Leinster Team Talk/Gossip/Rumours Thread.

totallegend

.ak wrote: »

Kick off is 4pm. (french time)

Ah, thought it was later than that.

fitz

molloyjh wrote: »

No idea tbh, but it would kind of defeat the purpose really. Personally I want to get to my seat early. The Clermont fans will be there nice and early too and the atmosphere in the ground will be hopping. The Stade Marcel-Michelin has a capacity of 18,000 and they can make some serious noise there. It looks like there'll be anywhere between 20,000 - 30,000 of them at this one (probably closer to 30k). Having a few pints in a couple of pubs is great and all, but soaking up the atmosphere in the ground before-hand is something I'm def looking forward to.

Oh don't get me wrong, if I were going, I'd want to be in the seats about 45 minutes before kick-off at the latest...

I'm just saying that working back from an arrival time of 3pm, starting the trip at 1:45pm is only an hour and a quarter, half an hour of which is actual walking. That leaves 45 minutes to stop for a drink or a bite to eat along the route and have a bit of craic with everyone else on the way. When you think of it that way, 1:45 local time doesn't seem too early to start the march...

Foxtrol

molloyjh wrote: »

No idea tbh, but it would kind of defeat the purpose really. Personally I want to get to my seat early. The Clermont fans will be there nice and early too and the atmosphere in the ground will be hopping. The Stade Marcel-Michelin has a capacity of 18,000 and they can make some serious noise there. It looks like there'll be anywhere between 20,000 - 30,000 of them at this one (probably closer to 30k). Having a few pints in a couple of pubs is great and all, but soaking up the atmosphere in the ground before-hand is something I'm def looking forward to.

There's getting to your seat early and then there's getting to your seat close to two hours before (which is far more likely IMO than your timetable as unless we take a scenic route it won’t take more than 20 minutes, getting there that early means there’ll be no queues to get in or at the bar). I don’t know how much atmosphere soaking you need but to most being in their seat 45 minutes to an hour before kickoff would satisfy them. I also think a crowd arriving as a group at that slightly later stage, with a few extra drinks on board, would be much more ready to get straight into it and be better for noise levels than a group who has been sitting in their seats for an extended period of time. We really need to optimise our noise and getting there too early will actually negate rather than help it.

CatFromHue

Any more rumours on Luke Fitzgerald? I'm fairly sure we're past the date an announcement was expected.

Foxtrol

fitz wrote: »

I'm just saying that working back from an arrival time of 3pm, starting the trip at 1:45pm is only an hour and a quarter, half an hour of which is actual walking. That leaves 45 minutes to stop for a drink or a bite to eat along the route and have a bit of craic with everyone else on the way. When you think of it that way, 1:45 local time doesn't seem too early to start the march...

I doubt this is the actual plan but it is something that our group will probably end up doing if the march does set off at 1:45pm.

molloyjh

Foxtrol wrote: »

fitz wrote: »

I'm just saying that working back from an arrival time of 3pm, starting the trip at 1:45pm is only an hour and a quarter, half an hour of which is actual walking. That leaves 45 minutes to stop for a drink or a bite to eat along the route and have a bit of craic with everyone else on the way. When you think of it that way, 1:45 local time doesn't seem too early to start the march...

I doubt this is the actual plan but it is something that our group will probably end up doing if the march does set off at 1:45pm.

When was the last time a gang of Irish people started anything on time though. I can't see us going anywhere until 2-ish and the Clermont fans are all planning on getting there for about 2.30 from what I've heard. Sure we'll see on the day. It may yet piss rain. Best laid plans and all that....

.ak

Me and my mates will defo be doing the march and defo will be going down early to soak up the atmosphere (not taking our seats). It's the 'I'm not doing anything out of my comfort zone' attitude that separates us from the French fans (especially ASM fans). I think it's about time we took a leaf from their book.

totallegend

David Skrela will need an operation to remove a haematoma from his thigh and will miss the game at the weekend.

I think Clermont would have started with James at 10 anyway, but it gives them one less option...

irishbucsfan

Bah. I want them at their strongest.

durkadurka

irishbucsfan wrote: »

Bah. I want them at their strongest.

I'd be more than happy if nine of them were struck down with a wee flu.

Tox56

durkadurka wrote: »

I'd be more than happy if nine of them were struck down with a wee flu.

Especially after the teams we had to beat last year.

Careful Now

When is team being named?

totallegend

Careful Now wrote: »

When is team being named?

Friday I'd imagine

irishbucsfan

I hate beating under strength teams. Especially at this stage. I want to beat Clermont in France. We won't get many shots at that with this team. If its not their strongest team its not as good.

I've been saying on here since the start of this season that the only step up we could take from last year is beating Toulouse or Clermont in France. Here's our shot

irishbucsfan

irishbucsfan wrote: »

I hate beating under strength teams. Especially at this stage. I want to beat Clermont in France. We won't get many shots at that with this team. If its not their strongest team its not as good.

I've been saying on here since the start of this season that the only step up we could take from last year is beating Toulouse or Clermont in France. Here's our shot

I'd rather Skrela played than James (on current form). We know Skrela, we know his limits. We know that James can blow hot and cold, but we've only ever seen him play cold...

totallegend

irishbucsfan wrote: »

I hate beating under strength teams. Especially at this stage. I want to beat Clermont in France. We won't get many shots at that with this team. If its not their strongest team its not as good.

