Leinster Team Talk/Gossip/Rumours Thread.

Podge_irl

I had flights to Lyon via London in preparation for the semis, booked ages ago. I've got a flight from Luton to bordeaux cheap enough and returning bordeaux-lyon-london-Dublin which will be a ****ing nightmare.

irishbucsfan

I just remembered I live in London and can hop on the train. I love underwater tunnels.

Here I come.

CatFromHue

According to Wikipedia Stade Chaban-Delmas in Bordeaux has a capacity of 34,694. Can anyone remember what's the breakdown of ticket allocation for the Semi's?

It's the stadium we played Namibia and Georgia in the 2007 RWC as well.

Podge_irl

CatFromHue wrote: »

According to Wikipedia Stade Chaban-Delmas in Bordeaux has a capacity of 34,694. Can anyone remember what's the breakdown of ticket allocation for the Semi's?

50/50 (minus the ERC's allocation).

tolosenc

Have to be here that weekend, so I'll have to wait till the final!

Just realised that our next 3 matches are against the other semi-final sides... So long as we win the last one, I don't care. Ravenhill should be a good warm up, however.

Is it bad to hope for ASM injurues?

Podge_irl

I'm looking forward to spending two days in Bordeaux, but I'm fairly bricking it with regards to the game itself. I didn't see a lot of the Saracens game - were Clermont that good or were Saracens a bit poor? Ominous stuff anyway. I know the bookies have Leinster as marginal favourites, but I think Clermont should have that tag myself.

tolosenc

Podge_irl wrote: »

I'm looking forward to spending two days in Bordeaux, but I'm fairly bricking it with regards to the game itself. I didn't see a lot of the Saracens game - were Clermont that good or were Saracens a bit poor? Ominous stuff anyway. I know the bookies have Leinster as marginal favourites, but I think Clermont should have that tag myself.

Sarries were poor, IMO. Clermont lacked a cutting edge.

Clegg

I'm quite anxious about the game away to Clermont, but I still think we have a good chance of winning.

Leinster played very well against Clermont at the Michelin in 2010. I think Leinster have improved as a team since then too. We've seen Ulster push Clermont to the wire in France too. I also think Clermont aren't quite as slick in attack as they were a few years ago.

I win is definitely possible imo. It will be a huge task but its definitely possible.

ongarite

Hard to really say how good clermont were as Skrela went off after 2 mins but James put in a decent performance.

funky penguin

We can definitely do this, no doubt about it.

The belief and hunger is there. Clermont is fast becoming a regular match up for us, and one that I always enjoy. There are the last team to have beaten us in the HEC, and my favorite team outside Ireland.

But we ran them close in 2010 without key players, including BOD. It was somewhat of a baptism of fire for McF and EoM, both coming through it with shining colors.

We're hard nosed 2 time winners now, who quite honestly look like a team hitting their stride at exactly the right time of the season.

It's gonna be great, it's gonna be tight, but we're gonna win.

God I hope that doesn't come back and bite me in the arse now......

conorr

its great to see brad thorne playing so well for leinster , i just kept an eye on him in the match yesterday and he was the quickest getting up to the rucks and securing the ball.
does anybody know what date his contract ends ?
(and he is supposed to be on a break)

tolosenc

funky penguin wrote: »

We can definitely do this, no doubt about it.

The belief and hunger is there. Clermont is fast becoming a regular match up for us, and one that I always enjoy. There are the last team to have beaten us in the HEC, and my favorite team outside Ireland.

But we ran them close in 2010 without key players, including BOD. It was somewhat of a baptism of fire for McF and EoM, both coming through it with shining colors.

We're hard nosed 2 time winners now, who quite honestly look like a team hitting their stride at exactly the right time of the season.

It's gonna be great, it's gonna be tight, but we're gonna win.

God I hope that doesn't come back and bite me in the arse now......

Repetez:

On pourra s'y faire, alors on s'y fera !

funky penguin

tolosenc wrote: »

Repetez:

On pourra s'y faire, alors on s'y fera !

Emmmmm oui oui? :pac:

Big Nelly

Has the times for the semi's been confirmed? and what day they are on?

Also when are tickets on sale?

copacetic

4pm local on the Sunday.

http://www.irishtimes.com/sports/tables/tables-2011-rugby-european.html

BoardsMember

wicklowwonder wrote: »

Hines will know our line out inside out though and joe won't have as much knowledge of Clermont as he had. Be very hard they are a physical team Healy, Ross will need huge games and this is the type of game we signed Thorn for! Can't wait lets hope everyone keeps fit between this and then!

Slight correction - this is the actual game we signed Thorn for. I have no doubt that he was signed for the eventuality of the away semi against CA. It's going to be massive, can't wait!!

garryowenman

anyone know where I can watch highlights of the leinster game . missed the highlights on tg4

CatFromHue

they're on the tg4 player

padser

No disrespect to Ulster / Edinburgh but the eventual winner should definitely come the Leinster / Clermont semi final. Quite like the situation last yr in our semi against Toulouse.

A lot depends on how much Clermont focus on the top 14. LeInster are in the fortunate position of being able to focus three weeks of preparation on the Clermont game (partly due to excellent league form throughout the season already effectively securing home semi).

