Leinster Team Talk/Gossip/Rumours Thread.

CouchSmart

With Buckley leaving Munster, the rumours of Ross moving south have, understandably, become more credible. I think it would be a disaster from a Leinster point of view, we're relying on Wright getting back to his best and Hagan showing that he really is ready to up his game as well as both staying injury free, I just don't see it happening.

Is there perhaps another prop going to be brought in? This years squad had 6 props backed up by the academy originally, though with Wright's injury we ended up bringing more in and then McCormack went and retired.

Maguire's only in year 2 of the academy so I don't buy it that he'll be in the main squad next year and only having Wright and Hagan in the main squad isn't enough, surely we won't be keeping Newland or Shawe - no offense to them but neither has really stood out.

Here's hoping we keep Ross anyway.

roycon

jack mcgrath - 19 stone 8lbs - solid in the scrum - 21 years old and fully contracted - he'll be making a breakthrough

CouchSmart

roycon wrote: »

jack mcgrath - 19 stone 8lbs - solid in the scrum - 21 years old and fully contracted - he'll be making a breakthrough

Loosehead.

roycon

i dont see why he cant play both hes big enough and young enough and he played both when he was younger although im no scrummaging expert by any means

CouchSmart

roycon wrote: »

i dont see why he cant play both hes big enough and young enough and he played both when he was younger although im no scrummaging expert by any means

Definitely has the size but TH is much harder to play than LH. He's played LH for Leinster throughout his time in the academy and this year as well on his development contract. It hardly softens the blow of losing Ross!

The way I see it our props so far for next season are:

LH:
Healy
McGrath
Heinke

TH:
Hagan(Unconfirmed)
Wright(Out of contract)
Ross(Out of contract)

At the moment, as far as I know, we have no THs contracted for next year!

Gracelessly Tom

CouchSmart wrote: »

Loosehead.

Actually Jack has been playing tighthead for Marys all season in the AIL.

durkadurka

The fact that Wright has made his recovery from injury may be a factor. He's in contention to play this week, so maybe they are ok with letting Ross go? Personally I' d like to see a prop lineup of: Wright, Ross, Healy, Hagan,Heinke, the youngsters

CouchSmart

Gracelessly Tom wrote: »

Actually Jack has been playing tighthead for Marys all season in the AIL.

Strange Leinster don't try playing him there, hopefully he makes the step up to TH at Magners level even - would be great to have such a young player able to play at 1 and 3.

Gracelessly Tom

CouchSmart wrote: »

Strange Leinster don't try playing him there, hopefully he makes the step up to TH at Magners level even - would be great to have such a young player able to play at 1 and 3.

I thought he had played there for Leinster against Glasgow last year, but could easily be mistaken. Due to TH being the harder position to play perhaps he's being eased into Magners level scrummaging?

Fully agree, if he can cover the 1 and 3 spots at 21 he is a massive, massive asset to have. The guy gets bigger each time I see him, he is genuinely massive for his age. Lovely lad to boot.

CouchSmart

Gracelessly Tom wrote: »

I thought he had played there for Leinster against Glasgow last year, but could easily be mistaken. Due to TH being the harder position to play perhaps he's being eased into Magners level scrummaging?

Fully agree, if he can cover the 1 and 3 spots at 21 he is a massive, massive asset to have. The guy gets bigger each time I see him, he is genuinely massive for his age. Lovely lad to boot.

It must have something to do with this, whatever about playing LH so young, TH is a different beast altogether. It's gonna be awesome in 4 or 5 years if we still have himself, Hagan and Healy as they'll all only be peaking then!

According to the Magners site he came on at LH, I'm sure we'll see him there eventually if it's where Schmidt wants him.
http://www.magnersleague.com/matchcentre/5130.php

WeeBushy

Would Ross want to go back to Munster? I know its his province of birth, but if I were him I wouldn't. He wasn't given much of a chance there previously and is currently playing in the form side in Europe and has broken into the Irish side as a result. I doubt he holds any ill-will about not making the breakthrough at Munster, but its at quins and now Leinster where he has made his name, and become Ireland's 1st choice prop. If I were him I'd be very happy where I was at Leinster.

CouchSmart

WeeBushy wrote: »

Would Ross want to go back to Munster? I know its his province of birth, but if I were him I wouldn't. He wasn't given much of a chance there previously and is currently playing in the form side in Europe and has broken into the Irish side as a result. I doubt he holds any ill-will about not making the breakthrough at Munster, but its at quins and now Leinster where he has made his name, and become Ireland's 1st choice prop. If I were him I'd be very happy where I was at Leinster.

