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

mangobob

Clegg wrote: »

Healy was a monster all game. Was melting rucks near the end too.

Indeed. That counter-ruck near the end was savage.

Buer

awec wrote: »

Buer wrote: »

6 points from these two games? Yup, more than happy. Saw enough to think our form hasn't fallen off a cliff either.

Saw some good moments from Tomane tonight in carrying but he's comfortably my biggest concern now. I've posted about how the influence of Nacewa and Strauss need to be replaced desperately. Tomane needs to show more and fast.

Disappointed in Henshaw tonight. By far our senior back on the field but showed very little.

A confidence builder at home to the Dragons beckons. Here's Jonny.

You'll put 50 on the Dragons. It'll be a non-event.


Sexton playing next week would be bizarre. Playing him in a dead rubber rather than a game where Leinster could actually benefit from his presence just doesn't make sense to me, it's cases like these where I think more common sense needs applied to the welfare rules.

It's a handy run out at home where physicality will probably be lacking. I can see him featuring and resting again before starting against Munster. I suppose it depends if Frawley is back at some point.

razorblunt

I thought Conan was very poor

Elvisjuice

melting rucks

steves2

Is it too late to get a refund for Tomane?

thomond2006

I would name a lineup for Dragons that would allow the strongest possible side go to Galway. A Leinster second string will put 40 on the Dragons. Sexton should be starting in Galway, not against the Dragons.

Clegg

Elvisjuice wrote: »

melting rucks

It's what the best packs do.

Buer

thomond2006 wrote: »

I would name a lineup for Dragons that would allow the strongest possible side go to Galway. A Leinster second string will put 40 on the Dragons. Sexton should be starting in Galway, not against the Dragons.

I wouldn't want any of our top players anywhere near the Sportsground. Connacht treat it as their RWC final and our front liners have a history of phoning it in there. No critical player to start. That means Sexton, McGrath, Ryan, Furlong, Henshaw, Ringrose, Kearney for me. Still plenty of scope for a serious side.

Plus the likes of Byrne, ROL, Porter etc. will learn far more in that game than at home against the Dragons.

scott1974

Well done Scarlets, I think they had pride on the line tonight. I'm still not sure about Owens first try, i expected us to a bit rusty and we were.
A lbp was a decent result.

stephen_n

What about the Embra game?

kmart6

steves2 wrote: »

Is it too late to get a refund for Tomane?

Yeah, that's it, judge a new signing on 90 minutes of rugby.

stephen_n

kmart6 wrote: »

Yeah, that's it, judge a new signing on 90 minutes of rugby.

He clearly wasn’t around when Isa Started playing for us.

Elvisjuice

Clegg wrote: »

It's what the best packs do.

they nornmally win

Faugheen

steves2 wrote: »

Is it too late to get a refund for Tomane?

Remember when people thought Lowe was only AIL standard?

steves2

stephen_n wrote: »

He clearly wasn’t around when Isa Started playing for us.

I was, I was also around when Kirchner started. I hope Tomane comes good and becomes even half the player Isa was, I really do.

scott1974

stephen_n wrote: »

He clearly wasn’t around when Isa Started playing for us.

Rocky's first few games were a bit dodgy also...

Peregrine

steves2 wrote: »

I was, I was also around when Kirchner started. I hope Tomane comes good and becomes even half the player Isa was, I really do.

Would you say he was poison tonight?

stephen_n

Peregrine wrote: »

Would you say he was poison tonight?

You trying to summon the ghost of AK

Clegg

Elvisjuice wrote: »

Clegg wrote: »

It's what the best packs do.

they nornmally win

Yep.

He melted rucks on the way to a European and domestic double.

Former Former

Much the same as last week, plenty of positives mixed with way too many errors.

Six points from two tough trips is ok considering the players who are yet to come back.

Ruddock was immense again.

Clegg

Former Former wrote: »

Ruddock was immense again.

He's starting the season as well as he did the last. He's already pushing hard for inclusion in Schmidt's strongest 23.

stephen_n

Clegg wrote: »

He's starting the season as well as he did the last. He's already pushing hard for inclusion in Schmidt's strongest 23.

And that’s with him effectively playing out of position.

Peregrine

stephen_n wrote: »

You trying to summon the ghost of AK

They say if you look into a mirror and say 'poison' five times, .ak will appear and throw avocados at you.

DelMcG

His natural ability is amazing, in as far as he always seems to come back from an injury like he was never way. Never any ring rust, never any tentativeness about hitting rucks or tackles, just straight back at it.

In other news, Ian Nagle is stealing a living.

Peregrine

We have three class second rows and, after that, it's actually our weakest position.

Do we have any good second rows coming through the academy? Dowling? Dunne?

stephen_n

Peregrine wrote: »

They say if you look into a mirror and say 'poison' five times, .ak will appear and throw avocados at you.

He does like smashed avacado’s alright!

DelMcG

I still think there's hope for Ross Molony if he's given more regular game time ahead of Kearney and Nagle. He's young and has the talent but is still very raw and tends to switch his brain off at times.
Second row has been a problem for a while: we always have maybe three good operators at any one time and then we're struggling with either sub par specialist players or big back rows pressed into action.

Richie_Rich89

stephen_n wrote: »

He clearly wasn’t around when Isa Started playing for us.

Don't really think the situations are comparable. Nacewa switched from outhalf to the back three and was a roaring success. Where's Tomane going to switch to? Leinster already have James Lowe on the left wing

KH25

Nagle was dreadful tonight. Nowhere near good enough.

troyzer

Nagle didn't look like he belonged out there.

I'm really salty that Byrne missed those kicks.