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

awec

bilston wrote: »

Well we've pretty much gone right through the team so we are probably back to Payne again.

Probably get red carded for a forward pass.

total former

padser wrote: »

I think some the comments about Madigan are very misplaced and highlight some very short term memories.

No-one has forgotten his goal-kicking ability at all. We are all fully aware of it.

jacothelad

Buer wrote: »

If Sexton is front line goal kicker, is there a place for Madigan in the team and, if not, who are the other options? Reid is the obvious one but are there other challengers?

Is Madigan not a better kicker than Sexton?

CatFromHue wrote: »

One of the Ulster lads will get the customary red card for something silly so we should be all right

:P

Eponymous wrote: »

All of them.

Who's going to get your red card this year?

All of them. The ref will discover that they are using the wrong laces in their boots.

irishbucsfan wrote: »

I'd say that players are very aware that this is the first run we've had all season with some of the most important parts of the first team fit, and they're very aware of how unappreciative a lot of sections have been of that fact, and they're also very aware of who is getting the stick for that. There's a strong will to deliver to the end of the season to spite those facts. We sent our 2nd team to Newport specifically to get our 1st team to Ravenhill, and the big guys, as well as the management, are very aware of that.

The only problem I have with the rationale to send a 'weak' team to Newport is this. A full side would have got a 5 pointer and had a really decent run out which would have helped sharpen them for Toulon. The 5 points gained would have made the Ravenspan game far less relevant.

Podge_irl

jacothelad wrote: »

Is Madigan not a better kicker than Sexton?

Probably but the gap is less than it is to Gopperth.

jacothelad wrote: »

The only problem I have with the rationale to send a 'weak' team to Newport is this. A full side would have got a 5 pointer and had a really decent run out which would have helped sharpen them for Toulon. The 5 points gained would have made the Ravenspan game far less relevant.

Beating the Dragons by whatever margin and then beating Ulster and hoping they lose one of their games to Munster/Glasgow was always the best shot of Leinster getting into the playoffs. The Ulster was always the more important and the team put out against Dragons should have been enough.

Would agree re the run out before Toulon though.

sydthebeat

MOC during an interview on the last word referred to Madigan as playing very well for a player playing "out of position" at 12.

so i think its a firm possibility that Madigan is seen by MOC as the reserve 10 for next year.

strangely, if he wasnt to make the RWC squad, it could actually be a good thing for him as a player... but i think he'll go anyway.

vienne86

sydthebeat wrote: »

MOC during an interview on the last word referred to Madigan as playing very well for a player playing "out of position" at 12.

so i think its a firm possibility that Madigan is seen by MOC as the reserve 10 for next year.

strangely, if he wasnt to make the RWC squad, it could actually be a good thing for him as a player... but i think he'll go anyway.

Oh he'll go to the RWC all right - he's great for the bench, and Joe seems to like him.

Buer

jacothelad wrote: »

Is Madigan not a better kicker than Sexton?

Quite probably.

Is he better to the extent that he needs to be in the team? That's a far more unclear question.

If Sexton was at outhalf yesterday, for example, I think Madigan would have been called ashore far earlier. When they both played for Leinster, Sexton took the kicks. That's quite likely to continue next season.

BoardsMember

Buer wrote: »

Quite probably.

Is he better to the extent that he needs to be in the team? That's a far more unclear question.

If Sexton was at outhalf yesterday, for example, I think Madigan would have been called ashore far earlier. When they both played for Leinster, Sexton took the kicks. That's quite likely to continue next season.

Darcy would probably have started at 12 in front of Madigan if Sexton had been available.

shuffol

sydthebeat wrote: »

MOC during an interview on the last word referred to Madigan as playing very well for a player playing "out of position" at 12.

so i think its a firm possibility that Madigan is seen by MOC as the reserve 10 for next year.

strangely, if he wasnt to make the RWC squad, it could actually be a good thing for him as a player... but i think he'll go anyway.

Didn't he say a few months ago that he see's Madigan as a 12.

awec

Didn't Madigan say himself that he sees himself as a centre now too?

CIARAN_BOYLE

awec wrote: »

Didn't Madigan say himself that he sees himself as a centre now too?

He said that he is enjoying being in the centre and hopes to play there next season outside Sexton. Probably just admitting that if he can't get ahead of Gopperth he won't get ahead of Sexton

total former

awec wrote: »

Didn't Madigan say himself that he sees himself as a centre now too?

I don't remember MOC saying it, but Madigan did. But then, what else was he going to say?

