Leinster Team Talk/Gossip/Rumours Thread.

tolosenc

totallegend wrote: »

*but not Ross

Meh. Stan isn't exactly a drop in quality.

Can't wait for Ashton and O'Brien to get properly acquainted.

Northampton are a team that if you get under their skin, wind them up a bit, they'll lose the plot entirely. We don't need that though. We're a much better 23 than they are.

durkadurka

Without wishing ill, well not much anyhow, let's hope that Leicester beat seven kinds of sh1t out of Northampton after what happened tonight.

CouchSmart

Northampton game: http://www.justin.tv/twomintpork1?#/w/1204014304

ongarite

Lots of dirty play from Northampton so far. A few late and overly aggressive tackles.

CIARAN_BOYLE

Didn't we match up well against Leicster in the scrum? They seem to have an advantage against Northampton in the scrum today so I don't see why so many claim we should be worried

GerM

ongarite wrote: »

Lots of dirty play from Northampton so far. A few late and overly aggressive tackles.

Indeed. Dowson and Hartlet put in two nasty ones on Flood. Dowson got away with it but I thought his was the worse. Flood kicked and only after the ball was gone did Dowson jump and turn the shoulder. Only had eyes for hitting Flood.

Northampton scrum not beating anyone up. Leicester just called a scrum on a 5m free kick. Leicester on top of this one so far. And Northampton take it against the head. Powered over the ball, initially thought to be just clever hooking. Great scrum Northampton.

ongarite

Ashton got absolutely smashed. He shouldn't have gotten a yellow and it should be a red for Leicester.

copacetic

Woah, Ashton will regret that light shove on Tugilani after being taken out off the ball. Gets a vicious left, left, right combination in return that looks to have left him with big cuts to both eyes and unsteady on his feet. Sky get a nice super slomo of the last one. Nasty.

If it was anyone else I'd be outraged, havent forgotten his attempts to take O'Gara out.

GerM

Unreal punches landed on Ashton by Tuilagi. Absolutely smashed him with 2 or 3 punches to the face. Disgracefully, both are yellow carded with Ashton pumping blood.

0-0 after 34mins!

ongarite

This game is perfect for Leinster now. Both teams are out for blood now and are going to knock lumps out of each other.

CouchSmart

Sky's poster boy Manu shows his true colours. Also shows O'Driscoll how, if you're going to hit someome, to do it :P.

sock puppet

That was ****ing disgraceful. Can't believe Tuilagi got away with that.

GerM

3-0 Leicester.

Watching the replay of the punching, there's a genuine chance of concussion for Ashton. He was absolutely beaten. Tuilagi should be give a few months for that. It was assault, plain and simple.

danthefan

CouchSmart wrote: »

Sky's poster boy Manu shows his true colours. Also shows O'Driscoll how, if you're going to hit someome, to do it :P.

Considering the Sky commentators have been absolutely unequivocal that it was a disgrace, the wrong call was made, and Tuilagi should have been shown a red, that's a bit of a silly comment tbf.

yimrsg

More of the boxing please! Lawes and Castro next! Think Lawes would win.

Very physical game so far. Probably more than Leinster-Ulster yesterday. Young seems to be getting some luck around the fringes. Hope Boss & Reddan can do the same.

sock puppet

GerM wrote: »

3-0 Leicester.

Watching the replay of the punching, there's a genuine chance of concussion for Ashton. He was absolutely beaten. Tuilagi should be give a few months for that. It was assault, plain and simple.

It's at the end of the season but at least he'd miss the Churchill Cup. Would put an end to his slim world cup hopes.

CouchSmart

danthefan wrote: »

Considering the Sky commentators have been absolutely unequivocal that it was a disgrace, the wrong call was made, and Tuilagi should have been shown a red, that's a bit of a silly comment tbf.

The whole season they've been wetting themselves over him. The HEC quarter he had to have been the most mentioned player. He was one of their many English poster boys.

danthefan

CouchSmart wrote: »

The whole season they've been wetting themselves over him. The HEC quarter he had to have been the most mentioned player. He was one of their many English poster boys.

Possibly because he's played well?

CouchSmart

danthefan wrote: »

Possibly because he's played well?

Yes. He's also guilty of going over the top sometimes and the whole season it's just been laughed off as Samoan aggression or whatever.

danthefan

They definitely didn't laugh those punches off anyway.

CouchSmart

danthefan wrote: »

They definitely didn't laugh those punches off anyway.

Nope they sure didn't. He actually deserves time in prison for that. Well done Ashton for staying on his feet.

GerM

Game is very bruising but the quality is fairly poor. I think in the final 20 we're going to see just how little depth Northampton have in comparison to the other HEC contenders.

Northampton scrum not nearly as dominant since Cole came on for Castro. Castro is a very overrated player in my opinion. He's full of tricks and wind up tactics at the scrum but when put against a top prop and made to scrummage relatively legally he's not that great in the scrum at all.

EDIT: 6-3 with 12 to play. Extra time is not out of the question at all here.

wixfjord

GerM wrote: »

Game is very bruising but the quality is fairly poor. I think in the final 20 we're going to see just how little depth Northampton have in comparison to the other HEC contenders.

Northampton scrum not nearly as dominant since Cole came on for Castro. Castro is a very overrated player in my opinion. He's full of tricks and wind up tactics at the scrum but when put against a top prop and made to scrummage relatively legally he's not that great in the scrum at all.

