Leinster Team Talk/Gossip/Rumours Thread.

Big Nelly

durkadurka wrote: »

Only 14k turned up for the semi last year so I wouldn't worry about tickets.

Again this has been mentioned 1,000 times on here, the next weekend was Heino cup final and that is reason for low attendance.

THat is reason I didn't go last year. I will try and make it this year but have Heino cup final booked this year as well.

durkadurka

Potentially same scenario this year PLUS several thousands going to Bordeaux a fortnight before.

I reckon sparce attendance at semi with a good few showing up for potential final.

CatFromHue

I'd say that's one of the reasons for the 25% discount and for them going on sale without the away team being known. If you remember last year we blitzed Ulster in the league a few weeks before the Semi so there wouldn't have been much appetite for the Semi game.

CIARAN_BOYLE

durkadurka wrote: »

Potentially same scenario this year PLUS several thousands going to Bordeaux a fortnight before.

I reckon sparce attendance at semi with a good few showing up for potential final.

I reckon a lot of big day occasional fans will show up at the semi this year. Last year they would have had 'their day out' at the SF stage of the HEC when we played Toulouse. They won't get that this year so will crawl out of the woodwork for a Pro12 semi

durkadurka

Is likely to be against the decidedly unsexy Glasgow though. Last year it was the very marketable ulster.

Morf

durkadurka wrote: »

Is likely to be against the decidedly unsexy Glasgow though. Last year it was the very marketable ulster.

Unsexy? Pffft!

.ak

Morf wrote: »

Unsexy? Pffft!

Richie Gray is sitting down in that photo.

tolosenc

durkadurka wrote: »

Is likely to be against the decidedly unsexy Glasgow though. Last year it was the very marketable ulster.

Glasgow who beat us at home in the lasgue this season...

If it goes Glasgow -> Ospreys, it'd be like when you fight the hardest bosses again at the end of a video game...

Leinster7

Ulster will rest 50%+ of their first team and even if we send up our b-side (who were sensational last Friday) we will win fairly easily. Schmidt has us peaking at just the right time. Clermont are going to be very disappointed in Bordeaux in a couple of weeks

tolosenc

Leinster7 wrote: »

Ulster will rest 50%+ of their first team and even if we send up our b-side (who were sensational last Friday) we will win fairly easily. Schmidt has us peaking at just the right time. Clermont are going to be very disappointed in Bordeaux in a couple of weeks

Nonsense. We're going to get hammered.

Leinster7

tolosenc wrote: »

Nonsense. We're going to get hammered.

by Clermont? lol. You are delusional son...

[Jackass]

Sssssh!! Don't tempt the mocker Gods. We'll be lucky if some of our players make it back alive. Clermont by 50.

Fishooks12

tolosenc wrote: »

Nonsense. We're going to get hammered.

You forgot the sarcasm font

.ak

Leinster7 wrote: »

by Clermont? lol. You are delusional son...

I think you're delusional if you think we'll 'steamroll' them either.

Two best teams in Europe imo... no one will be steamrolling either... Provided both teams turn up on the day.

totallegend

If anyone's level of French is up to it, there's quite a good tongue-in-cheek preview of the game on the Clermont fans website:
http://www.cybervulcans.net/site/le-leinster-selon-lexil
Plenty of motivational tools for Joe Schmidt, if he needs any more... Sexton is a pre-pubescent adolescent, Strauss eats children and it goes on like that. The most outrageous claim is the last one:
"Joe Schmidt vs Vern Cotter : c’est Cotter qui aurait pu devenir coach des blacks, pas Schmidt qui l’aurait suivi pour être juste son adjoint. Pas de match sur ce coup…"
It's Cotter who could have become All Blacks coach, not Schmidt who would have had to follow him just to be his assistant. No contest on this one.

Hippo

totallegend wrote: »

It'll be close enough to the semi-final team. Ross has to play, we don't want him going into the Clermont game after a three-week break, Healy the same.

The second-row is where the real dilemma is, IMO. Toner was pretty impressive the other night, as he has been all season, but the Clermont pack is pretty big and with Cudmore and Hines in the second-row, there could well be an argument for Browne. I have no clue how Joe is going to play it.

I'm not sure there's any argument for parachuting Browne in for the biggest and most difficult match of the season.

clsmooth

Cullen and Thorn to start. Toner to come on if needs be, with fresh legs he'll be fine against a tiring Hines and Cudmore. Hard to say how he'll do against them if he was starting.

Hines is the big worry for me after seeing how good he was for us. Also that clip where he holds down a few Ulster players including Ferris was impressive!

Seph503

totallegend wrote: »

http://www.cybervulcans.net/site/le-leinster-selon-lexil

Is it a Star Trek or rugby fan site???:pac:

Big Nelly

durkadurka wrote: »

Potentially same scenario this year PLUS several thousands going to Bordeaux a fortnight before.

