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

Neil3030

Neil3030 wrote: »

Game.

Pick your starting Leinster XV.

Then pick players currently playing in Europe who you think would improve the team, given the sort of game they currently play (important point this).

Count how many players you end up bringing in.

For me it's 5.

Healy
Owens
Tadhg
Ryan
Fardy
Leavy
VDF
Picamoles
De Klerk
Sexton
Lowe
Henshaw
Ringrose
Daly
Williams

Honourable mentions to:
Maro, who seems to have rediscovered form, but I just don't think he has the skillset to play in this Leinster team
Bundee, very close call between him and Henshaw
Mako, another very close one, probably the closest.
Davies, I just love Ringrose, sorry.

De Klerk absolutely and he and McGrath play a similar enough brand so it would be fairly complimentary.

I'd take Billy Vunipola at 8 and in doing that you would create the one situation where I'd drop Kearney from fullback (I'd take him over any other option in Europe otherwise).

Having big Billy V means the team as a whole can put less emphasis on defence because he would tweak the nature of our attack. The way Leinster play in the forwards relies on speed, accuracy and relentless pressure but having a carrier like Vunipola would give us that bit more in attack and we could shape some of our plays off him at first or second receiver.

If we had Vunipola then you can start making decisions elsewhere with the slider moved more to attack than defence and the likes of Kearney may end up losing out in that situation.

There are changes I'd make elsewhere, but then you start looking like a French outfit. Big part of Leinster's strength is having so many local and academy players within the ranks and it's one aspect where the provinces and pro14 teams in general have an advantage over other teams in the Champions cup, players who grew up wanting to wear the blue.

Neil3030

Deleted User wrote: »

De Klerk absolutely and he and McGrath play a similar enough brand so it would be fairly complimentary.

I'd take Billy Vunipola at 8 and in doing that you would create the one situation where I'd drop Kearney from fullback (I'd take him over any other option in Europe otherwise).

Having big Billy V means the team as a whole can put less emphasis on defence because he would tweak the nature of our attack. The way Leinster play in the forwards relies on speed, accuracy and relentless pressure but having a carrier like Vunipola would give us that bit more in attack and we could shape some of our plays off him at first or second receiver.

If we had Vunipola then you can start making decisions elsewhere with the slider moved more to attack than defence and the likes of Kearney may end up losing out in that situation.

There are changes I'd make elsewhere, but then you start looking like a French outfit. Big part of Leinster's strength is having so many local and academy players within the ranks and it's one aspect where the provinces and pro14 teams in general have an advantage over other teams in the Champions cup, players who grew up wanting to wear the blue.

See that was why I emphasised the point about players who fit the current game Leinster play. Great and all as Billy is, he doesn't fit into that Leinster team for me. As you point out, it changes up the entire structure of attack. Plus, as has been seen before a few times, in the games where you shut Billy down, his teams rarely have a way to compensate for that. Leinster's ability to switch the point of attack is probably their scariest quality right now.

gleesonisgod

Neil3030 wrote: »

Game.

Pick your starting Leinster XV.

Then pick players currently playing in Europe who you think would improve the team, given the sort of game they currently play (important point this).

Count how many players you end up bringing in.

For me it's 5.

Healy
Owens
Tadhg
Ryan
Fardy
Leavy
VDF
Picamoles
De Klerk
Sexton
Lowe
Henshaw
Ringrose
Daly
Williams

Honourable mentions to:
Maro, who seems to have rediscovered form, but I just don't think he has the skillset to play in this Leinster team
Bundee, very close call between him and Henshaw
Mako, another very close one, probably the closest.
Davies, I just love Ringrose, sorry.

Jamie George
Beirne
Billy V
Murray
Raka
Piautau

Torn on Fofana over Henshaw.

Neil3030

gleesonisgod wrote: »

Jamie George
Beirne
Billy V
Murray
Raka
Piautau

Torn on Fofana over Henshaw.

Beirne is a great shout actually. In for Fardy, I presume?

Toulouse results this season:


Lyon 16 V Toulouse 16
Grenoble 20 V Toulouse 23
Toulouse 33 V La Rochelle 26
Toulouse 30 V Racing 92 17
Montpellier 66 V Toulouse 15
Toulouse 10 V Agen 0

That's a reasonably impressive run with one big blip, not sure whether they were full strength for the the Montpellier game.

They started the season with a draw and a win away. They backed this up with home wins over La Rochelle and Racing 92 before getting smashed by Cotter's men.

Having some consistency in home / away is a good sign for them and they've played quality opposition but it's impossible to tell where French league rugby is at currently so not much to go on before Sunday.

gleesonisgod

Neil3030 wrote: »

Beirne is a great shout actually. In for Fardy, I presume?

Of course.

Heymans

Deleted User wrote: »

Toulouse results this season:


Lyon 16 V Toulouse 16
Grenoble 20 V Toulouse 23
Toulouse 33 V La Rochelle 26
Toulouse 30 V Racing 92 17
Montpellier 66 V Toulouse 15
Toulouse 10 V Agen 0

That's a reasonably impressive run with one big blip, not sure whether they were full strength for the the Montpellier game.

They started the season with a draw and a win away. They backed this up with home wins over La Rochelle and Racing 92 before getting smashed by Cotter's men.

Having some consistency in home / away is a good sign for them and they've played quality opposition but it's impossible to tell where French league rugby is at currently so not much to go on before Sunday.

