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

errlloyd

So there were 307 attempted tackles by Leinster alone on Saturday.

Deegan 29
Dunne 28
Doris 26
Penny 24
Tracy 21
Fardy 20

It's the second week in a row a Leinster game has broken 400 total for attempts, and those are the only two games I've ever seen break 400. What has happened to tactical kicking? Is the breakdown overfavouring the team in possession now?

arsebiscuits1

Watched the game back. Both disappointed and satisfied. No one likes a draw!

I think it's very encouraging to see how some of our younger players prospered in a game of that physicality.

Jack Dunne making 28 tackles in 44 minutes is barely human! He fell off 3 which is a pity because I think 31 tackles would have to be a record in that time period. Was used a bit in the lineout too and seemed to do very well. Seems like a real grafter which is promising to see in someone so young.

Scott Penny again shows ability beyond his years. That was a hardened Treviso pack and he managed 24 tackles. 2 offloads to boot also. Serious engines on these young fellas.

Deegan was easily motm and showing the best form of his career so far. Stunning performance and he was absolutely everywhere. 4 defenders beaten was only bettered by Barry Daly (with a very impressive 8)

Continuing on the tackle stats COB and Tomane both made an impressive 14/1 while Lowe was comparatively as busy with 10/1. You knows it's a busy day when your outside backs are making that much.

I thought Luke was good (14 tackles of his own. 6 misses) but seemed to fatigue badly in the second half . Would have liked to see HOS get more time. As it was he only got 5 minutes where all he did was miss a bad tackle which led to the try.

Frawley had a very good showing but there was some inexperience there. Treviso rushed up really well but oftentimes it was aimless and disjointed, but it was enough to put him off. He had a few very unsympathetic and or inaccurate passes in the face of a disjointed Treviso rush defense. A calmer head would have been able to pick out a different runner. He will be better from it. Otherwise a very good showing.

Honestly. I think Lowe was blocked. And I am fully aware that it could be as a result of blue tinted specs. It was probably a 50/50 call that a different ref would have given on a different day.

What a team Treviso have turned into also. Really good to see for the league

foxyladyxx

Shefwedfan wrote: »

I seen an interview with him, maybe it was Eir, he said he was ready to come back.....Henshaw that is

Sexton I have no idea....if he doesn't play this weekend then he isout

https://www.the42.ie/leinster-toulouse-injury-update-4426750-Jan2019/

irishbucsfan

Former Former wrote: »

Where am I seeing what? The Sexton bit? He hasn't been training, there's no positive noises about him coming back. Usually if a guy is even 50-50 we're told that he absolutely will be lining out.

Overall, I'd be surprised if he's available.

Says he’ll be reassessed as the week goes on. So I don’t think he’ll play this weekend but that’s positive noises at least.

Former Former

foxyladyxx wrote: »

https://www.the42.ie/leinster-toulouse-injury-update-4426750-Jan2019/

Ummm, you may want to check the date on that.

Squatter

arsebiscuits1 wrote: »

Honestly. I think Lowe was blocked. And I am fully aware that it could be as a result of blue tinted specs. It was probably a 50/50 call that a different ref would have given on a different day.

Given that Nigel could have reversed the neck roll penno that led to our third try, I think it's fair enough that Treviso got the benefit of the doubt on what was a pretty iffy block.

Furthermore, given that he robbed Treviso of a well-deserved win up in Ravenhill earlier this season, it was good to see him redressing the balance, if it was indeed a block.

I really hope that they now manage to qualify for the play-offs.

arsebiscuits1

Squatter wrote: »

Given that Nigel could have reversed the neck roll penno that led to our third try, I think it's fair enough that Treviso got the benefit of the doubt on what was a pretty iffy block.

Furthermore, given that he robbed Treviso of a well-deserved win up in Ravenhill earlier this season, it was good to see him redressing the balance, if it was indeed a block.

I really hope that they now manage to qualify for the play-offs.

I really don't think there was much in the contact with Fergus either.

At worst, he glances off his head. But the technique demonstrated by McFadden was absolutely spot on. He got low and drove through.

I'm all about player safety and I know tackle height doesn't really come into it, but if that player was stood up, Ferg would have tackled his knees...

Not only that, if we're applying laws to the letter, the Treviso player in question had completely sealed off the ruck and prevented a fair contest of rucking over. And also if I were to examine every ruck in that game, I guarantee I will find many many cases of a shoulder glancing off the head of a player

stephen_n

Former Former wrote: »

We've been hearing that Henshaw is 'very close' for about two months now, I'll believe it when I see him actually take the pitch. We absolutely need him back though, and Toner too; especially now that Mick Kearney's season is presumably over.

It doesn't sound like Sexton will be playing against Toulouse though.

He was the 24th man on Saturday and waterboy, usually a strong indication he’ll be playing the following week.

stephen_n

Murray Kinsella just posted on the 42 saying that Sexton will be stepping up training this week and is expected to be fit for the Toulouse game.

