Leinster Team Talk/Gossip/Rumours Thread.

lologram

Clegg wrote: »

Ryan and Ruddock are both 6's.

Ryan is a 7.

Clegg

lologram wrote: »

Ryan is a 7.

My mistake then.

I've definitely seen him play 6 on a number of occasions though.

CIARAN_BOYLE

Clegg wrote: »

My mistake then.

I've definitely seen him play 6 on a number of occasions though.

He can and has played both positions and to be honest is as much a 6 as a 7. However many posters want him as a 7 because they aren't happy with SOB there and they think Jennings is vulnerable to being forced out of the first choice 23.

Fishooks12

CIARAN_BOYLE wrote: »

He can and has played both positions and to be honest is as much a 6 as a 7. However many posters want him as a 7 because they aren't happy with SOB there and they think Jennings is vulnerable to being forced out of the first choice 23.

Disagree

He's the closest blueprint we have to an out and out Pocock like 7

lologram

Clegg wrote: »

My mistake then.

I've definitely seen him play 6 on a number of occasions though.

You definitely have, but that's by virtue of trying to fit players in. When Joe has a free hand, Ryan plays at 7.

Summary of his season: 7 vs Ulster, 7 vs Ospreys (Ruddock 6), came on for Jennings at 7 vs Aironi, 6 beside Jennings vs Glasgow, 7 vs Edinburgh, 7 (Ruddock 6) vs Glasgow, 7 vs Dragons and vs Ospreys (Ruddock 8 both times).

(There was a fairly lengthy injury in the middle too)

Hagz

So Clermont are top of the Top14. Two teams top of their domestic leagues clash. Gonna be so tight.

tolosenc

Hagz wrote: »

So Clermont are top of the Top14. Two teams top of their domestic leagues clash. Gonna be so tight.

For another few hours...

justsomebloke

ye really look forward to it, it will be our 5th game on the trot against teams that made the quarter finals of the Heineken cup

Hagz

Try of the year - BOD
Young player of the year - Madigan
Player of the year - Kearney

GerM

I reckoned Kearney would have a big season back in August but I didn't know how good he would be. It's like he has combined all the top elements of his career into one season. He has the fielding of 2009. The broken running of 2008. The nose for the line of when he first came through on the wing. This season is the first time he really has had a decent run under Schmidt and it's telling. The one thing that stands out for me is his handling; he has developed a passing game. I think it was against Wales he delivered a nicely timed spin pass off his left. I don't think he could do that 3 years ago. He played 12 once under Cheika, he'd actually be able to fill in there now in an emergency, I reckon. Would never move him but good to see he is developing still at 26.

CatFromHue

GerM wrote: »

I reckoned Kearney would have a big season back in August but I didn't know how good he would be. It's like he has combined all the top elements of his career into one season. He has the fielding of 2009. The broken running of 2008. The nose for the line of when he first came through on the wing. This season is the first time he really has had a decent run under Schmidt and it's telling. The one thing that stands out for me is his handling; he has developed a passing game. I think it was against Wales he delivered a nicely timed spin pass off his left. I don't think he could do that 3 years ago. He played 12 once under Cheika, he'd actually be able to fill in there now in an emergency, I reckon. Would never move him but good to see he is developing still at 26.

If only his defence was better :-(

I just don't trust him at all as the last line of defence and he's been caught out a few times this season.

Ciaran-Irl

CatFromHue wrote: »

If only his defence was better :-(

I just don't trust him at all as the last line of defence and he's been caught out a few times this season.

He has been poor defensively for Ireland, but outstanding for Leinster. You can make the usual argument about International rugby being a massive step up, but I personally think it's more likely that it is a combination of confidence in an international shirt and a system that isn't clear enough on responsibilities.

CatFromHue

Ciaran-Irl wrote: »

He has been poor defensively for Ireland, but outstanding for Leinster. You can make the usual argument about International rugby being a massive step up, but I personally think it's more likely that it is a combination of confidence in an international shirt and a system that isn't clear enough on responsibilities.

