Leinster Team Talk/Gossip/Rumours Thread.

durkadurka

Is the English premiership the same play off structure as the magners?

Looks like Northampton will spend next weekend getting beaten up in Leicester.

ormond lad

durkadurka wrote: »

Is the English premiership the same play off structure as the magners?

Looks like Northampton will spend next weekend getting beaten up in Leicester.

1st home to 4th, 2nd home to 3rd, final in twickenham

ambid

bamboozle wrote: »

...i've no qualms in saying Keating is a far better player than David Kearney but suffered from having the wrong surname this season...

I think this is terribly unfair.

Does anybody serious believe Dave Kearney was picked on the basis of nepotism? Rob is a good player so we'll pick his kid brother! In a professional league?!! Does anybody really think Joe Schmidt makes selections based on family connections? Oh come on!

Dave Kearney was outstanding tonight against Glasgow. His under age coaches considered him a better propsect than Rob, and he has been fantastic this season. His selection is nothing to do with his name.

smurphy29

Dave Kearney is much improved this season, beyond all recognition in fact. But in spite of the brilliant break before Ryan's try, there was a touch of glory-seeking in his not passing. He had done all the hard work, just needed to shovel the ball to his left and it was a jog in, but he went for it himself and in the end, though we got the try, it was a bit flukey. Great lines though.

jolley123

wixfjord wrote: »

Strange game tonight, but a good run out, with what seemed like no injuries.


Also, again I'll say it, D Kearney has been one of our ML players of the season, yet he's not being hyped up?!
Yet Conway has shown only glimpses of what he's capable of, and is being hailed as a hero?

Just don't get it lads! We should be hyping BOTH up!

Does it matter whos being hyped up? Hyping them up isn't what gets them on the starting team-sheet. Don't really see it as a big deal if Kearney isn't getting as much hype as Conway.

CatFromHue

email from the leinster branch

Leinster has qualified for a home Magners League Semi-Final to be played next weekend, Friday 13thMay at the RDS (KO: 7.05pm) against Ulster.

Season Ticket Holders will be contacted directly about purchasing their regular seats for this match via their accounts.

A small allocation is now on public sale from the link below.


the link is to ticketmaster

wixfjord

smurphy29 wrote: »

Dave Kearney is much improved this season, beyond all recognition in fact. But in spite of the brilliant break before Ryan's try, there was a touch of glory-seeking in his not passing. He had done all the hard work, just needed to shovel the ball to his left and it was a jog in, but he went for it himself and in the end, though we got the try, it was a bit flukey. Great lines though.

McF did the same in the first half too! Trying to show Joe!

CouchSmart

Tickets for semi available: http://www.ticketmaster.ie/event/1800469B93CD3D2B?artistid=952217&majorcatid=10004&minorcatid=225

David900

smurphy29 wrote: »

Dave Kearney is much improved this season, beyond all recognition in fact. But in spite of the brilliant break before Ryan's try, there was a touch of glory-seeking in his not passing. He had done all the hard work, just needed to shovel the ball to his left and it was a jog in, but he went for it himself and in the end, though we got the try, it was a bit flukey. Great lines though.

Not sure if that is true, I thought the same thing myself when I seen it happen but on the replay it looked like his passing option to his left would have been either cut off or tackled by a covering Glasgow player coming across not seen on the first angle.

CIARAN_BOYLE

durkadurka wrote: »

Is the English premiership the same play off structure as the magners?

Looks like Northampton will spend next weekend getting beaten up in Leicester.

Even better spend next Sunday fighting with Leicster I beleive

I've seen Saints fans claiming on other forums that it is unfair that Leinster have a two day advantage in terms of rest (maybe reduced to one day if they throw their match against Leeds next week)

CatFromHue

TheHighRoad wrote: »

He doesn't even look big in that big. Your confusing the fact that hes lean with being big, his arms are actually very small. Hes smaller in height as well which makes sense.
Every single site has him between 80-84kgs. Do you think all those sites are wrong as well as the Leinster site being wrong about Conway or do you think that maybe, just maybe, it is you who is wrong?

it makes no sense to me. as i said im the same height but even after running 30 miles a week for 14 weeks and starting from a pretty fit state i couldnt get that low!!

smurphy29

David900 wrote: »

Not sure if that is true, I thought the same thing myself when I seen it happen but on the replay it looked like his passing option to his left would have been either cut off or tackled by a covering Glasgow player coming across not seen on the first angle.

I was at the game, so didn't get to look at the replay, but if you're right then I'm being very harsh on someone for a slashing line-break that set up a try.

