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

errlloyd

molloyjh wrote: »

Ulster need something more than an Academy kid from Leinster at this stage. Quite where that will come from I'm not sure.

Kieran Read

Richie_Rich89

molloyjh wrote: »

It was 22 missing to Ireland or injury + 1 of the 3 foreign players (i.e. Lowe). Hence the 23.

Only if you're counting McCarthy. But I don't see why you'd be doing that, because he's not unavailable

stephen_n

molloyjh wrote: »

Ulster need something more than an Academy kid from Leinster at this stage. Quite where that will come from I'm not sure.

South Africa I’d imagine.

Burkie1203

stephen_n wrote: »

South Africa I’d imagine.

Can Pienaar play in the backrow

durthacht

Burkie1203 wrote: »

Ulster need to look much further south for a new player. They need a longer term signing.

Munster?

stephen_n

Burkie1203 wrote: »

Can Pienaar play in the backrow

Don’t mention the war

Dubinusa

Ulster have more back rows in the academy than Leinster. Henry was not getting a look in. I see them using the academy lads.
Our young back rows should be off limits as we lose so much to the international team.

Dubinusa

Just thinking how great for Ross Byrne to get capped. It should be a good confidence booster for him. I hope he progresses and becomes a viable international quality oh. He certainly has tons of potential.

Former Former

stephen_n wrote: »

Who? We had Penney traveling this week as cover. Between Ireland and injuries we are hardly overstocked at the moment

Yeah, but once the November window is over, we'll be back to having a load of international players keeping young guys out of the side.

Even during the 6N, barring injuries, Ruddock, Leavy and Conan are not going to be playing for Ireland so they're going to limit game time for Deegan, Doris etc.

troyzer

Dubinusa wrote: »

Just thinking how great for Ross Byrne to get capped. It should be a good confidence booster for him. I hope he progresses and becomes a viable international quality oh. He certainly has tons of potential.

His passing was very sharp. Very Sexton-esque.

Buer

Dubinusa wrote: »

Just thinking how great for Ross Byrne to get capped. It should be a good confidence booster for him. I hope he progresses and becomes a viable international quality oh. He certainly has tons of potential.

It will benefit him simply to be exposed more to Schmidt's training and being involved in those camps. He looked very settled when he came on the field. He was able to benefit from acres of space being available at that stage which is very harsh on Carbery given he's someone that could really have made something happen in those coniditons.

But Byrne took his opportunity well. I don't think he's in the mix for back up. Schmidt's post match comments were very Carbery-centric when it came to outhalf in terms of discussing his play. But he did appear to see the performance as something that Carbery will learn from more than a positive display.

“He’ll learn from that decision,” said Schmidt. “The last time we were here in Red Bull Arena [in New Jersey], he got charged down twice but he got a charge down today. He’s a kid that learns well and works hard.

“Certainly that wide pass, it never really looked like it was on. While we had some numbers there I think, we were never going to get the space on the edge. Even if he [Bisegni] didn’t pick the pass off he would have probably hit Jacob Stockdale into touch if he’d gone for the man instead.

“Joey will look back on that and build something else into his game. You know Joey didn’t run today and so I just felt he was trying really hard to bring everyone else into the game and one of the strengths of Joey’s game is bringing himself to the fore.

“So, I hope he gets a bit of confidence from what he did today and mixes that up a little bit.”

Carbery's goal kicking is unrecognisable from where it was though. Byrne appears to have improved but not to the same extent quite yet. And that is going to be a crucial positive for the battle (if there even is one) in future. The only aspect where Byrne has a notable edge on Carbery is in defence. Byrne is a pretty big guy, almost the exact same size as Sexton but appears to carry slightly more muscle based purely on appearances. He's not going to be bounced around the same away that Italy managed to do to Carbery in the first half. I don't think that's going to be a decisive factor for Schmidt any point soon, though.

errlloyd

Thought Byrne picked two very good passes that led to tries. One to Ringrose and the other to Aki, one left and one right.

They weren't hard passes. I think he was passing behind a screen or whatever, but they were laser straight, in front of the receiver and chest high.

Squidgy Black

I think the best thing about Byrne's cameo was that he looked comfortable on the ball. His passing was sharp and he executed the couple of plays he was involved in well without hesitation.

jonok28

Squidgy Black wrote: »

I think the best thing about Byrne's cameo was that he looked comfortable on the ball. His passing was sharp and he executed the couple of plays he was involved in well without hesitation.

Fully agree, I felt the same can be said for Luke McGrath and John Cooney. It felt like a seamless transition. Fair play to Ross for finally getting his cap. Well deserved.

