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

Faugheen

molloyjh wrote: »

So anyone know how many players we'll have used this season if Baird take the field tomorrow? By my count (based solely off recollection) it would be 56.

Healy, McGrath, Ed Byrne, Dooley
Cronin, Tracy, Bryan Byrne, Kelleher
Furlong, Porter, Bent, Abdaladze

Toner, Ryan, Fardy, Molony, Kearney, Nagle, Dunne, Downling, Baird

Ruddock, SOB, Conan, VDF, Leavy, Murphy, Deegan, Doris, Connors, Penny

McGrath, JGP, McCarthy, HOS, Paterson
Sexton, Ross Byrne, Frawley

Henshaw, Reid, Tomane
Ringrose, ROL, COB

Lowe, Larmour, Rob, Dave, McFadden, Adam Byrne, Daly, Keenan, JOB, Kelly, Mullen

57 I believe. When did Connors get injured?

Faugheen

Onecoolcookie wrote: »

Impressive, just one off it would appear! This is from the Leinster mailing list - "Ryan Baird is also in line to make his senior debut. If called upon from the bench, Baird will become the 57th player used by head coach Leo Cullen this season". Haven't a clue who you're missing though.

Tom Daly!

errlloyd

Leinster pretty much always use between 55 and 57, but I think under Beurnard Dragons used something like 63....

Exclamation Marc

Faugheen wrote: »

57 I believe. When did Connors get injured?

Yep Ryan Baird would be number 57.

Fully expect Lowe to start next week so it must be the reason HOS is being wrapped in cotton wool til then.

molloyjh

Faugheen wrote: »

Onecoolcookie wrote: »

Impressive, just one off it would appear! This is from the Leinster mailing list - "Ryan Baird is also in line to make his senior debut. If called upon from the bench, Baird will become the 57th player used by head coach Leo Cullen this season". Haven't a clue who you're missing though.

Tom Daly!

Of course. Thanks for that.

Richie_Rich89

Bit of a dead-end selection in the backs, in my view. McFadden and David Kearney are good players, but not as slick and classy as ROL and Barry Daly. Reid's leaving, and is Tomane really going to win European Cups with Leinster in the future at 13? The two O'Briens are a better partnership now and have far more scope to really deliver for Leinster in the future.

Faugheen

Richie_Rich89 wrote: »

Bit of a dead-end selection in the backs, in my view. McFadden and David Kearney are good players, but not as slick and classy as ROL and Barry Daly. Reid's leaving, and is Tomane really going to win European Cups with Leinster in the future at 13? The two O'Briens are a better partnership now and have far more scope to really deliver for Leinster in the future.

How many senior games have Jimmy and Conor O'Brien played together in the centre for Leinster?

I swear you just make **** up to suit your own agenda. You have zero basis for saying the O'Briens are a better partnership other than you don't like Tomane because he's a foreigner.

Richie_Rich89

Faugheen wrote: »

How many senior games have Jimmy and Conor O'Brien played together in the centre for Leinster?

I swear you just make **** up to suit your own agenda. You have zero basis for saying the O'Briens are a better partnership other than you don't like Tomane because he's a foreigner.

One, I think. Probably the two best players on the field in it.

arsebiscuits1

Faugheen wrote: »

How many senior games have Jimmy and Conor O'Brien played together in the centre for Leinster?

I swear you just make **** up to suit your own agenda. You have zero basis for saying the O'Briens are a better partnership other than you don't like Tomane because he's a foreigner.

Excuse me... zero basis?!

They literally have the same last name.

There is obviously a telepathic connection between them. This is an insane advantage that we need to be using more.

Sangre

irishbucsfan wrote: »

Ross Byrne as captain is interesting

Sends a good message I think. "Yes you're currently behind the world player of the year for your spot but you're still a valuable member of this squad."

Dubinusa

Hope Baird gets a run out. Connors back is great, I think he could be a good player for us.
2nd row appears weak. I would expect Ulster to get on top here. I think Murphy is undersized for a lock.
I hope Reid has a stormer.

Shefwedfan

Sangre wrote: »

Sends a good message I think. "Yes you're currently behind the world player of the year for your spot but you're still a valuable member of this squad."

