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

RedRaider0

Deleted User wrote: »

Makes sense to be honest. A swallow does not make a summer. I'd back leinster to win that game everytime. It doesn't mean they actually will win it everytime. They still be favourites.

they had months to prepare for this game, a re-match of the previous years final and they supposedly were ready to remedy their mistakes in said final.. and thats what they produce.. this leinster team and the players are clearly not as good as many people think.

heaven forbid they had played a full strength saracens side.

The Saracens game was a bad day at the office but not a reflection of where the team are and most of what I've read since strikes me as hysterical over reaction.

We scored two tries to one. Both teams struggled to break down the others defence but a weak link at the scrum gave them a kicking platform to win the game. That's a very specific way to lose a game and Lancaster is correct to not throw the baby out with the bathwater.

arsebiscuits1

Deleted User wrote: »

The Saracens game was a bad day at the office but not a reflection of where the team are and most of what I've read since strikes me as hysterical over reaction.

We scored two tries to one. Both teams struggled to break down the others defence but a weak link at the scrum gave them a kicking platform to win the game. That's a very specific way to lose a game and Lancaster is correct to not throw the baby out with the bathwater.

This.

Everyone was dying to sink claws in and draw conclusions.

I firmly believe we'd better Sarries in a series.

Sarries were better on the day. I will accept this.

But I don't believe they're the better team.

salmocab

[Deleted User] wrote: »

The Saracens game was a bad day at the office but not a reflection of where the team are and most of what I've read since strikes me as hysterical over reaction.

We scored two tries to one. Both teams struggled to break down the others defence but a weak link at the scrum gave them a kicking platform to win the game. That's a very specific way to lose a game and Lancaster is correct to not throw the baby out with the bathwater.

I'm with you on this, one bad performance after an odd break, before the shutdown I think Leinster would have won but the few games since the restart things haven't quite clicked for whatever reason. The gloom here and elsewhere was breathtaking last week.

RedRaider0

arsebiscuits1 wrote: »

This.

Everyone was dying to sink claws in and draw conclusions.

I firmly believe we'd better Sarries in a series.

Sarries were better on the day. I will accept this.

But I don't believe they're the better team.

we had a series... saracens won 2-1.

despite losing half their side for the final game and being 10 point underdogs.

the loss to saracens was historically bad given the circumstances.

RedRaider0

salmocab wrote: »

I'm with you on this, one bad performance after an odd break, before the shutdown I think Leicester would have won but the few games since the restart things haven't quite clicked for whatever reason. The gloom here and elsewhere was breathtaking last week.

agree on the gloom.. i avoided it like the plague, but can't not face the truth either.. leinster were found wanting in a huge way.

thank god for the performance in the 2nd half because the 1st was an embarrassment.

arsebiscuits1

RedRaider0 wrote: »

we had a series... saracens won 2-1.

despite losing half their side for the final game and being 10 point underdogs.

the loss to saracens was historically bad.

I always run the risk of disagreeing with you Mildlyinterested as you never really care about the context of a discussion. You just care about being right.

But a series over 3 seasons is obviously not what I was referring to. I was referring to a series in the context of what many other sports - including rugby - adhere to.

The Ashes, NHL, NBA, International tours etc.

RedRaider0

arsebiscuits1 wrote: »

I always run the risk of disagreeing with you Mildlyinterested as you never really care about the context of a discussion. You just care about being right.

But a series over 3 seasons is obviously not what I was referring to. I was referring to a series in the context of what many other sports - including rugby - adhere to.

The Ashes, NHL, NBA, International tours etc.

well you'd hope that leinster could beat a half strength saracens side more often not.. sadly for us leinster fans they failed to do it when it counted and the hypothetical games played on paper won't change that.

arsebiscuits1

arsebiscuits1 wrote: »

This.

Everyone was dying to sink claws in and draw conclusions.

I firmly believe we'd better Sarries in a series.

Sarries were better on the day. I will accept this.

But I don't believe they're the better team.

I've watched the match back and I don't think they were particularly better on the day. They had a dominant set piece (particularly in the scrum) but despite this platform and the lack of set piece platform Leinster had we still scored more tries and almost got back into the game later on.

We fix the set piece (and that could be a big challenge) and we blow Saracens away like we did in 2018 imo.

arsebiscuits1

Deleted User wrote: »

I've watched the match back and I don't think they were particularly better on the day. They had a dominant set piece (particularly in the scrum) but despite this platform and the lack of set piece platform Leinster had we still scored more tries and almost got back into the game later on.

We fix the set piece (and that could be a big challenge) and we blow Saracens away like we did in 2018 imo.

They were just a lot more accurate with what they wanted to do.

The scrum is the glaringly obvious ones. But they executed better what they set out for.

We got hit behind the gainline too often, had to check for passes that we normally wouldn't etc.

aloooof

RedRaider0 wrote: »

that wasn't last years saracens side, it was a pale imitation as seen last weekend against racing.

that "performace" against saracens was embarrassing.

RedRaider0 wrote: »

thank god for the performance in the 2nd half because the 1st was an embarrassment.