Dead right there Ger, he's a bit of a showpony at this stage.

Jemo

I was surprised that Leicester threw so much money at him, Cole is leagues ahead at this stage.

Kinger83

Interview with Jackman, Strauss, Sexton, Nacewa and O'Brien from Tullow RFC:

http://youtu.be/iOGz0xFVbbM
http://youtu.be/27avRhdZ-Nc
http://youtu.be/ZL6CedOebeE

CIARAN_BOYLE

Kinger83 wrote: »

Interview with Jackman, Strauss, Sexton, Nacewa and O'Brien from Tullow RFC:

http://youtu.be/iOGz0xFVbbM
http://youtu.be/27avRhdZ-Nc
http://youtu.be/ZL6CedOebeE

you have part three there two times and no part one, interesting to listen to though thanks man

Kinger83

CIARAN_BOYLE wrote: »

you have part three there two times and no part one, interesting to listen to though thanks man

Should be fixed now!

tolosenc

Shut those kids up!

funky penguin

So bit of an injury roundup:

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/sport/2011/0516/1224297038371.html

O'Driscoll faces an anxious wait

JOHNNY WATTERSON

RUGBY: LEINSTER WILL sweat until today before knowing the prognosis for their injured players after what coach Joe Schmidt called Friday night’s “demolition derby” meeting with Ulster in the Magners league semi-final in the RDS. Several players but two particularly, Brian O’Driscoll and hooker Richardt Strauss, are of concern.

O’Driscoll has reportedly injured a muscle behind his knee and has been asked to rest it for a couple of days. It was also reported by former Leinster and Scotland coach Matt Williams on radio yesterday morning, that a brace-type device has been put on the leg of the Leinster talisman to aid the recovery process before Leinster meet Northampton in the Heineken Cup final on Saturday in the Millennium Stadium.

The Ireland captain and centre started the match against Ulster with his right knee heavily strapped but was seen to be in some difficulty late in the first half after being tackled. Although he played on until the break, he did not return to action.

After the match Schmidt said that his outside centre had “a knee problem that was uncomfortable, rather than unplayable”. It was also said to be swollen.

A Leinster official said yesterday that they had heard nothing from the citing commissioner at Friday’s match, commander Eugene Ryan, and they are not expecting to hear anything with respect to a first-half incident involving O’Driscoll and Chris Henry.

O’Driscoll appeared to aim a punch at the Ulster backrow after he was held back from running a support line. The referee, George Clancy spoke to both players at the next break after his attention was drawn to the incident by a touch judge and neither player was shown a card.

Also in the medical room are scrumhalf Isaac Boss (hamstring), tighthead prop Mike Ross (shoulder), loosehead prop Cian Healy (thigh) and Strauss who has injured his hip or buttock. Man of the match Seán O’Brien also had three stitches put into a wound on his head but is not doubtful for Saturday’s Cup final, while Ross, had he needed to, could have returned to the match. Strauss, however, was in some difficulty leaving the pitch and again doctors will have a clear view today as to the severity of the injury.

Northampton, who were beaten 11-3 by Leicester in their Aviva Premiership match on Saturday and thus fell short of the final Twickenham showdown, came through a testy match with no injuries reported.

The one incident that will surely rumble on was when Leicester centre Manu Tuilagi punched England and Northampton’s Chris Ashton three times late in the first half. Ashton pushed the 19-year-old following a tackle and Tuilagi replied with a left, left, right combination. The two were binned and Ashton was bandaged up and later needed stitches.

“It will be different on Saturday because it is a one-off match at a neutral ground,” said Northampton coach Jim Mallinder.

“We have a clean bill of health after today, although Chris Ashton had stitches in his head. But Tom Wood is unlikely to be fit. It is not going to be tough picking up the players because we still have so much to play for.”

A neck scan on Munster replacement backrow Denis Leamy has revealed no serious injury. Leamy was brought to hospital with a neck injury on Saturday night, following his team’s semi-final victory over Ospreys in the Magners League.

Initial reports indicated that it may have been serious. However, a scan has confirmed that the injury is minor in nature. Leamy is still considered a doubt to appear in the Magners League final on May 28th until the exact nature of the injury is established.

Also, Jamie, SOB and Isa up for ERC player of the year, along with Parisse and Tonga'uiha.

http://www.irishtimes.com/sports/rugby/2011/0516/1224297063277.html

Leinster trio on five-man ERC shortlist

Rugby: Three players from Leinster have been named on the shortlist for the ERC European Player of the Year award. Ireland internationals Jamie Heaslip and Sean O'Brien join Fijian fullback Isa Nacewa on the list, having played key roles in Leinster's progress through to Saturday's Heineken Cup final.

They will go up against Northampton giant prop Soane Tonga'uiha and Stade Francais talisman Sergio Parisse for Europe's top individual award.

Tonga'uiha will look to halt Leinster's charge for a second Heineken Cup title at the Millennium Stadium on Saturday, while Parisse will be going for glory in the Amlin Challenge Cup when the Parisians take on Harlequins.

The winner will be announced on May 24th and a presentation made by tournament organisers ERC at his respective club.

Methinks it's between Isa and SOB.

Jemo

I'd say SOB if Leinster win, Songahui if NH win.