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

ssaye2

thomond2006 wrote: »

SCM has signed for Nottingham.

http://www.nottinghamrugby.co.uk/news-events/nottingham-sign-leinster-winger.aspx

awec

You won't lose to Treviso at home.

You're bad but you're not that bad!

total former

thomond2006 wrote: »

SCM has signed for Nottingham.

Well, fair play to him for getting a decent enough club, it obviously wasn't working out for him at Leinster so good for him to be moving on.

Eponymous

thomond2006 wrote: »

Can you imagine the Anglesea Terrace at the final whistle if Leinster lost to Treviso?

What would you expect?

I reckon there'd be the usual applause (muted perhaps) and a lot of grumbling. Little else...

CatFromHue

awec wrote: »

You won't lose to Treviso at home.

You're bad but you're not that bad!

I don't see us losing.

You don't play a 100min away to Toulon and then only get ground down with 15mins to go away to Ulster to then lose at home to Treviso.

ionadnapokot

awec wrote: »

You won't lose to Treviso at home.

You're bad but you're not that bad!

We will give it a good go:(

CatFromHue

total former wrote: »

Also; step forward Noel Reid, next season is potentially massive for him now.

I wouldn't say potentially, it is.

He's been around for a few years now so I'd view next season as make or break.

He's 25 at the end of this month too.

stephen_n

jacothelad wrote: »

Yes i forgot that Olding is out until next year. With regard to McCloskey, he has a few games to show his mettle. In a straight choice between him and Darcy I would choose him now, even with his lack of games. All the guys I mentioned have played 12 except Earls who hasn't done so since the Churchill Cup I think and that was years ago. Frankly, sentiment seems to be guiding peoples thoughts on Darcy. If Ireland have to play him at 12 in the RWC we may as well give up now. I'm glad he played this year but it is also sad to see how pedestrian he has become. He isn't good enough now...at all.That is sport.

McCloskey hasn't been involved in the Irish setup though, can't see him doing so this side of the RWC, one for the future and a great talent, though I'd prefer Olding personally. Has Cave played 12 for Ireland? I would imagine D'Arcy is still ahead of him anyway given the way Ireland play. Marshall on form would be the most likely to come in but his form is erratic, D'Arcy has looked good when playing 12 this year, not so good at 13 but more than capeable of performing the tasks Joe would require, which face facts don't require blistering pace. Losing Henshaw would be a massive blow cause what ever way we look at it, there',s a big step down at the moment, it's a real shame about Olding as I'd have him in ahead of all the others like a shot, except Henshaw of course.

Larbre34

thomond2006 wrote: »

Can you imagine the Anglesea Terrace at the final whistle if Leinster lost to Treviso?

Grumbling resignation?

If youre expecting boos, you have the wrong club lad.

total former

CatFromHue wrote: »

I wouldn't say potentially, it is.

He's been around for a few years now so I'd view next season as make or break.

He's 25 at the end of this month too.

Yeah, it's going to be decisive one way or the other; I meant "massive" as in very successful. I think he's a very good player who showed us last season what he can do with a run of games. Certainly he's the most natural 12 in the squad once D'Arcy goes (although we might see him at 10 during the RWC), so I'd hope he can step up.

thomond2006

Larbre34 wrote: »

Grumbling resignation?

If youre expecting boos, you have the wrong club lad.

I wouldn't expect boos. Just thinking out loud! (if posting a thought on a forum is thinking out loud! )

molloyjh

thomond2006 wrote: »

SCM has signed for Nottingham.

He was never going to get game time at Leinster really so had no other choice. I'm not sure if he'd ever have made it at that level, but then he only played for us twice so it's impossible to really know.

Larbre34 wrote: »

Grumbling resignation?

If youre expecting boos, you have the wrong club lad.

Thomond is on the Anglesea Terrace himself. He's surrounded by us at all home games. And I know exactly what he means. There would be a lot of complaining and whinging (deservedly) if we lost to Treviso. There are a few of us that aren't afraid to discuss our views on the terrace strangely. Although that doesn't translate to anything like boo-ing. As Epy said we'll still behave ourselves, we just won't be happy.

It won't happen though. And if it does I'm blaming thomond. He'll be lucky to get off the terrace alive....

Sangre

total former wrote: »

Yeah, it's going to be decisive one way or the other; I meant "massive" as in very successful. I think he's a very good player who showed us last season what he can do with a run of games. Certainly he's the most natural 12 in the squad once D'Arcy goes (although we might see him at 10 during the RWC), so I'd hope he can step up.

Would really like to see him and Teo get a decent run in the midfield, especially during RWC. Potentially a really exciting pairing there. Both were unlucky with injuries this year.

dub_skav

thomond2006 wrote: »

Can you imagine the Anglesea Terrace at the final whistle if Leinster lost to Treviso?

A lot of these:



dropped in these

bunnyarmstrong

ssaye2 wrote: »

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BMifNVkJk5w

A thousand times this try. You could see how much it meant to him and the rest of the team.

thomond2006

molloyjh wrote: »

Thomond is on the Anglesea Terrace himself. He's surrounded by us at all home games. And I know exactly what he means. There would be a lot of complaining and whinging (deservedly) if we lost to Treviso. There are a few of us that aren't afraid to discuss our views on the terrace strangely. Although that doesn't translate to anything like boo-ing. As Epy said we'll still behave ourselves, we just won't be happy.