Squidgy Black

Squidgy Black wrote: »

I think the best thing about Byrne's cameo was that he looked comfortable on the ball. His passing was sharp and he executed the couple of plays he was involved in well without hesitation.

He did his best to bring the ball to the line also. On the left wing at the start of the season it was one of the things he said the coaches wanted him to bring into his game.

He's been more aggressive ball in hand for Leinster but from one of his early (if not first) touches in green he was taking the ball into contact also.

There could yet be a bit of drama played out between himself and Carbery, should be an interesting 12 months.

stephen_n

Former Former wrote: »

Yeah, but once the November window is over, we'll be back to having a load of international players keeping young guys out of the side.

Even during the 6N, barring injuries, Ruddock, Leavy and Conan are not going to be playing for Ireland so they're going to limit game time for Deegan, Doris etc.

It’s very unlikely though that at least one if not more of those internationals will be injured between now and then. With Jordi gone and Connors injured, we are not overly stocked in what’s one of the most attritional positions on the pitch.

durthacht

Buer wrote: »

... Schmidt's post match comments were very Carbery-centric when it came to outhalf in terms of discussing his play. But he did appear to see the performance as something that Carbery will learn from more than a positive display.
...

Depends on the question he was asked though. The media is very Carbery focused so maybe the question was about Carbery rather than both?

Newstalk are especially and almost bizarrely Carbery centric. Almost every discussion asks "just how brilliant is Joey Carbery?" rather than critically analysing his performance.

He's a super player, but their discussions about him are a bit weird.

Dubinusa

I still think Carberry is a fb. Call me stupid.

Dubinusa

Just to clarify, I think he's better suited to fb than oh. Just my opinion.

Burkie1203

durthacht wrote: »

Munster?

They could have asked Munster to kidnap a few Bok backrows on their way home from SA.

Interested Observer

Dubinusa wrote: »

Just to clarify, I think he's better suited to fb than oh. Just my opinion.

I think we've seen in plenty of games what he can do from 15 and I think his best games have probably been there.

Buer

Dubinusa wrote: »

Just to clarify, I think he's better suited to fb than oh. Just my opinion.

I think his natural skill set is more suited to 15 than 10. His best showing as a professional, by a distance, is still the QF against Wasps where he was able to come onto the ball from deep or join as a second distributor in the back line.

But I suppose the question right now isn't whether he's a better 15 or 10, it's whether he's the best option for the 22 jersey and he still is, in my mind. Although the gap has slightly narrowed after the weekend as much through Carbery having a bit of a sloppy display as it was Byrne looking comfortable.

The media attention on Carbery has been very positive thus far and there was largely a quiet brushing off of his showing at the weekend. But with a solid run of games at 10 under his belt now, he'll need to show more in a green jersey than he has to date or the honeymoon period will end very quickly and Ross Byrne will be waiting in the wings to get a start. If and when Byrne does get a start and goes well, the conversation on the back up can become a realistic one.

kirk buttercup

Dubinusa wrote: »

I still think Carberry is a fb. Call me stupid.

so do I

AdamD

Any word on getting Bath away tickets? Its being left very very late.

Buer

durthacht wrote: »

Newstalk are especially and almost bizarrely Carbery centric. Almost every discussion asks "just how brilliant is Joey Carbery?" rather than critically analysing his performance.

Just specifically on this....Carbery is from Athy. Ger Gilroy is from Athy. I'm sure there's a natural bias towards him there. Joe Molloy is another Kildare man so there's little escape from their twisted, Kildare ways.

irishbucsfan

There are two Kildares at play here. Molloy is from an altogether more cultured side of the county. Unfair to paint him with that brush.

Gilroy likely can only keep the name of one player in his head at any time, as a primitive he needs to focus on more fundamental issues.

troyzer

Wasps have a two match European bundle at the moment but nothing specific for Leinster yet.

Any ideas?

stephen_n

AdamD wrote: »

Any word on getting Bath away tickets? Its being left very very late.

General sale is from 13th November

WeeBushy

I'm going to the Bath game. Anyone been to the stadium before? What stand is best to go for, do you reckon?

durthacht

Buer wrote: »

Just specifically on this....Carbery is from Athy. Ger Gilroy is from Athy. I'm sure there's a natural bias towards him there. Joe Molloy is another Kildare man so there's little escape from their twisted, Kildare ways.

Ah I hadn't thought of that. Well spotted.

I find it bizarre how they focus on Carbery and ignore Ross Byrne and the other promising fly halves. Obviously Carbery is very talented and is second choice for Ireland, but their weight of coverage seems bizarre. That they might have a local bias makes sense.