Leinster Team Talk/Gossip/Rumours Thread.

ongarite

durkadurka wrote: »

I think we'll see a lot of the first team on the bench. Like against Munster I march.

Could do that too. Worked very well that day.
I reckon start the first team and get the game wrapped up by HT and then bring on the subs.

CIARAN_BOYLE

tolosenc wrote: »

Hold your horses. If Sexton or Madigan pick up a knock against Glasgow, Berquist will be thrust into the match day squad for the final. I think he'd start if it were Sexton out.

*touches all the wood*

Doubt it, I reckon Nacewa would cover 10, Berquist fine player that he is just does not have the match fitness to play in a HEC final he would be rusty and could make stupid mistakes.

Quint2010

I think we will see the team that started against Clermont-with the exception of Reddan back at 9 and Kearney on the wing. The fact Leinster have a tough semi final the week before the HC is something that Schmidt will want to turn to their advantage. The players will have had 2 weeks off by the time Saturday rolls around. Thats plenty of time for recovery

Tox56

Quint2010 wrote: »

I think we will see the team that started against Clermont-with the exception of Reddan back at 9 and Kearney on the wing. The fact Leinster have a tough semi final the week before the HC is something that Schmidt will want to turn to their advantage. The players will have had 2 weeks off by the time Saturday rolls around. Thats plenty of time for recovery

But the balance is, should we win, we will have 3 games in 3 weeks, and that would be a lot to ask of some players.

danthefan

Quint2010 wrote: »

I think we will see the team that started against Clermont-with the exception of Reddan back at 9 and Kearney on the wing. The fact Leinster have a tough semi final the week before the HC is something that Schmidt will want to turn to their advantage. The players will have had 2 weeks off by the time Saturday rolls around. Thats plenty of time for recovery

I'd be fairly positive it'll be McFadden on the wing, agree on Reddan.

Quint2010

Tox56 wrote: »

But the balance is, should we win, we will have 3 games in 3 weeks, and that would be a lot to ask of some players.

Yeah it's a tricky one. I think he may continue to rest Healy and Schmidt always seems to wrap Healy in cotton wool these days but the team will be a strong one

armchaircoach

Healy should be given enough game to keep his head in it, but realistically he is needed uninjured and in top form for the next week where his job will be to neutralise Afoa, and by extention the long range boot of Peinaar

.ak

I just realized we'll have a huge advantage of Afoa having no game time before the game.

Tox56

Something random that popped into my head the other day:

Our restarts have been generally poor, especially v Clermont, and the absence of Shaggy has certainly had an effect.

Have the Leinster management thought of sending Kearney off down the wing at restarts and using his skill in the air to help reclaim our own restarts? Isa can fill in temporarily at Fullback.

It's not something I noticed, and they might have tried it, but if they haven't maybe they should consider it.

totallegend

armchaircoach wrote: »

Healy should be given enough game to keep his head in it, but realistically he is needed uninjured and in top form for the next week where his job will be to neutralise Afoa, and by extention the long range boot of Peinaar

Well, van der Merwe is as well-equipped as Healy to handle Afoa at scrum-time, what Healy brings to the table is his work in the loose, but were Healy to get an injury it wouldn't be a catastrophe for us.

I think Leinster are at the stage of being able to cope with a few injuries. I'd be very worried without Sexton and Ross, but other than that, I don't think we're too reliant on any one player.

justsomebloke

the problem with the next 2-3 games is that it is knock out rugby from here on in, which does put a different spin on things as you can't just empty the bench next week if it is a tight game and this will be at the back of joe's mind.

I'd expect to see some 'interesting' picks when the squad is announced Friday. However I've given up trying to guess joe's picks

TomLamp

According to Rabo figures Leinster have had the highest attendances this season with 209,255 and an average of 19,023. This represents an increase of 11.5% on last year's attendances.

In contrast Munster are down 4.2% with 162,774 and an average attendance of 14,798 while Ulster are down 3.2% with 90,481 an an average of 8,258.

Quint2010

TomLamp wrote: »

According to Rabo figures Leinster have had the highest attendances this season with 209,255 and an average of 19,023. This represents an increase of 11.5% on last year's attendances.

In contrast Munster are down 4.2% with 162,774 and an average attendance of 14,798 while Ulster are down 3.2% with 90,481 an an average of 8,258.

Think that attendence figure is skewed somewhat by the 40 odd thousand who went to the Munster game in The Aviva. Leinsters average attendence in the RDS is nearer 15000 I would guess

Taco Corp

Quint2010 wrote: »

Think that attendence figure is skewed somewhat by the 40 odd thousand who went to the Munster game in The Aviva. Leinsters average attendence in the RDS is nearer 15000 I would guess

And probably includes all season ticket holders being in attendance at each home match, which is not the case

.ak

Surley wrote: »

And probably includes all season ticket holders being in attendance at each home match, which is not the case

I doubt LR would give the Pro12 an inaccurate attendance figure. I know they tend the hoot on the 'sales' figure during the games, but to give an inaccurate attendance figure opens you up to all sorts.

durkadurka

If you take out the 45k who were at the munster game the average for remaining games still comes out at about 15k and I can say for sure it is not that. I would put the average around 12-13. The upper Anglesea is mostly empty and the two ends are usually half full.


