Leinster Team Talk/Gossip/Rumours Thread X: [****]

The Lost Sheep

jonok28 wrote: »

I would love to see some new talent come through the academy in the second row. Don't get me wrong I  love Ryan, Toner,  and Fardy and to a lesser extent  Moloney but would love to see someone come in and replace Nagle and Mick Kearney. Would even love to see Leinster bring in someone like Ultan Dillane to bolster their options. His contract is up at the seasons end with Connacht and he would give Leinster serious depth moving forward.

Nagle, Moloney are second choice, playing pro14 and maybe benching in Europe. Signing someone like Dillane would be a waste for everyone

jonok28 wrote: »

I'm a big big fan of Dev, I just think currently other than James Ryan the position is in flux moving forward. Dev is 32 and hopefully he can play at a top level for a few more years, Fardy is still immense but like you said he is not a long term solution and other than Moloney I'm not enamored at all by the depth Leinster have at the position. I would love to see some top young prospects coming through  the academy and pushing on over the coming years, that would be the ideal scenario but I think adding to the talent pool with someone like Dillane is the best of both worlds. You create serious depth at the position and the drop off isn't that significant during the international tests.

Dev is 32 and nearly any other position it would be a factor but he's a second row and has 270 or so pro appearances in over a decade. That isnt that much

jonok28 wrote: »

I really hope that its an academy player that comes through and fills the future void but I don't see any problem in Leinster signing a Connacht player, the amount of players we have sent to each of the provinces over the last decade has been large. Yes we have signed players like Henshaw from Connacht in the past but if you can bring in an Irish international in Dillane to add to the ranks I can't see how that is a bad move.

Its a bad move because it doesnt send the right message that Leinster need him when theyve by far the best academy set up. Leinster do send plenty to other provinces but it was other way for a while. And generally players that leave Leinster or Munster and go to Connacht are players who're 2nd choice and needing game time. Bar Henshaw. It doesnt help irish rugby overall

Interested Observer

jonok28 wrote: »

I would love to see some new talent come through the academy in the second row. Don't get me wrong I  love Ryan, Toner,  and Fardy and to a lesser extent  Moloney but would love to see someone come in and replace Nagle and Mick Kearney. Would even love to see Leinster bring in someone like Ultan Dillane to bolster their options. His contract is up at the seasons end with Connacht and he would give Leinster serious depth moving forward.

I've been saying this for ages. There's a problem coming down the line there with Fardy and Toner's age. Won't be for a few seasons yet but could definitely do with some academy talent who look like they can make it.

Thermoman12

connemara man wrote: »

Other provinces don't sign guaranteed when fit starters internally capped players from Leinster (Jordi Murphy wasn't a guaranteed starter)

It's not good for Irish rugby to have a player like Dillane warming the bench at Leinster over starting for Connacht.
You're doing an apples and oranges comparison

Dillane should move to Munster, Leinster already have loads of second rows

The Rape of Lucretia

Kevski wrote: »

Realistically, why would Dillane even want to move to Leinster? If he has ambitions of getting back into the Irish setup then sitting behind Toner, Ryan and Fardy in the pecking order isn’t going to help with that.

He should want to alright, because it would mean his career is on an upturn, but wont get the chance to, until he has shown he is Ireland standard.

It used to be just Connacht, but the reality now is that the other three provinces are pretty much feeder clubs to Leinster/Ireland, or holding provinces for Leinster players not quite making it or needing game time as back up to the Ireland player at Leinster.
Its a hub and spoke structure, but am all in favour of it if it truly leads to Ireland winning the world cup or being consistent AB-beating contenders for top country in the world.
Dillane is way off Ireland squad level at the moment, so not really Leinster material at all.

Dog Botherer

Big Dev has an incredible injury profile and relatively low mileage for a player of his age. Listened to The Left Wing the other day and Luke was saying he’s never seen a player like Dev, the only time he’s in the physio room is to get taped up for the line out.

