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

Dubinusa

Conan is with the international set up.

bayern

Dubinusa wrote: »

Conan is with the international set up.

Not this week

arsebiscuits1

bayern wrote: »

Conan is training.

No sign of Milne.

Forgot about Jack.

I imagine he could do with a run out

molloyjh

So this weekend will likely be:

Dooley Tracy McGrath
Molony Baird
Fardy Conan Murphy

McGrath HByrne
Frawley ROL
Kearney O'Reilly Kelleher

Cronin, Milne/Hanan, Bent/Clarkson, Dunne, Penny/Soroka, Osborne, RByrne, TOB

sydthebeat

molloyjh wrote: »

So this weekend will likely be:

Dooley Tracy McGrath
Molony Baird
Fardy Conan Murphy

McGrath HByrne
Frawley ROL
Kearney O'Reilly Kelleher

Cronin, Milne/Hanan, Bent/Clarkson, Dunne, Penny/Soroka, Osborne, RByrne, TOB

poor dev gets kicked to the kerb in these predictions

molloyjh

sydthebeat wrote: »

poor dev gets kicked to the kerb in these predictions

I seem to have some bizarre mental block when it comes to Dev these days. And I don't know why. I never remember yo include him.

Sorry Dev.....

Irish Beef

molloyjh wrote: »

So this weekend will likely be:

Dooley Tracy McGrath
Molony Baird
Fardy Conan Murphy

McGrath HByrne
Frawley ROL
Kearney O'Reilly Kelleher

Cronin, Milne/Hanan, Bent/Clarkson, Dunne, Penny/Soroka, Osborne, RByrne, TOB

Pretty strong team, wouldn't mind seeing Penny getting a start though. Id drop Fardy to bench and move Murphy to 6 and start Penny.

bayern

Irish Beef wrote: »

Pretty strong team, wouldn't mind seeing Penny getting a start though. Id drop Fardy to bench and move Murphy to 6 and start Penny.

Penny will start if available, his availability is questionable though due to a neck injury.

molloyjh

Yeah, I'm assuming Penny may not be fit. Or at least fully fit. Hence he's on the bench with an alternative there in case he doesn't make it. We're pretty thin in a few places at the moment so it will be interesting to see who we go with.

.ak

Week too soon for Penny by the sounds of it.

Richie_Rich89

Why do people sometimes suggest Josh Murphy at openside when resources are stretched? He is a 6'5''/6'6'' blindside-cum-lock who plays nothing like an openside. This is Leinster, not Munster. It was the same just before Penny came through in 2018; people suggesting Murphy be picked at openside. Sean O'Brien is fit and available as far as I know, and I expect them to back him. Players have to debut sometime. If selection was up to some people on here no uncapped player would ever be brought in unless it was completely unavoidable.

bayern

Keith Earls is believed to have agreed a new one-year deal with the IRFU to remain with Munster for at least another season and others among the seven Irish international players whose central contracts expire this summer are also close to completing their negotiations.

Like Earls (33), Johnny Sexton (35) and Cian Healy (33) have also been offered new one-year contracts, while Peter O’Mahony, CJ Stander, Iain Henderson and Tadhg Furlong are in the throes of negotiating new two-year deals.

It is understood that negotiations with Sexton are all but completed, with an announcement expected soon. Healy, O’Mahony and Henderson are all close to being signed off as well, and the expectation is that Furlong and Stander will follow suit.

https://www.irishtimes.com/sport/rugby/international/keith-earls-believed-to-have-agreed-new-one-year-deal-to-remain-at-munster-1.4487853

arsebiscuits1

bayern wrote: »

Keith Earls is believed to have agreed a new one-year deal with the IRFU to remain with Munster for at least another season and others among the seven Irish international players whose central contracts expire this summer are also close to completing their negotiations.

Like Earls (33), Johnny Sexton (35) and Cian Healy (33) have also been offered new one-year contracts, while Peter O’Mahony, CJ Stander, Iain Henderson and Tadhg Furlong are in the throes of negotiating new two-year deals.

It is understood that negotiations with Sexton are all but completed, with an announcement expected soon. Healy, O’Mahony and Henderson are all close to being signed off as well, and the expectation is that Furlong and Stander will follow suit.

https://www.irishtimes.com/sport/rugby/international/keith-earls-believed-to-have-agreed-new-one-year-deal-to-remain-at-munster-1.4487853

I know it's inconsequential. But why Earls is in the headline rather than Sexton is just a bit odd

errlloyd

arsebiscuits1 wrote: »

I know it's inconsequential. But why Earls is in the headline rather than Sexton is just a bit odd

Because Earls has signed.

arsebiscuits1

Richie_Rich89 wrote: »

Why do people sometimes suggest Josh Murphy at openside when resources are stretched? He is a 6'5''/6'6'' blindside-cum-lock who plays nothing like an openside. This is Leinster, not Munster. It was the same just before Penny came through in 2018; people suggesting Murphy be picked at openside. Sean O'Brien is fit and available as far as I know, and I expect them to back him. Players have to debut sometime. If selection was up to some people on here no uncapped player would ever be brought in unless it was completely unavoidable.

Who said Murphy should have played at openside over Penny? I think you're having a bit of selective memory there Rich. Penny was obviously prodigious and came with a lot of hype and excitement around him and most everyone was excited to get a look at him.

Most people - myself included - would like to see Murphy at 8 given that was a more problematic position for us prior to Conan getting released by Ireland.

I think it would be excellent for SOB to get his first start but at this point it's an unknown quantity whether or not the coaches think he's ready. If they select him, he's ready.

