Leinster Team Talk/Gossip/Rumours Thread VI: End of the MOC [Revenge of the STH]

vienne86

Sounds like that was a good night for Leinster - delighted! Looking forward to highlights tomorrow on BBC.

My stream obviously miles behind.

That said, if Leinster showed this hunger in a good couple of our performances last season we would have been in the play offs. Fair start, best of luck Leo - we're united in our desire to see you succeed.

.ak

We showed some nice stuff from the midfield in the first half. I think Reid delivered the cut out pass for Adam Byrnes try, that looked slick. We had some nice offloading and some nice dummy lines, so that's positive, but we actually look to building on last season quite a bit in terms of our pod formations off ruck. I'd prefer to see more support players involved, we looked isolated at times. But we did look to transfer the ball rather than take contact after first phase which was interesting.

Isa looked good with ball in hand. Fanning had a bit of a horror show, but used his farm to good effect at the breakdown. Adam Byrne looked hungry and saved our bacon a few times on scrappy ball, very quick lad, proper speedster. Mike McCarthy looks like he's put on a few stone, he's absolutely massive. Hopefully he used it to good effect. Other than that it as really hard to identify players.

vienne86

.ak wrote: »

We showed some nice stuff from the midfield in the first half. I think Reid delivered the cut out pass for Adam Byrnes try, that looked slick. We had some nice offloading and some nice dummy lines, so that's positive, but we actually look to building on last season quite a bit in terms of our pod formations off ruck. I'd prefer to see more support players involved, we looked isolated at times. But we did look to transfer the ball rather than take contact after first phase which was interesting.

Isa looked good with ball in hand. Fanning had a bit of a horror show, but used his farm to good effect at the breakdown. Adam Byrne looked hungry and saved our bacon a few times on scrappy ball, very quick lad, proper speedster. Mike McCarthy looks like he's put on a few stone, he's absolutely massive. Hopefully he used it to good effect. Other than that it as really hard to identify players.

Mike McCarthy was always massive....to me anyway!

Delighted Adam Byrne went well - yes, I remember him as having very serious wheels.

molloyjh

.ak wrote: »

I think Reid delivered the cut out pass for Adam Byrnes try, that looked slick.

It was McGrath according to the reports I've read.

Losty Dublin

awec wrote: »

Leinster player yellow carded in a friendly. Oh the shame of it.

Something King Leo needs to work on; the sneaky stuff. He was the master of slyness on the field so they'll be learning well

total former

Briefest of brief highlights here:

http://m.bbc.com/sport/rugby-union/34024767

Plenty for McQuilkin to work on but a great result.

.ak

total former wrote: »

Briefest of brief highlights here:

http://m.bbc.com/sport/rugby-union/34024767

Plenty for McQuilkin to work on but a great result.

Ha, that's funny, I completely mistook some of the players because of the poor stream. Thought fanning was at fault for Luke's try but it was Tracey?

jacothelad

.ak wrote: »

Ha, that's funny, I completely mistook some of the players because of the poor stream. Thought fanning was at fault for Luke's try but it was Tracey?

Good to see Marshall on the field. He is too good a talent to allow to drift into the doldrums of Irish Rugby.

.ak

He had great pace, I kept confusing him for one the wingers.

Buer

Synopsis from Darkside Lightside (Ulster fan) on LF:

It was actually 2 matches, between 2 entirely different sets of players - Ulster won the first one handily enough, and Leinster won the second handily enough.

Leinster were out of the blocks quicker, and made a few nice breaks and big carries (Teo and Hagan come to mind) - it was no coincidence that several of these came through humphreys channel, in fact I was laughing a couple of times as Leinster players literally changed direction to run at him, and he never failed to deliver. When Marshall realised that he basically had to make all humph's tackles as well as his own, things tightened up a bit, and as the half wore on Ulster moved into the ascendancy, and could probably have had more points if they hadn't given a lot of soft penalties away in the last third. This points to a couple of Ulster's persistent Achilles heels, namely soft defence from humphreys (who otherwise played beautifully), and a lack of effectiveness over the ball in the absence of Henry and Best. From Leisnter's pov I thought they were the better team at the breakdown, and i really like the Reid/Teo combo (in fact it was a very enjoyable ding-dong with them and Marshall/Cave) - however I thought McGrath didn't have a great outing, his passing wasn't great, with guys often having to leap to take a pass. And after a couple of phases, things went very mushy and lateral. All in all, an enjoyable half of rugby, allowing for the early season rustiness.