He had three options:
1) "Yes, I'm focusing on the centre now"
2) "Well, I haven't been able to dislodge Jimmy Gopperth from the 10 jersey but I'm confident that I can get ahead of current Ireland and Lions outhalf Jonny Sexton"
3) "Meh, I'm happy enough in the 22 jersey thanks"

stephen_n

Jeez a bit of a persecution complex about refs from north of the border :pac::pac:

I'm not sure we will be able to get the mentality right for this game after yesterday, it will be a massive ask, the body may be willing but it's a true test of character to bounce back from that, you could see how shattered Heaslip was and I'd imagine the rest of the lads were too.

sydthebeat

shuffol wrote: »

Didn't he say a few months ago that he see's Madigan as a 12.

awec wrote: »

Didn't Madigan say himself that he sees himself as a centre now too?

yes madigan himself said that... however i was referring to what MOC said on the last word only a week and a half ago

awec

Yea but as I said in our thread every game for you now is a cup final. There can be no more talk of preparing for the next few weeks, everything will be about the next game. One game at a time. Players will be told to go out and completely empty the tank because one slip up and your season is done.

Win one match and then worry about the rest. No more "we'll give him half the game so he's ok for next week". I would be surprised if Leinster don't come with their A game to Ravenhill.

awec

awec wrote: »

Yea but as I said in our thread every game for you now is a cup final. There can be no more talk of preparing for the next few weeks, everything will be about the next game. One game at a time. Players will be told to go out and completely empty the tank because one slip up and your season is done.

Win one match and then worry about the rest. No more "we'll give him half the game so he's ok for next week". I would be surprised if Leinster don't come with their A game to Ravenhill.

Yeah I dunno. The odds are pretty against us and whilst it's possible we could make the last 4 I'm not sure flogging the team and risking front line injuries due to playing constantly with fatigue is ideal given its a world cup year.

It's been a ****e season and ultimately it's now over so I'd be looking to build experience at this point and certainly if we fail to get a TBP win this Friday we really should just use the remainder of the season as strength, conditioning and experience.

irishbucsfan

jacothelad wrote: »

The only problem I have with the rationale to send a 'weak' team to Newport is this. A full side would have got a 5 pointer and had a really decent run out which would have helped sharpen them for Toulon. The 5 points gained would have made the Ravenspan game far less relevant.

Well the justification coming from the LR camp is that they had to choose between the Dragons game or the Ulster game due to player welfare. It would be less relevant, you're right, but I think they thought the team they sent to Newport would win, which would also make the Ulster game less relevant.

thomond2006

Mick Kearney is out for 4 months so he'll just be back in time for next season.

total former

Eight weeks for McFadden with a broken thumb which requires surgery.

Means he's back mid June so hopefully can get in the mix for the world cup but he's up against it.

KingBrian2

Any predictions on the French Final. Clermont or Toulon.

Heroditas

total former wrote: »

Eight weeks for McFadden with a broken thumb which requires surgery.

Means he's back mid June so hopefully can get in the mix for the world cup but he's up against it.

He'll still be able to take part in a lot of the pre-season fitness work so he's still in with a shot.
However he'll have difficulty pumping iron so may lose a week or two in building strength

Fireball07

total former wrote: »

Eight weeks for McFadden with a broken thumb which requires surgery.

Means he's back mid June so hopefully can get in the mix for the world cup but he's up against it.

Is he likely to make it anyway?


I know Joe is a fan but he's probably behind Bowe, Fitz, Zebo simply because they've been in recent squads and then Earls & Trimble are probably ahead too. He'd probably be next in line but how many wings is he going to take?

irishbucsfan

I think it's very very unlikely he is going to make it. If Fitz/Trimble/Bowe were all gone I could see it happening.

AbusesToilets

Someone should start a WC tracker for players getting injured, see who we lose this time around. Always seems to be a player coming into form too.

crybaby

Can't see McFadden getting near the WC squad, very dodgy under the high ball on Sunday

total former

irishbucsfan wrote: »

I think it's very very unlikely he is going to make it. If Fitz/Trimble/Bowe were all gone I could see it happening.

Trimble has his own injury issues to get over, and you'd get very short odds on one of Bowes or Fitzgerald getting injured in the next five months given their recent histories. I think there will be a few more disruptions to the squad by the time the RWC rolls around and I think McFadden is close enough.

thomond2006

And now that the dust is settling on a courageous Leinster effort in which they could and should have won, the wolves are circling as new-age fans, self-righteous experts, want everybody out. Matt O'Connor, Leo Cullen, Richie Murphy, Jimmy Gopperth, Madigan, Rob Kearney - get rid of them all, they chime.

Guess who said this...

sydthebeat

thomond2006 wrote: »

Guess who said this...

Graham Lenihan + Arthur Matthews ?

thomond2006

thomond2006 wrote: »

Guess who said this...

I'm going to go with Tony Ward as he seems to be on a "Fans Out" crusade of late.

irishbucsfan

Bad fans the lot of them!