I think his technique is poor and has nothing to do with responsibilities or confidence to be honest. When he is required to make a one on one tackle he tends to just try and jump on the guy and always goes high. You very rarely see him go low and take a guy by the legs. Muller's try on Friday night is a good example. Muller while being a big guy is not known for his powerful running. Kearney was way too passive in the tackle by going high and hanging on and in the end it was more Muller tripping over Kearney that stopped him. If it was Tuohy instead of Muller he would have been blown away. It's at 1.40 on the clip below, Kearney is on the 5m line when he tackles Muller.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-yxdDPIeLRA

He is exposed less for Leinster as we are a better team in comparison to our opponents than Ireland and so Kearney is required to do less in defence. I think he also takes the wrong option in defence or reads what he has to do poorly.

I think Kearney is world class at the things he is good at (catching, kicking, running) but journeyman in the things he is bad at (tackling, defence, passing).

totallegend

I see that Fionn Carr won the award for Noodler of the Year. Wtf is that?

ktulu123

The Wagamama noodle prize I think

durkadurka

Judging by twitter he's not the brightest....

CatFromHue

Did anyone see iTalksport on Setanta this morning?

Isa Nacewa was meant to have been on.

Hagz

CatFromHue wrote: »

I think Kearney is world class at the things he is good at (catching, kicking, running) but journeyman in the things he is bad at (tackling, defence, passing).

Kearney's savage at passing. He's made tries for Leinster and Ireland this year because of his passing.

In terms of defense, he not the best, he can be really flimsy as the last line of defense but imo he makes up for that by providing security under the high-ball unmatched by anyone in the world.

When he was out injured, Ireland missed him sorely.

CatFromHue

Hagz wrote: »

Kearney's savage at passing. He's made tries for Leinster and Ireland this year because of his passing.

In terms of defense, he not the best, he can be really flimsy as the last line of defense but imo he makes up for that by providing security under the high-ball unmatched by anyone in the world.

When he was out injured, Ireland missed him sorely.

I'm not so sure about his passing, his awareness of other players when he is running with the ball is weak.

He was missed by Ireland that's true but it was a weird time as Geordan Murphy and Gavin Duffy were also injured at the same time if I remember right.

I don't think the All Blacks will kick the ball too much to him but will run at him, as will the Aussies on the Lions tour next year. For me that's why Halfpenny will be ahead of Kearney for the Lions, assuming Halfpenny keeps up his good form.

Nacewa has fallen off his good form from last season so Kearney is first choice for Leinster. For Ireland he's first choice but I do grimmace when he has to make a tackle :-(

It actually confuses me at how good he can be at catching but not at tackling! He's really putting his body on the line in both cases.

ambid

CatFromHue wrote: »

Did anyone see iTalksport on Setanta this morning?

Isa Nacewa was meant to have been on.

He didn't really say much. He was very balanced to the point of not really saying anything.

He did say he came to Leinster because of the style of rugby they play, how keen he is to stay beyond his current contract, and that negotiations with the union are ongoing. He said if he's "forced to leave" then he'll have to come to terms with that.

It was interesting to hear him talking about the standard Schmidt expects, and that there is nowhere to hide on Monday post game analysis. He said Schmidt is always calm, but he is clinical in calling players to account in front of their teammates.

He said BOD was uncomfortable accepting the try of the season award as it was a team effort and BOD just had to "catch the ball and run 10 meters".

Paul Kimmage is an odd bloke. Nacewa was talking about how his wife hadn't travelled much but was settling in to Dublin, and said something about how she enjoys a glass a Guinness when Kimmage interrupted him to say "don't give us old cliches about Guinness". It was pretty rude actually. Kimmage has poor communication skills for a professional journalist.

CatFromHue

ambid wrote: »

Paul Kimmage is an odd bloke. Nacewa was talking about how his wife hadn't travelled much but was settling in to Dublin, and said something about how she enjoys a glass a Guinness when Kimmage interrupted him to say "don't give us old cliches about Guinness". It was pretty rude actually. Kimmage has poor communication skills for a professional journalist.

I don't understand Kimmage on that show either He can be either too nice, like he was with Luke Fitzgerald, or angling for a fight with anyone, like he was with Eoin MacDevitt last week.

