Preview: Leinster v Saracens, Sunday April 1, 15:30, BT Sports 2

awec

I dunno who beats Leinster from here.

Sephiral

Leavy deserved MOTM. Ryan and Kearney runners up.

Comfortable victory really in the end. Struggled to control possession in the first half.

BBDBB

Great result Leinster, congratulations

looking forward to the semis and hopefully an All Ireland final

ScissorPaperRock

The shape of Leavy after that

His face always seems to take a hammering

Dave_The_Sheep

... And breathe.

razorblunt

Yet another game and I’m still not seeing the fuss around Isiekwe

MadYaker

Could be an Irish final?

its_phil

Great result for Leinster today, Leavy was a nuisance all day and quickly announcing himself as one of the best 7s in Europe.

But, I still don't know if Leinster can deal with a team like Scarlets and I think it's going to end in tears for Leinster and Munster in a few weeks.

Wailin

Great result Leinster from a proud Munster/Ireland fan

Why was SOB not playing in 6 nations, fitness?

fitz

Really good win. Great work from Leo & co identifying opportunities around the rucks at half time...Really punished Sarries and they increasingly looked like they were forcing it. Would be great to see a Leinster / Munster final now.

Clegg

Jordi was excellent today. The while backrow put in a huge shift really.

Think there's still another gear in this Leinster side. When they up the pace they're so good. First 15 in the second half is a great example of this. Started picking around the fringes and made quick metres and recycles. Saracens were caught out badly.

Peregrine

its_phil wrote: »

Great result for Leinster today, Leavy was a nuisance all day and quickly announcing himself as one of the best 7s in Europe.

But, I still don't know if Leinster can deal with a team like Scarlets and I think it's going to end in tears for Leinster and Munster in a few weeks.

Leinster's record against Scarlets this season:
1 win at home
1 draw away

And topped the pool beating the French no.1 team, English champions and no.1 team, and the Pro14 no.1 team all home and away. Then beat the reigning European champions.

Leinster are going in as favourites and should be expecting to win. It doesn't always work out like that and games aren't won on paper but there should be no question over not being able to deal with the Scarlets.

baas baa

Great 2nd half, Leavy and Ryan were fantastic and feels like they are the main men for Leinster now. Ferocious competitors but plenty of nous and skill to boot. Wouldn't look out of place in a NZ side with the way they like to play.

BoardsMember

its_phil wrote: »

Great result for Leinster today, Leavy was a nuisance all day and quickly announcing himself as one of the best 7s in Europe.

But, I still don't know if Leinster can deal with a team like Scarlets and I think it's going to end in tears for Leinster and Munster in a few weeks.

Scarlets are purpose built to cause us problems. We need to control possession and grind them down. If we can do that we beat them handy, if it gets fast and loose we will lose.

Neil3030

Nobody is taking Scarlets lightly, but last year we didn't have Ryan, and we didn't have Fardy. Leavy was not the player he is now, Healy was still recovering his form, and SOB was injured. We will have the tools up front to beat them, especially at home, and it should be quite surprising if we don't.

Burkie1203

Neil3030 wrote: »

Nobody is taking Scarlets lightly, but last year we didn't have Ryan, and we didn't have Fardy. Leavy was not the player he is now, Healy was still recovering his form, and SOB was injured. We will have the tools up front to beat them, especially at home, and it should be quite surprising if we don't.

Leinster also have two games v Italians coming up IIRC. Plenty of scope to rest key men. Isa Nacewa into cotton wool especially. No province will ever sign a player in the same league as him. I should hate him because the way my wife speaks about him.

P.Walnuts

So what's our strongest team 4-8 with everyone fit?

Burkie1203

P.Walnuts wrote: »

So what's our strongest team 4-8 with everyone fit?

