Leinster Team Talk/Gossip/Rumours Thread XI (The Finals Countdown)

sydthebeat

Former Former wrote: »

I'll never forget Julien Bardy headbutting Cullen, disguising it as rucking and trying to draw a penalty, Cullen just wouldn't react when most lads would have lashed out.

Edit; 8.35 in this clip
https://youtu.be/qjxFow0FLRQ?t=517

that would be 6 weeks these days....

he went back for seconds and thirds and Cullen still didnt reaact

mfceiling

Scottmactom wrote: »

Luke Fitz at his peak was an excellent player, will never know how good he could have been due to his injury problems.

But he was on track to be a leinster great in 2009.

Haven't had a young wing that talented come through the system since.

L'Armour?

Scottmactom

mfceiling wrote: »

L'Armour?

Fitz was better.

AbusesToilets

Buer wrote: »

Peak Fitzgerald was excellent and had more natural talent than Lowe. He played in a weaker team who didn't play such an attacking style but still made an impression. He was the best defender Leinster have had on the wing bar none. His peak years (2006-10) were played in a fairly defensive Leinster team which used their wingers completely differently. But he did show glimpses of his natural talent. Larmour is the only player who had a step in the same class. He was also far more rounded. He had a very decent left boot and was able to start at 12 against NZ just after his 21st birthday and look completely at home which Lowe simply couldn't do.

Lowe is far more powerful and effective at scoring tries. He also has licence to play off the cuff rugby along with those around him which really suits him. He's a big fan favourite and deservedly but I'd say he also has a fairly high error count which goes hand in hand with his style.

I still wouldn't have either in the best Leinster side of the pro era though. Nacewa and Horgan for me, I'd say.

I think he would have usurped D'Arcy at 12 if he hadn't been so injury riddled. He showed his talent against NZ. Would've been seriously good partnership with BOD.

clsmooth

I remember thinking he should have replaced Payne in the starting 15 at the 2015RWC although I think he’d mainly been playing great stuff at 12 for Leinster that season. He played some of his best rugby that year. What year was the Bath Xmas game at Aviva? 2012? Remember him being electrifying that night too.

Shefwedfan

mfceiling wrote: »

L'Armour?

Luke was better....

AbusesToilets

clsmooth wrote: »

I remember thinking he should have replaced Payne in the starting 15 at the 2015RWC although I think he’d mainly been playing great stuff at 12 for Leinster that season. He played some of his best rugby that year. What year was the Bath Xmas game at Aviva? 2012? Remember him being electrifying that night too.

Agree, would've complimented Henshaw very well. Himself and O'Malley had the makings of a good midfield, outside of Madigan. Wish we would've gotten a chance to see it.

Scottmactom

AbusesToilets wrote: »

Agree, would've complimented Henshaw very well. Himself and O'Malley had the makings of a good midfield, outside of Madigan. Wish we would've gotten a chance to see it.

would have been ugly enough... Madigan should have played 9

9. Madigan
10. McKinley
12. Fitzgerald
13. O'Malley

AbusesToilets

Scottmactom wrote: »

would have been ugly enough... Madigan should have played 9

9. Madigan
10. McKinley
12. Fitzgerald
13. O'Malley

That's a quality what if lineup alright

molloyjh

clsmooth wrote: »

I remember thinking he should have replaced Payne in the starting 15 at the 2015RWC although I think he’d mainly been playing great stuff at 12 for Leinster that season. He played some of his best rugby that year. What year was the Bath Xmas game at Aviva? 2012? Remember him being electrifying that night too.

He'd have had a hat trick but for a marginally forward pass IIRC. At his best Luke was sensational. Very clever player as well as the talent. Injury messed him about but he probably also struggled for form at times when he needed it. Remember that spell in 2011 when he was awful? That sort of thing sticks in peoples heads. He admits himself too that he probably focused on some areas of his game to the detriment of other areas and would feel he never really made the best of what he had as a result.

clsmooth

Think he really struggled for form coming back in 2010-2011 after doing his knee in 2009 AIs. Didn’t go well for him at 15 in 2011 GN and missed out on the WC as a result although I seem to remember thinking he did enough to make the plane after going well in a warm up in France. He had a few good patches of form interspersed with long periods out. I thought his last few seasons in the centre were as close as he got to getting back to his 2009 form. That step of his :cool:

El_Duderino 09

sydthebeat wrote: »

that would be 6 weeks these days....

he went back for seconds and thirds and Cullen still didnt reaact

Great clip FF.

