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

thomond2006

Very interesting to see Larmour at 15 with no RK in the 23.

Buer

thomond2006 wrote: »

Very interesting to see Larmour at 15 with no RK in the 23.

RK is injured.

troyzer

thomond2006 wrote: »

Very interesting to see Larmour at 15 with no RK in the 23.

It's the same team as last week from what I can tell except RK is out, Larmour is moved to 15, Tomane replaces Larmour and ROL replaces Tomane.

Exclamation Marc

errlloyd wrote: »

Insanity that Fardy got nominated for European Player of the year last year and can't make the squad despite playing 3 positions.

Do you think it could be because they're resting him up before all the internationals disappear in a few weeks?

He played an insane amount of minutes last year if I remember correctly.

Peregrine

No Ferg. First start for Tomane on the wing. SOB, who's usually rushed straight back in, is still on the bench after four games. Fardy still on the bench.

RK is injured. Is Leavy still injured?

thomond2006

Buer wrote: »

RK is injured.

Ah I see. There's no mention of it in the press release.

Exclamation Marc

Christian Wade is quitting Wasps for the NFL.

Must be why he didn't make an appearance last week and assumedly won't be playing in the return fixture (likely a dead rubber when it rolls around).

Buer

15 Thomas Ramos
14 Cheslin Kolbe
13 Sofiane Guitoune
12 Romain Ntamack
11 Maxime Médard
10 Zack Holmes
9 Sébastien Bézy
1 Clément Castets
2 Julien Marchand
3 Charlie Faumuina
4 Florian Verhaeghe
5 Joe Tekori
6 Rynhardt Elstadt
7 Alban Placines
8 Selevasio Tolofua

16 Leonardo Ghiraldini
17 David Faimafiliotama'ita'i Ainuu
18 Maks Van Dyk
19 Pierre Gayraud
20 Louis Madaule
21 Yoann Huget
22 Antoine Dupont
23 Arthur Bonneval

Clegg

No Maxime Mermoz for Toulouse. Started last week for them.

Ntamack comes straight in at 12 which brings more creativity.

pickarooney

Bézy and Dupont, not a Bad pair of 9s

leakyboots

I presume that's Emile Ntamack's son? I feel old now saw Emile when Munster beat Toulouse in Bordeaux in 2000

pickarooney

The Lost Sheep wrote: »

Yes the position exists from minis but you are completely wrong in terms of game management etc. That only properly starts in youths rugby and its not about the physical development its about the real game management that comes in at later age grades.

Still you get 20 year old scrum halves like Dupont, Couilloud, Serin being thrown into 6 Nations games and acquitting themselves very well. And these are all guys who have no problem dictating a game.

Neil3030

Is Bezy any use with the box kick? You'd imagine they'll look to test Larmour, and maybe Tomane in the air.

Buer

Leinster really should win this. I think it will be a hard fought win with a no shortage of physicality but that pack should not be able to stand up to Leinster. There's a lot of youth in it with limited experience. A 22 year old loosehead, a 23 year old hooker, a 21 year old lock and a 21 year old No. 8. Their replacement loosehead is 18 (although a bit of a monster physically).

I can only imagine they're going to go out with the approach of flinging it about and having a crack at Leinster given they've chosen Ntamack at 12. We should go after them up front and try to dominate them up there and own possession. It's not often you go to France with the aim of taking on the opposition up front and trying to control proceedings from there.

Dictate the game and let the bench close it out.

Squidgy Black

Really hope we target Ramos, he was fairly poor last week against Bath.

Buer

Neil3030 wrote: »

Is Bezy any use with the box kick? You'd imagine they'll look to test Larmour, and maybe Tomane in the air.

He has a great boot. Very comfortable kicking and is the typical French scrum half who kicks at goal and has played 10 in the past too.

With their selection and the weather (dry and warm) I don't think they'll be going to the skies too often though. I imagine they'll be looking to have a cut and open up Leinster out wide.

troyzer

Buer wrote: »

He has a great boot. Very comfortable kicking and is the typical French scrum half who kicks at goal and has played 10 in the past too.

With their selection and the weather (dry and warm) I don't think they'll be going to the skies too often though. I imagine they'll be looking to have a cut and open up Leinster out wide.

Buer

On another note:

9. Bezy - 74kg
10. Holmes - 87kg
12. Ntamack - 81kg

I hope Jack Conan and Robbie Henshaw have their bulldozing hats with them.