CouchSmart

David900 wrote: »

Not sure if that is true, I thought the same thing myself when I seen it happen but on the replay it looked like his passing option to his left would have been either cut off or tackled by a covering Glasgow player coming across not seen on the first angle.

Ye I agree. At first I thought it was selfish but in the replay the pass was covered.

CouchSmart

It'll be interesting to see what the team is for next week. Realistically we can't start the exact same 15 every week over the next 3 weeks so it won't be a fully 'first' team for the semi, IMO. I'm going to guess that some of front liners that played tonight will be benched.

15. Nacewa
14. Horgan
13. O'Driscoll
12. McFadden
11. Fitzgerald
10. Sexton
9. Reddan

1. Healy
2. Strauss
3. Ross
4. Cullen
5. Hines
6. McLoughlin
7. Jennings
8. O'Brien

16. Harris-Wright
17. Heinke
18. Wright
19. Toner
20. Ruddock
21. Boss
22. Madigan
23. D'Arcy

This is just my guess but with Schmidt it's nearly impossible to know what he's going to do. Quite possible that O'Malley, Kearney, Heaslip etc wil be involved, so many options!

irishbucsfan

I don't think we'll be changing the team much at all between now and the final. This is the pinnacle of the season, and this is the part of the year the players have been manged for. No real use resting them now. Everyone is fresh, and two games won't change that too much.

Healy, Strauss, Ross, Cullen, Hines, O'Brien, Jennings, Heaslip;
Reddan, Sexton, McFadden, D'Arcy, O'Driscoll, Horgan, Nacewa;

JHW, VDM, Wright, Toner, McLaughlin, Boss, Madigan, Fitzgerald

And then for the final in Thomond I think he'll put De Merwe/Boss/Fitzgerald into the team. (Boss and VDM are his "away team", and Fitzgerald is too good to be dropped for too long)

ambid

irishbucsfan wrote: »

I don't think we'll be changing the team much at all between now and the final. This is the pinnacle of the season, and this is the part of the year the players have been manged for. No real use resting them now. Everyone is fresh, and two games won't change that too much.

Healy, Strauss, Ross, Cullen, Hines, O'Brien, Jennings, Heaslip;
Reddan, Sexton, McFadden, D'Arcy, O'Driscoll, Horgan, Nacewa;

JHW, VDM, Wright, Toner, McLaughlin, Boss, Madigan, Fitzgerald

And then for the final in Thomond I think he'll put De Merwe/Boss/Fitzgerald into the team. (Boss and VDM are his "away team", and Fitzgerald is too good to be dropped for too long)

I'm not sure he'll play the same team three weeks running against three very good sides. If he did, I imagine they'd be exhausted by the time of the ML Grand Final - assuming we get there. Given Ulster's injuries and home advantage, Leinster may have scope to mix the selection a little bit next week.

He has a lot of scope to rotate at prop, VDM had a complete rest this week so unless injured I assume he'll start next week. He might well play Toner and either Cullen or Hines, or give them a half each. I imagine we'll see some changes in the back row over the next three matches given his excellent options. Starting scrum halfs will definitely change over the coming matches. As for the backs, I guess we'll see both McFadden and Fitz from time to time, but the rest will probably be pretty constant.

So we may have seen the last of O'Malley and McGrath this season, but I think we'll still see quite a lot of roration over the next three matches.

WeeBushy

In the review of the match in the IT today Schmidt seems to indicate that he will rotate the team a bit.

What particularly encouraged Schmidt about a much better second half was the contribution of the younger players, highlighting Jack McGrath’s scrummaging and Fergus McFadden’s energy, all the more so as he couldn’t envisage playing the same team or match day squad for the remaining two or three games.

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/sport/2011/0507/1224296378903.html

He can bring in VdM, Wright, KmL in second row (our 3rd best after that performance), Ryan, Ruddock, Boss, McFadden, O'Malley and Kearney without weakening the side all that much.

Not saying they should all be brought in at the same time, but along with our first 15, there are lots of changes we can make to rest people and still put out an awesome side. I don't expect to see a full strength 15 v. Ulster. It'll still be a brilliant team, mind.

bamboozle

wixfjord wrote: »

Have to say, completely disagree with you there bamboozle, I think D Kearney has been brilliant in most of the games he's played this year, and far more effective than Conway has been. Think it's unfair to say that his surname has done anything for him, because he's been one of our form outside backs in the ML this year imo. If Keating was good enough, and I've never seen him play so I don't know, but if he was, Joe would surely have him in.

lets just say i was suprised that Kearney got the nod ahead of Keating this season, Keating has scored bucket loads of trys be it for Ireland U20's, Clontarf or Leinster A's, he's played and just didnt get a proper chance for Leinster seniors, Kearney got his chance and took it and fair play to him,

bottom line i guess is that there is so much talent at Leinster players are finding it hard to break through.

