Leinster Team Talk/Gossip/Rumours Thread.

pajunior

CIARAN_BOYLE wrote: »

it hasn't been announced but I would imagine that it would be in New Lansdowne Road, you know how it goes Leinster want the extra money from the bigger gate.

I wonder what permutations would have to come about for Leinster to play Ulster. That would be some big money for the branch.

CouchSmart

Team I'd like for Racing game:

15. Nacewa
14. Horgan
13. O'Malley
12. D'Arcy
11. Fitzgerald
10. Sexton
9. Boss

1. Van der Merwe
2. Strauss
3. Ross
4. Cullen
5. Hines
6. McLoughlin
7. Jennings
8. Heaslip

16. Harris-Wright
17. Healy
18. Newland
19. Toner
20. O'Brien
21. Reddan
22. Madigan/Berne
23. McFadden

A couple of unusual calls I know and if it is the team I'd be shocked.

O'Malley in for O'Driscoll. He's earned a start and I don't think we'd miss BO'D too much - probably mostly in defence. It's very important we give O'Malley experience.

Starting Fitzgerald to give him a chance to redeem himself - I'd say he'd put in a big performance after Saturday. Important to get him back in some form for the rest of the season.

I think it's important to see how are backrow goes without SOB, can't have us relying too heavily on one player. He's on the bench anyway if needs be. McLoughlin over Ryan is really just beause Ryan got the whole game against Saracens.

Other changes are just standard rotation at this stage.

CouchSmart

Apparently, Sexton and SOB have signed 2 year deals, to be announced this week. Great news for Leinster and Ireland. Just need Heaslip to follow suit!

funky penguin

I understand with giving O'Malley game time and all that.....but BOD is such a key player. As you mentioned, his defense is unparalleled in the team, but he was also so important in setting up some of our tries on Saturday.

Great news about Sexton and SOB if it comes to fruition!

TheHighRoad

Heres my team for next week. Resting some keys players whilst giving others gametime and hopefully a team that is still able to compete! 1.VDM 2.Strauss 3.Ross 4.Cullen 5.Hines 6.McLaughlin 7.O'Brien 8.Ruddock 9.Boss 10.Sexton 11.McFadden 12.D'arcy 13.O'Malley 14.Horgan 15.Fitzgerald ....... Don't want to risk Heaslip if hes not 100%, O'Driscoll to get a break, McFadden to continue his form, Fitzgerald to try regain his form, Boss to get a chance to stake his place, McLaughlin to get more gametime and Ruddock at 8 because hes been a bit unfortunate to be behind Ryan owing to missing the start of the season. Healy to get a well earned rest as well. Also O'Brien to 7 because hopefully he'll be playing for Ireland there!

CouchSmart

funky penguin wrote: »

I understand with giving O'Malley game time and all that.....but BOD is such a key player. As you mentioned, his defense is unparalleled in the team, but he was also so important in setting up some of our tries on Saturday.

Ye, I guess I'm just thinking sooner or later we have to replace Mr. Irreplaceable, might as well do it while an apparent heir is playing well. If it was a knock out game it's BOD every time but I feel we won't do any worse with O'Malley playing this game than if BOD were playing. Still, won't happen but it's fun thinking about it .

I like that team highroad, however, Ruddock was stretchered off on Saturday in the A game. Hopefully it was overcautious though

WeeBushy

Personally I would start our strongest team. A home QF is on the line, I don't want to play someone like Toulouse away. I don't think its worth resting the likes of BOD, lets secure a home QF before playing our younger players.