Profiler

CatFromHue wrote: »

I don't understand Kimmage on that show either He can be either too nice, like he was with Luke Fitzgerald, or angling for a fight with anyone, like he was with Eoin MacDevitt last week.

I know someone who works in the photography side of journalism, he summed him like this.

"Paul Kimmage thinks that Paul Kimmage is the best journalist that Paul Kimmage knows and Paul Kimmage can't understand why others don't share Paul Kimmage's view on Paul Kimmage"

ambid

I haven't seen this mentioned elsewhere but apparently the RDS stadium upgrade is going ahead. Capacity will rise to 23,000 and they are looking to sell naming rights for €17m.

Apparently the RDS has a "new state-of-the-art seating system". Does anyone know exactly what counts as a state-of-the-art seating system? We have seats with numbers so I guess that's it!

Hopefully this upgrade will be good news for Leinster.

http://http://www.herald.ie/news/leinsters-rds-arena-home-to-get-massive-17m-revamp-3088059.html

justsomebloke

ambid wrote: »

Does anyone know exactly what counts as a state-of-the-art seating system?

Terracing

Clegg

Leinster usually pull a crowd of 15,000 for League games and then sell out the stadium for the Heineken Cup.

I know the RDS is used for a lot more than rugby but they must be hoping for attendance at Leinster matches to increase.

CatFromHue

Excl the Aviva game our average RDS Magners League attendance in 10/11 was 13707, in 09/10 it was 13730 for all the home home Magners game, and in 08/09 it was 12050.

Excl the Munster game this season our average Rabo attendance is 16089. So in a stadium of 18500 we're operating at 87% capacity. In a stadium of 23000 this seasons average would be 70% of capacity.

Maybe we do need to upgrade so. I would have been against it on last seasons and the seasons before numbers but this year has been incredibly impressive. Whether it's sustainable I don't know.

Quint2010

CatFromHue wrote: »

Excl the Aviva game our average RDS Magners League attendance in 10/11 was 13707, in 09/10 it was 13730 for all the home home Magners game, and in 08/09 it was 12050.

Excl the Munster game this season our average Rabo attendance is 16089. So in a stadium of 18500 we're operating at 87% capacity. In a stadium of 23000 this seasons average would be 70% of capacity.

Maybe we do need to upgrade so. I would have been against it on last seasons and the seasons before numbers but this year has been incredibly impressive. Whether it's sustainable I don't know.

With a capacity of 23000 they could afford to lower prices making it more attractive to go to the game and still get the overall revenue up

ambid

I imagine as part of the upgrade they're planning on upgrading facilities as well as increasing attendance capacity. Currently the Angelsea Rd stand is pretty old and dilapidated so I'm sure the RDS and Leinster have figured that modern corporate facilities can increase match day revenue by enough to justify this investment.

I would hate a lot more empty seats at matches though as they really do affect the atmosphere. Certainly playing in stadiums which are 60% empty hasn't helped the Welsh clubs in the Rabo.

I wonder who would pay €17m for naming rights though? Even if it was over 10 years or more, with most of the biggest games moved to the Aviva I wonder how attractive a package this is. I guess if Leinster keep doing well then they can figure out a deal structure which makes sense for everyone.

Podge_irl

ambid wrote: »

I wonder who would pay €17m for naming rights though? Even if it was over 10 years or more, with most of the biggest games moved to the Aviva I wonder how attractive a package this is. I guess if Leinster keep doing well then they can figure out a deal structure which makes sense for everyone.

I wouldn't categorise it as most of the biggest games. It's just the munster game and one HEC game (admittedly probably the two biggest games). Leinster are also one of, if not the best team in Europe and are growing towards being the biggest as well. I think 17m is optimistic but 10+ is possible I think.

Also, an expansion of the ground and improvement of facilities could easily lead to bigger attendances. Donnybrook regularly didn't fill before the move to the RDS yet attendances tripled with the move.

ongarite

The Angelsea needs a total rebuild. Its ancient in appearance, facilities and viewing angles.
A new stand with modern changing rooms, corporate and meeting room facilities and pillarless views would be fantastic.

When and how can they do this though..
What about the season ticket holders in the current Angelsea?
Will they be out of place for a year?