Leinster Team Talk/Gossip/Rumours Thread.

irishbucsfan

Well I don't have time to find the tweet but its very, very simple.

Was it a high tackle? Yes. Is that a penalty? Yes. Did it prevent a try? Yes.

Hype710

Big selection dilemma of the weekend, Reddan or Boss to start? Both will play important roles but Boss for me to start.

danthefan

Hype710 wrote: »

Big selection dilemma of the weekend, Reddan or Boss to start? Both will play important roles but Boss for me to start.

Reddan imo, we need to get scores and we've more chance of that with Reddan on. I would expect the team will be identical to the QF.

Fishooks12

Ya the TOL tackle was def high

Hype710

danthefan wrote: »

Reddan imo, we need to get scores and we've more chance of that with Reddan on. I would expect the team will be identical to the QF.

Reddan's been in great form but this is as physical encounter as we are going to get all season, so I'd plump for Boss from the off.

totallegend

jm08 wrote: »

He did not say it should have been a penalty try. It said it should have been a scrum for a knock on.

What he said was that according to correct protocol, he shouldn't have gone to the TMO because the incident was outside the in-goal area, but that on viewing it after the game, he realised that a penalty try should have been awarded.

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?p=65982991

Fishooks12

jm08 wrote: »

He did not say it should have been a penalty try. It said it should have been a scrum for a knock on.

Served

rrpc

Hype710 wrote: »

Reddan's been in great form but this is as physical encounter as we are going to get all season, so I'd plump for Boss from the off.

We don't need to slow the game down to favour the opposition, tear into them early and make them defend until they're knackered and then wheel Boss on to finish them off.

It's Reddan's speed that's needed to fracture their defence.

irishbucsfan

Going to be quite a divisive issue, but I'd have Boss to start.

I think we need to be able to control the ball in the tight as best as we can. Leaving Reddan on the bench gives us more options later in the game as well should we need them.

If we start with Reddan we're nailing their first half game plan to the dressing room door for them.

Either way ill be happy though.

totallegend

irishbucsfan wrote: »

Going to be quite a divisive issue, but I'd have Boss to start.

I think we need to be able to control the ball in the tight as best as we can. Leaving Reddan on the bench gives us more options later in the game as well should we need them.

If we start with Reddan we're nailing their first half game plan to the dressing room door for them.

Either way ill be happy though.

Very hard to call. Part of me agrees with you, but this is the best team we'll have faced all year, I don't know if keeping it tight is going to work, so part of me says we play Reddan and we go out and take the game to them; that we don't worry about their game plan and just focus on ours.

ongarite

totallegend wrote: »

Very hard to call. Part of me agrees with you, but this is the best team we'll have faced all year, I don't know if keeping it tight is going to work, so part of me says we play Reddan and we go out and take the game to them; that we don't worry about their game plan and just focus on ours.

I think Reddan will start. The experience in Montpellier where we tried to play it tight with Boss nearly backfired.

shuffol

I'd be very surprised if Reddan doesnt start, Boss just isnt playing good enough to force his way in IMO.

justsomebloke

truthfully I can't really see any changes from the team that played cardiff

tolosenc

Kearney, Nacewa, O'Driscoll, D'arcy, Fitzgerald, Sexton, Reddan, Healy, Strauss, Ross, Cullen, Thorn, McLaughlin, O'Brien, Heaslip.

Reddan/Boss is the only real call to be made, but I think it'll be Reddan.

rrpc

tolosenc wrote: »

Kearney, Nacewa, O'Driscoll, D'arcy, Fitzgerald, Sexton, Reddan, Healy, Strauss, Ross, Cullen, Thorn, McLaughlin, O'Brien, Heaslip.

Reddan/Boss is the only real call to be made, but I think it'll be Reddan.

Might be a call to start Cronin instead of Strauss. Strauss hasn't been great with his throwing lately.

irishbucsfan

Not a HOPE would I want Cronin to start over Strauss.

And the idea of starting Cronin for his throwing...?

GerM

Would start Jennings and leave out SOB. He's a great player but he's playing the worst of all our back row players. Let him come in after 50 minutes and release his frustration on Clermont. Jennings and McLaughlin are both playing very well. They've earned their place. Won't happen and I'm sure it will be the same back row as Cardiff but it would be my preference.

irishbucsfan

GerM wrote: »

Would start Jennings and leave out SOB. He's a great player but he's playing the worst of all our back row players. Let him come in after 50 minutes and release his frustration on Clermont. Jennings and McLaughlin are both playing very well. They've earned their place. Won't happen and I'm sure it will be the same back row as Cardiff but it would be my preference.

Completely disagree about O'Briens form. He's getting through loads of work. One of the games recently he was great (was it Munster? Can't remember).

All of those guys are playing well, but O'Brien is a far more complete player. Not to mention far younger.

I don't think this game will suit Jennings, at all. He excels in mayhem, in the presence of poor coaching or poor reffing. He won't find either of those things in Bordeaux imo.

molloyjh

Ciaran-Irl wrote: »

That try was Fitzgerald's fault, standing there waving like an eejit.

I think Fitzy got a bit tangled after Dippy and Wallace hit the deck which meant he couldn't get across as quickly as he needed to. Hence the waving.

As for Kearney, I'm assuming he was trying to prevent the off-load to Diack who was right on Mullers shoulder???

For the weekend I'd be inclined to go with Reddan as well. The last thing we need is to keep it tight against Clermont IMO. They're a bigger and more confrontational side overall than we are and a bigger more confrontational SH for Leinster isn't going to tip the scales any.

ongarite

Can see the same backrow as Cardiff game.
Kev has had a fantastic 2nd half to the season, really under appreciated.