CouchSmart

TheHighRoad wrote: »

Heres my team for next week. Resting some keys players whilst giving others gametime and hopefully a team that is still able to compete! 1.VDM 2.Strauss 3.Ross 4.Cullen 5.Hines 6.McLaughlin 7.O'Brien 8.Ruddock 9.Boss 10.Sexton 11.McFadden 12.D'arcy 13.O'Malley 14.Horgan 15.Fitzgerald ....... Don't want to risk Heaslip if hes not 100%, O'Driscoll to get a break, McFadden to continue his form, Fitzgerald to try regain his form, Boss to get a chance to stake his place, McLaughlin to get more gametime and Ruddock at 8 because hes been a bit unfortunate to be behind Ryan owing to missing the start of the season. Healy to get a well earned rest as well. Also O'Brien to 7 because hopefully he'll be playing for Ireland there!

Resting players for a HC game, I think not. Heaslip will be grand too I've heard.

funky penguin

WeeBushy wrote: »

Personally I would start our strongest team. A home QF is on the line, I don't want to play someone like Toulouse away. I don't think its worth resting the likes of BOD, lets secure a home QF before playing our younger players.

This.

We're going to France (pack the horse) with a home QF on the line, so Schmidt will play his strongest team.

funky penguin

CouchSmart wrote: »

Ye, I guess I'm just thinking sooner or later we have to replace Mr. Irreplaceable, might as well do it while an apparent heir is playing well. If it was a knock out game it's BOD every time but I feel we won't do any worse with O'Malley playing this game than if BOD were playing. Still, won't happen but it's fun thinking about it .

He does seem to have the skills, and I'd imagine he'll get plenty of time over the 6 Nations to shine in the Magner's.

CouchSmart

funky penguin wrote: »

This.

We're going to France (pack the horse) with a home QF on the line, so Schmidt will play his strongest team.

I think Schmidt is moving away from this kind of thinking and it's great. He's building a panel of 30+ players all of whom could come into a HC final team and not look out of place. Obviously this will take time but some examples of it in action currecntly would be Healy - Van der Merwe and Reddan - Boss. Who is first and second choice? - I wouldn't be able to say anyway.

funky penguin

True true, I should have clarified it was with regards to Heaslip, BOD and their ilk.

smurphy29

Oh my word lads I just hope the camp doesn't share this overconfidence. Resting BOD and Jamie? In an away HEC match? Against a French team in Paris? With a home QF to play for? Have you all gone mad?

Racing won't roll over and have their tummies tickled - this is a French side with a big pack playing in front of their own fans. Do you not remember Nallet's performance for Castres in '08 when they had nothing to play for?

wixfjord

CouchSmart wrote: »

Apparently, Sexton and SOB have signed 2 year deals, to be announced this week. Great news for Leinster and Ireland. Just need Heaslip to follow suit!

Wow that and a win on Fri would cap off a great campaign pre 6N.
Is this talked about in the media or your own source?

Also re: Metro, I think we'd be mad not to start full strength.
A win and a BP win could mean the difference between Leicester or Biarritz or Ulster. The guys can rest during the 6 Nations!

CouchSmart

wixfjord wrote: »

Wow that and a win on Fri would cap off a great campaign pre 6N.
Is this talked about in the media or your own source?

I was chatting to someone on Saturday afternoon who usually knows their stuff then saw it on LF this afternoon so thought it was worth a post on here. I'd be fairly confident it's true.

CouchSmart

wixfjord wrote: »

Also re: Metro, I think we'd be mad not to start full strength.

Full strength Leinster team is becoming very hard to name at this stage.

LeeroyJones

wixfjord wrote: »

A win and a BP win could mean the difference between Leicester or Biarritz or Ulster. The guys can rest during the 6 Nations!

I think a BP is effectively irrelevant to us at this point in regards our seeding.
We're on 19 now, a win would take us to 23, a win+BP would take us to 24.

The max the winners of Pools 3, 4 and 5 will be on is 22 thus not breaking our 23 should we win w/out a BP.

Toulouse and Northampton are both on 21, meaning a win would take them to 25 or 26-outside anything we can get. A loss would leave them on 21 or a losing BP would take them to 22. But our potential 23/24(should we win BP or not) is still sandwiched between those 2 outcomes.