For the "blip" - the Montpellier game - Montpellier were on 0 wins at that stage in the season and there was a backlash. Wiped the floor with them even if it was at home for Montpellier. Haven't seen Toulouse at home this season but looking at those results it doesn't look like they have been all that convincing at home so I would hope for a Leinster BP vitctory in this round.

stephen_n

Beirne’s a good player but I wouldn’t take him over Fardy at all. The difference in their perfomances and influence in the semi and final last year was like a student and his master.

joseywhales

Since we are picking fantasy teams, what is the best fantasy website for the champions cup? Might aswell waste a couple of man months.

stephen_n

stephen_n wrote: »

Beirne’s a good player but I wouldn’t take him over Fardy at all. The difference in their perfomances and influence in the semi and final last year was like a student and his master.

Fardy was playing for one of the best club teams of all time in that game, Beirne was not.

Beirne was very good at the weekend, like - I'm second guessing pecking order of locks in Ireland good.

We are approaching a situation at second row similar to that at the back row where we can genuinely pick options for opposition. Won't have quite that luxury at the RWC obviously.

joseywhales

joseywhales wrote: »

Since we are picking fantasy teams, what is the best fantasy website for the champions cup? Might aswell waste a couple of man months.

You do realise the first weekend was last weekend!? :pac:

Couple of people on Superbru, am on champions cup official league myself, think around 12 or so Boardsies on it.

Interested Observer

stephen_n wrote: »

Beirne’s a good player but I wouldn’t take him over Fardy at all. The difference in their perfomances and influence in the semi and final last year was like a student and his master.

Look at the teams they were respectively playing in. Leinster even talked about how they targeted him, had an academy lad wear a blue scrum cap in training all week, will.

I'd take Beirne back at Leinster in half a second, he's a class player.

stephen_n

Interested Observer wrote: »

Look at the teams they were respectively playing in. Leinster even talked about how they targeted him, had an academy lad wear a blue scrum cap in training all week, will.

I'd take Beirne back at Leinster in half a second, he's a class player.

I’m not questioning that, but would you play him ahead of Fardy.

Also it’s not exactly like Scarlets were a poor team either.

prawnsambo

Interested Observer wrote: »

Look at the teams they were respectively playing in. Leinster even talked about how they targeted him, had an academy lad wear a blue scrum cap in training all week, will.

I'd take Beirne back at Leinster in half a second, he's a class player.

Will Connors aka 'Porridge'. Got himself a senior contract out of it.

On initial viewing I had thought Cronin's first try was pure opportunism. On further viewing there is a an intentional choreography with Van der Flier who takes pillar on the left side then darts as if going back to the line on the blindside only for Cronin to pick and go when Wasps are expecting a recycle from 9 with numbers stacking up to the right of the ruck thanks to VDF making an obvious draw for the Wasps defensive line to follow.

Very crafty.

sydthebeat

Deleted User wrote: »

Toulouse results this season:


Lyon 16 V Toulouse 16
Grenoble 20 V Toulouse 23
Toulouse 33 V La Rochelle 26
Toulouse 30 V Racing 92 17
Montpellier 66 V Toulouse 15
Toulouse 10 V Agen 0

That's a reasonably impressive run

ah its not really though

la rochelle arent any great shakes this season
gernoble and agen are bottom feeders
home to racing is a good result, but that has to be highly qualifed with how french teams travel

away to lyon is about the only "impressive" result in my opnion.

i expect a tough dogged win away by less than 10, and a TBP when they are in the RDS.
remember a poor bath side should have had that game sown up.....

irishbucsfan

[Deleted User] wrote: »

On initial viewing I had thought Cronin's first try was pure opportunism. On further viewing there is a an intentional choreography with Van der Flier who takes pillar on the left side then darts as if going back to the line on the blindside only for Cronin to pick and go when Wasps are expecting a recycle from 9 with numbers stacking up to the right of the ruck thanks to VDF making an obvious draw for the Wasps defensive line to follow.

Very crafty.

Argentinian skullduggery, id suggest

Dubinusa

Will we see Leavy this week? I reckon Ruddock and Conan will start. Do we flog VDF or go with either SOB or leavy?

Thermoman12

Dubinusa wrote: »

Will we see Leavy this week? I reckon Ruddock and Conan will start. Do we flog VDF or go with either SOB or leavy?

To be honest I think the back row should be Leavy at 6, VDF 7 and Conan at 8

Dubinusa

Dubinusa wrote: »

Will we see Leavy this week? I reckon Ruddock and Conan will start. Do we flog VDF or go with either SOB or leavy?

With the extra day recovery and the lack of relative intensity of Friday's fixture I'd be surprised if fatigue was a factor in selection all things considered.

Honestly think it will come down to gameplan and injuries.

stephen_n

Leavy is in doubt along with Kearney and Healy. JGP is back which brings another selection headache as we will need Fardy next weekend.

Rigor Mortis

if kearney is out there is no chance JGP will be in the 23. Larmour to 15, Ferg to the wing. Tomane or Dave K to bench at 23.

@23

I'd have O'Loughlin @23 regardless tbh.

Rigor Mortis

Deleted User wrote: »

I'd have O'Loughlin @23 regardless tbh.

That works too

DonVito

Who is this beside Furlong?

dregin

DonVito wrote: »

Who is this beside Furlong?

Harry Byrne?

Squidgy Black

dregin wrote: »

Harry Byrne?

Nah it's not the younger Byrne.

Purist98

Dan Sheehan, year 1 academy hooker

Squidgy Black

Purist98 wrote: »

Dan Sheehan, year 1 academy hooker

Is he academy or sub academy? Haven't heard him mentioned before.

Tarf1234

Squidgy Black wrote: »

Purist98 wrote: »

Dan Sheehan, year 1 academy hooker

Is he academy or sub academy? Haven't heard him mentioned before.

Academy himself and Hawkshaw have been added but not announced