Leinster Team Talk/Gossip/Rumours Thread XII (The Byrne Supremacy)

Must love hardship

Deegan is probably our best call with penny for that number 20 Jersey or you could give the other tye 23 Jersey.

Good to see Harry get 60 minutes. Pity it had to come at Frawleys expense.

Not a bad run out and nice to get the bonus point. With so many away in irish camp Leinster are not as far ahead of all the other 2nd teams during the international windows as they used to be.

Dubinusa

See that we won! Hon da boyos

stephen_n

Very strange game, early kick off probably didn’t help the atmosphere. The ref allowing the rucks to last what felt like minutes at a time. The constant messing at scrum time. All killed momentum in the game and I’d say it was dour enough to watch for a neutral. Still 5 points in the bag and some game time for fringe players, job done.

salmocab

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118619965#Comment_118619965

Yeah the timing definitely didn’t help the crowd, I arrived at 6 to the ground and there were still a lot of people arriving and lots grabbing a bite. Crappy time for a match.

Lsdrugbyfan

Leinster have two quality props coming through the 20's by the look of things. Very impressive.

stephen_n

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118620027#Comment_118620027

Yeah I got caught in work so only arrived at 6 and had to grab a burger. So missed the first 5 mins.

Frawley had some dent on his forehead, I hope he’s ok and it’s not a long lay off.

TRC10

Great to see Deegan back to his best. He had a super game, as did Penny.

Harry had a pretty good game at 12. I'd hoped he'd get a run at 10 but maybe the next game. He linked with Ross well and carried hard.

Martin Moloney was excellent. Really physical player. Put some massive shots in.

Scrappy enough performance but not really surprising considering a lot of lads are lacking in match sharpness. Edinburgh are a decent side too. Take the 5 points and move on.

Dubinusa

Hope to see Kelleher recover quickly. It would be awful if his injury is serious.

Rock is Russia

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118626377#Comment_118626377

Yeh I don’t know if it was nerves or what but Sheehan looked over confident on his throw. There was two or three bullets that the catchers struggled to retain because they were thrown too fast or too soon.

Must love hardship

I see eben etzebeth is leaving Toulon. Rumoured to be heading to the shark's in South africa.

Would be just the signing Leinster need

PMC83

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118626958#Comment_118626958

Disagree, while Toulon were lousy to say it in public they were on the money. For a wage like his you'd want the player all season. If Leinster signed him he'd be missing for games on end due to SA commitments.

Must love hardship

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118627969#Comment_118627969

While I agree he was not value for money in France.l where every league game is important. Our leagues are different.

He is not going to be signed for run of the mill URC games.

The rugby championship runs from August to September. Barring Injury you'd expect him to be available for all champions cup games.. And fresh for the knockout stages as not involved in 6 nations.

PMC83

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118628148#Comment_118628148

I reckon we need leaders for those run of the mill urc games though. Fardy played in so many of those dreary Rodney parade type games and was always a presence and added experience top the pitch.

You're right about the Rugby Championship though! For some reason I had it earlier in my head. I think the Top 14 plays into the summer as well.

arsebiscuits1

Etzebeth a pipe dream I guess but I'm not convinced that the scenarios with us and Toulon are anywhere the same.

For Toulon, a good value player would be one flogged week in week out and helping them grind out at least a LBP on the road.

For Leinster, a good value player is one who will show up for us in the knock out games of Europe. That would give someone like Etzebeth 4 solid months of recovery from the RC.

While he was very much an anomaly, Brad Thorn played for us 8 times (514 minutes - Ala'alatoa has already surpassed this), did the business in the big games we needed him for and left a Leinster legend.

While it would be nice to get him for a rainy day in Newport in November, we have the squad to be able to fill these fixtures and win.

What we need is someone who can stand up against the biggest and meanest and in my eyes Etzebeth is one of the top 3 or 4 second rows of all time.

If Leinster are in any way smart they'll have his agent on the blower. But I don't think there's a club in the world who isn't at least sounding it out

arsebiscuits1

Looks like it will be the proverbial week too soon for JOB and Rhys.

Frawley looks to have broken his face and will be out for 4-6 weeks. Poor kid.

Good to get Healy, Baird and Larmour back. Gives us good options.

Team for the week could look like:

Healy, Tracy, Ala'alatoa

Baird, Molony

Murphy, Deegan, Penny

Luke, Ross

ROL, TOB

Larmour, Osborne, DK

Cronin, Byrne, Vakh, Soroka, Moloney, McCarthy, Harry, Russell

Good cover offered with Baird and Murphy in the pack and TOB, Larmour, and Osborne all offer flexibility in the outside backs. Might see Larmour at a brief return at 15 with Osborne back at 13

RichieRich_89

I think I'd have Joe McCarthy involved if he's available again.

arsebiscuits1

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118629937#Comment_118629937

Actually so would I. He wasn't in the injury update so I assume he's fit

RichieRich_89

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118629979#Comment_118629979

Or maybe they don't give updates about academy players.

hold my beer

Did anyone win tickets for the Connacht away leg? Supposed to be emailing winners today

dregin

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118631483#Comment_118631483

No sign of any mail. They did send one about tickets for the Dublin leg.

hold my beer

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118631491#Comment_118631491

Yeah it got my hopes up earlier that I'd won a ticket.

stephen_n

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118629775#Comment_118629775

Frawley looks to have broken his face and will be out for 4-6 weeks. Poor kid.

Had a serious dent in his face coming off alright, looked very nasty.

KH25

Did anyone hear back about Connacht tickets? Im assuming I wasn’t successful in the lottery but haven’t heard anything either way.

arsebiscuits1

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118631787#Comment_118631787

Yeah and given he got the procedure straight away over the weekend it was clearly something that needed immediate fixing. I assume a plate of some sort given the nature of facial injuries like that.

Hope he recovers well

TRC10

I reckon they might start with Harry at 12 this weekend with Frawley out

arsebiscuits1

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118634330#Comment_118634330

He did pretty well there I thought and linked up with his brother nicely.

I'd be more inclined to put Ross in there if we had to choose between them as Harry would benefit from the development minutes at 10.

I think it's more likely we will see ROL, Osborne at 12,13 with Larmour back who can cover 15.

stephen_n

Jimmy O’Brien is back too isn’t he? So he will probably be at 15

arsebiscuits1

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118634920#Comment_118634920

Jimmy was given the "will be assessed further" line as was Ruddock this week.

It's usually Leinster speak for they wont play this weekend lol

stephen_n

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118634969#Comment_118634969

Didn’t hear that update, was still on the we’d expect him back next week one. From last week.

Dubinusa

I'd go with TOB at 12. Larmour on the wing and Osborne at fb.

1.Dooley

2. Treacy

3. Ala

4. Molony

5. Murphy

6. Maloney

7. Penny

8. Deegan

9. Luke

10. HB

11. DK

12. TOB

13. ROL

14. Larmour

16. Osborne

17. Vakh

16. Cronin

18. Clarkson

19. Soroka

20. SOB

21. Nick Mc

22. HAWK

23. Russell

Time to get some young academy lads involved. Would like to see McKie, but he's never featured. No point using Toner, he doesn't bring very much.