Leinster Team Talk/Gossip/Rumours Thread.

Yup, 19 mins

12: Eamonn Sheridan (Fergus McFadden, 19)

Stev_o

He's a big unit ala Downey. Dunno if he has the hands to be a good 12.

funky penguin

Teams for tommorrow:

http://www.leinsterrugby.ie/matchcentre/7641.php

Thanos

funky penguin wrote: »

Teams for tommorrow:

http://www.leinsterrugby.ie/matchcentre/7641.php

19: Nathan Hines ????

Was he released by Scotland, surprised at that if he was.

Stev_o

Id prefer if Keating could get a chance starting on the wing. He looks like a serious prospect.

jolley123

Stev_o wrote: »

Id prefer if Keating could get a chance starting on the wing. He looks like a serious prospect.

I'd expect he'd come on around the 50th minute mark. Morris will probably drop to full-back with either Conway or Nacewa going off.

Pretty good team. Total reliance on two young Irish outhalves amongst the other up and comers. Excellent backrow which is par for the course at this stage. Its a shame Stan isnt making his return at the RDS.

irishbucsfan

McKinley, Morris, Sheridan, O'Malley, Conway

If you told me this time last year that I'd have this much confidence in a Leinster back line involving those players I definitely wouldn't believe you.

I think this game will be a tough ask. Away from home with an inexperienced team. But saying that, the Blues team isn't much either. I think the experience in their back row might be the difference.

The Rooster

Thanos wrote: »

19: Nathan Hines ????

Was he released by Scotland, surprised at that if he was.

Dan Parks on the bench for Cardiff.

Its not an international weekend so perhaps the SRU can only dictate to Scottish clubs and not to Irish or Welsh clubs?

Stev_o

irishbucsfan wrote: »

McKinley, Morris, Sheridan, O'Malley, Conway

If you told me this time last year that I'd have this much confidence in a Leinster back line involving those players I definitely wouldn't believe you.

I think this game will be a tough ask. Away from home with an inexperienced team. But saying that, the Blues team isn't much either. I think the experience in their back row might be the difference.

Tbh i still wouldn't have any confidence in Morris think he's a extremely average if not sub poor player for Leinster.


Anyone have the blues lineup?

irishbucsfan

Stev_o wrote: »

Tbh i still wouldn't have any confidence in Morris think he's a extremely average if not sub poor player for Leinster.


Anyone have the blues lineup?

Morris has looked good last couple of times I saw him. But I thought he was dire on a few outings last year. He was excellent against Aironi IMO.

CARDIFF BLUES: 15: Dan Fish 14: Richard Mustoe 13: Gavin Evans 12: Dafydd Hewitt 11: Tom James 10: Ceri Sweeney 9: Tom Slater; 1: John Yap, 2: Gareth Williams, 3: Fau Filise, 4: Deiniol Jones, 5: Paul Tito CAPTAIN, 6: Andries Pretorius, 7: Martyn Williams, 8: Xavier Rush

REPLACEMENTS: 16: Rhys Williams, 17: Sam Hobbs, 18: Scott Andrews, 19: Ben White, 20: Ma'ama Molitika, 21: Rhys Downes, 22: Dan Parks, 23: James Loxton

LEINSTER:

15: Isa Nacewa
14: Andrew Conway
13: Eoin O'Malley
12: Eamonn Sheridan
11: Niall Morris
10: Ian McKinley
9: Isaac Boss

1: Heinke van der Merwe
2: Richardt Strauss
3: Clint Newland
4: Leo Cullen CAPTAIN
5: Devin Toner
6: Kevin McLaughlin
7: Dominic Ryan
8: Rhys Ruddock

REPLACEMENTS:

16: Jason Harris-Wright
17: Jack McGrath
18: Stan Wright
19: Nathan Hines
20: Stephen Keogh
21: Eoin Reddan
22: Ian Madigan
23: Michael Keating

REFEREE: Carlo Damasco (FIR), ASSISTANT REFEREES: James Jones, Phil Connett (both WRU), TMO: Tony Rowlands (WRU)

molloyjh

Stev_o wrote: »

Tbh i still wouldn't have any confidence in Morris think he's a extremely average if not sub poor player for Leinster.

I think the last 2 games he's played for Leinster he's looked good. Against Aironi he was excellent. I would def like to see more of him this season.

GerM

molloyjh wrote: »

I think the last 2 games he's played for Leinster he's looked good. Against Aironi he was excellent. I would def like to see more of him this season.

A bit of confidence can go a long, long way. He looked like a rabbit in the headlights in his appearances last season but he was transformed this year when he appeared against Connact and Aironi. His flashes against Aironi were easily the highlights of the match and won the game for Leinster.