I reckon sparce attendance at semi with a good few showing up for potential final.

I think Leinster are been clever, it is a good few weeks away so everyone will buy the tickets. If it was a week away or 2, which was when the tickets went on sale last year then it is closer to the date and everyone start worrying about cash and not been able to go to game etc etc

Take me, last year I didnt go because I was going to cardiff and didnt want the expense the week before the big match and I knew Leinster would be in final.

This year, not sure if Leinster are in final, going to HC final away, it seems weeks away, not worried about anything been on so bought my ticket. If Leinster make it to HC final I would say a lot of people will leave the semi. But if you sell the tickets now, nobody know if Leinster will make it so to be sure most season ticket holders will buy the tickets. Good way to fill the stadium and good thinking by Leinster

justsomebloke

totallegend wrote: »

http://www.cybervulcans.net/site/le-leinster-selon-lexil

I hate french, even chrome translate can't really make a good go of it however I did laugh at the below

wrote:

Richard Strauss : good south af, former international, eater of children

d-gal

Hippo wrote: »

totallegend wrote: »

It'll be close enough to the semi-final team. Ross has to play, we don't want him going into the Clermont game after a three-week break, Healy the same.

The second-row is where the real dilemma is, IMO. Toner was pretty impressive the other night, as he has been all season, but the Clermont pack is pretty big and with Cudmore and Hines in the second-row, there could well be an argument for Browne. I have no clue how Joe is going to play it.

I'm not sure there's any argument for parachuting Browne in for the biggest and most difficult match of the season.

He's a fine player and knows the French game inside out. He was A beast over there and being honest him and Thorn starting with Toner off the bench would be perfect. Not going to happen tho

Hippo

d-gal wrote: »

He's a fine player and knows the French game inside out. He was A beast over there and being honest him and Thorn starting with Toner off the bench would be perfect. Not going to happen tho

I'm not saying he's not a good player but he's just not a frontliner in blue, and has barely featured in the HEC. I don't think he has had enough of the very top level stuff this season to justify selection for this game. Thorn will presumably take care of Hines as far as possible, and Leo is the captain. Toner deffo off the bench, he's been a revelation.

irishbucsfan

Hippo wrote: »

d-gal wrote: »

He's a fine player and knows the French game inside out. He was A beast over there and being honest him and Thorn starting with Toner off the bench would be perfect. Not going to happen tho

I'm not saying he's not a good player but he's just not a frontliner in blue, and has barely featured in the HEC. I don't think he has had enough of the very top level stuff this season to justify selection for this game. Thorn will presumably take care of Hines as far as possible, and Leo is the captain. Toner deffo off the bench, he's been a revelation.

Browne has started 3 games in the Heineken cup this season including both against Montpellier. Joe has shown he likes him playing against French opposition.

Although I don't think he'll play personally. If he is he has to be involved this weekend.

Fishooks12

Really think the brilliant accusation of Thorn is going to be a major contributing factor to Leinster sneaking it in France

An already powerful pack had been made even stronger with his presence

He got through a sick amount of work in the quarter and seems to be improving with each game too

.ak

As a general rule of thumb I prefer Toner over Browne, but I think we'll see Cullen, Thorn and Browne for the Clermont match, as physicality and size will be key.

irishbucsfan

The team I'd like to see for Ulster would be

Healy, Strauss, Ross, Thorn, Cullen, McLaughlin, Jennings, O'Brien;
Boss, Sexton, Fitzgerald, McFadden, O'Driscoll, Kearney, Kearney

Cronin, VDM, White, Browne, Auva'a, Reddan, Madigan, Carr/O'Malley

Rested: Heaslip, D'Arcy, Nacewa

Close to our semi pack minus Heaslip. O'Brien hasn't played 8 this season but maybe the extra carrying might whet his appetite! Start Boss, he'll be far more comfortable in Ravenhill. Rest D'Arcy, so McFadden is the best suited to deputise, Rest Isa and let the Kearney brothers play together. Bring Browne on early to get him rolling ahead of next week and Auva'a is there to cover 8.

Score a bunch of tries and get ready in style for the toughest game since 2010!

rrpc

Fishooks12 wrote: »

Really think the brilliant accusation of Thorn is going to be a major contributing factor to Leinster sneaking it in France

What's this about?

irishbucsfan

rrpc wrote: »

Fishooks12 wrote: »

Really think the brilliant accusation of Thorn is going to be a major contributing factor to Leinster sneaking it in France

What's this about?

acquisition

Fishooks12

irishbucsfan wrote: »

acquisition

Dear jesus what a brain fart!

justsomebloke

Fishooks12 wrote: »

Dear jesus what a brain fart!

Fishooks12 wrote: »

Sorry I actually completely miswrote my quote

What I meant to say originally was

"idiotic Munster bias" not Leinster!

I think it's time you started proof reading your posts :pac: