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

Bridge93

Shefwedfan wrote: »

As some people didnt bother reading the posts beforehand

A certain poster has called out Tomane, Te'o and now Nacewa as blocking young players.....any mention of Tomane and this poster is on......

The certain poster has yet to mention above of the following as blocking players: Fardy, Bent, JGP, Lowe, Thorn, Gopperth....

Why do a certain 3 players get pointed at for blocking players but some other players are not.....

One single post has named Nacewa. They same post names Henshaw as blocking young Leinster 12s. He certainly doesn’t fit the bill of the other few

I’ve no idea why the poster has such a weird issue with inside center or why they think Leinster would have a different policy there to every other position. But I really don’t think it’s what you’re suggesting at all.

If O Brien, Reid whoever is good enough they’ll play. As it’s always been under Cullen

connachta

That's probably the masterpiece crowning Leinster as the best team in Europe.
Beating Glasgow away with the A team. With none of your starting in the 23, I insist NONE (I think Fardy and Kelleher/Cronin are slighly ahead, the others are even clearer 1st choice absences)

That's huge. I pay tribute for this

wise7

So many positives from last night's game in Glasgow. Connors and in fact all of the backrow were brilliant. Huge shift from Dev and Moloney. The O'Briens were superb and created havoc especially with their line speed. Great for Kelleher to get his brace. the halfbacks were excellent and showed their experience and Byrne was on the money with his attack management as he just calmly gets on with it and makes sure we are where we need to be.

Faugheen

The depth we have is outstanding.

Dubinusa

Very good performance last nite. C.O.B was outstanding. Brilliant player on the ball. Always seems to make a little extra. Ross Molony was great! He's really stepped up. With Fardy leaving and Dev getting older he really is putting his hand up. Treacy was very good, again another lad stepping up. We really controlled that match for long periods. Connors is a beast! Penny didn't even get on. I hope Murphy is ok! Awful clatter on his bonce!

Burkie1203

Dubinusa wrote: »

Very good performance last nite. C.O.B was outstanding. Brilliant player on the ball. Always seems to make a little extra. Ross Molony was great! He's really stepped up. With Fardy leaving and Dev getting older he really is putting his hand up. Treacy was very good, again another lad stepping up. We really controlled that match for long periods. Connors is a beast! Penny didn't even get on. I hope Murphy is ok! Awful clatter on his bonce!

Fardy leaving?

Since when?

I reckon he may get one year extension

PMC83

Burkie1203 wrote: »

Fardy leaving?

Since when?

I reckon he may get one year extension

Hes on a one year extension now? Id be surprised if he gets another one.
Though I hope he does, if he wants it.

Buer

With no RWC or Lions tour next summer and 5 well rated locks in the academy, I'd struggle to see Fardy getting the nod for another contract at 36 years of age.

The fact that Toner potentially isn't involved with Ireland will also be a significant factor. Fardy won't be required to pair up with a younger player and guide them through games if Toner is available all season.

Buer

Buer wrote: »

With no RWC or Lions tour next summer and 5 well rated locks in the academy, I'd struggle to see Fardy getting the nod for another contract at 36 years of age.

The fact that Toner potentially isn't involved with Ireland will also be a significant factor. Fardy won't be required to pair up with a younger player and guide them through games if Toner is available all season.

On the turn side of that - Fardy is still nailed on in the 23 for knock outs and European rugby. His versatility between the second and backrow is also something we rely on quite a bit and he's still very much an 80 minute player.

At his age much can change within 12 months, but right now I'd be of the opinion that Leinster would be weaker without him. If I were the coaches I'd be asking Fardy if he wants to play another year and if he was game I'd put a contract in front of him before he changed his mind.

baaba maal

MaybeMaybe wrote: »

Even more than Clint Newland?

Steady on.

baaba maal

connachta wrote: »

That's probably the masterpiece crowning Leinster as the best team in Europe.
Beating Glasgow away with the A team. With none of your starting in the 23, I insist NONE (I think Fardy and Kelleher/Cronin are slighly ahead, the others are even clearer 1st choice absences)

That's huge. I pay tribute for this

I do think Doris is currently first choice eight- he would have started ahead of Deegan in Lyon if he hadn't been injured.

arsebiscuits1

A word on Will Connors at the weekend.

That was an outstanding performance.

Apparently a season or 2 ago he had signed some sort of pre agreement with Connacht that he would go there if he wasn't picked up by Leinster. I only heard rumours online but apparently it was more binding that he initially thought and his agent royally messed the whole thing up.

Either way, Connacht tried to get him to agree to this and Leinster fought tooth and nail to keep him. I don't know if someone had to buy him out or who had to get involved but apparently it was a rigmorale

What stuck with me though is this fella must be rated for Leinster to fight so hard to keep an open side when we had Leavy, VDF and SOB on the books.

