Leinster Team Talk/Gossip/Rumours Thread IV

.ak

Score update?

19543261

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oops

Hagz

2 minutes of extra time to go. 22-22. If it stays level Leinster advance to the final.

matthew8

Looks like it will finish 22-22 and Leinster will go through on some technicality.

matthew8

FT 22-22 and Leinster go through.

Hagz

Thank fcuk. My heart was in my mouth reading those updates. Hopefully the final will be televised.

ArmchairQB

Great win lots of handling errors but radio said conditions ate poor, fial is a home one for us I think!

Morf

Hagz wrote: »

Thank fcuk. My heart was in my mouth reading those updates. Hopefully the final will be televised.

On Sky? I wouldn't be massively confident.

matthew8

Morf wrote: »

On Sky? I wouldn't be massively confident.

Munster had one televised a couple of years back.

LostArt

What date is the final?

Podge_irl

LostArt wrote: »

What date is the final?

Same as the HEC at a guess?

durkadurka

What are the rules about players we can field in the final?

Fireball07

Buer wrote: »

Leamy's take and Wallace's pass were top class. For all the stick he took, Wallace still offered something that no other 12 has been able to yet. I hoped Marshall could but his passing game seems to have been shelved.

Wallace was a good playmaking 12. Wallace's problem was being used as a utility back or sub out-half for Ireland, when he was only a 12 really.


Olding has a lovely distributing game if he makes it at 12.

The Lost Sheep

durkadurka wrote: »

What are the rules about players we can field in the final?

Don't think there is any. Ye can play who ye want to

Tox56

The Lost Sheep wrote: »

Don't think there is any. Ye can play who ye want to

Even so I would hope/expect they stick with the A team lads and don't bring in a host of first team players

danthefan

Tox56 wrote: »

Even so I would hope/expect they stick with the A team lads and don't bring in a host of first team players

Ah definitely, would completely defeat the purpose of the competition to field first team players.

.ak

The team fielded today is good enough to play anyone in the competition, so hopefully they don't load it.

Hagz

Apparently he high error count was down to the conditions, but from the pictures the conditions looked perfect.

former legend

Sounds like a crazy ending:

It looked to be enough to secure Ponty the victory until some incredible late drama. Home winger Owen Jenkins kicked the ball into touch, thinking the game was over, only for referee Craig Maxwell-Keys to allow play to continue.

From the lineout Marsh found a gap but was held up over the Ponty line and the home side were able to kick to touch for a second time.

There was still enough time left for the lineout and Leinster 'A' struck right at the death as UCD clubman Boyle found a gap to score the province's third and most important try.

Marsh brilliantly held his nerve to land the levelling conversion under intense pressure and send the match into extra-time. The kick took him to 100 points in this season's British & Irish Cup.

http://www.leinsterrugby.ie/team/results/11850.php

Morf

.ak wrote: »

The team fielded today is good enough to play anyone in the competition, so hopefully they don't load it.

One or two extra lads who usually cover the first squad maybe.

The likes of Bent and maybe Locky to get game time.

salmocab

Of course they won't load that team. That won't even be discussed.

CIARAN_BOYLE

salmocab wrote: »

Of course they won't load that team. That won't even be discussed.

Only potential loading I see is if fitz or mcfadden are just back from injury and they need gametime before a pro12 final

Buer

Really good win. That Ponty team have a lot of experience and a number of guys who have a bit of Pro12 rugby under their belts along with several Welsh 7s internationals.

They've just won the Welsh Premiership again for the 4th time in a row. Not a bad result at all.

Tox56

The only thing that will ease my hangover is talking about the side for next week against Ulster, which is a massive massive game now

Interesting to see where they will go particularly on the subs bench, hooker and, as always, 10. Rest of the team picks itself

I'd go for

Healy
Cronin
Ross
McCarthy
Toner
Ruddock
Jennings
Heaslip
Reddan
Madigan
Fitzgerald
Darce
BOD
Dave K
Kearney

Strauss
McGrath
Moore
Denton/Cullen
Murphy
McGrath
Gopperth
Ferg (if fit)/Kirchner

Cronin deserves a start, Murphy could well get the nod at 7 and only god knows what's going to happen at 10

As chairman of the Luke McGrath fan club I am of course pushing for him to bench, and with Boss completely out of form and McGrath on a bit of a run at the moment this seems like a great opportunity against good opposition

That's a good enough team to win in Belfast but it's not a team that would give me a massive amount of confidence. Absolute minimum requirement is a LBP

errlloyd

I have a feeling it'll be Jimmy seeing out the year.

armchaircoach

Edinbourgh were the only one of the 3 that I could see denying Glasgow The bonus victory. Now that they have only the two Italian sides to steamroll over, a minimum of 6 points is needed from the next two games.

