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

The Lost Sheep

WoollyRedHat wrote: »

Does anyone know where I can get 2 tickets for Saturday's game? I'm getting quoted 35 euro for cheapest ticket on their website.

You wont find tickets cheaper than that. Its an interpro and the tickets on leinster site are likely last ones available as ground will be a sell out

WoollyRedHat

WoollyRedHat wrote: »

Does anyone know where I can get 2 tickets for Saturday's game? I'm getting quoted 35 euro for cheapest ticket on their website.

Someone posted the scrum cap on the Connacht forum earlier so probably a bunch there not going anymore.

WoollyRedHat

[Deleted User] wrote: »

Someone posted the scrum cap on the Connacht forum earlier so probably a bunch there not going anymore.

Sorry how do you mean?

dregin

WoollyRedHat wrote: »

Sorry how do you mean?

https://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showpost.php?p=108913326&postcount=1338

Podge_irl

Relatively sure 35 was the cheapest ticket anyway.

Random Bloke

I have a feeling that the Toulouse game could have a bit of niggle in it. Toulouse may look at how Castres got one over Munster last weekend. The All Blacks did it after Chicago as well. Irish teams tend to play clean and focus on low penalty counts, and rely on the referee to keep the opposition in line.

Hopefully I'm wrong, but we haven't really been tested by opposition who try to rough things up, other than late hits on Sexton. Hopefully our preparation for the game will make sure that the team don't get rattled, if it happens. We are in the RDS with a vocal support, which will also help.

Interested Observer

Random Bloke wrote: »

I have a feeling that the Toulouse game could have a bit of niggle in it. Toulouse may look at how Castres got one over Munster last weekend. The All Blacks did it after Chicago as well. Irish teams tend to play clean and focus on low penalty counts, and rely on the referee to keep the opposition in line.

Hopefully I'm wrong, but we haven't really been tested by opposition who try to rough things up, other than late hits on Sexton. Hopefully our preparation for the game will make sure that the team don't get rattled, if it happens. We are in the RDS with a vocal support, which will also help.

If Toulouse decide to put their energy into niggle they will get beaten out the gate imo.

troyzer

Interested Observer wrote: »

If Toulouse decide to put their energy into niggle they will get beaten out the gate imo.

Agree. Toulouse have been great so far this campaign based on their back play and old fashioned forward grunt. If they completely change tact and resort to ****housery they'll get battered. All they can do is play their game and hope for the best.

I really wish it wasn't a 13:00 kickoff, it sucks the life out of some games. This should be a Friday night showdown. Not that it matters, I'm sure the RDS will be rocking. But you lose something with a 13:00 kickoff.

First Up

troyzer wrote:

I really wish it wasn't a 13:00 kickoff, it sucks the life out of some games. This should be a Friday night showdown. Not that it matters, I'm sure the RDS will be rocking. But you lose something with a 13:00 kickoff.

Yeah, a shame. TV calling the shots again I'm afraid.

AdamD

Think we had a 1pm last season that had an incredible atmosphere

Rigor Mortis

The atmosphere at this game will be cracking. Stakes > Kick off time

First Up

Rigor Mortis wrote:

The atmosphere at this game will be cracking. Stakes > Kick off time

Stakes but no steaks. What about my lunch?

arsebiscuits1

WoollyRedHat wrote: »

Does anyone know where I can get 2 tickets for Saturday's game? I'm getting quoted 35 euro for cheapest ticket on their website.

... were you hoping for cheaper?

Like Southern Kings cheapest tickets in the middle of the 6N are still €25.

There is demand and frankly €35 is fairly good value

stephen_n

AdamD wrote: »

Think we had a 1pm last season that had an incredible atmosphere

Montpellier at home I think?

Buer

Decent piece with JGP in the Irish Times. Seems a fairly unassuming guy who has really bought into things here. Surprisingly, he hasn't returned to NZ once since departing so seems to have completely settled at this point but admitted that he struggled initially. He came over naively thinking he was going to be first choice but appears very happy with his role in the set up now and is assuming something of a leadership role in the group, particularly when the internationals are gone.

Also noted that Ruddock has stepped into Nacewa's shoes as the leader in the squad alongside Sexton (which is precisely what one would expect/want).

Very glad to have him at this point; 12 months ago the jury was completely out on him and he didn't seem to have really settled down at all. The Scarlets semi final at the end of his first season seems a very distant memory from the guy who has been one of our best players this season. 14 tries for Leinster so far which, for context, only Larmour and ROL have a better strike rate in terms of tries:minutes over the past 3 seasons.

jonok28

Buer wrote: »

Decent piece with JGP in the Irish Times. Seems a fairly unassuming guy who has really bought into things here. Surprisingly, he hasn't returned to NZ once since departing so seems to have completely settled at this point but admitted that he struggled initially. He came over naively thinking he was going to be first choice but appears very happy with his role in the set up now and is assuming something of a leadership role in the group, particularly when the internationals are gone.

Also noted that Ruddock has stepped into Nacewa's shoes as the leader in the squad alongside Sexton (which is precisely what one would expect/want).

Very glad to have him at this point; 12 months ago the jury was completely out on him and he didn't seem to have really settled down at all. The Scarlets semi final at the end of his first season seems a very distant memory from the guy who has been one of our best players this season. 14 tries for Leinster so far which, for context, only Larmour and ROL have a better strike rate in terms of tries:minutes over the past 3 seasons.

Leinster are very lucky to have scrum halves like McGrath and JGP, the transition during a game when JGP comes on is relatively seamless, he has to be commended for buying into the team first mentality that Leinster have created, this season he has really stepped up his game and Nick McCarthy became completely expendable with his step up in play. Hopefully he continues to play at a high level for Leinster for years to come.

