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

Clear try imo.

A tighter score and Sheehan would be on the scoreboard.

Exclamation Marc

Filthy offloading

Squidgy Black

Well that makes up for it!

Clegg

Hattrick for Kelleher.

Lovely tip on pass from JOB and break and offload from Penny.

Larbre34

MOTM time chaps?

Squidgy Black

Almost impossible to pick a man of the match, but JOB has to be in with a shout

degsie

Justice

Larbre34

Larbre34 wrote: »

MOTM time chaps?

JOB

Burkie1203

Larbre34 wrote: »

MOTM time chaps?

Penny

Larbre34

Penny close for me, Frawley impressive too, but has to be Kelleher.

Or the person that cleans up spilling claret.

Squidgy Black

Thought Kelleher finished his couple chances well, but wasn't a standout performance, couple knock-ons early on from box kicks and didn't back himself to go for the corner early on.

Although hard to argue with a hat trick.

Clegg

Kelleher scored a hattrick but I think the best back on display tonight has been JOB. Put in three or four lovely kicks in behind the Edinburgh.

Exclamation Marc

Leavy. Great to see.

A-Train

Delighted for Leavy motm

Akrasia

pfffft, you couldn't even exceed 50 points

Useless

Synode

A-Train wrote: »

Delighted for Leavy motm

Great to see him back. He'd a couple of lovely steals

P.Walnuts

Ehhhhhh....Penny isn't too far away from the national set up is he? Seems to have it all

Buer

Leavy with a strong showing and a MOTM award but JOB was, by a distance, the MOTM for me. So many moments of class. The grubber for the first try and the flicked pass for the last try were the stand outs. Every time he got possession it was a positive action.

Kelleher actually worked very hard tonight. Deserved recognition beyond just the scores on the board. O'Brien sensational and showed a huge skillset in attack.

Edinburgh couldn't handle Leavy though - he was incredibly physical and dominant - it was a joy to see given the hard road he had back to fitness. Could see him back in green pretty soon at this rate.

Clegg

P.Walnuts wrote: »

Ehhhhhh....Penny isn't too far away from the national set up is he? Seems to have it all

Skills wise Penny is as good as an to backrow at Leinster. Might lack a bit of bulk for an international openside though. He's around the same size as Michael Hooper, but the latter has that extra bit of dynamism.

Akrasia

Leavy is a class player and it's great to see that he seems to be fully recovered from his injury

Squidgy Black

P.Walnuts wrote: »

Ehhhhhh....Penny isn't too far away from the national set up is he? Seems to have it all

Hard to say. With Leavy coming back and picking back up where he left off, VdF still firing, and Connors showing he's got what it takes there's a bit of a backlog at openside.

Jump_In_Jack

Squidgy Black wrote: »

Hard to say. With Leavy coming back and picking back up where he left off, VdF still firing, and Connors showing he's got what it takes there's a bit of a backlog at openside.

Leavy played 6 tonight, might be the position for him from now on, I’d expect he’s lost a bit of speed with the injury but he seems to have really bulked up and he would walk onto the Irish team at 6 if he could back this performance up a few more times.

sydthebeat

We have a very realistic second playmaker from 15 with Jimmy o bee. That was a top class performance

P.Walnuts

Penny seems have more ball skills that either Connors or VDF, Leavy is more of a 6.....I dont find it hard to imagine he's too far off being involved nationally in the near future

Clegg

sydthebeat wrote: »

We have a very realistic second playmaker from 15 with Jimmy o bee. That was a top class performance

Since rugby restarted Leinster have made a concerted effort to vary their attack. Whether that be through kicks in behind or more linking pass out the back etc. The upshot of that is we've now a lot of quality playmaking options.

Frawley was excellent tonight stepping in at first or second receiver too. Keenan is very comfortable with stepping in as a passing option as well. Done it for Ireland in recent games. Get Ringrose back and you've another player who has an excellent passing and kicking game. Tommy O'Brien was the pick of the young backs before his injury too.

kingofthekong

Deleted User wrote: »

This is an incredibly well coached, organised, conditioned and committed group of players and yes, it's great to have the bonus point before half time.

But this is rapidly becoming an uncompetitive league.

Stuart Lancaster has turned Leinster into a formidable machine and Leo appears to be one of the great people managers in the game. This has coincided with what appears to be a lull within the competition and it's becoming entirely predictable.

I have huge admiration for what they've done and it's for the rest of the competition to adapt - but we're miles out in front now and I'm increasingly uncomfortable with the optics of that.

What a strange luxury to have that we are worried we are too good for the league.....I remember watching Des Dillon and Brian Blaney in the rain in DonnyBrook watching leinster get pumped by some ****e teams....strange looking back at that

kingofthekong

Deleted User wrote: »

Harry Byrne off at 55....

hmmmmmmmmm

Hes very slowly but surely starting to look like the future Irish 10

Buer

Edinburgh are in free fall. Not only that but they were missing 21 players tonight. It's great to see the fringe guys delivering and showing excellent skills but I think we need to relax on the talk of guys being capped. It's very hard to know where these guys are unless we see them in European match or interpro at least.

Given the performances and injuries of late, I'd say Frawley, JOB and Leavy are those likely to be featuring in December for Leinster. Those are the games that will count for a call up. Penny might get one start that month unfortunately. He has a rake of guys ahead of him in Leinster let alone for Ireland.

JOB is looking like someone that could really give a playmaking option from 15 with Kearney/Keenan and Lowe on the wings.

kmart6

Cockerill couldn't go his post match interview without passing comment on Leinster having a bigger budget. :rolleyes: