Leinster v Connacht, Saturday. kick-off 7.35pm, eir Sport

A-Train

Sexton gone, failed HIA.

Leinster are in massive trouble here, look completely rudderless

irishbucsfan

Paul Smeenus wrote: »

Ha ha ha hah

Just let me know when you're ready to go.

I'm out of excuses now

Buer

I don't see Leinster winning this. The back line is simply too screwed up for them to actually convert their possession sufficiently.

Clegg

Shame about the turnover but Baird just beasted through their side.

I love him

Icemancometh

Buer wrote: »

I don't see Leinster winning this. The back line is simply too screwed up for them to actually convert their possession sufficiently.

I'm not sure the pack is doing too well either. Plenty of turnover penalties for connacht.

clsmooth

Clegg wrote: »

Shame about the turnover but Baird just beasted through their side.

I love him

He just stepped a 7s specialist some athlete

A-Train

What are the Leinster backline doing there? Headless stuff, shocking stuff.

Clegg

Yeah we aren't winning this. That play is a microcosm of the entire game. Leinster have no leadership on the field and trying to play when they should be booting the ball a mile.

Bazzo

Not sure what Leinster were at there tbh. Connacht-esque exit

AdamD

Seriously dumb rugby from Leinster

clsmooth

Buer wrote: »

I don't see Leinster winning this. The back line is simply too screwed up for them to actually convert their possession sufficiently.

The lack of a kicker means they more or less have to rely on tries. Difficult to see how they can win this.

Buer

Buer wrote: »

I don't see Leinster winning this. The back line is simply too screwed up for them to actually convert their possession sufficiently.

Not sure it can be called a back line! Not really sure why they're trying to throw the ball about tbh?

All over the shop now. Need half time and tbh honest I don't think we can afford a 6 : 2 split on the bench if we're starting Sexton.

Buer

Icemancometh wrote: »

I'm not sure the pack is doing too well either. Plenty of turnover penalties for connacht.

There are but a lot of them are coming from backs getting turned over, no support etc.

Connacht just need to keep kicking the ball at them and they've this won. Liam Turner, Max O'Reilly, Andrew Smith all outside Jimmy O'Brien at 10. It really is in the bag if they don't do anything stupid.

crisco10

Times like this I miss isa

irishbucsfan

This could get really ugly from Leinster if they don't drastically improve. Connacht's defense are eating them for breakfast

Clegg

Game over.

There won't be a miraculous turn around like a few years ago. Too much disruption to the side and no leadership in the backline.

A-Train

Leinster are on to get absolutely thumped here. The worst I have seen them play since the MOC days.

crisco10

A-Train wrote: »

Leinster are on to get absolutely thumped here. The worst I have seen them play since the MOC days.

Bit harsh. It's basically a lucky dip backline of academy players.

Clegg

[Deleted User] wrote: »

All over the shop now. Need half time and tbh honest I don't think we can afford a 6 : 2 split on the bench if we're starting Sexton.

It's a 5:3 split now to be fair. Josh Murphy pulled out and Hawkshaw replaced him.

Tristram

2021 bring it on! This is fantastic from Connacht!

SqueakyKneecap

We've been here before but this was such a joy. Daly and Arnold are battering lads. Blade and Carty are causing absolute pandemonium.

McCoy too is working his bollocks off.

Akrasia

Right, as a Munster fan, I want Connacht to beat Leinster but don’t want Connacht to get a TBP

Go Connacht, but go easy on the boys in blue

MayoForSam

We're in Dreamland. But a long way to go yet.

Utopia Parkway

Scoreline doesn't flatter Connacht at all but I think they had a 17 point lead here 2 years ago so it's far from over.

sydthebeat

Leinsters 4 pro out half's missing....

Two debutant in the back line.....

Nah, we're not winning this one

A-Train

crisco10 wrote: »

Bit harsh. It's basically a lucky dip backline of academy players.

I acknowledge that point but they are playing woeful including the forwards.

irishbucsfan

Really don't think there's much Leinster can actually change unless someone in the pack or on the bench is going to magically discover a gift for playing 10 in the next few minutes

HBC08

irishbucsfan wrote: »

Connacht will not take the lead at any point in the entire match

This post has aged like Angelina Jolie.

Dave_The_Sheep

Utopia Parkway wrote: »

Scoreline doesn't flatter Connacht at all but I think they had a 17 point lead here 2 years ago so it's far from over.