TheHighRoad

D.Kearney's performance tonight makes the Carr signing look even more pointless. On the performances this season D.Kearney is the best young prospect at wing in the country other than Gilroy. Hes much better than Zebo in my opinion. Also delighted with McGrath's performance looks like we have another prop who is more than capable of scrummaging and has a high work rate in the loose. Tough to come up against an international on your first full start but the scrum wasn't even a concern, not bad for a 21 year old! I'd like to see him get more games next season looks like some prospect. McLoughlin was very good at lock he should be on that plane to NZ ahead of Donnacha Ryan who to the best of my knowledge is still yet to even start a HC game at second row or at 6! Also, McFadden has to start the final because on this form he would be ahead of Earls for Ireland at 11 let alone Fitzgerald at Leinster! Fantastic performance.

CIARAN_BOYLE

TheHighRoad wrote: »

Donnacha Ryan who to the best of my knowledge is still yet to even start a HC game at second row or at 6!

Pretty sure Donnacha played away to LI and was horrible

ironingbored

Is there any hope of Ulster upsetting Leinster in the semi?

We only played them a few weeks back and Ulster were dire. I know they'd just played a tough HC QF but I thought the poor Ulster supporters who travelled should have been reimbursed.

TheHighRoad

ironingbored wrote: »

Is there any hope of Ulster upsetting Leinster in the semi?

We only played them a few weeks back and Ulster were dire. I know they'd just played a tough HC QF but I thought the poor Ulster supporters who travelled should have been reimbursed.

A week before the Heineken Cup final with Ulster desperate to get some silverware and redeem themselves after such a poor showing in the QF...Theres a strong chance of an upset in my opinion.

durkadurka

Anything can happen in sport. Leinster might have one eye on next week, might be afraid of injury. That said ulster are missing a few big names.

profitius

CIARAN_BOYLE wrote: »

Pretty sure Donnacha played away to LI and was horrible

No he wasn't. The whole lineout was but you can't blame him for it all. The problem is himself and DOC are similar in that they're not lineout leaders. DR got dropped naturally because DOC is one of the undroppables.

bamboozle

CIARAN_BOYLE wrote: »

Pretty sure Donnacha played away to LI and was horrible

that was his only HC start and he is now 27. McLaughlin would be a far better option for the WC but i can still see DR and MOD on the plane.

DR's best bet would be to head to Connacht for a year or two and build up game time there. Nagle will probably be jumping him into 4th choice munster lock next season.

danthefan

bamboozle wrote: »

that was his only HC start and he is now 27. McLaughlin would be a far better option for the WC but i can still see DR and MOD on the plane.

DR's best bet would be to head to Connacht for a year or two and build up game time there. Nagle will probably be jumping him into 4th choice munster lock next season.

Can't see how the both of them will travel tbh. MOD is likely to go anyway, don't think there's room for Ryan.

Jemo

McLaughlin was very good and physical in the second row yesterday, although Toner took on pretty much every lineout so it wasn't the ideal audition. I don't think this matters too greatly though because we're not talking about starting Locky at the RWC in the second row, it would be a last 20 minutes job and could work well having the extra flanker out there as games open up. Add to that the fact that few of our competitors have amazing lineouts in the group stages and we should be ok.

durkadurka

Healy Strauss Ross
Cullen Hines
Ryan Jennings o Brien
Reddan sexton
Fitz *McFadden bod Horgan
Nacewa

My guess at a team for next week

Heaslip and darcy rested.

ambid

durkadurka wrote: »

Healy Strauss Ross
Cullen Hines
Ryan Jennings o Brien
Reddan sexton
Fitz *McFadden bod Horgan
Nacewa

My guess at a team for next week

Heaslip and darcy rested.

Maybe. I'd like to see McLaughlin ahead of Ryan though, and Joe might want to keep McFadden at 11 if he's thinking about him there for the H-cup final. Fitz is brilliant, but McFadden is playing so much better right now. Also suspect he'll start Boss against his old team.

Donnielighto

Ulster should be dangerous and very up for it considering the hiding they received the last out against ye. Should go with strongest 15 for the game with that in mind, ye have enough cover everyone except johnny really, touch wood. Mind you that lad can play with a broken jaw :pac:

My team would be

The same as the Toulouse match but bring in McFadden and Boss for Fitzy an Reddan.

Connacht fan here btw, but i'd like to see Leinster get the double before Munster