Wouldn't mind seeing SOB, Ryan & Heaslip though.
6 suits SOB destructive game better & Ryan was outstanding against Ulster.

justsomebloke

ongarite wrote: »

Can see the same backrow as Cardiff game.
Kev has had a fantastic 2nd half to the season, really under appreciated.

Wouldn't mind seeing SOB, Ryan & Heaslip though.
6 suits SOB destructive game better & Ryan was outstanding against Ulster.

truthfully if Browne and Cullen are starting I would much prefer Locky starting as he gives better options in the lineout

ongarite

ongarite wrote: »

Can see the same backrow as Cardiff game.
Kev has had a fantastic 2nd half to the season, really under appreciated.

Wouldn't mind seeing SOB, Ryan & Heaslip though.
6 suits SOB destructive game better & Ryan was outstanding against Ulster.

He had a brilliant start to the season too. He's really been very good throughout. A team player too, love watching him marshalling Ryan and Ruddock when they're all working together. He's well worth a spot against Clermont. Been impressed with his line breaking too. Does the "2nd Row" bit well, just making 3m and putting opposition on backfoot and presenting ball quickly.

shuffol

Mclaughlin strikes me as someone who's very comfortable with his game at the minute, very clear on what his job is and goes out and does it well. In contrast SOB looks like he's a little less clear on what his role in the side should be, far cry from the 2nd half of the HEC final when he moved to 6 and grabbed the game by the scruff of the neck.

[Jackass]

Has this been mentioned? RDS looking to raise 17m in revenue by (amongst other measures I'm sure) selling the naming rights to the RDS to redevelop it.

Would definitely entail a rebuild of the anglsea stand with corporate & medical / team room facilities, and hopefully a wrap around roof and fill in of the corners, some new bar facilities and possibly new terracing areas (speculating).

Leinster CEO Mick Dawson confirmed some time ago that plans have been drawn up and they were working with RDS to make a deal about going ahead, this article confirms new capacity will be 23,000 which is a good size.

Hope plans can be announced at the end of the season..

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/finance/2012/0420/1224314968405.html

pajunior

Kev could also be handy if we come under lots of pressure and need to kick to the line a lot. An extra jumper at the lineout might prove useful.

ongarite

pajunior wrote: »

Kev could also be handy if we come under lots of pressure and need to kick to the line a lot. An extra jumper at the lineout might prove useful.

He did a great (if somewhat illegal) job on Croft against Leicester in QF last year.

tolosenc

shuffol wrote: »

Mclaughlin strikes me as someone who's very comfortable with his game at the minute, very clear on what his job is and goes out and does it well. In contrast SOB looks like he's a little less clear on what his role in the side should be, far cry from the 2nd half of the HEC final when he moved to 6 and grabbed the game by the scruff of the neck.

Him making 20m with half of the Northampton team hanging out of him is probably the endearing image of that game for me.

irishbucsfan

molloyjh wrote: »

For the weekend I'd be inclined to go with Reddan as well. The last thing we need is to keep it tight against Clermont IMO. They're a bigger and more confrontational side overall than we are and a bigger more confrontational SH for Leinster isn't going to tip the scales any.

That's not why you start Reddan though. Reddan is our best 9 because our pack can secure the ball against most opposition. When they can't though Reddan gets very flustered and sloppy. Like against Glasgow, when Boss came on and improved things drastically.

Starting Reddan will give Clermont a target. Start Boss for 50 minutes and it doesn't give them that avenue in defense. You then control when Reddan enters the game and they won't be able to shift their tactics on the fly nearly as successfully. It means we then have our quickest half back on at a point in the game where he is more comfortable and against an ageing Clermont pack as well.

Just my opinion. I can understand the whole "forget their game, play ours approach," but I think its a little naive to think that will be succesful in France against French opposition. IMO, Reddan would be far more influential wearing 21 than 9.

GerM

irishbucsfan wrote: »

Completely disagree about O'Briens form. He's getting through loads of work. One of the games recently he was great (was it Munster? Can't remember).

All of those guys are playing well, but O'Brien is a far more complete player. Not to mention far younger.

I don't think this game will suit Jennings, at all. He excels in mayhem, in the presence of poor coaching or poor reffing. He won't find either of those things in Bordeaux imo.

I haven't said that he's in bad form just that he's not playing as well as our other options. He's getting through work but in areas where Jennings is still better than him overall for me i.e. slowing down the opposition, organising the defence and being a general pain. Jennings workrate without the ball is ferocious and he was absolutely outstanding in Thomond (SOB was on the bench that day). SOB has looked a bit out of sorts relative to last season with his eye catching performances being sporadic. He has improved significantly in terms of break down work rate and positioning but I think Jennings still shades it in those areas. Clermont will be a dog fight with rain forecast and Jennings is a big personality within the team who leads from the front in a tight game like the Saracens game last season or away in Toulouse the year before. He's instrumental in those games.

Would probably bring on SOB for McLaughlin after 50 minutes if the game opens up a little. SOB is a more complete player but the areas he is far better than Jennings in are the areas he isn't making a big impact in this season.

Big Nelly

[Jackass] wrote: »

Has this been mentioned? RDS looking to raise 17m in revenue by (amongst other measures I'm sure) selling the naming rights to the RDS to redevelop it.

Would definitely entail a rebuild of the anglsea stand with corporate & medical / team room facilities, and hopefully a wrap around roof and fill in of the corners, some new bar facilities and possibly new terracing areas (speculating).

Leinster CEO Mick Dawson confirmed some time ago that plans have been drawn up and they were working with RDS to make a deal about going ahead, this article confirms new capacity will be 23,000 which is a good size.

Hope plans can be announced at the end of the season..

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/finance/2012/0420/1224314968405.html

Was mentioned 2 pages ago....