Leinster Team Talk/Gossip/Rumours Thread.

Cronin is Ireland's future standout #2.

I would love to have him

profitius

CouchSmart wrote: »

Really don't agree with that. Strauss is equally as good as Cronin in the loose, perhaps with less pace. He's also an excellent defender and poacher of opposition ball, Cronin will need to add this to his game to overtake Strauss.

irishbucsfan wrote: »

Not at all in my opinion.

Cronin is faster. That is all. Strauss is a stronger ball carrier though, and much stronger in contact.

Cronin has shown he has problems with scrummaging (for Ireland) whereas Strauss is extremely solid in the scrums.

Cronin's lineoue throwing is shakey. Strauss has been the best lineout thrower in the country this season.

Both players are also extremely similar in age.

Lads I think you're getting carried away with Strauss. He's playing well this season but in the loose he can't compare with Cronin. Cronin is a much better athlete than Strauss. Bigger, faster etc.

jolley123

irishbucsfan wrote: »

Both players are also extremely similar in age.

Jaysus, I had no idea how young Strauss was, I was thought he was 30 or something. Isn't he able to play for Ireland soon?

CouchSmart

profitius wrote: »

Lads I think you're getting carried away with Strauss. He's playing well this season but in the loose he can't compare with Cronin. Cronin is a much better athlete than Strauss. Bigger, faster etc.

Don't know why you think we're getting carried away. I would take Strauss over Cronin everyday of the week. Having both would be great.

profitius

CouchSmart wrote: »

Don't know why you think we're getting carried away. I would take Strauss over Cronin everyday of the week. Having both would be great.

Because I disagree that Strauss is better than Cronin in the loose or even near Cronin. Throwing is a different matter but Connacht fans say Cronin is a solid thrower for them.

jolley123

If Strauss chooses to play for Ireland, I see him ahead of Cronin. He's more physical and holds himself better in the scrums. That said, his throwig has been well below par. Strauss pros - effective at the breakdown, good tackler and scrums well. Cronin pros - he's quick and throws well.

Oisinjm

jolley123 wrote: »

If Strauss chooses to play for Ireland, I see him ahead of Cronin. He's more physical and holds himself better in the scrums. That said, his throwig has been well below par. Strauss pros - effective at the breakdown, good tackler and scrums well. Cronin pros - he's quick and throws well.

I'd say that Strauss is infact a better thrower than Cronin. Strauss runs some ridiculous lines. I think its the whole used to be a flanker buzz. But sometimes he just comes in from nowhere. Love it

CouchSmart

profitius wrote: »

Because I disagree that Strauss is better than Cronin in the loose or even near Cronin. Throwing is a different matter but Connacht fans say Cronin is a solid thrower for them.

You've obviously not watched a lot of Leinster this season.

smurphy29

Strauss has been heroic this season for Leinster, one of our best players. Cronin arriving would generate competition for the shirt but he (Cronin) wouldn't be coming as nailed on first choice. Both very dynamic, Cronin really does look fast for a front row, but it would be very foolish to underrate Strauss' work rate around the park.

I would welcome Cronin at Leinster with open arms - these days you need two top players in each position, especially specialised roles like hooker. Munster have Flannery and Varley - we need an established second hooker. I'm terrified Strauss will get injured at some point this season.

SomeFool

I think Cronin would be well capable of starting for Leinster, game time at club level for him, Healy and Ross together could be a very good thing for Ireland.

David900

I've only been able to watch Irish and Leinster games this year so far so I can't comment on Cronin for Connacht, but if his Irish games are anything to go by I'd leave him at Connacht.

