Leinster Team Talk/Gossip/Rumours Thread.

Junior

Anyone get the free poster with the Evening Herald ?







Looks like we got ourselves a collector’s item.

slippy wicket

Junior wrote: »

Looks like we got ourselves a collector’s item.

:D:D

irishbucsfan

It’s a hell of a story and over a skinny latte in Leinster’s Riverview base recently (“I’m getting old mate; I’m trying to keep the weight down.”)

Brad Thorn in todays IT.

Hell be on to mochas in no time. He's one of us now.

CIARAN_BOYLE

Long term tactical planning or coincidence

I've noticed recently that Leinster's back three is probably the best back three in Europe in terms of dealing with highball. I mean Rob Kearney, Isa Nacewa and Luke Fitzgerald are all quality under the highball. RTE commentators mentioned something similar in commentary during a recent match (maybe Leinster v Munster) and they claimed that the reason for this is that all three back three players have experience at full back the position that deals with the high ball the most. This is a fair point.

You have to wonder if this is a tactical decision that has been decided not by Joe Schmidt but before his time? The reason I am asking this is because so many of Leinster's back three players have experience at fullback as well as on the wing. I'm talking about David Kearney, Andrew Conway, Darren Hudson and Sam Coghlan Murray have all player at fifteen for Leinster A and/or Ireland U20 on a number of occasions.

Even Leinster back three players who have left in recent years shows sign of the fullback experience. Niall Morris has a number of caps at 15 for Leicster this season, Felix Jones is a specialist 15 for Munster and Michael Keating has played 15 on a number of occasions for Doncaster knights.

So yeah who made the decision that back three players even those coming mainly as wingers should have experience as fullbacks and when. Is it an accident based on someone in the academy liking fullbacks a little too much and bringing in too many who end up being trained as wingers? Whatever it is seems to be working out at any rate. Is there a culture in Leinster schools that the best backs at 10 & 15 and that because of this the best players play there even if they move when they are older (to the wing for the 15s and to the centers for the 10s) and because of this many wingers have experience at 15.

Big Nelly

In terms of post above, I read an article before in paper about all Irish teams been strong at 15 and under the high ball. The mentioned the Kearneys and Shaggy in terms of this. The reason they said this was because most young boys play GAA when young so fielding high balls are bred into them. If you look at Shaggy, last year he was great at taking kick offs, it is well known he picked rugby over GAA when young after playing for Meath.

Isa is change to the rule but he is just pure class but nowhere near as good under the high ball as the irish lads

irishbucsfan

I think what you get is the best attacking back 3 players in youth teams are put at full back so that they can influence the game more by coming into the line. As a consequence of this they work on their fielding. It's not just Leinster. Craig Gilroy, Keith Earls, even guys like Christian Wade are excellent attacking back 3 players who have experience at full back.

So effectively I think it's not a tactical decision made in the long-term hope of developing aerial ability, but rather a series of short term decisions taken with the aim of utilising these guys in the attacking game at schools and underage level.

blackhound

irishbucsfan wrote: »

I think what you get is the best attacking back 3 players in youth teams are put at full back so that they can influence the game more by coming into the line. As a consequence of this they work on their fielding. It's not just Leinster. Craig Gilroy, Keith Earls, even guys like Christian Wade are excellent attacking back 3 players who have experience at full back.

So effectively I think it's not a tactical decision made in the long-term hope of developing aerial ability, but rather a series of short term decisions taken with the aim of utilising these guys in the attacking game at schools and underage level.

I think thats a lot more to do with it, Darcy is another example of schools fullback.

ray jay

Contract Renewals:

Leo Auva’a – 2 years
Isaac Boss – 2 years
Fionn Carr – 1 year
Andrew Conway – 2 years
John Cooney – 1 year
Leo Cullen – 1 year
Gordon D’Arcy – 2 years
Aaron Dundon – 2 years
Mark Flanagan – 1 year Development
David Kearney – 2 years
Brendan Macken – 1 year
Ian Madigan – 2 years
Kevin McLaughlin – 3 years
Isa Nacewa – 1 year extension
Eoin Reddan – 2 years
Rhys Ruddock – 2 years
Thomas Sexton – 1 year Development
Heinke van der Merwe – 1 year

New contracts:

Michael Bent – 2 years
Tom Denton – 2 years

LEIN

Still no news on Luke?

prospect

Nothin for Luke

CatFromHue

Good to see Van der Merwe signing on again.