He’s currently in the best form of his life and only seems to be improving. There’s absolutely no reason he couldn’t play another 5 years, even more if it’s just at Pro 14 level.

stephen_n

Dog Botherer wrote: »

Big Dev has an incredible injury profile and relatively low mileage for a player of his age. Listened to The Left Wing the other day and Luke was saying he’s never seen a player like Dev, the only time he’s in the physio room is to get taped up for the line out.

He’s currently in the best form of his life and only seems to be improving. There’s absolutely no reason he couldn’t play another 5 years, even more if it’s just at Pro 14 level.

Don’t know about the low mileage bit, think the only person who played more minutes than Dev last season was Ross Byrne.

Dog Botherer

stephen_n wrote: »

Don’t know about the low mileage bit, think the only person who played more minutes than Dev last season was Ross Byrne.

I meant more that he’s only getting consistent game time in more recent years. He was a late bloomer, and he’s making up for lost time.

Dubinusa

Kearney is only 28. Maybe he can get back th the level he was at for Connacht. 28 is still fairly young for a lock. Molony is the one who has potential to be a top class 2nd row. He's been very average the last 18 months, after looking really good his 1st season.
Dowling is in his 2nd academy year. He may only develop as a fringe player and at a pro 14 standard. I think he could be better than that but we'll see in time.
I thought Cormac Daly looked a good prospect, but he didn't get an academy spot.
I've no idea about Baird and Dunne was ok for the 20's. He didn't really stand out imo.

stephen_n

Kearney has been very good in his appearances so far this season.

molloyjh

That result in Edinburgh is handy. Worst case scenario we’re still 5 points clear after this weekend. A win would put us in a great spot so early in the season.

Bridge93

Leinster are fine in the second row. Between the main 3 guys and Moloney/Kearney/Nagle there’s more than enough to be going with through this and probably next season.

There are 3/4 very good talents coming through. Dowling and Baird in particular look very exciting.

Uriel.

Folks what's the options for an STH to get a couple of tickets for the game in the Rec at this stage?

Thanks

Heymans

Bridge93 wrote: »

Leinster are fine in the second row. Between the main 3 guys and Moloney/Kearney/Nagle there’s more than enough to be going with through this and probably next season.

There are 3/4 very good talents coming through. Dowling and Baird in particular look very exciting.

TBH I think Jonok is on a wind up. He either doesn't know about the 3 (2 average and 1 excellentBaird) second rows coming through the academy or he is purposely trying to do down those academy players. If he doesn't know about them then we cant really take his assertion that we bring in another second row seriously. If he does know about the 3 academy prospects then he is purposely trying to put them down by saying bring in someone else. These are very good players and prospects all of them.

stephen_n

That’s a pretty poor start :rolleyes:

Muligatawney

Not great so far. Small point, but that pen against Dave Kearney, I didn't think you had to roll away after competing for a kick?

Exclamation Marc

These empty looking stadiums still bother me...

Clegg

That wasn't a no arms tackle.

stephen_n

Ffs Fardy turned that over and the Leinster forwards stood there and looked at it while the King’s took it back :mad:

errlloyd

Love these commentators. So soft.

Leinster all think they're JLowe

Clegg

Two trys in two games for Adam Byrne.

errlloyd

Three lineout lost?

crisco10

2 terrible lineout calls from Leinster there..

stephen_n

What the hell is going on with the lineout

mangobob

Leinster pulling an Ulster here in the lineout. Abysmal stuff.

Who's the referee? He's very picky, but communication is great.

LostArt

Lineout is a shambles

Exclamation Marc

[Deleted User] wrote: »

Who's the referee? He's very picky, but communication is great.

Lloyd Linton

Wind definitely a factor in the lineouts, but some poor decisions there too aren't helping.

Conditions mean we should be playing "Old Munster" rugby really.

Clegg

Criminal to not score from there.

Jaysis. The Who wants to be a millionaire music being played in a stadium for all 12 of the onlookers during TMO conversations.