Nah, this is way over the top. The game was won largely because of Saracens dominance in the scrum. It could be as simple as Furlong being fit and it's a different game.

The "pale imitation" were leading until a Racing wonder-try in the 76th minute.

The reality is Leinster are (and Saracens were) in a group of about 4 elite club teams in Europe. Personally, now with Saracens out of the picture for awhile, I'd favour Leinster against the rest on any given day.

RedRaider0

22-3 down at half time when you are 10 point favourites is an embarrassing performance..

Dave_The_Sheep

Snore.

RedRaider0

RedRaider0 wrote: »

22-3 down at half time when you are 10 point favourites is an embarrassing performance..

This is reductive and childish.

No one here was happy with the result but calling it embarrassing is needlessly disrespectful in my opinion.

sydthebeat

if your starting front row is 3 guys who started the rugby world cup final 12 months previously...
id love to see what team thats a "pale imitation" of .....

RedRaider0

sydthebeat wrote: »

if your starting front row is 3 guys who started the rugby world cup final 12 months previously...
id love to see what team thats a "pale imitation" of .....

look at the saracens side from last years final, now compare it to the team leinster lost to. Simple.

bizarre to claim the side leinster just lost to weren't massively weakened from last years side. No Farrell, Kruis, Skelton, Isiekwe, Williams, Spencer etc.

Leinster were 10 point favourites for a reason.

sydthebeat

RedRaider0 wrote: »

look at the saracens side from last years final, now compare it to the team leinster lost to. Simple.

I saw a team that had one game to plan for for 9 months play close to their perfect game.
A team that played at such a pitch and intensity they could not match it the following week, and still only lose by 4 points away in Paris.

Was it weaker sarries team than last years final, yes it was.
Was it a pale imitation of that team, no it wasn't.

A much better example is Toulon of today is a pale imitation of the team that did the treble.

Hyperbole is great though isn't it....

OldRio

RedRaider0 wrote: »

they had months to prepare for this game, a re-match of the previous years final and they supposedly were ready to remedy their mistakes in said final.. and thats what they produce.. this leinster team and the players are clearly not as good as many people think.

heaven forbid they had played a full strength saracens side.

The gaping hole in your argument is this..... Saracens focused on this game following lock down and this game only. The EPL games before this and the European semi last week are proof if proof was needed.
Seeing your other replies i won't bother explaining further.

arsebiscuits1

Alternate kit released

https://www.leinsterrugby.ie/leinster-rugby-new-adidas-alternate-jersey/

I can see it being pretty unpopular but I like the design. I'd need to see it in person to about the colour.

I've been pretty consistent in my bugbears of Adidas stuff. I don't like the iron on and I don't like the fit.

Might get a knock off of this though for training

sydthebeat

I like that.

Oil spill

awec

It's like the unicorn jizz jersey except they found a bigger beast with a larger emission.

Squidgy Black

"To encourage Leinster Rugby supporters to join the movement, the design of the new Alternate jersey features aquatic-style patterns, inspired by the rivers of Leinster."

We drew squiggly lines, therefore, river.

awec

Squidgy Black wrote: »

"To encourage Leinster Rugby supporters to join the movement, the design of the new Alternate jersey features aquatic-style patterns, inspired by the rivers of Leinster."

We drew squiggly lines, therefore, river.

Is that a real quote? :pac:

Squidgy Black

awec wrote: »

Is that a real quote? :pac:

Yeah it's one of the last lines in the release on the Leinster site

arsebiscuits1

Squidgy Black wrote: »

Yeah it's one of the last lines in the release on the Leinster site

That's a marketing person who doesn't care anymore.

"Hey, working on a new angle here for the launch - does Leinster have rivers?"

"What? Eh yeah of course it doe.."

"Perfect"

Buer

awec wrote: »

It's like the unicorn jizz jersey except they found a bigger beast with a larger emission.

Well that explains where Furlong has been for the past couple of months.

b.gud

This is a pretty close approximation of my reaction when I saw the jersey

Serbian

RedRaider0 wrote: »

22-3 down at half time when you are 10 point favourites is an embarrassing performance..

Forgot that law where the match is over at half-time. I remember Northampton were delighted with their half-time Heineken Cup win in 2011.

A half-time score tells half the story. You can't just write off the parts that don't fit the narrative. You're the classic nonsense merchant who will use anything to justify your extreme point of view, while also providing no actual insight or discussion. You have no perspective and you can't build context around a performance. If we played and beat Saracens tomorrow, you'd be in here spouting, "I told you Leinster were the best team in Europe, have been saying it for years".

Of course, that's assuming you're not a troll. I was amused to see that Richie_Rich is the only other person to look at your profile page...

Dravokivich

awec wrote: »

It's like the unicorn jizz jersey except they found a bigger beast with a larger emission.

That's pretty much what I thought when I saw it.

Unicorn Jizz 2 point OHHHHHHH!

Squidgy Black wrote: »

"To encourage Leinster Rugby supporters to join the movement, the design of the new Alternate jersey features aquatic-style patterns, inspired by the rivers of Leinster."

We drew squiggly lines, therefore, river.

That's just as bad as the 12 squiggly lines a few years back, representing each county in Leinster.