In the unlikely event that they draw and we're all on 23 we have a superior 'Tries For' record to both of them as it stands.
I suppose there is the possiblity of them drawing and getting a Try Bonus-quite unlikely!

wonton

Mike ross is starting to be a bit of an unsung hero, It's easy to forget how much of a problem the scrum was when we are playing like this but the difference he has made is immense.



I really feel bad for felix jones, i think he could have stepped up this year in leinster and even with the full back position open for debate with ireland had he not gor injured at munster who knows what might have happened.

CouchSmart

wonton wrote: »

Mike ross is starting to be a bit of an unsung hero, It's easy to forget how much of a problem the scrum was when we are playing like this but the difference he has made is immense.

Not really unsung, he's praised all the time by people on here, at games and by most around various rugby circles.

Jennings is definitely Leinster's unsung hero, fantastic player and I for one am delighted having him play for my team. It's unfortunate he's never really had a chance within the Ireland set up, perhaps he will in the next WC cycle, though it's looking less and less likely.

molloyjh

smurphy29 wrote: »

Oh my word lads I just hope the camp doesn't share this overconfidence. Resting BOD and Jamie? In an away HEC match? Against a French team in Paris? With a home QF to play for? Have you all gone mad?

Racing won't roll over and have their tummies tickled - this is a French side with a big pack playing in front of their own fans. Do you not remember Nallet's performance for Castres in '08 when they had nothing to play for?

I would tend to agree but I think with the Top 14 Clermont fixture on the following Wednesday they'll be eyeing up that one first and fore-most. With nothing to play for in the HC the Top 14 will be their focus. All other things being equal I would have said that wouldn't have mattered. But the Clermont game is a big one for them, and it's a grudge match after last week. They won't risk their big names against Leinster with such a big T14 game a few days later. Those that do take the field will take it very seriously of course, but assuming we keep up the form we're in now I would put money on us for the win.

[Jackass]

This is a MASSIVE game and I think we can't afford to be resting on our laurrels here...

We NEED to win this game and defeat would be a disastor, undoing all our hard work in the group...

ambid

tomred1 wrote: »

Does anybody know if we get a home quarter final, will it be in the Landsdown rd?

Assume so, where else would it be?

Podge_irl

ambid wrote: »

Assume so, where else would it be?

The RDS...

I imagine the location of the QF will depend somewhat on the opposition, but it will likely end up in Lansdowne. Hard to turn that kind of money down and at least the team will have played there a couple times already.

Podge_irl

Podge_irl wrote: »

The RDS...

I imagine the location of the QF will depend somewhat on the opposition, but it will likely end up in Lansdowne. Hard to turn that kind of money down and at least the team will have played there a couple times already.

Suppose it depends on the contract Leinster rugby has with the RDS in terms of how many games are to be played there.

Podge_irl

Deleted User wrote: »

Suppose it depends on the contract Leinster rugby has with the RDS in terms of how many games are to be played there.

As far as I know they're only contracted to play 12 games a season there (9 home ML games and 3 HEC games). With the addition of the Italian teams they had two extra home games so could move the Munster and Clermont games to Lansdowne. I would assume knockout games aren't covered by the agreement so they can play them wherever they want.

CouchSmart

Deleted User wrote: »

Suppose it depends on the contract Leinster rugby has with the RDS in terms of how many games are to be played there.

Contract is for 12 games in the RDS. Originally, 9 Magners games and 3 HC group games. Now with 11 home games in the Magners we have the choice to move a few.

durkadurka

Tickets for the qf last year were like gold dust, so if they price it reasonably they should shift 50k tickets no problems.

We need to get there first though

lemansky

http://www.leinsterrugby.ie/7054.php


Jennings, SOB, Toner, McFadden and McGrath have all signed new deals. Looks good. Jennings/SOB 3 years, the rest 2.

CouchSmart

SOB and Jennings have signed 3 year deals with Leinster. Toner, McGrath and McFadden have signed for 2 years. Good news all around.

http://www.leinsterrugby.ie/7054.php