Ryan Fardy SoB Leavy Conan

Toner and Jordi/Ruddock/VDF on bench. Backrow is so hard to figure out. It's obscene

its_phil

Peregrine wrote: »

Leinster's record against Scarlets this season:
1 win at home
1 draw away

And topped the pool beating the French no.1 team, English champions and no.1 team, and the Pro14 no.1 team all home and away. Then beat the reigning European champions.

Leinster are going in as favourites and should be expecting to win. It doesn't always work out like that and games aren't won on paper but there should be no question over not being able to deal with the Scarlets.

I wouldn't read much into those games this season considering when they took place.

I think Scarlets are just as good a team as Leinster and if the Scarlets can get their offload game going like they did last season, I think Leinster will struggle.

Burkie1203

Ridiculous

https://twitter.com/Murray_Kinsella/status/980482102494932993?s=19

Bridge93

its_phil wrote: »

I wouldn't read much into those games this season considering when they took place.

I think Scarlets are just as good a team as Leinster and if the Scarlets can get their offload game going like they did last season, I think Leinster will struggle.

The handicap is 12 at the minute. There's money for you there so.

Stheno

Is the semi the 21st or 22nd?

DGRulz

Just home now. Safe on the Northside. I learned something about Sarries today,. They have way more than 12 fans. Somewhere in the region of 50. Great match, great result.

its_phil

Bridge93 wrote: »

The handicap is 12 at the minute. There's money for you there so.

Already did, didn’t touch the 9/2 mind.

Gone to 13 now

durkadurka

Jesus nick McCarthy was very poor. He nearly cost us the game.

Great performance all round from minutes 40 to 60.

Did really well to be even Stephens at half time

Tom.D.BJJ

Who did the ref and assistant ref speak to on the scoreline in the first half??

Squidgy Black

durkadurka wrote: »

Jesus nick McCarthy was very poor. He nearly cost us the game.

Great performance all round from minutes 40 to 60.

Did really well to be even Stephens at half time

He had one poor clearance kick that he rushed off of a turnover. Other than that he didn't make any mistakes and had quite snappy delivery?

fullstop

durkadurka wrote: »

Jesus nick McCarthy was very poor. He nearly cost us the game.

Great performance all round from minutes 40 to 60.

Did really well to be even Stephens at half time

Agreed, some of his kicking in the last 10 was brainless. The turnover from Leavy's counter-ruck and he just picks it up and box kicks straight to touch when Leinster had loads of backs in space on the far side as well as a couple of other box kicks after that were very poor.
On the Kearney incident, I thought the penalty was very harsh as he's still waiting to see what way Williams is going to go and is not ready to tackle when Williams slips into him...but if he's giving the penalty is it not a penalty try?

Bridge93

From the kick off after the Lowe try, the referee awarded a scrum to Sarries for a knock on. Was it a knock on? Didn't look like it in the ground, looked like McGraths knee. Ultimately led two minutes later to Sarries driving over in the corner

stephen_n

Squidgy Black wrote: »

He had one poor clearance kick that he rushed off of a turnover. Other than that he didn't make any mistakes and had quite snappy delivery?

I like McCarthy but he didn’t make good decisions today and on top of that he executed his kicks poorly. We needed to hold on to possession and work the clock down, yet he continually kicked the ball away and let Saracens come back at us.

Odd game, we won and in the end won comfortably, though I never felt secure till about the 78 minute. Having said that, we didn’t dominate the game, at times we played quite poorly and I’m not even sure why. Sexton didn’t have a great game, neither did Mcgrath and Dev will probably like to forget the. Yet our scrum and lineout went very well, our Backrow played very well and were certainly on top for a good portion of the game. I still felt throughout that we weren’t putting Saracens away and they might get back in. Was an oddly flat atmosphere leaving the ground too.

On the Wigglesworth/ Sexton shoulder charge, that was a yellow all day long. Don’t know where people are going with the no head contact bit, if he hit his head it was a red card. It was a shoulder charge with no attempt to wrap at all and as such was a definite yellow.