What sort of a man doesn't react to that? First the headbutt, then the pulling at his head and mouth. Is it his dedication to duty or his cool-headedness or what? He must have so much natural machismo that even those insults couldn't make him react.

Similar to the 09 Munster semi-final when Alan Quinnlan had a root around in his eye. He didn't react badly to that either.

He's a naturally very cool man.

pickarooney

Yeah_Right wrote: »

Luke Fitz is one of the most over rated players of Leinster's pro error. Lowe already has nearly as many tries as him in 100 less appearances.

Do we need to start that bizarre argument about how tries are not important for wingers again?

CatFromHue

He didn't always play wing so it's not a fair comparison, but it's also fair to say he wasn't a finisher. He'd a lot of other good aspects though.

On Joe.ie's rugby podcast Andrew Trimble, who's actually a pretty funny guy, was saying that when Eoin Reddan first showed up to Irish camp Luke Fitz asked for a massage. Reddan had to tell him he wasn't a masseuse but was a player and told he played for Wasps. Luke Fitz said something like "oh right....I don't follow that league...."

Bridge93

Leinster released the video of the last 5 mins of that Clermont game a few weeks ago on the 8th anniversary of the game. Probably my favourite sequence of play ever. The intensity of it, the disallowed try, the defence, the noise from the crowd.

Dave_The_Sheep

I'm still unsure what Barnes called out that sounded exactly like advantage (to Clermont) just before the winning penalty for Leinster. Confused me then, still confuses me now. Have the game on my HD and watch it every now and then.

If ever there was a semi-final that seemed like the actual final (at the risk of annoying people), it was that game.

Buer

I used to think that we were very fortunate to get the call for SOB but looking at it now, the first two Clermont players are off their feet and SOB is on the ball before the third arrives to try and clear him off.

I don't think there was a more intense game that Leinster have been involved in. That was the absolute peak of that group with the likes of Heaslip, Kearney, SOB and Healy being at their absolute best.

jacothelad

That was a great weekend. My daughter was married that weekend. On the Saturday as I was giving the Father's Speech I was getting surreptitious updates on the Ulster - Edinburgh game from one of the guests. On the Sunday I watched the Clermont - Leinster game on my laptop in my hotel room in the wilds of Edinburgh ..:D . It was just a wonderful game...and the right team triumphed.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qjxFow0FLRQ

Shefwedfan

jacothelad wrote: »

That was a great weekend. My daughter was married that weekend. On the Saturday as I was giving the Father's Speech I was getting surreptitious updates on the Ulster - Edinburgh game from one of the guests. On the Sunday I watched the Clermont - Leinster game on my laptop in my hotel room in the wilds of Edinburgh ..:D . It was just a wonderful game...and the right team triumphed.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qjxFow0FLRQ

Watching that again brings it all back, hairs standing on my arms!!!


That is European rugby, that really was a Golden age of those big games

Sky are so better to BT

irishbucsfan

I know we like to joke about Fofana’s bicep but if D’Arcy hadn’t hit him so well there in contact that would have been a try. Fofana’s line was excellent, he was always making it across the line one on one against D’Arcy... but D’Arcy hit him hard enough to completely turn his body and to make ball placement pretty much impossible.

Leinster were so good there in contact against an extremely physical pack. One of the best performances from one of the best sides we’ll ever have

Shefwedfan

irishbucsfan wrote: »

I know we like to joke about Fofana’s bicep but if D’Arcy hadn’t hit him so well there in contact that would have been a try. Fofana’s line was excellent, he was always making it across the line one on one against D’Arcy... but D’Arcy hit him hard enough to completely turn his body and to make ball placement pretty much impossible.

Leinster were so good there in contact against an extremely physical pack. One of the best performances from one of the best sides we’ll ever have

Defence all that season was incredible. I remember a game, not sure who it was agaisnt. In RDS...coming up to half time and Leinster was on our try line for nearly 5 mins, they where getting battered but ended up turning over the ball and went in at half time


The whole place celebrated like we just scored an incredible try.....


