Leinster Team Talk/Gossip/Rumours Thread.

yup, has played at 12 plenty of times

durkadurka

JustinDee wrote: »

So Leinster should field a fraction of the squad required?
He also said that the past was more predictable than the future although the past was not predictable when it began :eek:

Sorry for sidetrack . . . continuez

I think we should stick with the known knowns here. There's no point in dwelling on the unknown unknowns.

[Jackass]

McFadden picked at 11 for Scarlets game would indicate that Schmidt is going to go for the backline of

9. Reddan
10. Sexton
11. McFadden
12. Berne
13. D'Arcy
14. Horgan
15. Nacewa

OR backline picked for Scarlets

9. Reddan
10. Sexton
11. McFadden
12. D'Arcy
13. O'Malley
14. Horgan
15. Nacewa

I think the only question remaining is who will be the centre partnership, D'Arcy and O'Malley or Berne and D'Arcy ... Berne may not be 100% fit yet and that may be the reason he's benching v Scarlets, or it may mean Schmidt has decided on his backline for Clermont and he wants to give them a run together ... It's between Berne and O'Malley anyway, personally I'd go for Berne, but I suppose it would be a massive leap for O'Maley and Leinster & Irish rugby if he was now the calibre to be starting games like this, he's certainly been very impressive whenever he's played, I just wouldn't have been sure if he's ready for it yet, and also prefered the other combination of Berne & D'Arcy....

We'll wait and see. Either way, still a very good backline to be fielding considering we're missing 3 Lions from it and probably our most promising young back...

funky penguin

True, there are pros and cons to both....the experience of Berne and D'Arcy, or D'Arcy and O'Malley where you have them both in their usual positions.

I'd be a little apprehensive of D'Arcy O'Malley, but quite a bit excited too!

danthefan

Playing D'Arcy anywhere but 12 would be absolutely daft imo. We are missing three first choice players, which is going to leave the backline looking very callow, moving a fourth out of position from where he's been in superb form just makes no sense. Has to be the backline that's playing the Scarlets.

smurphy29

Agree Danthefan, with so many missing we should try to keep as many of the frontliners as possible playing in their best position. Especially Darcy, given his current form.

You'd have to think Schmidt is planning on going with this backline next week. Big opportunity for Ferg and O'Malley, we all agree they've been great for Leinster in the Magners games and it's an opportunity they both deserve.

jolley123

The Leinster team to face Plymouth Albion in Friday evening's round 2 British & Irish Cup clash in Skerries RFC, Holmpatrick (KO: 6.30pm) has been named...FREE ENTRY...

Paul O'Donohoe leads a team boasting youth and experience for Friday night's game and the panel includes Ed O'Donoghue, Rhys Ruddock and Stephen Keogh in the pack.

Brendan Macken makes his return from injury to start at centre alongside Noel Reid, with Michael Keating forming an exciting back three alongside Sam Coghlan-Murray and full-back Niall Morris.
*There is free entrance to Friday evening's game in Holmpatrick, Skerries RFC.
LEINSTER:
15: Niall Morris
14: Sam Coghlan-Murray
13: Brendan Macken
12: Noel Reid
11: Michael Keating
10: Ian McKinley
9: Paul O'Donohoe CAPTAIN
1: Jack McGrath
2: Tom Sexton
3: Stewart Maguire
4: Eoin Sheriff
5: Ed O'Donoghue
6: Rhys Ruddock
7: Jordi Murphy
8: Stephen Keogh
REPLACEMENTS:
16: Aaron Dundon
17: Ben Prescott
18: Mark Flanagan
19: Ben Marshall
20: John Cooney
21: Darren Hudson
22: Andrew Boyle

Mackens back from injury

irishbucsfan

Is Madigan injured or is he travelling with the 1st XV?

WeeBushy

Rudoock playing, so Ryan is still ahead of him in the pecking order.

jolley123

irishbucsfan wrote: »

Is Madigan injured or is he travelling with the 1st XV?

Travelling with the 1st xv i would imagine.

thomond2006

How's Macken been doing? A lot of posters were screaming his talent from the rooftops a few seasons ago.

jolley123

thomond2006 wrote: »

How's Macken been doing? A lot of posters were screaming his talent from the rooftops a few seasons ago.