Richie_Rich89

Burkie1203 wrote: »

Carbery was shipped South. Reid has ended up covering 10 and Henshaw is unavailable for half the season due to Ireland etc.

Tomane was signed to provide backline cover. He got injured while played left wing IIRC. COB has in no way been held back by Tomane. Injury or not.

If Tomane plays then there's a high chance COB gets squeezed out. In the two games he's been back, Tomane started at 12 against Edinburgh with COB on the bench and started at 12 against Treviso, with COB pushed out to outside centre. Tomane playing equals less opportunities for COB in his best position. It's not rocket science. He's just lucky he was able to get his foot in the door while Tomane was injured.

And that's before you consider Jimmy O'Brien. He was one of Leinster's best performers in his only start at 13 in December during Tomane's absence, but is now being starved of meaningful gametime.

Richie_Rich89

Shefwedfan wrote: »

What a load of rubbish

Talk to any player and when a signing comes in the challenge for them is to get better and keep their place. A team full of players who are happy in the knowledge they are first team and then a team of young player who think they will automatically get into first team because they came via the system will be a disaster.,...

If ROL is disillusioned then buck up his game, extra practise etc.....this isn’t some second tier team, this is a club looking to win the top trophies in European

T Farrell got into an international squad, so did majority of the players in Ireland, come back to me when he is starting in most of the games

I must have missed the "disaster" of a team Leinster were during Tomane's injury lay-off.

Richie_Rich89

sydthebeat wrote: »

Tom farrell was never within an asses roar of a senior appearance with leinster.

He had only seven apps for the A side and initially found it hard to even get into the academy.

That is a complete red herring to suggest a player like him was stimied in his development due to Jonny foreigner.

I was mentioning Farrell more in the context of blocked (by Leinster-produced or foreign players) players making it elsewhere. I think it's a logical fallacy to assume that the ones who are good enough will make it elsewhere, and if you don't make it elsewhere you're automatically not good enough.

What if the Scarlets had already signed someone else and Beirne never gets the offer? - or Connacht didn't have a hole in their squad that needed to be filled? There's a fair bit of luck, and factors outside the players control, at play, is what I'm saying.

Richie_Rich89

People seem very willing to conform and bow to authority on here, just assuming Cullen knows best. Did he know best when he thought Tadhg Beirne wasn't even worth a short-term or development contract? He thought it was better to hang on to Nagle and release Beirne and Thornbury?? And that's at lock! - the position he knows best.

I'd hate to see where Leinster would be now if Lancaster had never come in. Handling skills were appalling under Cullen.

antietam1

Squidgy Black wrote: »

Bent also.

Fairly damning that one recently a player's family member has come out on social media and referenced the vitriol that's directed towards imports by a subset of Leinster fans when they're not lighting the place on fire.

Reid gets savaged at times, Tom Daly too got dogs abuse for his "hands like feet".
A club like Leinster deserves/needs better than Kirchener etc, and lets not forget they come for the money not for terms of endearment.

Burkie1203

Henshaw and Toner trained at the open training session today

Squidgy Black

Already been posted in the Major Rugby League thread but cross posting here as well.

Leinster squad named for games in Boston:
Vakh Abdaladze (Clontarf FC)
Jack Aungier (Terenure College RFC)
Ryan Baird (DUFC)
Ruadhan Byron (Clontarf FC)
Giuseppe Coyne (DUFC)
Oisín Dowling (Lansdowne FC)
Mark Flemming (UCD)
Gerard Hill (Old Belvedere RFC)
Ronan Kelleher (Lansdowne FC)
Conor Kelly (Clontarf FC)
Jack Kelly (DUFC)
Gavin Mullin (UCD)
Shane Murphy (UCD)
Jimmy O’Brien (UCD)
Brian O’Donnell (Lansdowne FC)
Max O’Reilly (DUFC)
Aaron O’Sullivan (UCD)
Paddy Patterson (UCD)
Rob Russell (DUFC)
Roman Salanoa (Old Belvedere RFC)
Dan Sheehan (DUFC)
James Tarrant (UCD)

Richie_Rich89

A 22-man squad?

Richie_Rich89

Jimmy O'Brien. Jaysus. He'll be thinking he should have stuck with the 7s.

kingofthekong

Only aware of a handful of those guys, does anyone know a breakdown of the squad by position?

Squidgy Black

kingofthekong wrote: »

Only aware of a handful of those guys, does anyone know a breakdown of the squad by position?

Took a stab at it but more than likely not 100% correct.