I've been saying on here since the start of this season that the only step up we could take from last year is beating Toulouse or Clermont in France. Here's our shot

Ah hang on. They'll be missing their back-up out-half, as well as starters in Domingo and Vosloo, but still, the Clermont team is going to be:

Faure/Kayser/Zhirakashvili
Hines/Cudmore (might see Pierre ahead of Cudmore)
Bonnaire/Lapandry/Vermeulen
Parra/James
Sivivatu/Fofana/Rougerie/Malzieu
Byrne

Maybe it's not 100%, but I'd take a huge amount of satisfaction from beating that team.

Foxtrol

.ak wrote: »

Me and my mates will defo be doing the march and defo will be going down early to soak up the atmosphere (not taking our seats). It's the 'I'm not doing anything out of my comfort zone' attitude that separates us from the French fans (especially ASM fans). I think it's about time we took a leaf from their book.

Don’t know where you’re coming from with this. I hope you are not trying to say that a fan who chooses to hang around inside a stadium for two hours is somehow superior to one who arrives an hour in advance of kickoff. Anyway, it has nothing to do with peoples “comfort zone”, the point being made by some here is that they don’t see the logic in setting a time so early as putting it 30 - 45 minutes later would still leave ample time in the stadium pre match while avoiding putting some off.

As molloyjh says we'll all see what happens on the day. God the weekend needs to hurry up!

Quint2010

Deleted User wrote: »

I'd rather Skrela played than James (on current form). We know Skrela, we know his limits. We know that James can blow hot and cold, but we've only ever seen him play cold...

Hopefully the nightmares of two years ago will come back to haunt James....

molloyjh

Foxtrol wrote: »

Don’t know where you’re coming from with this. I hope you are not trying to say that a fan who chooses to hang around inside a stadium for two hours is somehow superior to one who arrives an hour in advance of kickoff. Anyway, it has nothing to do with peoples “comfort zone”, the point being made by some here is that they don’t see the logic in setting a time so early as putting it 30 - 45 minutes later would still leave ample time in the stadium pre match while avoiding putting some off.

As molloyjh says we'll all see what happens on the day. God the weekend needs to hurry up!

It's taking for-bleedin'-ever!!!! :eek:

Anyone reckon we'll see VDM start this one? Bringing Healy on at 50-60 mins against a tiring Clermont pack would be some serious impact. Remember that run against Toulouse this time last year?

tolosenc

http://www.ercrugby.com/eng/news/16577.php

Skrela out

Tox56

molloyjh wrote: »

It's taking for-bleedin'-ever!!!! :eek:

Anyone reckon we'll see VDM start this one? Bringing Healy on at 50-60 mins against a tiring Clermont pack would be some serious impact. Remember that run against Toulouse this time last year?

Remember what happened immediately after that run, with VdM helping to demolish the Toulouse scrum and winning a big penalty?

He would certainly add impact off the bench, but only having him on for 20-30 minutes almost seems wasteful. He would hopefully make more of an overall impact for the entire 50-60 minutes if he started.

WeeBushy

VdM hasn't been quite as god as last year so the argument for starting him and bringing on Healy as an impact is lessened imo.

WeeBushy

WeeBushy wrote: »

Yeah it says 'the chance for a couple of showers'. So hopefully it won't be too bad.

http://www.accuweather.com/en/fr/bordeaux/131913/afternoon-weather-forecast/131913?day=6

It's changed to a 3% chance of precipitation in the afternoon and says it will be 'warmer'

tolosenc

WeeBushy wrote: »

It's changed to a 3% chance of precipitation in the afternoon and says it will be 'warmer'

60% chance of rain in the morning, but only 1mm. Winds of up to 5 mph during the match.

decisions

What do you think of these:
Shane Horgan reveals the secret of Schmidt's success

Horgan urges IRFU to ensure Nacewa and Fitzgerald stay on at Leinster

funky penguin

Kind of away from the main point of the articles, but I love the bit in the first one about BOD implementing his own timeline for recovery over the Doctor's recommendation.

chancer12

CatFromHue wrote: »

Any more rumours on Luke Fitzgerald? I'm fairly sure we're past the date an announcement was expected.

This has been going on for weeks now. Can't help his prep for the match much.

It seems like the IRFU are really messing about on this one. Who leaked the details of the contract? That's an absolutely appalling thing to do to any employee, so much for confidential negotiations, v unprofessional! I wonder how many of their administrators/managers have been asked to take a 30% cut? They seem to forget they wouldn't have a union without players.

Fishooks12

Ulster will be hoping for a Clermont victory I reckon

I could see them overturning Clermont in a final but like I said a a few weeks ago the only team in Europe that's beating this Leinster team in knockout HC is either Toulouse or Clermont at home

thomond2006

Fitz has been out of the Ireland picture for 12 months due to form and injury, from the IRFU's POV do they want to give an international contract to that player?

Then again, the bloody fools gave one to Leamy which defeats any kind of logic.

thomond2006

thomond2006 wrote: »

Fitz has been out of the Ireland picture for 12 months due to form and injury, from the IRFU's POV do they want to give an international contract to that player?

Then again, the bloody fools gave one to Leamy which defeats any kind of logic.

but they shouldn't compound one mistake with another. Fitz shouldn't be on a central contract, he is not indispensable.

The central contracting system is deeply flawed, but someone is going to have to toughen up at some stage!