Byrne has played 1024 minutes this season. Sexton has played 618


Byrne played in the Qtr final and the final groups games in Heineken



I think Byrne is far more than a valuable member of the squad, he is an essential member of the squad and a critical player for Leinster.

joseywhales

swiwi_ wrote: »

Our house is pretty wide with a kitchen that runs into a dining room and then into a lounge. If I’m honest it’s probably about 8 m between the fridge and the couch.

Knew it, full of sh*t!

Shefwedfan

Richie_Rich89 wrote: »

Bit of a dead-end selection in the backs, in my view. McFadden and David Kearney are good players, but not as slick and classy as ROL and Barry Daly. Reid's leaving, and is Tomane really going to win European Cups with Leinster in the future at 13? The two O'Briens are a better partnership now and have far more scope to really deliver for Leinster in the future.

I am shocked you have an issue with Tomane playing:eek::eek::eek:

swiwi_

joseywhales wrote: »

Knew it, full of sh*t!

Fùck it. One measuring tape later from
corner of fridge to corner of couch is 10.50 m.

Sangre

Shefwedfan wrote: »

Byrne has played 1024 minutes this season. Sexton has played 618


Byrne played in the Qtr final and the final groups games in Heineken



I think Byrne is far more than a valuable member of the squad, he is an essential member of the squad and a critical player for Leinster.

I don't disagree he is very important. That is obvious to any fan. But he doesn't start any big game if Sexton is fit which I'm sure he personally isn't happy about.

stephen_n

swiwi_ wrote: »

Fùck it. One measuring tape later from
corner of fridge to corner of couch is 10.50 m.

You’ve a 10.5 meter long tape measure? Must be huge!

errlloyd

Sangre wrote: »

I don't disagree he is very important. That is obvious to any fan. But he doesn't start any big game if Sexton is fit which I'm sure he personally isn't happy about.

To be fair he plays a lot of games when Sexton might be fit. Ulster this year and Munster last year (semi final pro 14). Sexton wasn't injured before those games. Leinster didn't think he was fit, but he wasn't injured.

Shefwedfan

Sangre wrote: »

I don't disagree he is very important. That is obvious to any fan. But he doesn't start any big game if Sexton is fit which I'm sure he personally isn't happy about.

He has played nearly twice the amount of minutes Sexton has played. If Sexton played any less he would be retired.


If Byrne was not in squad then you would have seen Sexton against Toulouse in the group stages and agaisnt Ulster in qtr's.....

swiwi_

stephen_n wrote: »

You’ve a 10.5 meter long tape measure? Must be huge!

It’s not the longest tool in my collection

Sangre

Shefwedfan wrote: »

He has played nearly twice the amount of minutes Sexton has played. If Sexton played any less he would be retired.


If Byrne was not in squad then you would have seen Sexton against Toulouse in the group stages and agaisnt Ulster in qtr's.....

I'm not sure what point you think I'm trying to make? I'm certainly not saying he isn't important.

Byrne is clearly second choice outhalf. Thats not in question (I hope). No ambitious rugby player is happy playing second fiddle. While I'm sure he is delighted with the minutes he still has to sit on the bench in knock-out games where Sexton is fit. No one is happy doing that for too long.

However, a step like making him a captain shows to him how important he is to the club in the near term as well as long term.

stephen_n

Sangre wrote: »

I'm not sure what point you think I'm trying to make? I'm certainly not saying he isn't important.

Byrne is clearly second choice outhalf. Thats not in question (I hope). No ambitious rugby player is happy playing second fiddle. While I'm sure he is delighted with the minutes he still has to sit on the bench in knock-out games where Sexton is fit. No one is happy doing that for too long.

However, a step like making him a captain shows to him how important he is to the club in the near term as well as long term.

I think choosing him ahead of Carberry might have already done that in no uncertain terms. Certainly more emphatically than making him captain in a dead rubber.

FrannoFan

Sangre wrote: »

I'm not sure what point you think I'm trying to make? I'm certainly not saying he isn't important.

