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

padser

irishbucsfan wrote: »

You're making an assumption here that Toulon are willing to reschedule the fixture but Bath are not, based on no evidence. It could be that neither want to reschedule and they're more interested in using a DL-esque method.

EDIT: Mourad's suggestion is probably even more extreme by the way, I see: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/rugbyunion/european-rugby/11998508/Toulon-vs-Bath-could-be-played-during-Six-Nations-and-France-and-England-must-release-players-says-Boudjellal.html

Mourad's suggestion isn't actually a serious proposal though.

Unless he is suggesting Bath play two fixtures during the weekend of 18th - 20th March (the weekend of England v France) as they are already due to play Newcastle that weekend.

EDIT - it's not that bad for Bath anyway. Play on Friday (Aviva), play on Wednesday (Toulon), play on Monday (Aviva). 5 day and then 6 day turnaround, it's not ideal at all but it's hardly a "player welfare" type issue

irishbucsfan

padser wrote: »

Mourad's suggestion isn't actually a serious proposal though.

Unless he is suggesting Bath play two fixtures during the weekend of 18th - 20th March (the weekend of England v France) as they are already due to play Newcastle that weekend.

EDIT - it's not that bad for Bath anyway. Play on Friday (Aviva), play on Wednesday (Toulon), play on Monday (Aviva). 5 day and then 6 day turnaround, it's not ideal at all but it's hardly a "player welfare" type issue

I'm pretty sure it's a serious proposal. It's straight out of the Mourad book of logic!

It's still a player welfare issue whether or not you don't think it's that bad.

scott1974

Some worrying signs for Saturday:
http://www.sportsfile.com/id/1081116/

Some positive signs:
http://www.sportsfile.com/id/1081111/
http://www.sportsfile.com/id/1081125/


No sign of Struass (expected) or Ruddock...

former total

scott1974 wrote: »

No sign of Struass (expected) or Ruddock...

Ruddock:



Moore was training too.

scott1974

former total wrote: »

Ruddock:



Moore was training too.

Ah, my bad. Maybe I need my eyes checked.
I saw Moore, just wondering if he was dropped for the last game or injured?

molloyjh

I won't be convinced unless I see them doing contact work.

scott1974

molloyjh wrote: »

I won't be convinced unless I see them doing contact work.

No photos of anyone doing contact, so hard to tell.

vienne86

scott1974 wrote: »

Some worrying signs for Saturday:
http://www.sportsfile.com/id/1081116/

Some positive signs:
http://www.sportsfile.com/id/1081111/
http://www.sportsfile.com/id/1081125/


No sign of Struass (expected) or Ruddock...

I don't like seeing Isa like that. At all.

.ak

In an ideal world, I'd like to see;

RK
Isa
T'eo
Fitzgerald
DK
Sexton
Reddan
Heaslip
SOB
Ruddock
McCarthy
Toner
Ross
Cronin
McGrath

Dundon
Healy
Furlong
Triggs
Murphy
McGrath
Madigan
Kirchner/Ringrose

former total

McCarthy has had so many concussions at this stage, he must be very unlikely to play this weekend.

mogwai81

It seems Van Der Flier has moved ahead of Leavy this season. Do people believe this is due to Leavy's injury problems or that Van Der Flier is simply a better openside?

Exclamation Marc

French games this weekend now beginning to be postponed as Munsters trip to Stade Francais has been put off.

No idea how they're going to fit all these games in between now and the end of the season...

Hope the Leinster game next week isn't pushed back.

errlloyd

Manufactured Miracle wrote: »

French games this weekend now beginning to be postponed as Munsters trip to Stade Francais has been put off.

No idea how they're going to fit all these games in between now and the end of the season...

Hope the Leinster game next week isn't pushed back.

I presume that is merely becuase it is literally in stade De France.

Exclamation Marc

errlloyd wrote: »

I presume that is merely becuase it is literally in stade De France.

No it was meant to be in Stade Jean-Bouin; I think they are unwilling or more so, unable to stretch the security personnel required given the security threats.

scott1974

Manufactured Miracle wrote: »

French games this weekend now beginning to be postponed as Munsters trip to Stade Francais has been put off.

No idea how they're going to fit all these games in between now and the end of the season...

Hope the Leinster game next week isn't pushed back.

We could actually do with our game being postponed.... we might get some players back.
no chance it will though

Interested Observer

Could they not switch venue or is it too short notice?