There's talk that it's out of his hands though. Either way I'm going to be disappointed if he leaves.

TheHighRoad

CouchSmart wrote: »

It must have something to do with this, whatever about playing LH so young, TH is a different beast altogether. It's gonna be awesome in 4 or 5 years if we still have himself, Hagan and Healy as they'll all only be peaking then!

According to the Magners site he came on at LH, I'm sure we'll see him there eventually if it's where Schmidt wants him.

http://www.magnersleague.com/matchcentre/5130.php

To the best of my recollection Jack McGrath played all his schools rugby, Irish under 18s and 20s rugby and AIL rugby at tighthead. I think he's also played a lot of games for Leinster A there. He was asked to move to loosehead as Leinster were weak there for a time and thats what he did. He can play both sides. I haven't seen him often but the odd time I've seen for Leinster A I've been very impressed with his scrummaging. Hes an utter monster for 21.

CouchSmart

TheHighRoad wrote: »

To the best of my recollection Jack McGrath played all his schools rugby, Irish under 18s and 20s rugby and AIL rugby at tighthead. I think he's also played a lot of games for Leinster A there. He was asked to move to loosehead as Leinster were weak there for a time and thats what he did. He can play both sides. I haven't seen him often but the odd time I've seen for Leinster A I've been very impressed with his scrummaging. Hes an utter monster for 21.

I'm open to correction but I don't think he's ever played TH for any Leinster side - hopefully I'm wrong because we could really do with young THs coming through.

TheHighRoad

CouchSmart wrote: »

I'm open to correction but I don't think he's ever played TH for any Leinster side - hopefully I'm wrong because we could really do with young THs coming through.

No he definitely has. I just did a quick google there and found this http://www.connachtrugby.ie/2009110582021/leinster-a-31-connacht-a-3 He was playing tighthead for quite some time for Leinster A.

GerM

Times reporting that rumours of Ross moving to Munster are wide of the mark and that he is happy to stay in Leinster. He's currently negotiating the new contract and has told the IRFU he's happy where he is.

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/sport/2011/0217/1224290019624.html

There are also the long spoken of rumours that Ross was very unhappy at how he was treated at Munster at doesn't want to play for them again. He only ever had one sub appearance for them by the age of 26 and his departure was on acrimonious terms. A long term Quins fan on LF who knows Ross has mentioned that he has spoken of having little desire to ever return there.

Healy, VDM, Hagan, Wright and Ross for next season hopefully....I could handle that

irishbucsfan

I really thought Ross was sure to leave. The Hagan and Buckley transfers seemed to pave the way.

Ross, Hagan, Healy, Wright, Van De Merwe as well as Maguire and McGrath is they're good enough. Huge depth! Someone is leaving surely?

Amazotheamazing

GerM wrote: »

There are also the long spoken of rumours that Ross was very unhappy at how he was treated at Munster at doesn't want to play for them again. He only ever had one sub appearance for them by the age of 26 and his departure was on acrimonious terms. A long term Quins fan on LF who knows Ross has mentioned that he has spoken of having little desire to ever return there.

I don't think acrimonious is the right word, he just wasn't rated. It took a lot of work by Quins to get something out of him other than simply a scrummager. According to UCC guys who played with him on munsterfans he simply wasn't good enough in his mid 20's. He's turned 30 and only really got a shot at Leinster due to Wright's injury, it's not like he's some sort of propping powerhouse that would make the All Blacks or anything. He's a solid pro who'll probably drop behind Hagan in the next 18 months. I'll be amazed if he's still starting for Ireland in two years or even by Autumn 2012. Hagan is the player Munster should have gone for.

As a Munster fan, I'd be far, far happier to buy in a truly destructive scrummager who could give us 5 or 6 years, however, those guys are in short supply.

irishbucsfan

Amazotheamazing wrote: »

I don't think acrimonious is the right word, he just wasn't rated. It took a lot of work by Quins to get something out of him other than simply a scrummager. According to UCC guys who played with him on munsterfans he simply wasn't good enough in his mid 20's. He's turned 30 and only really got a shot at Leinster due to Wright's injury, it's not like he's some sort of propping powerhouse that would make the All Blacks or anything. He's a solid pro who'll probably drop behind Hagan in the next 18 months. I'll be amazed if he's still starting for Ireland in two years or even by Autumn 2012. Hagan is the player Munster should have gone for.

As a Munster fan, I'd be far, far happier to buy in a truly destructive scrummager who could give us 5 or 6 years, however, those guys are in short supply.

Mike Ross was picked on the Premiership team of the year ahead of Carl Hayman.