I agree with what someone said about Leinster being quite bare in the number two slot, but I kind of like the situation we have now with Strauss really playing well and Harris-Wright improving. It would be terrible if Strauss got injured because HW probably isn't there right yet to step up but he can only get better going forward, looks like an excellent prospect.

dastardly00

LEINSTER:
15: Isa Nacewa
14: Shane Horgan
13: Brian O'Driscoll
12: Gordon D'Arcy
11: Fergus McFadden
10: Jonathan Sexton
9: Eoin Reddan
1: Cian Healy
2: Richardt Strauss
3: Mike Ross
4: Leo Cullen CAPTAIN
5: Nathan Hines
6: Sean O'Brien
7: Shane Jennings
8: Jamie Heaslip/Dominic Ryan


REPLACEMENTS:
16: Jason Harris-Wright
17: Heinke van der Merwe
18: Clint Newland
19: Devin Toner
20: Dominic Ryan/Rhys Ruddock
21: Isaac Boss
22: Shaun Berne
23: David Kearney


REFEREE: Nigel Owens (WRU), ASSISTANT REFEREES: Tim Hayes, Hugh Watkins (WRU), 4th OFFICIAL: Brian MacNeice (IRFU), 5th OFFICIAL: Barry O'Keeffe (IRFU), TMO: Derek Bevan (WRU)

taken from: http://www.leinsterrugby.ie/newsroom/6303.php

Eoin Reddan's an odd one. I thought Boss had a great game last week. Good to see BOD back in. Shame for O'Malley.

WeeBushy

Thank god dricco is fit, I think we would've seriously struggled to win this one without him. Desperately hope Heaslip is fit, but we have such good depth in the back row that I think if he doesn't make it we can cope better than losing O'Driscoll.

Bring it on Clermont

irishbucsfan

Reddan :mad:

dastardly00

Taken from: http://www.asm-rugby.com/101217-compo.html

Stev_o

Rushing BOD may prove to be a mistake. Kearney on the bench doesn't enstill much confidence either.

JustinDee

Wow 11 out of 22 players on the Clermont side are actually French-qualified.
This must be a record!

thomond2006

Stev_o wrote: »

Rushing BOD may prove to be a mistake. Kearney on the bench doesn't enstill much confidence either.

The BOD call looks like one in desperation, he better be ok to play.

PhatPiggins

Jeebus look at the strength of the Clermont bench. Everyone of them would start for 80% of teams in europe.

This is going to be one hell of a game

WeeBushy

Why must I have an exam from 6 - 8 on Saturday, why?

WeeBushy

WeeBushy wrote: »

Why must I have an exam from 6 - 8 on Saturday, why?

I'm flying at 6:25.

peterako

Reddan at 9 is a shock....

But got a bigger shock when I clicked on the wrong 'Leinster Team to face...' link....

BoarHunter

aaaaargh .... Nigel Owens... we're doomed :mad:

danthefan

thomond2006 wrote: »

The BOD call looks like one in desperation, he better be ok to play.

Oh yeah, absolutely desperate. Picking one of your best players. What is Schmidt thinking?

Hippo

I share the Reddan apprehensiveness. Fingers crossed!

JustinDee

Deleted User wrote: »

I'm flying at 6:25.

You hope :O
Airports being hit with weather. All refs have been travelling early, even already for sunday games

PhatPiggins

danthefan wrote: »

Oh yeah, absolutely desperate. Picking one of your best players. What is Schmidt thinking?

Sarcasm ................ fail

Clearly a reference to his fitness or lack there of

JustinDee

JustinDee wrote: »

You hope :O
Airports being hit with weather. All refs have been travelling early, even already for sunday games

shhh.

I need to be home for Christmas!

[Jackass]

I agree that it might be a bit dodgy starting O'Driscoll, but to be honest, we need him more than anything right now and i think he was always going to start this game regardless of how O'Malley faired in the away trip. He just needed those extra few days.

I hope to god he makes the 80, or at least 70. It'd be worth another injury if he got through most of the game and was fully fit for the next round of Heineken Cup games. I'm not sure he'd agree with my viewpoint on that though.

On paper team looks strong, in reality i hope there aren't too many knocks being carried. Hopefully dricco and Heaslips injuries have been played up by Schmidt. O'Brien at 6 suggests Heaslip is going to start. They usually have O'Brien / Ryan and Heaslip / O'Brien in the two positions if it includes a positional switch, no? and there's no way Ryan would be at 8 with O'Brien at 6....

Anyway, excited and nervous for this one!! Any win will do.