I presume pro 12 just took the official figure and tabulated it.

.ak

The previous year had the same fixtures in the Aviva, so regardless, it's still up 11% no?

lologram

.ak wrote: »

The previous year had the same fixtures in the Aviva, so regardless, it's still up 11% no?

Yes the rate of change should include the Aviva so that it's like with like.

And anyway, the statistic is average home attendance (across wherever games are played). Yes it's biased upwards over the average home attendance in the RDS, but they weren't trying to report that. Every year the attendance comes out and people rush to discount the Aviva games.

durkadurka

If you add in HEC attendances of roughly 125k( two nearly full Aviva games and two full RDS) and hopefully another 30k attending Rabo play off games if we make the final that's about 355k in total. Must make us the best supported team of any kind in Ireland.

The competition would be the Dubs, Ireland rugby and soccer and Munster.

[Jackass]

Surley wrote: »

And probably includes all season ticket holders being in attendance at each home match, which is not the case

Nope. That did occur previously (figures based on tickets sold) but iirc it was the last season of Magners sponsorship that figures based on attendance only.

Leinster figure of 19k (including Aviva) probably highest average attendance in Europe.

totallegend

[Quote=[Jackass];78555235]

Surley wrote: »

And probably includes all season ticket holders being in attendance at each home match, which is not the case

Nope. That did occur previously (figures based on tickets sold) but iirc it was the last season of Magners sponsorship that figures based on attendance only.

Leinster figure of 19k (including Aviva) probably highest average attendance in Europe.[/Quote]

The figures are 100% based on sales rather than actual people in the stadium. If anyone thinks there were 15,000 people at the treviso game on a Thursday night during the Six Nations, well...

ray jay

[Jackass] wrote: »

Nope. That did occur previously (figures based on tickets sold) but iirc it was the last season of Magners sponsorship that figures based on attendance only.

Leinster figure of 19k (including Aviva) probably highest average attendance in Europe.

I thought Leicester's attendance might be better, but Leinster just pip them by less than 300/match.

[Jackass]

totallegend wrote: »

The figures are 100% based on sales rather than actual people in the stadium. If anyone thinks there were 15,000 people at the treviso game on a Thursday night during the Six Nations, well...

I was actually at that game and commented on how good the attendance was given the opposition and being a mid-week fixture, but below are some stills and highlights. The only real gaps in the crowd were in the North & South stands, that were at least three quarters full, and the Grand Stand & Anglesea stands were full (keeping in mind that the "ends" of the anglesea aren't counted in the 18,500 capacity and tickets aren't sold for those seats as they're not in line with pitch / stand is too long for rugby pitch).

The reason I remember is because I was thinking mid-week games could actually be a good pull factor!





highlights: http://www.leinsterrugby.ie/mdtv/?play=media&id=11826

Jello

[Jackass] wrote: »

I was actually at that game and commented on how good the attendance was given the opposition and being a mid-week fixture, but below are some stills and highlights. The only real gaps in the crowd were in the North & South stands, that were at least three quarters full, and the Grand Stand & Anglesea stands were full (keeping in mind that the "ends" of the anglesea aren't counted in the 18,500 capacity and tickets aren't sold for those seats as they're not in line with pitch / stand is too long for rugby pitch).

The reason I remember is because I was thinking mid-week games could actually be a good pull factor!

The Grand Stand definitely wasn't full, I remember we were sitting in the North Stand in the pouring rain and after half time we strolled into the Grand Stand no problem and got four seats on the half way line, and there were loads to choose from. I'd say there was no more than 12k there (which don't get me wrong is still great!).

justsomebloke

ray jay wrote: »

I thought Leicester's attendance might be better, but Leinster just pip them by less than 300/match.

actually anyone know what Saracens average attendance is for the year as they had some big stadium matches that may have skewed their average

danthefan

justsomebloke wrote: »

ray jay wrote: »

I thought Leicester's attendance might be better, but Leinster just pip them by less than 300/match.

actually anyone know what Saracens average attendance is for the year as they had some big stadium matches that may have skewed their average

Don't know their average but they only get about 7k or 8k per regular home game.

justsomebloke

danthefan wrote: »

Don't know their average but they only get about 7k or 8k per regular home game.

their average aviva gate seems to be 24,363, and their average HEC gate is 19,062 so they would be a good bit ahead of Leinster for league attendances but a good bit lower for HEC attendances

.ak

justsomebloke wrote: »

their average aviva gate seems to be 24,363, and their average HEC gate is 19,062 so they would be a good bit ahead of Leinster for league attendances but a good bit lower for HEC attendances

That's an amazing amount of people going to watch a yawn-fest.

lologram

justsomebloke wrote: »

their average aviva gate seems to be 24,363, and their average HEC gate is 19,062 so they would be a good bit ahead of Leinster for league attendances but a good bit lower for HEC attendances

Those numbers seem to be incorrect, based on the figures on the Aviva Prem website and on the ERC website.

Aviva Saracens home games: (55437 + 5937 + 5882 + 6012 + 6240 +7555 + 5799 + 7265 + 6044 + 83761 + 6346)/11 = 17843

HC Saracens home games: (5077 + 41063 + 6789 + 11047)/4 = 15994

lologram

Leinster's average HC attendance was (17924 + 46365 + 18500 + 50340)/4 = 33282