Also, with full respect to Dragons etc. for me the minimum standard a Leinster academy player should be at any stage of their academy tenure is being ready to play against Dragons, Zebre, Benetton etc.

If a player isn't ready for that, their time with Leinster is quite limited

arsebiscuits1

errlloyd wrote: »

Because Earls has signed.

But according to that very headline it's not been confirmed?

errlloyd

arsebiscuits1 wrote: »

But according to that very headline it's not been confirmed?

I know, but there are clearly four "tiers" of close but not signed.

"Believed to have signed" - Earls
"All but signed" - Sexton
"Close to being signed" - Healy, POM, Henderson
"Following suit" - Stander, Furlong

Buer

arsebiscuits1 wrote: »

I know it's inconsequential. But why Earls is in the headline rather than Sexton is just a bit odd

I'd have thought that it's more news to me that the IRFU would be re-signing a winger (who will be 34 during the contract) given he has already been dropped in the past year rather than Sexton who they clearly see as clear first choice still. We have multiple options on the wing who look capable of playing at test level.

I'm baffled that they'd sign Earls again on a central deal. He absolutely should be retained in Irish rugby but surely we can dedicate our resources more appropriately elsewhere from the central pot? There's obviously going to be a political element or spreading the contracts to assist a province but I'd rather see someone else in Munster benefit with a mind to the future.

Is Beirne up for renewal?

clsmooth

Buer wrote: »

I'd have thought that it's more news to me that the IRFU would be re-signing a winger (who will be 34 during the contract) given he has already been dropped in the past year rather than Sexton who they clearly see as clear first choice still. We have multiple options on the wing who look capable of playing at test level.

I'm baffled that they'd sign Earls again on a central deal. He absolutely should be retained in Irish rugby but surely we can dedicate our resources more appropriately elsewhere from the central pot? There's obviously going to be a political element or spreading the contracts to assist a province but I'd rather see someone else in Munster benefit with a mind to the future.

Is Beirne up for renewal?

Agree, strange decision to give central contacts, which almost seem like loyalty bonuses in these cases, to Earls, Sexton and Healy. Of the three, Earls is the easiest replaced (that’s not to say he’s playing worse than the other two). Would there really have been a big risk of losing their services abroad in the current climate? Even if so, would they really be looking to up route their families for a year or two away during a pandemic?

Henderson, Stander and Furlong should be the priority deals amongst those names. Maybe there’s an element of reduced salaries being accepted by the first three hence the deals getting announced first. Doesn’t really scream forward thinking on paper though.

Serbian

Buer wrote: »

I'm baffled that they'd sign Earls again on a central deal. He absolutely should be retained in Irish rugby but surely we can dedicate our resources more appropriately elsewhere from the central pot? There's obviously going to be a political element or spreading the contracts to assist a province but I'd rather see someone else in Munster benefit with a mind to the future.

Yeah, I think you're spot on around the political element — Earls was such an exceptional winger for Ireland and Munster, but I think it's clear that's not true anymore.

Ireland, nationally, have plenty of players who can play his position who are more effective than Earls in his current state, but do Munster have the depth, either financial or player pool wise, to cover his loss? Their backline without Earls looks like Conway, Daly and Haley maybe, which is decent, but beyond that, you're looking at the inexperienced trio of Coombes, Nash and Gallagher.

Compare that to the weapons Leinster and Ulster in particular have in the squad and the academy, I think back three would become a serious point of weakness for Munster without Earls.

arsebiscuits1

Team is up

bayern

frawley injured again?

sydthebeat

nice

Must love hardship

Harry at 10. Ross at 12

arsebiscuits1

Good lord that's an insane pack to be able to put out - I know I've said it a few times this season but still.

Odd there is no Frawley or TOB. Both could give us a better option at 12 than Ross.

But it will be interesting to see both Byrnes play together - surely it has to be the first time?

Former Former Former

Hanan? Can someone fill me in?

arsebiscuits1

Former Former Former wrote: »

Hanan? Can someone fill me in?

"It could also be a memorable occasion for Marcus Hanan who is in line to make his Leinster Rugby debut off the bench should he be introduced.

The 20-year-old played his age grade rugby with Clane RFC in Kildare and was capped by Ireland Under 20s during the 2020 Six Nations. The six foot tall, loosehead prop plays his club rugby with Old Belvedere."

https://www.leinsterrugby.ie/preview/jack-conan-cap-100-against-dragons/?FixGuid=20NL7329

Clegg

Shame Frawley is unavailable. I've really enjoyed the link up between Harry Byrne and he when they've played together.

We're really starting to see the effect of all those injuries in the outside backs. Would much rather have JOB and TOB available for tomorrow than some of the others. Scarlets away will be tricky and we've no room for error in the league now.

The pack looks very strong though. Glad to see Penney and Conan have recovered from their injuries. Lots of experience on the bench too.

arsebiscuits1

Clegg wrote: »

Shame Frawley is unavailable. I've really enjoyed the link up between Harry Byrne and he when they've played together.

We're really starting to see the effect of all those injuries in the outside backs. Would much rather have JOB and TOB available for tomorrow than some of the others. Scarlets away will be tricky and we've no room for error in the league now.

Scarlets away didn't prove to be overly tricky as we put 50 points on them

We've Ulster and Zebre as our only remaining away fixtures.

Your point on outside backs does stand. I'm worried we wont be seeing Jimmy for a good while.

But being able to call on TOB, ROL, DK, Kelleher is good.

And also the pack we can call on is still very experienced thankfully

arsebiscuits1

Minor shoulder injury for Frawley according to ROC in the indo