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

Dravokivich

Yeah_Right wrote: »

So if Leinster win, the league is rubbish and if Ulster win, Leinster disrespected the league? Just want to make sure I've got this right.

It seems the final, is the baby and the league is the bath water.

RugbyLover123

Just the 6 Leinster lads on the Ulster bench

Clegg

Really want to see how VDF and Connors get on in the same backrow. They're quite similar players in that they've huge work rate and excellent tackle technique. Connors is probably a harder hitter and VDF better at the breakdown.

Depending on how the game goes I don't think it'll be a straight swap of opensides when Connors comes on. If Leinster are in the lead I can see Conan coming off with Doris shifting to 8 and having dual opensides shutting down Ulsters attack.

molloyjh

aloooof wrote: »

It absolutely did stem from prioritising one competition over the other. They prioritised the European final the week before.

In both scenario's Sexton hasn't played 2 weeks in a row. In both scenario's Sexton will have played every European game.

They way the fixtures have fallen is different, but the way Leinster have prioritised is not.

But sure by that logic we prioritised the SF over the final????

aloooof

molloyjh wrote: »

But sure by that logic we prioritised the SF over the final????

Nope. You've prioritised the Euro QF over the Final. Which is exactly the point I've been making all along.

clsmooth

Don’t start player X in important games and he should be moved to another province. Start player X in an important game at the expense of another top player and Leinster are disrespecting the integrity of the competition. You can’t please everybody.

sydthebeat

Leinster have gone pretty much first choice in 14 of the 15 starters.

Seven days out from a HC quarter final against the European champions.

I think that's anything BUT disrespecting the league

AbusesToilets

Not a great look for Ruddock to not start any of the games, is he injured again? Week too soon etc

Squidgy Black

AbusesToilets wrote: »

Not a great look for Ruddock to not start any of the games, is he injured again? Week too soon etc

Was available for selection vs Munster after picking up a quad injury in the Ulster game. Just fallen down the pecking order with Doris putting in stellar performances at 6 and the decision to keep Conan at 8.

Buer

Interesting to see that Saracens have named a completely second string side for this weekend. Well, not really. But the fact that they've named Manu Vunipola at 10 is interesting. He has had plenty of game time at 10 already so it seems they might go with Alex Goode at 10 next week instead of him.

No Wigglesworth or Mako Vunipola (and they wouldn't be involved in this anyway, really) so they'll both have less than 80 minutes rugby in the last 6 months and no rugby for over a month if they do feature.

Largely the same situation as Tadhg Furlong, really and Ryan's scenario is only fractionally better.

pickarooney

Is Ruddock the most underrated/unlucky/underplayed player Leinster and Ireland have ever had?

AbusesToilets

pickarooney wrote: »

Is Ruddock the most underrated/unlucky/underplayed player Leinster and Ireland have ever had?

Not far off it. Makes Fitzgerald look like Brett Favre by comparison

Buer

pickarooney wrote: »

Is Ruddock the most underrated/unlucky/underplayed player Leinster and Ireland have ever had?

He's absolutely the player Ulster need for 2 years. Incredibly hard working, powerful, consistent and a leader. He's not flash whatsoever but his presence facilitates others. Imagine Ruddock clearing rucks and tidying crap ball and turning it into front foot possession. Coetzee would have a field day.

Unfortunately, he turns 30 this winter and Leinster are continuing to churn out flankers with Josh Murphy making huge strides of late, Baird looking for opportunities and Will Connors capable of playing blindside too, I'm not sure Ruddock has too much of a future in blue.

But, to respond to the original question, he is quite possibly all three things you suggest. This time last year he was winning MOTM for Ireland in the RWC and now he's not certain to get into Leinster's first choice 23 even if he's fully fit and has a run of games.

Exclamation Marc

Pro14 Champions. And unbeaten.

Pure class.

Kevski

Exclamation Marc wrote: »

Pro14 Champions. And unbeaten.