Didn't play too well in the u-20 six nations - too greedy with ball in hand. Then as soon as his season started with Leinster, he became injured. He has recovered now and with the six nations coming up, I'd say he'll be using that as a second chance to prove himself. Personally I think he's a great centre from what I saw of him in the schools cup. He's only 19 so he'll have plenty of chances.

thomond2006

thomond2006 wrote: »

How's Macken been doing? A lot of posters were screaming his talent from the rooftops a few seasons ago.

In a nutshell
- no progress from where he was 18 months ago
- still got crazy talent
- still very young and has plenty of time to develop
- recovering from injury
- with some of finest coaches and setup that we have in Ireland.

I'm still optimistic.

Insane to think that himself and some of the other younger players could have racked up 10 years of rugby at this stage, and that our talismanic prop of the noughties, Hayes only started playing the game at their age!

jolley123

Guys, you might want to check out the new leinster site - bluemagic.ie. It has videos of the players discussing great leinster clips.

thomond2006

What was the point of bringing Prescott over if he's only going to sit on the bench for the As? Waste of money tbh.

With Ross getting the cold shoulder from Kidney, Healy is going to the only player missing during the Six Nations. They will still have VDM, Ross and Newland available with Maguire and McGrath backing them up.

WeeBushy

thomond2006 wrote: »

What was the point of bringing Prescott over if he's only going to sit on the bench for the As? Waste of money tbh.

With Ross getting the cold shoulder from Kidney, Healy is going to the only player missing during the Six Nations. They will still have VDM, Ross and Newland available with Maguire and McGrath backing them up.

He was a panic buy imo.

Podge_irl

WeeBushy wrote: »

He was a panic buy imo.

Pretty much. Plus Schmidt wasn't to know how ridiculously myopic Kidney would be about Ross.

danthefan

When Stan got injured Leinster needed immediate cover. If Ross had have gone and got injured in the first game of the season we were down to having one 20 year academy TH.

CIARAN_BOYLE

Does anyone know how the A match went?

jolley123

CIARAN_BOYLE wrote: »

Does anyone know how the A match went?

Called off. 25 mins in the flood lights broke, couldn't get em up and workin again.

crisco10

jolley123 wrote: »

Called off. 25 mins in the flood lights broke, couldn't get em up and workin again.

hilarious.

thomond2006

Oh dear. :pac:

[Jackass]

Holy mother of jesus, it's Cian Healy Mark II (with add on mullet).

They seem to have put Jack McGrath on the same diet as Cian in the academy, and from what I'm hearing he's on track to make a similar break through very young into the seniors. Massive unit for a lad of his age! (already senior contract and only 20)

Maguire in the background looks to have bulked up a lot too. I hold high hopes for him being the long term solution at tight head for Leinster. With Healy, Harris-Wright & Sexton also, it's great to see so much young front row talent coming through. It'll stand to us having so many young players coming through in a steady stram, just hope their scrummaging progresses quickly.

[Jackass]

[Jackass] wrote: »

Holy mother of jesus, it's Cian Healy Mark II (with add on mullet).

Hopefully he can actually scrummage. Not too keen on another 'dynamic' prop in the loose.

Stev_o

Rushing a prop just cause he looks like a body builder onto the senior stage is a receipt for disaster as we'v found out. Big muscles doesn't = scrummage ability.

Mcgrath was a good scrummager at underage levels. Very powerful lad. Haven't seen him play in last 18months though. Think management doing right thing delaying him anyway. Let him build experience the tough way, no point in holding tackle bags and hoping for a bench spot when there are games to be played for the As

jolley123

Anyone know the score in the Leinster A game??

danthefan

jolley123 wrote: »

Anyone know the score in the Leinster A game??

Floodlights failed after 25 mins or so, game called off, think it's being replayed today.

jolley123

danthefan wrote: »

Floodlights failed after 25 mins or so, game called off, think it's being replayed today.

Yeh I know, I meant the one today. It kicked off at 2

CouchSmart

Apparently something like 28-5 to Leinster.

Some pictures here.