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

thomond2006

Hagz wrote: »

From a mathematical stand point our season isn't over.

Leinster aren't going to catch Ospreys. They will beat Cardiff and Connacht. Catching Ulster is more realistic. Having said that catching either team isn't realistic. The league is gone for Leinster.

Today IMO has very little bearing on next Sunday. Munster made it their trademark to 'turn up' to big European matches after a cluster**** of a league performance. The team will have to raise themselves as Munster did last season in their European run-in but I can't see them winning. In fact, should Leinster win I think it would be probably their greatest win ever.

This will really be the week where the coaching ticket can prove they deserve to remain. Morale will be low after the last month or so where many poor results threw away a playoff place.

irishbucsfan

The organisation of our game within our own ten meter line is just so poor.

Whenever we need to rely on accurate play inside our own half bad things happen. Reddan, Boss, Gopperth and Madigan have all looked really poor in those positions all year and that's been our biggest problem. Obviously that area of the game is not entirely down to the half back but the failings have started with them. Whether it's bad kicking or bad decision making, we just can't get on top of the territory battle and opposition teams just keep getting repeated chances at our line. And that makes our defense look a lot worse than it is as well. There is no way around that, there is no other approach to playing the game when 1st phase is inside your 10 meter line that works for anyone. The execution of that specific aspect of our play is absolutely vital and it is failing over and over again.

The same symptoms are causing us difficulty in the opposition half as well when we're not disposing of the ball properly either. It's so incredibly frustrating to watch. Coaching comes into it of course, but so do those individuals. I worry about MOC's previous record with half backs but I don't believe Richie Murphy has become incompetent overnight and this is in his wheelhouse. I do hope Sexton can transform this aspect of play but so much of our issues have come at 9 throughout the year that I don't know if that would be enough, maybe a miraculous emergence of Luke McGrath in the pre-season could be the resolution because I do rate his leadership potential.

B0X

Going on current league standings, did you know it would be possible to get an ERC group of:
Toulon
Saracens
Leinster
Toulouse

Excuse me while I weep at our seeding.

Mahatma Geansai

If you can keep within 20 of Toulon at the weekend, it will be a very good result for the current Leinster side.

While it is easy to put all of the blame on MOC, the Leinster side is now significantly weaker than the team that Schmidt had. The only area where the current side might be stronger than Schmidt's team is in the frontrow, and even that is very debatable.

dregin

Hagz wrote: »

Enda McNulty has worked closely with Leinster and Irish rugby over the past few seasons.

None of the other provinces have a sports psychologist 'on their books'. It isn't necessary.

I'm not interested in the other provinces.

It very obviously is necessary, when you look at how the team can go from good concentration to ADD in a heartbeat.

Rightwing

Mahatma Geansai wrote: »

If you can keep within 20 of Toulon at the weekend, it will be a very good result for the current Leinster side.

While it is easy to put all of the blame on MOC, the Leinster side is now significantly weaker than the team that Schmidt had. The only area where the current side might be stronger than Schmidt's team is in the frontrow, and even that is very debatable.

Disagree. Leinster could very well be trying to lull Toulon into a false sense of security. They'll raise their game.

Yes, anyone calling for MOC's head is naive in the extreme.

Hagz

dregin wrote: »

I'm not interested in the other provinces.

It very obviously is necessary, when you look at how the team can go from good concentration to ADD in a heartbeat.

No it isn't. There's a sport psychologist available to the players in the form of Enda McNulty and there's experienced leadership arriving in the form of Jonathan Sexton and Isa Nacewa. Adding a sports psychologist to the management staff is a waste of money.

Larbre34

Rightwing wrote: »

Disagree. Leinster could very well be trying to lull Toulon into a false sense of security. They'll raise their game.

Yes, anyone calling for MOC's head is naive in the extreme.

lol now that is naive.

KeithWoodshead

Rightwing wrote: »

Disagree. Leinster could very well be trying to lull Toulon into a false sense of security. .

Jesus that's some bucket of nonsense.

irishbucsfan

Hahaha a false sense of security

Larbre34

B0X wrote: »

Going on current league standings, did you know it would be possible to get an ERC group of:
Toulon
Saracens
Leinster
Toulouse

Excuse me while I weep at our seeding.

Dont worry, our challenge cup seeding will be high.

Rightwing

irishbucsfan wrote: »

Hahaha a false sense of security

It's as good a weapon as Leinster possess at the minute. Need Sexton back asap.

Brewster

Think 14 points from remaining games is achievable. Obviously Leinster have a great record against Ulster and going to Ravenhill will hold no fears for them. If Munster and Glasgow both do the business against ulster, it's still on. If Glasgow and Connaught beat the ospreys, it could still be on??

Quint2010

Rightwing wrote: »

Disagree. Leinster could very well be trying to lull Toulon into a false sense of security. They'll raise their game.

Yes, anyone calling for MOC's head is naive in the extreme.

Ah come on man. This coach hasn't a clue what is doing.