I'm expecting to see Boss start against Clermont in the only non injury enforced change. Felt Redden had a poor game and given the physicality of the Clermont pack coupled with Joes preference for Boss away in Europe I think Boss will get the nod.

Would love to see The majority of the team rested next week (except perhaps those who need match time. Cullen, BOD etc) with everyone brought back in for a high intensity warm up against Ulster.

.ak

Really? I thought Reddan did a job for us. Kept the ball moving. Was put under a huge amount of pressure by Cardiff and still kept his cool and kept the team moving. Didn't see much of him in the second half because Cardiff had the ball. But yeah, there's a chance JS will go with Boss for the semi - away, France and all that... But I'd be worried if we play a tight game to be honest. It almost went against us in Montpelier, and look at the way Sarries play and Clermont schooled them at their own game. Their pack is monsterish. I think having Cudmore and Hine is key to their style of play upfront - they bully other teams with their physical presence. Having Thorn helps, but Cullen and Toner just aren't that physical.. We could be under big trouble there.

Something to be said for bringing Browne maybe?

.ak

Hmm, have any Irish clubs played in Stade Chaban-Delmas? Ireland have played there twice, and won twice, in the 2007 WC. Although I don't know if you'd call that win against Georgia a win at all...

Has anyone been here? Looks a funny ground, with the crowd far from the pitch (due to it being a bicycle track at first)... Hope we bring a big crowd, we'll need to be vocal I think. Booking my tickets tomorrow...

Hagz

What??! Reddan was great. He had a huge part to play in both of Kearney's tries and he combined well with Sexton all game.

irishbucsfan

.ak wrote: »

Hmm, have any Irish clubs played in Stade Chaban-Delmas? Ireland have played there twice, and won twice, in the 2007 WC. Although I don't know if you'd call that win against Georgia a win at all...

Has anyone been here? Looks a funny ground, with the crowd far from the pitch (due to it being a bicycle track at first)... Hope we bring a big crowd, we'll need to be vocal I think. Booking my tickets tomorrow...

Munster beat Toulouse there in 2000

irishbucsfan

Dont think Reddan had his best day at the office. His kicking is very poor at times and it showed.

tolosenc

.ak wrote: »

Really? I thought Reddan did a job for us. Kept the ball moving. Was put under a huge amount of pressure by Cardiff and still kept his cool and kept the team moving. Didn't see much of him in the second half because Cardiff had the ball. But yeah, there's a chance JS will go with Boss for the semi - away, France and all that... But I'd be worried if we play a tight game to be honest. It almost went against us in Montpelier, and look at the way Sarries play and Clermont schooled them at their own game. Their pack is monsterish. I think having Cudmore and Hine is key to their style of play upfront - they bully other teams with their physical presence. Having Thorn helps, but Cullen and Toner just aren't that physical.. We could be under big trouble there.

Something to be said for bringing Browne maybe?

Depends. If the lineout goes to pot like it did on Saturday, I'd far rather see Toner coming on than Browne. I do think Browne for Toner and Boss for Reddan will be the changes to the 23.

Hagz

I don't know. Browne was pretty ordinary in the B&I cup SF. Can't see Schmidt dropping Toner completely. I'd say the team will stay the same with the possibility of Boss coming in.

CatFromHue

I think Brock James said that they were targeting the HEC more this year after yesterdays game.

The line out is a worry I have to say. You could argue that it could have cost us maybe one or two tries on Saturday as we lost I think 4 in excellent positions. In a closer game this will cost us. Clermont will be a much closer game.

I'm already more excited about the Clermont game than I was in total for the Cardiff game.

Hugh Farrelly wrote that the reason Fitzgerald came off was because of a slight hamstring twinge. I thought it was very telling that McFadden came on and stayed on the wing even when BOD came off.

Edit: Quote from James:

"Leinster won the competition last year and they beat us a few years ago, and have had a good victory in the quarter-final, but we have put more importance in the Heineken Cup this season," James said. "We are keen to get stuck into them."
http://www.espnscrum.com/heineken-cup-2011-12/rugby/story/162567.html

CatFromHue

From the Leinster ticket office:

Leinster Rugby will now take on Clermont Auvergne in Chaban Delmas in Bordeaux on Sunday, 29th April at 4pm. Leinster Rugby Season Ticket holders and members of the Supporters Club who wish to travel will have access to the Leinster allocation of tickets for this fixture from Tuesday (10th April) morning at 10am. Tickets will be available via your Leinster Rugby ticket account which can be accessed via our website www.leinsterrugby.ie/tickets
Ticket prices are €20, €25, €30, €35, €50 and €60.
Tickets will subsequently be available to the public from 10am Thursday morning (12th April) via our website also. Due to short turnaround they will only be available for one week before we are obliged to return unsold tickets so apologies for any inconvenience caused by this sale opening during the Easter Break.

.ak

So... Where's everyone gonna be sitting?

thomond2006

http://www.rugbynetwork.net/boards/read/s102.htm?105,13177041

A few comments here and there about Denton, mostly positive.