Weepsie

Just back from match. Great win, and some good performances all around.

Some very peculiar officiating today. To the point I think It hurt both teams.

Anytime there was a breakdown of such Garces was in the faces of the Leinster players telling them to be inside and then was acting almost as a blocker for Saracens.

When it was the other way round he was rarely, if ever looking at Sarries players and taking up a position behind everything instead of beside where he was for them.

He was clearly reffing the 2 teams differently or so it appeared in the stadium

thebaz

that was nearly too easy - Leavy, Ryan, Ringrose have really stepped up to being world class in no time - who said that Kearney was no longer world class either - Carberry really is stepping up too - heady times for Irish rugby on most fronts.

Some Yoke

Imagine Lowe and Stockdale smiling away on the wings for Ireland in a couple of years time, dishing out chill, happy vibes

twinytwo

So how long till we hear the yearly moaning about the pro 14 teams having it too easy?

salmocab

twinytwo wrote: »

So how long till we hear the yearly moaning about the pro 14 teams having it too easy?

When the sassenach are going well in Europe its because their league is so tough and when they do badly its because their league is so tough

Burkie1203

Burkie1203 wrote: »

Ridiculous

https://twitter.com/Murray_Kinsella/status/980482102494932993?s=19

Leavy has exploded in the last couple of months. I think everyone could see the potential in him but he's proved himself at the top tier now with his role in the Slam and performances like today. He's in the first name on the team sheet bracket now.

ironingbored

How good was Rob Kearney today?! Fardy Leinster's best player in the first half. Leavy deservedly MOTM. Phenomenal. Honourable mention to Big Dev (despite the YC). Smashed Farrell at one stage.

Leinster will rarely face a pack as big and powerful as that. Unbelievably attritional at times.

Really impressed with Lowe's improved defence.

durkadurka

ironingbored wrote: »

How good was Rob Kearney today?! Fardy Leinster's best player in the first half. Leavy deservedly MOTM. Phenomenal. Honourable mention to Big Dev (despite the YC). Smashed Farrell at one stage.

Leinster will rarely face a pack as big and powerful as that. Unbelievably attritional at times.

Really impressed with Lowe's improved defence.

Was a bit disappointed with Kearney under the high ball in the first half but he got better

.ak

If you cut out those braindead penalties in the first half you’ve got to say Leinster absolutely dominated Saracens. They made it look easy. Even going into the break at 13-12 I felt we were the superior team, oozed class in attack and our defence was incredibly well drilled. The only thing keeping Sarries in the game was us with those stupid penalties.

I thought Garces was find, really can’t unserstabd the moaning. Sure itoje sacked that maul illegally but you can’t catch everything, and sure Wigglesworth should’ve seen 10 for the challenge on Sexton but Kearney probably shouldn’t seen yellow too so it was evens there.

Leavy, Ryan, Sexton, Kearney and Nacewa were a class above anything Sarries could offer.

My only gripes aside from the penalties was McCarthy, he was so far away from the required level it was worrying. Box kicks were all awful, but also his work off the ruck was poor and rushed, if we plan on bringing him into the semi he needs work over the next few weeks because if Luke breaks in the first few min against Scarlets we’re screwed. The other thing is Nacewa, now we see why the management have kept him on ice. Unfortunately as the saying goes time waits for no man, and in the final quarter he was flagging badly I thought. Really struggled to push the defence outside of him and players had to turn in to support him. Still for the first 60 he was immense.

.ak

durkadurka wrote: »

Was a bit disappointed with Kearney under the high ball in the first half but he got better

In fairness he got caught twice with reduculously short box kicks, don’t think they were intended to be that short but it worked out for them in the end.

Former Former

Ah it was a cracking performance from 1 to 15.

There were two standout moments for me,

1. When Sarries had a 5 metre lineout just before half time, we infringed at the first one but disrupted the second and that was half time. Leinster sprinted back to the dressing room while Sarries trudged off.