A bit more time working with Schmidt and some more confidence and experience could see him be a very useful weapon. We haven't had anyone of that size and speed since Hickie. The tackle on Erasmus in the corner reminded me or Hickie's chase down on in Paris in 2000 when he forced a knock on. No right to make the tackle. A different level altogether but encouraging to see it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0m47gK-qTQM

0m47gK-qTQM

durkadurka

Yeah morris had come on a lot lately, looked flaky last year particularly at full back but he's coming on

bamboozle

Stev_o wrote: »

Id prefer if Keating could get a chance starting on the wing. He looks like a serious prospect.

cant understand why he's not having more of a look in, nearly always scores for the A's and top try scorer in 1B of the AIL for Clontarf.

GerM

durkadurka wrote: »

Yeah morris had come on a lot lately, looked flaky last year particularly at full back but he's coming on

Good point. The positional change will have taken a lot of the focus and pressure off him. He played a lot of his underage representative rugby on the wing. He could well feel a lot more comfortable there. He played in the U19 WC as a winger and did quite well I recall.

Interestingly Eoin O'Malley was on that team too pulling the strings at 10. Took all the kicking also. I wonder if he's still practicing his kicking. Can never have too many goalkickers in a line up. Hate the concept in Ireland that a kicker is always the outhalf.

padser

Excited with the team - really looking forward to seeing Conway get another run out.

Anyone know why D Kearney is not involved - I would have expected to see him on the wing.

molloyjh

padser wrote: »

Excited with the team - really looking forward to seeing Conway get another run out.

Anyone know why D Kearney is not involved - I would have expected to see him on the wing.

Squad development I'd imagine. He's gotten a decent few games over the last couple of months so I'd say Schmidt is keen to bring through others now too.

roycon

Stev_o wrote: »

Tbh i still wouldn't have any confidence in Morris think he's a extremely average if not sub poor player for Leinster.

tad harsh there but i agree with you. he came through a bit too easily i always thought without ever proving himself. id prefer to see keating there instead coz hes been a bit unlucky to have the hype of kearney and conway up against him( although they deserve the hype). having said that id take niall morris over dennis hurley any day

padser

molloyjh wrote: »

Squad development I'd imagine. He's gotten a decent few games over the last couple of months so I'd say Schmidt is keen to bring through others now too.

He has had 4 starts for Leinster this year (7 in his entire career) and 2 substitute appearances.

It's strange if he was dropped to give others 'development'. He is a full squad member who needs gametime if he is get another contract.

CouchSmart

Kearny's omission is definitely strange considering his performances so far this season, I assume he took a knock during the week. It's giving Morris and Keating a chance anyway so it's not a particularly bad thing.

CIARAN_BOYLE

I was half listening to I talk sport on Setanta there and at the end when they were going through tomorrow's papers they said something about redevelopment of the RDS. Did anyone pay more attention to it then me?

By the time I knew to pay attention they had moved on.

durkadurka

I didn't see it but they want to rebuild the anglesea stand and raise capacity to 25k.

I remember posting a link to it about six months ago

Teej

They didn't say much - think its in tomorrow's Daily Mail 30k capacity stadium. Thought there was a story circulating about a month ago about developing our own stadium in UCD?

CIARAN_BOYLE

Teej wrote: »

They didn't say much - think its in tomorrow's Daily Mail 30k capacity stadium. Thought there was a story circulating about a month ago about developing our own stadium in UCD?

I wonder if Leinster will be paying for the expansion at all. I think Leinster would be as happy not paying for expansion and once the current contract runs out moving an extra couple of games a season to LR.

That was an office block for the leinster branch integrated with the training grounds out in UCD I think.

durkadurka

Found it.....

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/...268445089.html



"The RDS is considering redeveloping its showgrounds, home to Leinster rugby. This could involve the demolition of the Anglesea Stand to boost capacity from about 18,000 to about 22,000. A decision is likely before the end of the year.
“It needs to be redeveloped,” said Duffy. “We are conscious of the need to bring it up to modern spectator comfort standard and we want to make it all-seater.”
*

Teej

I suspect that they would have to contribute. Did a survey on leinsterrugby awhile aback and one of the questions was about what Leinster's priorities should be with the options being developing RDS, developing home talent or getting top foreigners which I took to mean where should they spend the money.

I do wonder how I confused an office block with a stadium

durkadurka

Tbh the rds is just grand for all but two or three games a year- munster, one or two HEC games and home semis and quarters. I don't see any need to change what we have now apart from redoing the anglesea and maybe putting a roof over one of the ends

CIARAN_BOYLE

durkadurka wrote: »

Tbh the rds is just grand for all but two or three games a year- munster, one or two HEC games and home semis and quarters. I don't see any need to change what we have now apart from redoing the anglesea and maybe putting a roof over one of the ends

I pretty much agree with you, keep RDS and arrangement with RDS as is for next 5 years. Once that contract is over (and our crowds have grown) sign a new contract with RDS (5 years and 10 games compared to 12 at the moment) and have 4 games a season at the aviva.

Review every 5 years and add an extra game or two at the aviva if appropiate.

durkadurka

Yeah with lansdowne just down the road it would seem pretty wasteful to go nuts redeveloping rds.