Byrne is clearly second choice outhalf. Thats not in question (I hope). No ambitious rugby player is happy playing second fiddle. While I'm sure he is delighted with the minutes he still has to sit on the bench in knock-out games where Sexton is fit. No one is happy doing that for too long.

However, a step like making him a captain shows to him how important he is to the club in the near term as well as long term.

But he didn't sit on the bench against ulster or numerous group games of the Heineken cup so he's not exactly starved of top flight action.
Leinster trust him in big games and I don't buy the "johnny injured" line- he played 6 nations with those knocks that leinster chose to rest him to get over those niggles. with and last years semi final he started against munster when leinster used the same "johnny has a knock" line. They were trying to be respectful to munster and not just say we are rotating our team because we reckon we can still win at home with this selection.
He turned 24 a couple of weeks ago. He is second fiddle to world player of the year who is getting on in years. Sensibly biding his time and being patient while learning from sexton and contepomi.

troyzer

Sangre wrote: »

I'm not sure what point you think I'm trying to make? I'm certainly not saying he isn't important.

Byrne is clearly second choice outhalf. Thats not in question (I hope). No ambitious rugby player is happy playing second fiddle. While I'm sure he is delighted with the minutes he still has to sit on the bench in knock-out games where Sexton is fit. No one is happy doing that for too long.

However, a step like making him a captain shows to him how important he is to the club in the near term as well as long term.

He is second choice but can you think of any other second choice outhalf in Europe with so many starting minutes in big games? I can't. He's not your typical backup flyhalf.

Shefwedfan

Sangre wrote: »

I'm not sure what point you think I'm trying to make? I'm certainly not saying he isn't important.

Byrne is clearly second choice outhalf. Thats not in question (I hope). No ambitious rugby player is happy playing second fiddle. While I'm sure he is delighted with the minutes he still has to sit on the bench in knock-out games where Sexton is fit. No one is happy doing that for too long.

However, a step like making him a captain shows to him how important he is to the club in the near term as well as long term.

At this stage I think we might say that Byrne is our starting 10 and Sexton is our marquee 10 we roll out for the odd match, Sexton is playing less and less for Leinster and that will continue till he retires

Every other clubs starting 10 is the player with the most minutes on the pitch and plays all the games, eg Farrell, Ford, Carberry etc

I am not saying Sexton is not hugely important I just think people massively underrate Byrne and the impact he has ever season.

I also don’t understand this about him sitting on the bench, Munster at home, Toulouse at home, Wasps away, Ulster qtr, Byrne was the starting 10....majority of those sexton could have played but didn’t because Byrne slotted in

troyzer

Shefwedfan wrote: »

At this stage I think we might say that Byrne is our starting 10 and Sexton is our marquee 10 we roll out for the odd match, Sexton is playing less and less for Leinster and that will continue till he retires

Every other clubs starting 10 is the player with the most minutes on the pitch and plays all the games, eg Farrell, Ford, Carberry etc

I am not saying Sexton is not hugely important I just think people massively underrate Byrne and the impact he has ever season.

I also don’t understand this about him sitting on the bench, Munster at home, Toulouse at home, Wasps away, Ulster qtr, Byrne was the starting 10....majority of those sexton could have played but didn’t because Byrne slotted in

Think you've hit the nail on the head.

Sheep Shagger

Ryanair have added capacity for same day final flights- €290

clsmooth

Its a bit like that time in the bible when Jesus had a house party and was serving wine and cracked open some premium wine once the normal stuff had ran out. Everyone was shocked and saying how dead on he was as usually people serve the good stuff first and then taper off with the standard stuff. Substitute the Champions Cup for the house party, Leo for Jesus, Byrne for the house wine and Sexton for the premium nectar and spread the word. Amen.

Exclamation Marc

Day Trips by coach and ferry are available on Joe Walsh Tours for the final for 239 if anyone is still looking for travel.

Sheep Shagger

Exclamation Marc wrote: »

Day Trips by coach and ferry are available on Joe Walsh Tours for the final for 239 if anyone is still looking for travel.

Each to their own but I'd pay the extra €50 to avoid that horrendous itinerary (leaving in the early hours of Saturday morning and returning Sunday morning).