CIARAN_BOYLE

errlloyd wrote: »

I have a feeling it'll be Jimmy seeing out the year.

Sure why not drop Madigan to the As so give him some experience in a knockout game :rolleyes:

vienne86

errlloyd wrote: »

I have a feeling it'll be Jimmy seeing out the year.

I hope you're wrong, but I think you might be right.

Swiwi.

blackdog1 wrote: »

Tim bateman is a player the provinces should go after. Great looking 12 currently benching forthe hurricans.

For 2nd rows id go for either Jeremy thrush or tom donnelly both big lumps. We dont need a replacement for mccarthy we need a genuine option off the bench ala moore and ross , healy and mcgrath

Buer wrote: »

No way a current All Black is going to come here to sit on the bench.

Donnelly might be an option but he's 33 in the autumn and, as a former All Black, he would probably want a decent wedge for a bloke nearing the end.

I'd rather we look at guys closer to Franco van der Merwe who are established, consistent and experienced without having as high a profile.

I would also want someone young enough that we could potentially sign on an extenstion if our lock prospects don't come through to ensure we aren't in this boat again in 24 months.

Bateman has signed to play in Japan I think.

Donnelly is past his best, but has always been a great team man. I don't think he's currently better than Toner & McCarthy, but probably would be the 3rd choice lock if he signed on. However, he's done the Japan thing before, so maybe he'd head back there.

Thrush (like King, Stanley & Delaney Buer) is likely to be a single-digit AB. Only selected in Autumn last year because of doubts about Romano's fitness. I don't expect him to make the cut for the June series. Whitelock, Retallick, and Romano are all better, Bird is on the improve, and I like the look of Patrick Tuipolotou. Luatua can also play lock. So as part of a long-winded answer, Thrush might become available, although I imagine he'll hang on in NZ until after 2015.

[Jackass]

.ak wrote: »

The team fielded today is good enough to play anyone in the competition, so hopefully they don't load it.

I agree, and to load the team would completely undermine the achievements of the A team so far. It's their cup and I think the management will treat it as such. More or less the same team for the final I'd imagine.

On a side note, any word on Adam Byrne? He hasn't featured much / at all this season which is disappointing and presumably seriously stunting his development. It would be great if he was cementing a place in the A team at this stage in his career if he's to be considered a great hope for the senior team in a couple of years.

CIARAN_BOYLE

[Jackass] wrote: »

On a side note, any word on Adam Byrne? He hasn't featured much / at all this season which is disappointing and presumably seriously stunting his development. It would be great if he was cementing a place in the A team at this stage in his career if he's to be considered a great hope for the senior team in a couple of years.

Much like Conway was for years, anytime he looks like he has a change he gets injured.

Watching Munster, Toulon - really makes me wonder what the hell happened in the 1/4.

.ak

[Jackass] wrote: »

I agree, and to load the team would completely undermine the achievements of the A team so far. It's their cup and I think the management will treat it as such. More or less the same team for the final I'd imagine.

On a side note, any word on Adam Byrne? He hasn't featured much / at all this season which is disappointing and presumably seriously stunting his development. It would be great if he was cementing a place in the A team at this stage in his career if he's to be considered a great hope for the senior team in a couple of years.

Adam Byrne broke his ankle again, after a great u20s 6n.

former legend

Deleted User wrote: »

Watching Munster, Toulon - really makes me wonder what the hell happened in the 1/4.

It was in the Stade Felix Mayol.

.ak

Munsters game plan was far more suited to the game. Leinster tried to fight fire with fire. It almost worked but we weren't accurate enough.

Mahatma Geansai

Deleted User wrote: »

Watching Munster, Toulon - really makes me wonder what the hell happened in the 1/4.

Leinster aren't as good as Toulon.

Tox56

Mahatma Geansai wrote: »

Leinster aren't as good as Toulon.