Pure class.

Not even just unbeaten - a 100% record. What a phenomenal season.

molloyjh

This season we can be the first to 3 in a row in the league and the first to 5 in Europe. I would dearly love to follow on the first with the second. Drico talked about a legacy after the 2011 HEC final. We need to keep pushing to secure that.

Buer

Stats updated for last night. I thought Jack Conan got through a mountain of work alright. For Leinster, most tackles and carries of any player with 20 and 11 respectively. His discipline needs work as he appears to be struggling with the new breakdown enforcements. With that tackle count, he's always going to be a likely candidate for being pinned in and he certainly had no opportunity to get away on one of his three penalties. Saracens will hold him in all day though. There was a clear improvement in rolling away in the second half though and that was reflected in the lower penalty count.

I'm a big Ed Byrne fan; 11 tackles in his 27 minutes along with 4 carries. He's putting genuine pressure on Healy at this point.

Leinster did a real hatchet job on Coetzee. 15 carries for 14m must be his lowest return in a long time. After Stander last week, it's great preparation for Billy Vunipola.

With Connors only getting 8 minutes, I'm convinced he's starting next week with Vunipola in mind.

arsebiscuits1

Buer wrote: »

Stats updated for last night. I thought Jack Conan got through a mountain of work alright. For Leinster, most tackles and carries of any player with 20 and 11 respectively. His discipline needs work as he appears to be struggling with the new breakdown enforcements. With that tackle count, he's always going to be a likely candidate for being pinned in and he certainly had no opportunity to get away on one of his three penalties. Saracens will hold him in all day though. There was a clear improvement in rolling away in the second half though and that was reflected in the lower penalty count.

I'm a big Ed Byrne fan; 11 tackles in his 27 minutes along with 4 carries. He's putting genuine pressure on Healy at this point.

Leinster did a real hatchet job on Coetzee. 15 carries for 14m must be his lowest return in a long time. After Stander last week, it's great preparation for Billy Vunipola.

With Connors only getting 8 minutes, I'm convinced he's starting next week with Vunipola in mind.

Ed Byrne having the season that shows why Leinster stuck with him through 2 straight years of injury. Super player. Reminds me a lot of a younger jack McGrath in how effective he is in all facets of his game. Probably a good bit more mobile.

Will be excited to see how Connors gets on if he starts. Few more satisfying things to see than a really well executed chop tackle on a massive ball carrier. He's just so hungry in his work rate

Clegg

Conan and Doris are developing into an excellent ball carrying tandem. I've huge time for Ruddock and think he's been brilliant for Leinster for years, but Doris is just a better option now. He can do everything Ruddock can in defence and lineout, but is a much better ball carrier.

I'd have zero problem if Ruddock started against Saracens for instance.l, if there was an injury. But he's no longer an automatic starter.

yerrahbah

Clegg wrote: »

Conan and Doris are developing into an excellent ball carrying tandem. I've huge time for Ruddock and think he's been brilliant for Leinster for years, but Doris is just a better option now. He can do everything Ruddock can in defence and lineout, but is a much better ball carrier.

I'd have zero problem if Ruddock started against Saracens for instance.l, if there was an injury. But he's no longer an automatic starter.

I think I'm right in saying that Ruddock hasn't started a match since the restart.

Id imagine hes down the pecking order at Lenster at the moment.

stephen_n

Think Porter was fantastic again last night. There is no drop off between him and Furlong as things stand. This is going to end up being like Healy and McGrath, hopefully doesn’t lead to the same situation.

salmocab

stephen_n wrote: »

Think Porter was fantastic again last night. There is no drop off between him and Furlong as things stand. This is going to end up being like Healy and McGrath, hopefully doesn’t lead to the same situation.

McGrath hasn’t been great at all since his move, he’s dropping off the international radar and getting surpassed at club level. I would think potential movers Especially established players might look at him and Jordi and think getting more game time elsewhere may not be the best for getting caps.