But I saw it in full force there on Saturday night. We often praise VDF for his engine, and rightly so. And Connors did his best Josh impression. Frightening work rate.

Whatever about the tackles, he was incredibly effective in the ruck. He positively emptied some potential Glasgow poachers to protect our ball. His ability to step inside the first man on the carry got some really effective yards too.

I would love to see him and VDF start together. I think they'd make a really effective partnership against some teams that would love to play at pace.

With their scrum caps I'd call them the sirens. If you see Red and Blue come at you.... run!

arsebiscuits1

Watching the game again, it was such a joy to watch at times.

Keeping Glasgow scoreless at home for the final 60 was incredibly satisfying. And that 30 phase defensive set showed such organisation and trust in the structures. Glasgow looked gassed, but Leinster looked like they could have kept defending until they missed their flight home.

The game was littered with lads stepping up.

That was one of Ross Molonys best games in blue. Very calm leader and he showed some traits of second row play that hint he can make the step up consistently. Very good in the air, secured attacking ball commandingly in the ruck and tackled from the first to the last minute.

Oisin Dowling I thought was excellent too. He's not a player I had any real opinion on prior to the game. Given the stocks Leinster have in the second and back row you'd have to think there's a real possibility that he wont be kept at Leinster. I was therefore delighted to see him but in a massive shift. Had a brilliant lineout steal and carried like a man telling coaches to notice him. Hes a big unit. Hopefully he gets a few more performances like that to show Leinster they should keep him or show another team they should sign him immediately

thegreycity

Deleted User wrote: »

On the turn side of that - Fardy is still nailed on in the 23 for knock outs and European rugby. His versatility between the second and backrow is also something we rely on quite a bit and he's still very much an 80 minute player.

At his age much can change within 12 months, but right now I'd be of the opinion that Leinster would be weaker without him. If I were the coaches I'd be asking Fardy if he wants to play another year and if he was game I'd put a contract in front of him before he changed his mind.

Will it be up to Leinster is the point though? I don't see the IRFU letting us get another year out of him.

Burkie1203

thegreycity wrote: »

Will it be up to Leinster is the point though? I don't see the IRFU letting us get another year out of him.

Ireland tour Aus in July. When does the Pro14 start next year?

Shefwedfan

thegreycity wrote: »

Will it be up to Leinster is the point though? I don't see the IRFU letting us get another year out of him.

He only signed 2 contracts so far, the initial one and then a 1 year extension.



Maybe I am wrong?



Will he be kept, I don't know. Depends on how some of the younger players progress this season. Also if Toner is brought back into 6 nations etc.



We need to make sure we have cover in second row, a position that normally second rows only get better with age. Ryan is just a freak :P

Former Former

The only way I'd see Fardy getting another year would be if Toner retires/leaves and Leinster can argue it's too much of a hit to lose both at once.

Even then, I'd be surprised.

thomond2006

Scott Fardy is in the Arno Botha bracket for me. I'll be surprised if he's retained.

Shefwedfan

thomond2006 wrote: »

Scott Fardy is in the Arno Botha bracket for me. I'll be surprised if he's retained.

Except Botha is half the player Fardy is :P


I don't see Fardy been kept on at the moment but things change. I think his current contract was to cover the players lost to WC which in reality was based on Toner traveling.....


A serious injury/player retirement etc would be the only way I could see him staying as a player. Might not be a bad coach

I reckon the IRFU will be looking at the ongoing second row deficit in Connacht and may want some of the prospects at Leinster making the trip west.

Retaining Fardy would be acceptable in this instance but even without movement I think there is a case to be made.

Will know soon enough!

So, Northampton.

We've beaten them in a Heineken cup final.

We've twice had them in a double header, beating them away and losing at home and then absolutely hammering them home and away to the degree that Will Greenwood wanted Adam Byrne as a Lions bolter.

They're sitting top of the Premiership and under a new coaching ticket looked to have substantially kicked on.

How do people think this will play out? I reckon a narrow away win but we'll beat them handy enough at home.

arsebiscuits1

I'd be shocked if Fardy is retained.

If I were the IRFU. I'd be seeing someone like Ryan Baird who's a potential super star. By the start of next season you'd be hoping that this is a fella ready to step up into European rugby and make a difference and Fardy might be blocking that.

Please note I am not in the "bloody foreigners blocking our children" camp. I like Fardy just like I like Tomane.

I have no doubt there is merit to Fardy staying. But the signs point to him getting moved on

Squidgy Black

Deleted User wrote: »

So, Northampton.

We've beaten them in a Heineken cup final.

We've twice had them in a double header, beating them away and losing at home and then absolutely hammering them home and away to the degree that Will Greenwood wanted Adam Byrne as a Lions bolter.