Cullen only for one year too, that could be telling. He played excellently yesterday I thought.

CIARAN_BOYLE

CatFromHue wrote: »

Cullen only for one year too, that could be telling. He played excellently yesterday I thought.

He did play excellently, he's off the central contract as well which means more stress on the Leinster budget.

Good to see VDM resign but I hope that McGrath gets a lot of Pro12 time to get him ready to replace VDM.

Am glad to see Redden, Boss and Cooney resign (redden is off central contract now) I was slightly worried with both Redden and Boss's contract expiring.

ongarite

1 year for Cullen is probably going to be his last year. Key year next year for the 2nd row. Denton and Toner have to play regular HC rugby with Browne and Flanagan on the fringes too.

GerM

Hmmm, looks like Damien Browne could be on his way out if he has nothing on the list and hasn't been involved much at all in recent times.

ongarite

Was Browne signed on 1 year deal? Leaves us little options in the 2nd row if one of the regulars picks up injury.

ray jay

DD9090 wrote: »

Still no news on Luke?

He's negotiating with the IRFU, not with Leinster. If that goes nowhere, Leinster can negotiate directly.

ongarite wrote: »

Was Browne signed on 1 year deal? Leaves us little options in the 2nd row if one of the regulars picks up injury.

One of the new signings is a lock.

JustinDee

ray jay wrote: »

He's negotiating with the IRFU, not with Leinster. If that goes nowhere, Leinster can negotiate directly

???

CIARAN_BOYLE

ray jay wrote: »

One of the new signings is a lock.

so from the start of this year we let go of Sykes and Browne and bring in Denton. Maybe there is a new NIQ coming in as well.

justsomebloke

really hope they keep Browne, he is a solid player and has proven himself to be quite decent and given our weakness in the area I would be a bit baffled as to why they wouldn't be renewing his contract, unless he himself doesn't want to stay.

If he doesn't resign we need 2 good locks brought in which isn't the easiest thing to do.

prospect

Resign
verb (used without object)
to give up an office or position, often formally (often followed by from ): to resign from the presidency.

Re-sign
What you lot all mean in the above posts.

Stop giving me heart attacks.

totallegend

ongarite wrote: »

Was Browne signed on 1 year deal? Leaves us little options in the 2nd row if one of the regulars picks up injury.

Yes, this list is not a good omen for Browne. I think he's been excellent for us this season.

ongarite

Good to see VDM re-sign. Showed what a key player he is yesterday.
He is the ball carrying monster Healy is but he is rock solid in the scrum.

CatFromHue

ongarite wrote: »

he is rock solid in the scrum.

Have you ever noticed the way Van der Merwe goes into contact with the ball sometimes? It's almost as if he is trying to bind on the tackler and then push through him like he would in a scrum!

durkadurka

VDM is a perfect NIQ. He's a support to Healy do that he isn't flogged to death playing 80 minutes every week, or playing half injured etc.

wicklowwonder

durkadurka wrote: »

VDM is a perfect NIQ. He's a support to Healy do that he isn't flogged to death playing 80 minutes every week, or playing half injured etc.

But the IRFU would rather see McGrath coming on yesterday. I think VDM and White are great players off the bench, we will miss White next year as he is very solid. Fingers crossed this Bent fellow will be as good but unlikely and it takes a while to get used to Leinster's style. Ross spent his first season getting fit, as hopefully Hagan is now....

tolosenc

Disappointed Isa didn't get a 10 year deal...

funky penguin

Hopefully they're saving that one for Schmidt!

ray jay

JustinDee wrote: »

???

It was my understanding that he's in negotiations for an international contract but if he doesn't get one he can still get a provincial one. I think a lot of people here assumed that even if he didn't get another central contract that Leinster would still be in a position to keep him on, so if you know otherwise I'm all ears.

Flincher

Good bit of business by McLaughlin to get himself a 3 year deal. Backrow is highly competitive with excellent players coming through.

shaungil

Flincher wrote: »

Good bit of business by McLaughlin to get himself a 3 year deal. Backrow is highly competitive with excellent players coming through.

Covers second row also and with not much cover there is a good signing. He could develop into A replacement in the row for Cullen