Former Former

Slightly surprising call there is ROL ahead of McFadden who I thought had been playing very well.

Otherwise, all as expected once RK and Leavy were ruled out.

Clegg

Anyone listened to the 42's rugby podcast? They raised a good point about Leinster's attacking play and how there's still room to improve. Against Connacht they only got points from 4 out of 14 attacks in their 22. Against Wasps it was 8 from 14. 5 out of 10 against Edinburgh etc. But 3 from 3 against Munster!

There's still scope for improvement and one area I'm still a bit wary of when we play away to the big sides. We need to be more clinical.

accensi0n

Clegg wrote: »

Anyone listened to the 42's rugby podcast? They raised a good point about Leinster's attacking play and how there's still room to improve. Against Connacht they only got points from 4 out of 14 attacks in their 22. Against Wasps it was 8 from 14. 5 out of 10 against Edinburgh etc.

There's still scope for improvement and one area I'm still a bit wary of when we play away to the big sides. We need to be more clinical.

Would have been hilarious if they beat wasps by 90!

I'd imagine Tomane is in due to having played Toulouse a good bit more than any of the Leinster squad but no doubt he's earned the start immaterial of that to a good degree. Not a great sign for McFadden or D Kearney but Tomane's additional ability to step in at centre seems to be a big value add for the coaches.

Wonder how much injuries have played in selections - unclear what the story is with Leavy and McFadden. Leavy not making the bench could be down to them wanting more time for SOB but you would think the fixture comes first in any of these calls.

Unless anyone else has something to go up I'll put up a match thread between this evening and tomorrow morning.

Buer

Having not featured at all in Europe, you'd have to imagine Leavy's place in the Irish 23 is probably gone. It would have been hard to leave out VDF regardless but with SOB getting game time and fitness (as well as being pretty bloody good off the bench last week), I don't see Leavy fitting in beyond the Italian game.

Clegg

Go ahead, Venjur.

I wonder if Leavy is on danger of missing out with Ireland. He'll certainly be part of the wider squad, but he's played so little rugby this season. Can't see him playing against the All Blacks. Might get in the match day squad for Italy or Argentina.

Edit: Damn you, Buer.

Clegg

Tomane has 17 caps for Australia predominantly as a wing. So no problems with him starting there for Leinster. Still wish we'd get to see more of RoL as a wing though. Centre is probably his best position but I'd like to see him get more games on the wing at European level. He's more than capable of playing well there as he demonstrated in the 16/17 season.

AdamD

Ntamack was quality for the France 20s last season, look forward to watching him.

stephen_n

Former Former wrote: »

Slightly surprising call there is ROL ahead of McFadden who I thought had been playing very well.

Otherwise, all as expected once RK and Leavy were ruled out.

Think he might have a slight injury, seemed to be limping a little after the warm up last week. Though it wasn’t mentioned in the injury update.

troyzer

Deleted User wrote: »

I'd imagine Tomane is in due to having played Toulouse a good bit more than any of the Leinster squad but no doubt he's earned the start immaterial of that to a good degree. Not a great sign for McFadden or D Kearney but Tomane's additional ability to step in at centre seems to be a big value add for the coaches.

Wonder how much injuries have played in selections - unclear what the story is with Leavy and McFadden. Leavy not making the bench could be down to them wanting more time for SOB but you would think the fixture comes first in any of these calls.

Where's Richie when you need him?

Buer wrote: »

Having not featured at all in Europe, you'd have to imagine Leavy's place in the Irish 23 is probably gone. It would have been hard to leave out VDF regardless but with SOB getting game time and fitness (as well as being pretty bloody good off the bench last week), I don't see Leavy fitting in beyond the Italian game.

Clegg wrote: »

Go ahead, Venjur.

I wonder if Leavy is on danger of missing out with Ireland. He'll certainly be part of the wider squad, but he's played so little rugby this season. Can't see him playing against the All Blacks. Might get in the match day squad for Italy or Argentina.

Edit: Damn you, Buer.

England would give their right ball to hear the fart through a bad phone connection of a flanker with half of the talent of a man who would backup Leavy right now.

But he can't get into our 23. All the lulz...

Clegg

I see that there's no Max Deegan again for Leinster A. Unless there's been an injury unannounced it looks like he's the 24th man for the senior side. Coaches must rate him highly.



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