Munster aren't as good as Toulon either but were in it till the end, on another day they could have won, we were just blown away, even when the score was tight Toulon were dominant

danthefan

Tox56 wrote: »

Munster aren't as good as Toulon either but were in it till the end, on another day they could have won, we were just blown away, even when the score was tight Toulon were dominant

You only need to look back to the Leinster/Munster game in Lansdowne to see a Leinster pack controlling a game. Toulon are better again obviously and probably are just a better side than Leinster but the performance against Toulon was really poor.

Buer

Tox56 wrote: »

Munster aren't as good as Toulon either but were in it till the end, on another day they could have won, we were just blown away, even when the score was tight Toulon were dominant

Small margins. Armitage lifts his legs or Rossouw doesn't drop the ball on the line and the score is 23-9 with the game over pretty much. Leinster weren't really blown away until the last 25 minutes. Just before the decisive try, Leinster were coming back at Toulon hard.

Munster weathered the crucial period, Leinster didn't. Leinster just got it all wrong in terms of defending midfield which killed us. Leinster actually won more penalties at the breakdown than Toulon where we supposedly were destroyed.

Munster had much more power in their midfield which showed.

Hagz

.ak wrote: »

Adam Byrne broke his ankle again, after a great u20s 6n.

The kid is built like a rock but he seems to break like glass

danthefan

Buer wrote: »

Small margins. Armitage lifts his legs or Rossouw doesn't drop the ball on the line and the score is 23-9 with the game over pretty much. Leinster weren't really blown away until the last 25 minutes. Just before the decisive try, Leinster were coming back at Toulon hard.

Munster weathered the crucial period, Leinster didn't. Leinster just got it all wrong in terms of defending midfield which killed us. Leinster actually won more penalties at the breakdown than Toulon where we supposedly were destroyed.

Munster had much more power in their midfield which showed.

Was reading through your post and was just about to say the bolded, the Munster midfield stood up much better than Leinster's, which leaked badly, put us under all sorts of pressure.

Buer

danthefan wrote: »

Was reading through your post and was just about to say the bolded, the Munster midfield stood up much better than Leinster's, which leaked badly, put us under all sorts of pressure.

I think Leinster really got their plan wrong for that. They trusted D'Arcy and BOD to deal with Bastareaud when they've shown twice before they struggle against him. McCarthy or Ruddock was really needed to babysit midfield like Coughlan did today.

Combine Coughlan with the fact the Munster centres are 101kg and 104kg and you're in business.

Mahatma Geansai

Mahatma Geansai wrote: »

Leinster aren't as good as Toulon.

Never miss a chance to troll.

No, on paper - Leinster aren't, but we've beaten plenty of better teams. My issue isn't defeat which I was half resigned to, it was the manner of the defeat.

As mentioned above - Toulon made no where near as much ground in mid-field against Munster which is significant. Downey and Coughlan were very solid today and the choke tackle was well used.

Heroditas

Glasgow up to second and 5 points behind us.
Bit of pressure on us to get something in Ravenhill next weekend.
The Weegies are really in great form at the moment, definitely the form team in the league and at the right time (for them) too.

molloyjh

Heroditas wrote: »

Glasgow up to second and 5 points behind us.
Bit of pressure on us to get something in Ravenhill next weekend.
The Weegies are really in great form at the moment, definitely the form team in the league and at the right time (for them) too.

Any word on Ulsters injury list? They could be down to bare bones in the pack particularly.

vienne86

Heroditas wrote: »

Glasgow up to second and 5 points behind us.
Bit of pressure on us to get something in Ravenhill next weekend.
The Weegies are really in great form at the moment, definitely the form team in the league and at the right time (for them) too.

And their last two matches are against Treviso and Zebre....must be looking at 10 points there, so we must get something at Ravenhill.

CatFromHue

Assuming Glasgow win both their last games we have to finish on a higher points total then them as the amount of games won is the first deciding factor for equal points finishing teams.

Six points is what we need to be sure of this.

former legend

vienne86 wrote: »

And their last two matches are against Treviso and Zebre....must be looking at 10 points there, so we must get something at Ravenhill.

The only consolation is that Glasgow play Treviso in Italy, where a BP win is by no means a cert.

Coming away from Ravenhill with at least a losing BP would mean first place would be in our hands on the final day regardless of what Glasgow do, so let's hope for that.

errlloyd

Toulon's backrow, specifically Armitage absolutely man handled Leinster.

Either Munster were better at protecting their ball, or the lads just didn't show up in the same way for Toulon.

Hagz

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5uuehi7VTZU