Ross is regarded as among the top couple of scrummagers in the British Isles. Meates regards him as the best Irish scrummaging prop. He's also shown this year that he's capable of producing around the pitch. Munster would be very lucky to have him considering what they have available to them at the moment.

Amazotheamazing

irishbucsfan wrote: »

Mike Ross was picked on the Premiership team of the year ahead of Carl Hayman.

Ross is regarded as among the top couple of scrummagers in the British Isles. Meates regards him as the best Irish scrummaging prop. He's also shown this year that he's capable of producing around the pitch. Munster would be very lucky to have him considering what they have available to them at the moment.

Sure, it'd be nice to have him but I'd take Franks ahead of him. Hell, I'd take Adam Jones.

I hate when people cite "oh, he made the premiership team of the season" as though it's a meaningful thing. Casey was in that team for eons and when he got Int games against the US and Canada he was so slow the grass nearly grew around him.

The title "Best scrummaging Irish prop" is virtually meaningless too, who's he up against? Buckley and Hayes can't scrummage, neither can Healy. Court was shown up the last day. As a nation we've virtually forgotten how to scrummage. Being the best scrummaging Irish prop is like being the best mountaineer in Holland, it's not a high standard. (boom, boom)

The caveat you have the end of your sentence is important, is he better than Borlase and Archer, well yes, but is it the standard we should aspire to, well no.

That's not to knock Ross, I admire the way he's reached the top of Irish rugby, like I was saying elsewhere about Downey, I'm delighted when Irish players go out of their comfort zone and succeed but I don't think he's the player Munster need. I don't think it's a slight on Ross to say Hagan will take his place soon, Hagan is just going to be a better player, from what I've seen.

Munster have supplied the tighthead to Ireland for the last decade, time for us to get greedy and sign a guy who's only going to be playing for Munster. Preferably a hard, mad bastard who dominates opponents, send your suggestions to "The Munster Branch, Musgrave Park, Ballyphenane, Cork" please.

GerM

Replacing Buckley with someone like Ross shouldn't be the main issue for Munster. Replacing Paul McCarthy with someone like Greg Feek should be far, far higher on the list of priorities. PMcC has had ample time to get the Munster scrum working as a unit and has done little to improve it. If anything, it has worsened under his tutelage. Even someone like WdP who on arrival looked a solid scrummager appears to have regressed whilst working under McCarthy.

molloyjh

irishbucsfan wrote: »

I really thought Ross was sure to leave. The Hagan and Buckley transfers seemed to pave the way.

Ross, Hagan, Healy, Wright, Van De Merwe as well as Maguire and McGrath is they're good enough. Huge depth! Someone is leaving surely?

I suppose with the World Cup and 6 Nations next season we're looking at losing Healy and Ross for a good 4 months of the season, and that's at best assuming no injuries. We would need cover at prop while they're away so maybe it makes more sense than we originally thought? We'd need at least 6 on the books from that perspective.

jolley123

As a Leinster fan I'd hate to see Wright leave. He's an awesome Heineken Cup player. Obviously it's better to see Irish players playing for their provinces though.

roycon

wrights a surrogate son at this stage like felipe was. people like him and even though hes not irish qualified he feels like it

tolosenc

Stan bleeds blue.

jolley123

Interesting team for tomorrow, Kev won't be in the 2nd row and Sheridan and McKinley are starting.

irishbucsfan

jolley123 wrote: »

Interesting team for tomorrow, Kev won't be in the 2nd row and Sheridan and McKinley are starting.

Not surprised to see Sheridan involved at all.

The coaching staff were very high on him in pre-season until he took his injury and I remember in particular during the game v. Wasps he looked excellent (outshone O'Malley who was his center partner that day).

Have high hopes for him.

durkadurka

jolley123 wrote: »

Interesting team for tomorrow, Kev won't be in the 2nd row and Sheridan and McKinley are starting.

Where did you see this?

In the pre season game vs Wasps didn't he last all of 12 minutes?

I was at the game, and I remember feeling devastated for him because it was so early on when he went off.

Wasps sub scrum half tore us asunder that day. He was unreal.

irishbucsfan

Deleted User wrote: »

In the pre season game vs Wasps didn't he last all of 12 minutes?

I was at the game, and I remember feeling devastated for him because it was so early on when he went off.

Wasps sub scrum half tore us asunder that day. He was unreal.

Well then I must be confusing it for another game? I just remember being very impressed. Or maybe I'm confusing him for someone else. Or maybe I'm just very very confused.

But either way I'm not surprised. When he took that injury I remember the coaching staff were going out of their way to say how disappointed they were (not that I'd expect them to say anything else).