Match Thread: Leinster Rugby vs Ospreys, Friday 03rd May 19:45, TG4/S4C

CatFromHue

I don't see why he couldn't make the drift.

The players inside him nearly did so why couldn't he when he was far closer to the last attacker, who wasn't even that wide (he was at around the 15m mark).

To me it's Kearney has made a mistake in defence but Conway is getting the blame, which is rubbish.

To me I almost think Kearney rushed up as he didn't want to have a one on one with the last attacker as his one on one defence is so bad. Rushing up is easier and makes it appear like you're working in defence, staying out was the better option but Kearney ignored it bizarrely!

jamiedav2011

CatFromHue wrote: »

I don't see why he couldn't make the drift.

The players inside him nearly did so why couldn't he when he was far closer to the last attacker, who wasn't even that wide (he was at around the 15m mark).

To me it's Kearney has made a mistake in defence but Conway is getting the blame, which is rubbish.

To me I almost think Kearney rushed up as he didn't want to have a one on one with the last attacker as his one on one defence is so bad. Rushing up is easier and makes it appear like you're working in defence, staying out was the better option but Kearney ignored it bizarrely!

Ah come on now. :rolleyes:
Just seems like a Kearney bashing exercise. Talk of his defence being so bad is way exaggerated, much of it stemming from the Gray try where I still think he made the correct decision.

CatFromHue

Not really, his defence really is very bad for a full back of his quality.

You regularly see him turn his back on attackers and run with them, go too high in tackles, when given a decision to make he takes the wrong one, and just look ponderous in defence.

There was no reason for him to rush up like he did against the Ospreys, they didn't have an overlap , we had a cover on the inside, he only had one man to cover on the outside who wasn't even that far on the outside. He's just a bad defender.

.ak

Kearney must've seen there was nobody covering the wing and shot up to try and close the pass down, because there was absolutely no other way that try could've been prevented. It was the right call to shoot out. Conway should've been marking his man on the wing tho. That's just bad defense systems, which is why you miss BOD so much.

.ak

CatFromHue wrote: »

Not really, his defence really is very bad for a full back of his quality.

You regularly see him turn his back on attackers and run with them, go too high in tackles, when given a decision to make he takes the wrong one, and just look ponderous in defence.

There was no reason for him to rush up like he did against the Ospreys, they didn't have an overlap , we had a cover on the inside, he only had one man to cover on the outside who wasn't even that far on the outside. He's just a bad defender.

They did? They had one outside which is why he shot out?

Bridge93

I was at the game and leinsters defensive set up had Conway inside Kearney. Kearney was the last man for some reason with Conway defending inside him. Kearney made the decision to shoot in on the man who was already marked by Conway and McFadden. I don't know why Kearney was outside Conway as Conway is clearly quicker but that's how it was set up.
I don't blame Kearney though, it was a very very good pass to get away to the last man. 8 or 9 times out of 10 that last pass wouldn't have got away and Leinster would have a turnover so I see why he did it.

trouttrout

It was the last five minutes of a game that was already won, a serious scramble defense that had the entire Leinster backline sucked in way too tight

I really wouldn't be reading into anyone's individual defense based on that

[Jackass]

Yeah don't know what Conway was doing so far infield, but Sexton is calling way too many players over to the blind side at the start and Ospreys fan out again and Leinster didn't react.

I wouldn't worry about it too much though, it's not an individual thing and your defensive organisation can't be perfect all the time. It would be an annoying try to lose a game over, but thankfully it didn't cost us.

CatFromHue

.ak wrote: »

They did? They had one outside which is why he shot out?

I think Kearney should have been able to cover him (Isaacs). An overlap would have been if they'd another player outside Isaacs which then would have made sense for him to rush up and try and stop the pass.

I don't think it matters if Conway was inside or outside Kearney as he should have been able to read that he was the last defender, that there were plenty of defenders inside him, and that there was one attacker outside him. Remember this wasn't after a big break by the Ospreys and Leinster were scrambling in defence to get back, it was after a scrum on the Leinster 5m line and it was the first time the ball had been moved further than first receiver. It was relatively speaking static move.

For me it's Kearney who made a mistake here not Conway.

Bridge93

I've always thought Conway is actually a very good defender.