Gone is those days, no kids, in on train first thing in morning....few beers and then a bag of cans and into the terrarce early and you would be up the back and could see f**k all.....then out on beer for the night


Bag of chip and taxi home then:p:p:p

MaybeMaybe

that game won me something like 500-600. I had picked Healy as first try scorer and to win by 4 points. fond memories

vienne86

jacothelad wrote: »

That was a great weekend. My daughter was married that weekend. On the Saturday as I was giving the Father's Speech I was getting surreptitious updates on the Ulster - Edinburgh game from one of the guests. On the Sunday I watched the Clermont - Leinster game on my laptop in my hotel room in the wilds of Edinburgh ..:D . It was just a wonderful game...and the right team triumphed.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qjxFow0FLRQ

Brilliant to see that clip.......I was lucky enough to be there. My most enjoyable away match in one of my favourite cities. Fabulous weekend, and I still have the Clermont flag I got in exchange for my Leinster one.

Scottmactom

we really dont have the same power in the current as we had in that team...

Clegg

Lads, TG4 are showing a Celtic League game between Connacht and Leinster from 2002.

Victor Costello and Keith Gleeson in the backrow. Brian O'Meara at scrum half and Denis Hickie with a full head of hair. Literal tears in my eyes.

Bazzo

Clegg wrote: »

Lads, TG4 are showing a Celtic League game between Connacht and Leinster from 2002.

Victor Costello and Keith Gleeson in the backrow. Brian O'Meara at scrum half and Denis Hickie with a full head of hair. Literal tears in my eyes.

Make sure you watch it all the way to the end!

Clegg

Bazzo wrote: »

Make sure you watch it all the way to the end!

I've recorded it!

Dave_The_Sheep

That was a lovely lovely jersey.

Scottmactom

Leinster All-time XV:


1. Cian Healy - 218 apps, 24 tries

No questions here.

2. Sean Cronin - 181 apps, 41 tries

Competition from Strauss & Byrne but longetivity and try scoring record wins out for me.

3. Tadhg Furlong - 108 apps, 7 tries

Ross unlucky here.

4. Leo Cullen - 220 apps, 18 tries.

Competition from Toner here, went with Cullen who has had more big performances in bigger games. Fardy worth a mention too.

5. Malcolm O'Kelly - 178 apps, 11 tries.

Competition from Hines, Thorne and Ryan but went with O'Kelly who is underrated by many IMO.

6. Sean O'Brien - 126 apps, 20 tries.

Competition from Ruddock and Kev Mc but hard to SOB's peak almost untouchable by any leinster player.

7. Shane Jennings - 205 apps, 21 tries.

Competition from Gleeson but stands out here if SOB lines up at 6.

8. Jamie Heaslip - 229 apps, 38 tries

No questions here.

9. Eoin Reddan - 140 apps, 6 tries

Competition from Whitaker, McGrath and Boss.

10. Johnny Sexton - 163 apps, 1469 points(26 tries)

Contemponi only other option but not close.

11. Isa Nacewa - 186 apps, 47 tries.

Just ahead of Hickie, but very hard to pick between the two. Nacewa's trophy haul edges it for me.

12. Gordon Darcy - 257 apps, 66 tries.

No questions here.

13. Brian O'Driscoll - 186 apps, 62 tries.

No questions here.

14. Shane Horgan - 203 apps, 69 tries.

Leinster all time try scorer.

15. Rob Kearney- 216 apps, 47 tries

Some may argue for Nacewa here but not for me.

Buer

Just for fun, all time non-Irish XV. Those who qualified for Ireland included. And yes, the backrow is a struggle. Honourable mentiones to Ollie Le Roux, Gopperth and JGP (coin toss with Whitaker almost).

1. Heinke VDM
2. Richardt Struss
3. Stan Wright
4. Brad Thorn
5. Scott Fardy
6. Nathan Hines
7. Cameron Jowitt
8. Rocky Elsom
9. Chris Whitaker
10. David Holwell
11. James Lowe
12. Felipe Contepomi
13. Ben Te'o
14. Isa Nacewa
15. Zane Kirchner