Exclamation Marc

scott1974 wrote: »

We could actually do with our game being postponed.... we might get some players back.
no chance it will though

If it's postponed, others are speculating it'll be played during a six nations break which means we'd be further weakened.

Hoping you're right that there's no chance!

Interested Observer wrote: »

Could they not switch venue or is it too short notice?

I think they're just unwilling to play the game this weekend as they don't want to pull more security which is fair enough and I would imagine that that would apply no matter where in France they'd switch venue to. They could play it outside France but I doubt that would happen/be approved/they would want to.

The other side of the coin is that the country will be on high alert for a while so I assume they'll be 'stretching' resources regardless of when it's played, so it's a tricky one alright.

irishbucsfan

Manufactured Miracle wrote: »

If it's postponed, others are speculating it'll be played during a six nations break which means we'd be further weakened.

There is no 6 Nations break for Bath. If this game is postponed there's little chance of getting it reorganised. I have no idea why it'd be postponed though unless there are threats discovered to have been made against it, I think it's unlikely a rugby game in Bath would be targeted of all the targets in England.

Exclamation Marc

irishbucsfan wrote: »

There is no 6 Nations break for Bath. If this game is postponed there's little chance of getting it reorganised. I have no idea why it'd be postponed though unless there are threats discovered to have been made against it, I think it's unlikely a rugby game in Bath would be targeted of all the targets in England.

Think we're crossing wires, I probably didn't phrase my post well the first time around I was referring to the potential of the Leinster v Ulster game being postponed if all the French home games are to be played next weekend as Ulster would be away to Oyonnax.

Just read earlier that that was the/one proposal. No reason for the Bath game to be postponed, no talk of it even as far as I know.

irishbucsfan

Manufactured Miracle wrote: »

Think we're crossing wires, I probably didn't phrase my post well the first time around I was referring to the potential of the Leinster v Ulster game being postponed if all the French home games are to be played next weekend as Ulster would be away to Oyonnax.

Just read earlier that that was the/one proposal. No reason for the Bath game to be postponed, no talk of it even as far as I know.

Yep I just misread your post. Fair point. We could definitely play that during the 6 Nations if needed.

TICKLE_ME_ELMO

If they're stretched for security at the moment I dread to think how they're going to cope with the Euro's next summer.

vienne86

The Munster match against Stade for this coming weekend is postponed now. It's going to be a real nightmare trying to get the competition back on track.

molloyjh

vienne86 wrote: »

The Munster match against Stade for this coming weekend is postponed now. It's going to be a real nightmare trying to get the competition back on track.

We could always cancel it for the year and forget that Round 1 ever happened? :pac:

elastico

vienne86 wrote: »

The Munster match against Stade for this coming weekend is postponed now. It's going to be a real nightmare trying to get the competition back on track.

Next up is winter weather, always potential for a few games to be cancelled.

vienne86

molloyjh wrote: »

We could always cancel it for the year and forget that Round 1 ever happened? :pac:

Oh I'd love that!

irishbucsfan

So looks like Fitzgerald, Ruddock and Te'o will be available this weekend.

The fitness of Nacewa, Kearney, O'Brien, Strauss and McCarthy will be delayed until later in the week. We could do with SOB in particular.

My best "guess"...

Healy Cronin Ross
Triggs Dev
Rhys Jordan Jamie
Boss Sexton
Dave Fitz Teo Ferg Isa

Tracey Jack Moore Denton Jvdf Redden Madigan Zane

molloyjh

[Deleted User] wrote: »

My best "guess"...

Healy Cronin Ross
Triggs Dev
Rhys Jordan Jamie
Boss Sexton
Dave Fitz Teo Ferg Isa

Tracey Jack Moore Denton Jvdf Redden Madigan Zane

I'm not sure which would be worse, Boss or Katie Price......

vienne86

Deleted User wrote: »

My best "guess"...

Healy Cronin Ross
Triggs Dev
Rhys Jordan Jamie
Boss Sexton
Dave Fitz Teo Ferg Isa

Tracey Jack Moore Denton Jvdf Redden Madigan Zane

Maybe Jack needs a break, but he is still ahead of Healy IMO. Having T'eo and isa back would be great, but SOB would be a big loss.

LostArt

mogwai81 wrote: »

It seems Van Der Flier has moved ahead of Leavy this season. Do people believe this is due to Leavy's injury problems or that Van Der Flier is simply a better openside?

VDF has really taken his chance this season, he's been excellent. He should probably be ahead of Murphy too.