2. That kick ahead from Ringrose that won us 50 metres out of nowhere and put us in position for the second try.

Sarries played well and that's the most encouraging aspect, we didn't have it easy at all but still came out well on top.

Leavy was immense but Murphy wasn't far behind. Nacewa just continues to amaze.

And a great send-off for Heaslip to begin it all.

Weepsie

.ak wrote: »

I thought Garces was find, really can’t unserstabd the moaning. Sure itoje sacked that maul illegally but you can’t catch everything, and sure Wigglesworth should’ve seen 10 for the challenge on Sexton but Kearney probably shouldn’t seen yellow too so it was evens there.

He wasn't fine though. He might have been fine with certain aspects, but he was letting Sarries players do what he was explicitly telling Leinster players not to do. That and he missed a few clear knock ons inside the Sarries 21 and ended up giving penalties the other way.

If he gives the Wigglesworth one, it's a different game and he probably doesn't have to make the next decision. It's not evening things to not bin Kearney, it's showing that he's consistently rubbish today.

Steve

Weepsie wrote: »

He wasn't fine though. He might have been fine with certain aspects, but he was letting Sarries players do what he was explicitly telling Leinster players not to do. That and he missed a few clear knock ons inside the Sarries 21 and ended up giving penalties the other way.

If he gives the Wigglesworth one, it's a different game and he probably doesn't have to make the next decision. It's not evening things to not bin Kearney, it's showing that he's consistently rubbish today.

Agree with that.

Garces missed so much - on both sides - it was shocking. Knock on's, crooked throw ins and offsides.

Still, I'll take the win and move on despite that.

kenmc

Farces is always a lottery. Besides all the afore mentioned inconsistencies, one that springs to mind was one occasion we had a knock on advantage in the first half, there was a crap box kick put in which barely seemed to even make it past the site of infringement, yet advantage seemed to be over. Role reversal in the second half I think, they do something similar, but he goes back for the infringement for them.

Always feel afraid for the result when he's on the rota.

ETA: I believe it was Sean O'Brien he put back in his box

Former Former

Garces is probably the best ref in the game right now.

sullivlo

Former Former wrote: »

Garces is probably the best ref in the game right now.

*checks date*

prawnsambo

Former Former wrote: »

Garces is probably the best ref in the game right now.

I actually think Wayne Barnes is better. There, I've said it.

Burkie1203

.ak wrote: »

I thought Garces was find, really can’t unserstabd the moaning. Sure itoje sacked that maul illegally but you can’t catch everything, and sure Wigglesworth should’ve seen 10 for the challenge on Sexton but Kearney probably shouldn’t seen yellow too so it was evens there.

Missing a 6ft6 18 stone lock crowd surfing over a maul 5 yards in front of you is bad. Garces said "through the middle" i think.

Wigglesworth was a YC all day long. It was intentional

Can't see how the RK one was even a penalty tbh. Williams steps straight at Kearney and slips into him. Kearney made absolutely no motion towards Williams.

.ak

Former Former wrote: »

Garces is probably the best ref in the game right now.

Yeah I’d agree. Thought he was spot on and doubt people would be complaining as much if he had held out didcipline and didn’t get pinged off the park.

There’s no one else I’d rather ref us right now.

irishbucsfan

Burkie1203 wrote: »

Missing a 6ft6 18 stone lock crowd surfing over a maul 5 yards in front of you is bad. Garces said "through the middle" i think.

Wigglesworth was a YC all day long. It was intentional

Can't see how the RK one was even a penalty tbh. Williams steps straight at Kearney and slips into him. Kearney made absolutely no motion towards Williams.

I saw discussion among neutral refs about the maul, if he entered it legally and then got lifted onto it it’s not illegal.

Saying Wigglesworth is a YC and Kearney is not a penalty at all is a bit inconsistent. They’re both completely defensible calls as penalties.