Vakh Abdaladze (Clontarf FC) TH Prop (can also cover LH and has played their with Clontarf this season)
Jack Aungier (Terenure College RFC) TH prop
Roman Salanoa (Old Belvedere RFC)TH Prop

Giuseppe Coyne (DUFC) LH Prop

Ronan Kelleher (Lansdowne FC) Hooker
Dan Sheehan (DUFC) Hooker

Ryan Baird (DUFC) 2nd Row
Oisín Dowling (Lansdowne FC) 2nd Row/Back Row

Ruadhan Byron (Clontarf FC) No. 8/Back Row
Mark Flemming (UCD) No 8/Back Row
Gerard Hill (Old Belvedere RFC) Back Row

Shane Murphy (UCD) Scrum Half
Paddy Patterson (UCD) Scrum Half

James Tarrant (UCD) Out Half
Conor Kelly (Clontarf FC) Outhalf/Fullback

Gavin Mullin (UCD) Centre
Brian O’Donnell (Lansdowne FC) Centre
Jimmy O’Brien (UCD) Centre/Wing

Max O’Reilly (DUFC) Back Three
Aaron O’Sullivan (UCD) Back Three
Jack Kelly (DUFC) Wing/Fullback
Rob Russell (DUFC) Full Back

sydthebeat

Ya wimped out on Jimmy o brien

Squidgy Black

sydthebeat wrote: »

Ya wimped out on Jimmy o brien

I figured I'd stick it in as both and save us all the incoherent rant :pac:

D14Rugby

Squidgy Black wrote: »

Took a stab at it but more than likely not 100% correct.

Vakh Abdaladze (Clontarf FC) TH Prop
Jack Aungier (Terenure College RFC) TH prop
Roman Salanoa (Old Belvedere RFC)TH Prop

Ryan Baird (DUFC) LH Prop
Giuseppe Coyne (DUFC) LH Prop

Ronan Kelleher (Lansdowne FC) Hooker
Dan Sheehan (DUFC) Hooker

Oisín Dowling (Lansdowne FC) 2nd Row/Back Row

Ruadhan Byron (Clontarf FC) No. 8/Back Row
Mark Flemming (UCD) No 8/Back Row
Gerard Hill (Old Belvedere RFC) Back Row

Shane Murphy (UCD) Scrum Half
Paddy Patterson (UCD) Scrum Half

James Tarrant (UCD) Out Half
Conor Kelly (Clontarf FC) Outhalf/Fullback

Gavin Mullin (UCD) Centre
Brian O’Donnell (Lansdowne FC) Centre
Jimmy O’Brien (UCD) Centre/Wing

Max O’Reilly (DUFC) Back Three
Aaron O’Sullivan (UCD) Back Three
Jack Kelly (DUFC) Wing/Fullback
Rob Russell (DUFC) Full Back

Bairds a big boy but not quite LH big. He's a second row

Squidgy Black

D14Rugby wrote: »

Bairds a big boy but not quit LH big. He's a second row

Knew I'd made some mistakes doing it on mobile! Will edit the original post.

kingofthekong

Suprised David Aspil isnt travelling hes been hanging around the fringe of the A team squads

Squidgy Black

kingofthekong wrote: »

Suprised David Aspil isnt travelling hes been hanging around the fringe of the A team squads

It's an interesting squad, we've only one senior player (Vakh, who's still on a development contract) travelling, Munster's team is fairly loaded with senior players with the likes of Williams, Hart, Wooten and Oliver, Connacht had Copeland, Kerins and a couple other more experienced players, and Ulster had Ross Kane, Caleb Montgomery, Johnny McPhilips and Jack Owens.

salmocab

Squidgy Black wrote: »

It's an interesting squad, we've only one senior player (Vakh, who's still on a development contract) travelling, Munster's team is fairly loaded with senior players with the likes of Williams, Hart, Wooten and Oliver, Connacht had Copeland, Kerins and a couple other more experienced players, and Ulster had Ross Kane, Caleb Montgomery, Johnny McPhilips and Jack Owens.

Despite the last few pages of nonsense Leinster are actually using their younger players and wider squad at the moment for one reason or another. With injuries Leinster are in a position where letting the likes of even Scott Penny or Jack Dunne isn’t really possible.

Squidgy Black

salmocab wrote: »

Despite the last few pages of nonsense Leinster are actually using their younger players and wider squad at the moment for one reason or another. With injuries Leinster are in a position where letting the likes of even Scott Penny or Jack Dunne isn’t really possible.

Yeah even the likes of Josh Murphy and Will Connors who are returning from injury are presumably being held back due to the fact there's a good chance they'll be used over the next couple of weeks. I think we've the most players used in a squad this season to date.

Dubinusa

Can't wait for this match. Just wish Frawley was included.
Oh well!

D14Rugby

kingofthekong wrote: »

Suprised David Aspil isnt travelling hes been hanging around the fringe of the A team squads

Marys are going for promotion, I'd say he'd rather stay for that than go to the US to walk all over some Americans and play players for Munster he can play in the AIL. A lot of players have stayed behind because of big AIL games coming up. There's a lot of players there that play the majority of their games for their clubs U20's team which says a lot about this tour.