The second half, on the other hand... Leinster changed all 15, Ulster changed 13, and again Leinster were out of the blocks faster, against one of the worst performances by an Ulster side I have ever seen. 3 tries and 19 points offered up within 15 mins, and it looked like Leinster were going to score 50. But Ulster managed to drag you down to their level, and it became a comedy of errors - the last 20 mins were like watching two drunk hobos fighting in an alley... Your set piece and organisation were much the better in the third quarter, Conan carried well, McCarthy looked useful - but I can literally think of no good thing to say about either side in the last quarter.. Maybe I'm being a bit harsh given it was the first match of the season, I don't know, but I think that the sides on display at the end wouldn't do much damage to anyone this season!

errlloyd

.ak wrote: »

Mike McCarthy looks like he's put on a few stone, he's absolutely massive. Hopefully he used it to good effect. Other than that it as really hard to identify players.

It's the moustache, absolutely filthy, adds at least 4 kg.

aimee1

http://www.edinburghrugby.org/news/15/08/21/edinburgh-kick-against-leinster-meggetland

dub_skav

.ak wrote: »

Fanning had a bit of a horror show, but used his farm to good effect

That fanning or seanie you're talking about?

DelMcG

.ak wrote: »

Ha, that's funny, I completely mistook some of the players because of the poor stream. Thought fanning was at fault for Luke's try but it was Tracey?

All gingers look the same to you, is that what you're saying?! :mad:

dregin

The highlights on tonight or is what was linked on BBC all we're going to get?

.ak

DelMcG wrote: »

All gingers look the same to you, is that what you're saying?! :mad:

Basically.

And they have no souls.

stephen_n

.ak wrote: »

Basically.

And they have no souls.

That's a lie, of course they have souls.....





They steal other peoples!

The Pheasant2

Finally have gotten around to reading Sexton's book; there's one part that's left me curious though - he refers to a player at Leinster who rejected an IRFU offer but was left hanging by a French club and was forced to go back to the union's offer...who's this referring to?

The Pheasant2

The Pheasant2 wrote: »

Finally have gotten around to reading Sexton's book; there's one part that's left me curious though - he refers to a player at Leinster who rejected an IRFU offer but was left hanging by a French club and was forced to go back to the union's offer...who's this referring to?

Darragh Fanning. Had everything agreed with Toulon but his agent couldn't get settlement on his "not playing against Leinster" clause and the whole thing went tits up.

aimee1

The Pheasant2 wrote: »

Finally have gotten around to reading Sexton's book; there's one part that's left me curious though - he refers to a player at Leinster who rejected an IRFU offer but was left hanging by a French club and was forced to go back to the union's offer...who's this referring to?

SOB maybe?

vienne86

The Pheasant2 wrote: »

Finally have gotten around to reading Sexton's book; there's one part that's left me curious though - he refers to a player at Leinster who rejected an IRFU offer but was left hanging by a French club and was forced to go back to the union's offer...who's this referring to?

I read that too and thought it was SOB or Heaslip.

Larbre34

I can't imagine SOB or Heaslip would have been left dangle by anyone if there was a sniff they were available.

Wasn't there something about Luke Fitz? I'd say either him or Rob Kearney...

Larbre34

Larbre34 wrote: »

I can't imagine SOB or Heaslip would have been left dangle by anyone if there was a sniff they were available.

Wasn't there something about Luke Fitz? I'd say either him or Rob Kearney...

I could be way off with the timing but there was rumours about SOB moving to France in the papers and then he got that shoulder injury?

UnknownEntity

Tried on the new home jersey in Lifestyle Sports today and I really liked it! In my opinion it is one of the best that Leinster have ever had and it fits really well too. However I'll have to wait until I get my season ticket pack so I can use the voucher from it on the jersey....

Dravokivich

I dunno. Ever since the unicorn jizz, every jersey has felt like it's missing something.

total former

Dravokivich wrote: »

I dunno. Ever since the unicorn jizz, every jersey has felt like it's missing something.

Like a fourth star above the crest?

That all changes this season. #teamLeo

.ak

Sometimes I need things like this to make me get over Tuesdays.

durkadurka

I missed Johnny and his scrunched up face

molloyjh

.ak wrote: »

Sometimes I need things like this to make me get over Tuesdays.

Seeing that picture makes me even happier than Johnny looks there.