They're sitting top of the Premiership and under a new coaching ticket looked to have substantially kicked on.

How do people think this will play out? I reckon a narrow away win but we'll beat them handy enough at home.

They won fairly comprehensively against Leicester on Saturday, without Franks, Lawes and Biggar and they've no Premiership games until the 20th. So they'll be going full strength if those three recover in time. I think it'll be a tough battle, they're in much better shape than they were in 17/18 where they finished close to the bottom of the table.

Clegg

Northampton away is our toughest test so far. I think it's fair to say that since returning from the WC our players have yet to find their attacking rhythm. We've looked excellent in defence, but I don't think that'll be enough at Franklin's Gardens. We need to put them under significant pressure and keep the scoreboard well in our favour.

Shefwedfan

Squidgy Black wrote: »

They won fairly comprehensively against Leicester on Saturday, without Franks, Lawes and Biggar and they've no Premiership games until the 20th. So they'll be going full strength if those three recover in time. I think it'll be a tough battle, they're in much better shape than they were in 17/18 where they finished close to the bottom of the table.

Leicester are awful at the moment so not sure what to make of game at the weekend. They are stronger to 17/18 but they where awful that season.



I think at home they will be tough but I could still see us winning that game. They looked poor v Treviso and really should have lost that game. Didn't watch the Lyon match so not sure......


The Premiership is hard to judge at the moment, are the teams really that good or a lot of them poor sides with Exeter & Saracens a lot better than all of them.

Dubinusa

Burkie1203 wrote: »

Fardy leaving?

Since when?

I reckon he may get one year extension

He's on an extension! Doubt he'll get another.

Granny15

Just a note on the centre partnership on Saturday evening for us Jimmy O'Brien & Conor O'Brien. Everything good that seemed to happen for the team originated from these two in the centre of the field. The creativity of JOB and the reading and tackling of Conor O'Brien. It seemed like Conor had a telepathic understanding of where Jimmy was going to be before it happened. The support lines they were running off eachother were superb.

I think Jimmy's best position might be fullback but the 2 of them have to be putting pressure on the established partnership of Henshaw and Ringrose. Ringrose stays for his ability to defend the 12/13/15 channel better than any other but Henshaw must be coming under real pressure from the faster and potentially stronger Conor O'Brien.

Dubinusa

Thank God we retained Connors! I hate seeing lads leave to other provinces and do well. It's great for Irish rugby, but not for Leinster.
What will Leavy be like when he returns? If he is as good as he was, we will be struggling to keep them all happy with minutes.
Dowling did play well. He was hungry for work and looked really strong.
RB steady as a rock. Just keeps winning! I think he's great.

antietam1

Though Tigers were poor they had lot of chances early on, their full back cut through Saints easy enough and then ignored what looked a run in for his support.
Like that for the first 20 mins.

Richie_Rich89

Granny15 wrote: »

Just a note on the centre partnership on Saturday evening for us Jimmy O'Brien & Conor O'Brien. Everything good that seemed to happen for the team originated from these two in the centre of the field. The creativity of JOB and the reading and tackling of Conor O'Brien. It seemed like Conor had a telepathic understanding of where Jimmy was going to be before it happened. The support lines they were running off eachother were superb.

I think Jimmy's best position might be fullback but the 2 of them have to be putting pressure on the established partnership of Henshaw and Ringrose. Ringrose stays for his ability to defend the 12/13/15 channel better than any other but Henshaw must be coming under real pressure from the faster and potentially stronger Conor O'Brien.

COB has a lot more in his locker as an attacking 12 than Henshaw does. Playing at 12 seems to make any skill and creativity Henshaw sometimes shows playing 13 completely evaporate. He's a bit like a Brad Barritt maybe, very sound in defence but limited going forward. O'Brien has better footwork, a better passing game and more subtlety and nous around little things like getting the fend going and timing switching the ball from one hand to two or vice versa. He keeps his head up and keeps defenders guessing.

Henshaw stays ahead for the moment based on his excellent, aggressive defence but if COB overtook him eventually I think it would be good because he'd make the team have more varied attack. It's a bit of a pity he hasn't been given more of an opportunity because if you threw him in against Northampton right now it'd be a bit like a boxer going into a big fight with very little sparring under his belt. Looks as if Tomane is back fit now anyway, so COB will probably be relegated to the stands for the coming weeks or even months.

JOB seems to have more vision and skill around passing than Ringrose, probably from his time playing 7s, so he's an interesting option. COB and JOB seem to gel together well. They've probably played together all the way up, so that's where the understanding is coming from. Overall, I'd say they're as good if not better than the Tomane, O'Loughlin pairing, and have more potential on top of that.