It's over. There isn't the required experience or leadership out there to turn this around. Not with how well Connacht are playing.

freyners

Blade should move into selling. Managed to sell mcgrath a dummy by just looking right

A-Train

A-Train wrote: »

I acknowledge that point but they are playing woeful including the forwards.

lineout has been bad, think that's it tbh!

Ref v quick on the whistle for any player holding the ball for any time at all which has cost us 2/3 times.

Our FB having a pretty rude intro to pro rugby, Carty has found the gap behind him a few times.

If Carty comes back out in a blue shirt we may have a chance.

That's it!

crisco10

Deleted User wrote: »

lineout has been bad, think that's it tbh!

Ref v quick on the whistle for any player holding the ball for any time at all which has cost us 2/3 times.

Our FB having a pretty rude intro to pro rugby, Carty has found the gap behind him a few times.

I think carty has found grass every single time. And most of the time max has struggled to handle it.

freyners

[Deleted User] wrote: »

If Carty comes back out in a blue shirt we may have a chance.

That's it!

Don't think the girlfriend is Dublin based for ye to rob this one :pac:

molloyjh

Connacht have this. We're absolute mess. We've no 10 and a bunch of lads either playing out of position or debutants from 10-14. I can't see where we can recover this from tbh. What's so frustrating is that there's been almost no recognition of the mess of the backline from the commentary team or the in the analysis so far.

"Leinster are rattled"

No, Leinster are a mess of a team right now and don't even have a 10 on the pitch.

Clegg

Luke McGrath is having a stinker. His forwards are losing the collisions so it's not easy for him, but with Sexton off the field he's the main decision maker at half back. So far he's making all the wrong ones. He wanted us to play in our own 22, we were caught out and knocked on. Connacht try two minutes later.

thomond2006

Leinster's backline is broken.
No chance they win this unless they get a Lions 2013 level of scrum dominance.

Former Former Former

A-Train wrote: »

Leinster are on to get absolutely thumped here. The worst I have seen them play since the MOC days.

Christ. First (likely) league loss in over 18 months. Relax.

gally74

hopefully people are seeing just how good blade is

irishbucsfan

freyners wrote: »

Don't think the girlfriend is Dublin based for ye to rob this one :pac:

We’ll swap him for one Byrne and one Daly, selected at random

Buer

Utopia Parkway wrote: »

Scoreline doesn't flatter Connacht at all but I think they had a 17 point lead here 2 years ago so it's far from over.

Nah. 2 years ago Leinster had three out halves on the pitch in the second half. They made great decisions and really attacked Connacht. They simply can't do that with the players on the field. Bringing David Hawkshaw and Hugh O'Sullivan on will actually weaken the team even more.

A-Train

Former Former Former wrote: »

Christ. First (likely) league loss in over 18 months. Relax.

Again I agree however the performance is shocking.

Leinster are playing without a 10 and an inexperienced backline but are doing things so bad such as playing a ball in their own 22 when it should have been belted down the pitch.

molloyjh

[Deleted User] wrote: »

Ref v quick on the whistle for any player holding the ball for any time at all which has cost us 2/3 times.

I've had some serious issues with this for a while. How can attacking sides actually play when turnovers are being called so quickly. They have to review that. There was one when we were in the 22 where the Connacht player did little more than touch the ball before being cleaned out and it was a penalty. Defences already have such a big upper hand in the modern game. This just makes it easier for them again.

realhorrorshow

Strange that Leinster decided to reshuffle their entire backline to have Jimmy O'Brien play ten, rather than bring on Hawkshaw. Don't think it's worked.

SqueakyKneecap

Hawkshaw is surely gonna make a big impact in the second half.

realhorrorshow

molloyjh wrote: »

I've had some serious issues with this for a while. How can attacking sides actually play when turnovers are being called so quickly. They have to review that. There was one when we were in the 22 where the Connacht player did little more than touch the ball before being cleaned out and it was a penalty. Defences already have such a big upper hand in the modern game. This just makes it easier for them again.

I get where you're coming from but it's better than having a jackaller hang in there for 5-6 seconds getting smashed in the upper back by huge athletes hitting at pace.

Clegg

Would consider taking Penny off for Conan and shifting Baird to the second row and Connors to the backrow.

PTH2009

Go on Connacht

Larbre34

SqueakyKneecap wrote: »

Hawkshaw is surely gonna make a big impact in the second half.

It'd want to be historic.