KeithWoodshead

Rightwing wrote: »

It's as good a weapon as Leinster possess at the minute. Need Sexton back asap.

Yeah, genuis, MOC sends out a B team to lose against the Dragons to force Toulon into a false sense of security

Say nothing of the fact that all of Leinster's frontline players were rested today

You don't really believe that do you?

irishbucsfan

Quint2010 wrote: »

Ah come on man. This coach hasn't a clue what is doing.

I find it so amazing that someone could genuinely believe crap like this!

KeithWoodshead

Quint2010 wrote: »

Ah come on man. This coach hasn't a clue what is doing.

I don't think he has a clue what he's saying either

Rightwing

Quint2010 wrote: »

Ah come on man. This coach hasn't a clue what is doing.

How has he managed to get into a EC semi then with an ageing team with a lot of injuries ?

KeithWoodshead

Rightwing wrote: »

How has he managed to get into a EC semi then with an ageing team with a lot of injuries ?

Pretty easy group for a start, which they didn't look convincing in

Then they scrapped over the line against an average Bath team at home

He's also lost over half his league games this season and employs a turgid brand of rugby

He's not having a good season, and it's going to look a lot worse when Toulon beat Leinster next weekend

(unless of course all this has been part of his master plan to lul them into a false sense of security )

Rightwing

KeithWoodshead wrote: »

Pretty easy group for a start, which they didn't look convincing in

Then they scrapped over the line against an average Bath team at home

He's also lost over half his league games this season and employs a turgid brand of rugby

He's not having a good season, and it's going to look a lot worse when Toulon beat Leinster next weekend

(unless of course all this has been part of his master plan to lul them into a false sense of security )

Absolute piffle.

KeithWoodshead

Rightwing wrote: »

Absolute piffle.

Which parts exactly? Could you elaborate?

Rightwing

KeithWoodshead wrote: »

Which parts exactly? Could you elaborate?

Every word of it.

Talking about easy groups :rolleyes:, = loser talk.

gally74

Conn have won as many games as Leinster in the pro 12 this season

KeithWoodshead

Rightwing wrote: »

Every word of it.

Talking about easy groups :rolleyes:, = loser talk.

It was a group compromised of a Quins side in decline, a Castre side that weren't bothered and an admittedly improved but beatable Wasps side

It was undoubtedly an easy group

No idea what you mean about "loser talk"?

Quint2010

Rightwing wrote: »

How has he managed to get into a EC semi then with an ageing team with a lot of injuries ?

Because

1). We had a relatively easy group
2). We had experienced players to pull us through when we needed them to.
3). We got lucky at home to Quins and Bath.

This Leinster team is playing from memory. People can use excuses like injuries but every team has them. It's the structure, mindset and tactics of the team that have regressed hugely . And that's the responsibility of the coach.

KeithWoodshead

Quint2010 wrote: »

Because

1). We had a relatively easy group
2). We had experienced players to pull us through when we needed them to.
3). We got lucky at home to Quins and Bath.

This Leinster team is playing from memory. People can use excuses like injuries but every team has them. It's the structure, mindset and tactics of the team that have regressed hugely . And that's the responsibility of the coach.

Not to mention this is a side that makes up the majority of the Irish squad.

MOC is not getting the best out of them. By a long stretch

Hagz

KeithWoodshead wrote: »

Which parts exactly? Could you elaborate?

1. An average Bath team. Bath are absolutely not average. They are a star studded team who are fast becoming a European heavyweight.

2. A pool containing Harlequins, Castres and Wasps is not an 'easy' group. It is not as strong as some of the other pools, but it is by no means easy. Especially when your squad is hit with such a significant amount of injuries.

3. The statement 'he's lost over half of his league games' is debatable. Leinster have actually drawn 3 games this season, so in actual fact they've suffered defeat in 7/19 games. On such small margins a season is won and lost. In 4 of those 7 games Leinster lost by 3 points or less.

awec

Rightwing wrote: »

How has he managed to get into a EC semi then with an ageing team with a lot of injuries ?

Progress in a knockout competition is an indicator of nothing.

awec

Hagz wrote: »

1. An average Bath team. Bath are absolutely not average. They are a star studded team who are fast becoming a European heavyweight.

2. A pool containing Harlequins, Castres and Wasps is not an 'easy' group. It is not as strong as some of the other pools, but it is by no means easy. Especially when your squad is hit with such a significant amount of injuries.

3. The statement 'he's lost over half of his league games' is debatable. Leinster have actually drawn 3 games this season, so in actual fact they've suffered defeat in 7/19 games. On such small margins a season is won and lost. In 4 of those 7 games Leinster lost by 3 points or less.

Your group was easy compared to everyone else. There's no point pretending otherwise, Leinster had a very favourable draw.

And Bath at home is pretty much as good as you could have asked for.

Rightwing

awec wrote: »

Progress in a knockout competition is an indicator of nothing.

Completely disagree. The best teams will invariably win the competition out, whether it's a league or cup. Leinster are at least in the top 5/6 Euro teams imo on the basis of reaching the EC semi.