Rigor Mortis

Have been a fan of JGP from the start. Particularly as he generally plays most of his games with a second string. He has been our best fly half this year. I think we are getting close to a position, like the reddan and boss days, where we have two very decent scrum halves.

Shefwedfan

Rigor Mortis wrote: »

Have been a fan of JGP from the start. Particularly as he generally plays most of his games with a second string. He has been our best fly half this year. I think we are getting close to a position, like the reddan and boss days, where we have two very decent scrum halves.

Also was a fan as well. I said for a long time he would come on leaps and bounds if he got a run with Sexton. It doesn't take Sexton long to iron out a few of those errors in your game


So far this season I think JGP really has been the form player but McGrath seems to be getting more gametime with Sexton.

jonok28

Shefwedfan wrote: »

Also was a fan as well. I said for a long time he would come on leaps and bounds if he got a run with Sexton. It doesn't take Sexton long to iron out a few of those errors in your game


So far this season I think JGP really has been the form player but McGrath seems to be getting more gametime with Sexton.

I still think McGrath is the better player but not by much anymore, I'm not surprised McGrath is getting more of the game time, with McGrath and Sexton in the Irish set up, you need to have McGrath get as much game time with Sexton incase something was to happen to Murray.

stephen_n

JGP was excellent when he first arrived, towards the end of that season his performances tailed off though and then came the Scarlets game. Which colored a lot of peoples thinking on him. Last season, maybe the confidence knock, but he continued on from there. His biggest issue has always been his kicking game. His passing has always been excellent and his decision making is mostly good. He has clearly worked really hard on his kicking game though and I think that’s the bit that has made him so good this season. He is definitely on par with McGrath at this stage and that is brilliant for us.

Shefwedfan

jonok28 wrote: »

I still think McGrath is the better player but not by much anymore, I'm not surprised McGrath is getting more of the game time, with McGrath and Sexton in the Irish set up, you need to have McGrath get as much game time with Sexton incase something was to happen to Murray.

I know why McGrath is getting more game time but I think if you look at the games so far this season for Leinster then JGP is the form 9.....

jonok28

Shefwedfan wrote: »

I know why McGrath is getting more game time but I think if you look at the games so far this season for Leinster then JGP is the form 9.....

JGP is definitely the form 9, he has been immense this season and he will have a big part to play for Leinster to compete on all fronts.

Faugheen

People say JGP is 'the form 9' like McGrath has been poor or something.

JGP's been excellent, but McGrath is the number 1 and by quite some distance.

Zzippy

Faugheen wrote: »

People say JGP is 'the form 9' like McGrath has been poor or something.

JGP's been excellent, but McGrath is the number 1 and by quite some distance.

It says a lot about how strong the rest of the Leinster team is that 9 is the one position where their starting player is only 3rd in the Irish squad depth chart. The other provinces would love to have that.

sydthebeat

Faugheen wrote: »

People say JGP is 'the form 9' like McGrath has been poor or something.

JGP's been excellent, but McGrath is the number 1 and by quite some distance.

i cant say i agree with that.

i think its borderline which is our first choice 9 at the moment and the reason McGrath gets the bigger games is due to both IRFU influence and the foreigner rule.

Rigor Mortis

Faugheen wrote: »

People say JGP is 'the form 9' like McGrath has been poor or something.

JGP's been excellent, but McGrath is the number 1 and by quite some distance.

In the coaches mind, perhaps. But not on form. Both have been good this year, but JGP has been better, IMHO.

Faugheen

sydthebeat wrote: »

i cant say i agree with that.

i think its borderline which is our first choice 9 at the moment and the reason McGrath gets the bigger games is due to both IRFU influence and the foreigner rule.

JGP plays well when the team is playing well. He's had plenty of great highlights to his reel but a lot of them have been when the game is dead and buried.

We've seen from him multiple times that if the team struggles, then so will he and it affects his confidence big time.

Until that changes, and he can dig deep and help lead us to a massive, hard-fought win, then McGrath is by far and away the first choice player.

It comes down to who you want on the pitch if you need your 9 to become a cut above everyone else, and that is McGrath.

arsebiscuits1

Faugheen wrote: »

JGP plays well when the team is playing well. He's had plenty of great highlights to his reel but a lot of them have been when the game is dead and buried.

We've seen from him multiple times that if the team struggles, then so will he and it affects his confidence big time.

Until that changes, and he can dig deep and help lead us to a massive, hard-fought win, then McGrath is by far and away the first choice player.

It comes down to who you want on the pitch if you need your 9 to become a cut above everyone else, and that is McGrath.

McGrath for all his strengths hasn't ever grabbed a game by the scruff and turned the fortunes around.

FWIW I think McGrath is the stronger player of the 2. But there is not much in it.

Using the "when the team struggles, they struggle" excuse applies to both of them equally.

We have seen both start on a full strength Leinster team and prosper. Just like we've seen them both play a rainy away day during the 6 Nations windows and have a shocker

Shefwedfan

Faugheen wrote: »

People say JGP is 'the form 9' like McGrath has been poor or something.

JGP's been excellent, but McGrath is the number 1 and by quite some distance.

If your a glass half empty person you would read into like that


Personally I said JGP was the form 9 because so far this season he has played better than mcGrath.



McGrath is still played very well. I just feel he hasn't hit top form yet this season.



But then I am a glass half full person

Dubinusa

I think Luke is better kicking than JGP. They are both good at sniping and both run great lines.
I think Luke is a better tackler and is very good defensively.
JGP is not quite as good in this area imo.

I think that we are shy at 9 and we need someone else to step in.
I always believed that Nick McCarthy would fill the void, but I was wrong. He never progressed to the level required and didn't put pressure on the other 2.