It won't happen though. And if it does I'm blaming thomond. He'll be lucky to get off the terrace alive....

Because I'm nice, I would run away from you before bursting out laughing.

.ak

Sangre wrote: »

In recent memory has to be that NZ game; played like a man possessed. Probably the most disruptive player on the pitch in the rucks that day!

Actually it's the first thing that came into my head. His jackaling was top!

Greyian

.ak wrote: »

Actually it's the first thing that came into my head. His jackaling was top!

I'm not sure what game you're talking about...we haven't played NZ in a long time...a very long time.

.ak

CatFromHue wrote: »

I wouldn't say potentially, it is.

He's been around for a few years now so I'd view next season as make or break.

He's 25 at the end of this month too.

It's weird though, he's potentially our best 12 right now but can't get on the team because of Madigan's boot.

Hopefully next season some room will be made for him with Sexton returning.

molloyjh

dub_skav wrote: »

A lot of these:



dropped in these

That's the Anglesea Stand, not the Terrace my good fellow. We make do with tubs of these:



soaked in loads of this:

molloyjh

Or these:



With a generous filling of:



It can get messy....

dub_skav

My goodness, what an uncouth bunch. I nearly choked on my sushi.

irishbucsfan

The malibu coke bottles are a lie

thomond2006

irishbucsfan wrote: »

The malibu coke bottles are a lie

Ban this man.

awec

dub_skav wrote: »

My goodness, what an uncouth bunch. I nearly choked on my sushi.

I once saw someone drink prosecco from a plastic champagne glass there. PLASTIC! :eek:

Complete animals.

molloyjh

irishbucsfan wrote: »

The malibu coke bottles are a lie

You're only jealous!

jacothelad

thomond2006 wrote: »

SCM has signed for Nottingham.

Nottingham act as a sort of development club for Leicester at times. Might be a chance for him to shine and you never know.....

CatFromHue wrote: »

I don't see us losing.

You don't play a 100min away to Toulon and then only get ground down with 15mins to go away to Ulster to then lose at home to Treviso.

I don't even think Leinster were ground down. It was almost a stalemate. If it was a boxing match I'd have leinster winning a poinrs decision. The loss was eventually and entirely down to an ill considered pass.

molloyjh wrote: »

Or these:







It can get messy....

A square dog turd. Now that is posh...

thomond2006

jacothelad wrote: »

A square dog turd. Now that is posh...

Ban this man.

irishbucsfan

jacothelad wrote: »

Nottingham act as a sort of development club for Leicester at times. Might be a chance for him to shine and you never know...

Yep, and SCM has ties to Naas, no doubt Leicester are aware of him.

jacothelad

Despite reading all the salient posts regarding MOC's 'tenure', I can't help but think that a number of factors have been at play this season that have been a millstone around the playing side.

A simple but fairly obvious one is the weight of expectation of the fans and press. Anyone can see, that from the last ERC win, the team has been in decline. Perhaps, as is the nature of these things, that decline is accelerating. It happens to every great team. Toulouse, Tigers, Wasps are prime examples. Losing players of the stature of Nacewa, BOD, Cullen to the playing roster would affect any team considerably. How often did these guys drag the team over the line with great leadership and superlative skills? (Imagine what will happen to Munster's effective leadership and on field belief when POC retires.)


Then serious injuries to key players like Murphy, Ruddock, CH, SOB, McFadden, Kearney and others took a severe toll. I don't think that enough consideration is given to this as a major factor. I don't feel that Healy and SOB have returned to anything like top form. SOB has had sporadic bursts when he has been tremendous but Healy seems a bit subdued so far. I wonder if his ankle problems are still at play here never mind his other issues.

There are also issues with regard to second row. Toner has been a rock this season but he has had little real high quality support. Again, there has been sporadic good bits from McCarthy etc but very hit or miss. Douglas hasn't really lived up to anything much - so far _ and is now injured.
Strauss, Jennings and guys like Reid have also missed big chunks of the season.

Then there are the losses to the Ireland squad which effectively remove the top 13 or 14 players from the squad for about 16 weeks of the year. For any other team this would be pretty difficult yet because we are used to Leinster fielding great 'second' sides in the past we assume this will continue ad infinitum. It won't.

I'm pretty sure that MOC's input has not been blameless. His selection against the Dragons seemed a bit odd to me as in the past, when a big game looms in Europe, the tendency has been to give the 1sts a good run out. This result blew the league wide open yet for 65 minutes it seemed a win at a canter was in prospect. MOc didn't get Teo yellow carded.

Then there is the fact that many players are either below par or coming in and out of the team as a consequence of injury or international duty.

Let's be honest, if the team had beaten the Dragons as they should and beaten Toulon as they should, Leinster would be in the ERCC final and still in with a play off shout. Given not very much luck, Leinster could have ended up as winners of both. If so, would the calls to sack MOC be as strident.

Things in sport can turn on very little. POC failing to take a simple restart in Croke against France in 2007, Saunders missing touch v. Aus in '91, ROG nailing a drop kick in 2009, BOD nailing one v. England in 2009, Gopperth missing one in the Toulon game. Sometimes the luck goes with you. Sometimes it doesn't.