squad because he wasn't part of the World cup squad. Kidney wanted to pick them again as a group. Don't ask me the logic behind it, I can only think that he promised them he'd give them all another chance. If Cave and Griffin were fit they'd also be in the Wolfhound squad and not the training squad.

chancer12

Tox56 wrote: »

3rd choice players who couldn't fit in the 24 man squad.

Oh yeah! and Wallace and Earls are legends?

Tox56

chancer12 wrote: »

Oh yeah! and Wallace and Earls are legends?

Ginny

Sexton was out training fine yesterday, didn't seem to be sidelined too much, I'd say he's fine for tomorrow.

Spud83

Ginny wrote: »

Sexton was out training fine yesterday, didn't seem to be sidelined too much, I'd say he's fine for tomorrow.

I'd say he will start but may defer the place kicks to McFadden or Isa. Hope Montpellier aren't really up for this game, and it cna be wrapped up early so he will be taken off, and protected a little that way, with Madigan getting some more experience.

ray jay

Does McFadden still have a 100% place kicking record this season? I know he does in the Heineken, not sure about the Pro12.

molloyjh

ray jay wrote: »

Does McFadden still have a 100% place kicking record this season? I know he does in the Heineken, not sure about the Pro12.

No he's missed 1 so far. I think he's 25 from 26 or something like that.

vinny chase

molloyjh wrote: »

No he's missed 1 so far. I think he's 25 from 26 or something like that.

Still really impressive. I remember the guy kicking for UCD, and just being struck by how little fuss he seems to have in his routine. I've rarely seen him have a bad day with the boot; just fantastic technique. Especially when you consider that he didn't even kick while in Clongowes, or on the Irish U-20/21's.

ongarite

Is Cullen going to go ahead with his achilles operation now?
I thought I read he was going to delay it till after the weekend HC games and then make a decision (based on 6 Nations needs presumably)

If he went for the operation now, there is a chance he could be back for the QF match.