Burkie1203

If We have a pro12 or pro 16 next season then Leinster will be the only pro14 champions.

Interested Observer

Sexton obviously to start but thoughts on other changes for the weekend? I can see nearly the entire rest of the team being kept after how generally good the defense was. Other possible areas for change might be:
1) backrow, could get Connors in to try do a job on Vunipla and Itoje, but I'd have my money on VdF
2) back 3 where Keenan probably would be at risk if Dave Kearney is fit again but I don't really think he's put a foot wrong so far tbh and I don't think Kearney is fit anyway
3) second row where I don't think Toner is 100% to start but I reckon he probably will

Personally I'd go with JGP over McGrath but not sure if that will happen either. On another note you'd feel terrible for Dave Kearney, playing absolutely out of his skin this season and gets injured for the business end of things.

arsebiscuits1

Interested Observer wrote: »

Sexton obviously to start but thoughts on other changes for the weekend? I can see nearly the entire rest of the team being kept after how generally good the defense was. Other possible areas for change might be:
1) backrow, could get Connors in to try do a job on Vunipla and Itoje, but I'd have my money on VdF
2) back 3 where Keenan probably would be at risk if Dave Kearney is fit again but I don't really think he's put a foot wrong so far tbh and I don't think Kearney is fit anyway
3) second row where I don't think Toner is 100% to start but I reckon he probably will

Personally I'd go with JGP over McGrath but not sure if that will happen either. On another note you'd feel terrible for Dave Kearney, playing absolutely out of his skin this season and gets injured for the business end of things.

Honestly can't call between Josh and Will. Was Will given such little time at the weekend to rest ahead of this game? Or was Josh given so much to make sure he's prepared as much as possible?

They obviously want to stop the Sarries onslaught. Is Connors chopping everything in sight the best way to do that from the start? Or from 50-60 minutes? Josh gave a timely reminder of how much eh can offer when it matters.

Keenan like Larmour has his frailties under the high ball that I've seen. Not necessarily a weakness. But they've a poorer return on them than I'd like. But I'm not sure Sarries kicking game will be good enough to full expose it.

Still I think he's the best 14 available to us and will back him to do a great job.

I think Dev has been great so far this month and has offered us absolutely everything that's in his remit. We're in knockout rugby now and setpiece is king. Dev still the man for that.

Zero complaints from me if Fardy gets the nod though.

Side note: How good was Ryan in his first game back? What a player that man is. Hoping for a huge showing this weekend.

Rigor Mortis

If Kelleher was throwing straight I would start Fardy. We need to win our own ball from early. Our best chance of that is with Dev on.

pickarooney

Any chance Tracy or Cronin could start?
The lineout has been absolute gash no matter who the jumpers are.

Squidgy Black

pickarooney wrote: »

Any chance Tracy or Cronin could start?
The lineout has been absolute gash no matter who the jumpers are.

Wouldn't be surprised to see Cronin in, the lineout improved massively in the first game against Ulster from the Munster game the week before. It's going to be a huge factor as well with Itoje likely to cause havoc if the throws aren't on the money.

Interested Observer

Rigor Mortis wrote: »

If Kelleher was throwing straight I would start Fardy. We need to win our own ball from early. Our best chance of that is with Dev on.

To defend Kelleher a little, there was a systems failure in the lineout in the first half. There were 4 lost in total, one Leinster didn't even manage to get a guy in the air and another was a good throw to the back that was dropped. But it looked like nobody had their timing right in the first half and it's very difficult for a hooker in those circumstances.

Clegg

Furlong and Leavy's availability for the Saracens game is still 'uncertain'. No chance Furlong makes it now. Either makes it back in time now.

McFadden is fully fit, back training and available for selection. But I think we're probably sticking with Keenan now.

Dan Sheahan has a cheekbone injury and is out for 6 weeks. Think he would've gotten a run out in the league.

https://twitter.com/Murray_Kinsella/status/1305476695101788160?s=19