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

durthacht

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118840393#Comment_118840393

Maybe they plan to bring Tector from the u20s into the academy next year?

TRC10

Leinster's 10s next season

1. Sexton
2. Ross
3. Harry
4. Frawley
5. Tector

Think we're grand

Clegg

I genuinely believe we're seeing a drop in standards of performance amongst our second wave of players. Decision making and execution just isn't as sharp as it should be.

Exclamation Marc

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118840638#Comment_118840638

Frawley hasn't played at 10 in over two years. He's bedded in as a 12 at this stage.

Sexton will likely be nowhere near the URC next year bar an odd game so suddenly we're down to three out and out 10s, one of which has never played a senior game and another has a poor injury profile. Hardly "grand".

RichieRich_89

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118840923#Comment_118840923

Doesn't make sense to carry extra people who'd likely be sitting around twiddling their thumbs all season. I was never much of a fan of short-term signings, but maybe there's more of a place for them now, given the new league structure. They will likely be streamlining the squad to some degree because of the reduced number of games. But there's always the possibility of an injury crisis. Maybe Cathal Marsh would fancy another crack at it if a space did open up.

brokenangel

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118840507#Comment_118840507

Hugh is a huge Munster fan, he spends every rte podcast doing the same plus telling why every Munster player should be starting for ireland. The last few years was “why is Sexton playing for Ireland? “ on every podcast and why he should be dropped , but he has relaxed that a bit this season when he finally realised how stupid he was

He will do the same in every match in the blind hole that someone will believe him and strip all Leinster player while giving Munster dibs on all of them

Its not like RTE will stop him with the entire rugby desk all Munster. Even Fiona Hayes was on podcast saying Munster shouldn’t play Jenkins in case it helps him for Leinster next year

Exclamation Marc

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118841082#Comment_118841082

Your ideas are generally quite batty but Leinster taking a punt on a retired rugby player is definitely up there with your best.

RichieRich_89

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118841133#Comment_118841133

Okay.

Larbre34

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118840697#Comment_118840697

We heard you the first seventy eight times. You're still wrong.

I think you're wrong, because you're looking for one approach and you think it's bad performance, because the players are playing quite another.

The decision making in that second half was excellent, really excellent. The players were alive to each other, feeding off the stuff from Frawley and JOB. Great support lines, great options everywhere.

Yes there was a bit of rust in the first 40 but who gives a damn when the second half always consists of Leinster producing a dagger from under their cloak and knifing the opposition between the ribs.

dregin

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118840697#Comment_118840697

The drop off in leadership from the first 23 is massive after the likes of Isa and Fardy retired.

Clegg

Was impressed with Martin Moloneys performance from the bench. He's a very hard worker and constantly makes metres when carrying. Would like to see more of him next season. Josh Murphy leaving frees up a spot.

pickarooney

Is Corkery still in the picture?

brokenangel

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118841954#Comment_118841954

Listen to the RTE podcast with Wes Liddy etc, Hugh is a huge Munster fan. I have no idea where he lives or was born, don’t really care either

Former Former Former

Frawley was a good shout for MOTM but I would have given it to JOB personally, I thought he was very good and our best player in the first half.

DelMcG

Charlie Ngatai joining from Lyon. Seems an odd signing. Is centre really a position of need? Also, 31 years old seems a bit "advanced" for an NIQ signing to me...

Burkie1203

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118842431#Comment_118842431

Someone please put a camera on Richie_Rich :)

TRC10

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118842431#Comment_118842431

Surely not.

We have absolutely no need for a centre

TRC10

Unless it means we're planning on moving Frawley to 10

Burkie1203

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118842547#Comment_118842547

Hawkshaw, Adam Byrne and ROL leaving

Where is Conor OBrien?

Keenan Lowe Henshaw and Ringrose will be managed next 2 seasons with RWC in mind.

Clegg

Ngatai was a very good player at his peak. Not sure how he has gotten on in France though.

I think he'll be a decent signing overall.and we need another centre anyway. We're always going to be without Ringrose and Henshaw for large portions of the season. ROL and Hawkshaw are leaving and COB is constantly injured too. That really just leaves Frawley and Osborne as centre cover. And I'm convinced at least one of those will soon be in the picture for Ireland as well.

arsebiscuits1

Someone like Ngatai would be an excellent signing.

Hard running 12 who will give a quantifiable involvement when the internationals are away.

Joe Tomane (despite questionable anti vax views) was quite a useful signing for us and hit his stride quite well in his last season when he got a run of games. He ran hard at 12 and was an incredibly useful asset for starting launch plays in the middle third. In the season Joe played Leinster scored an insane amount of their tries off set pieces in the middle third. Joe was a big factor in this.

Ngatai is definitely getting signed in the same mould. I don't think he's coming to be first choice. But he is filling the gap of a hard running 12 that we don't have in the wider squad except Henshaw who rarely plays and COB who cannot stay fit and looks to have not been renewed. We don't have anyone of that ilk in the academy or sub academy who'd be ready yet.

Further to this, while Leinster and their fans (including me) take huge pride in home grown talent and not relying on foreign signings, there is huge merit to these players in a less quantifiable metric - a different culture. I think there is huge merit to home grown Leinster player who've only ever played in the pale to learn from a player whose had a longer journey, played in different leagues, has a different upbringing and therefore a different outlook on things.

Exclamation Marc

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118842571#Comment_118842571

It's possible but I'd be massively surprised. Can't see how he'd move from second choice 12 to fourth choice 10.

PMC83

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118843289#Comment_118843289

With Sexton out of the picture could be become a first choice 10 though? At the very least he'd battle it out with Ross I think, would definitely overtake Harry

Juventu4

With Henshaw and Ringrose in Ireland camp, ROL, Turner, Adam Byrne and Hacksgaw leaving we need more cover in the backs. Tommy O'brien will be taking Byrnes place on the wing and Ngatai perfect replacement for ROL.

RichieRich_89

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118842457#Comment_118842457

I can't really have an opinion for or against the signing without knowing to what extent O'Loughlin and Hawkshaw wanted to leave versus being pushed out. It's hard to see Conor O'Brien making it at Leinster at this stage. He's almost invariably injured. And when he is fit I have no confidence in the set up's ability to develop him through. Leinster really, really struggle to develop 12s. There has been a number of good prospects over the years for Ireland U20s, but the conversion rate into quality professionals is absolutely appalling.

What 12s have Leinster developed into internationals over the last 20 years? Darcy, McFadden and Reid? If they do get it right, it's almost by accident rather than design. Darcy was a winger and a fullback who turned out to be excellent at 12. It's a similar story with McFadden. He was a 13 who then showed promise on the wing and subsequently was tried at 12 and was able to do a fine job. I'd argue it's the same with Frawley. He was coming through as a 10, and then got pushed to 12 to get gametime.

It's an issue that's not going to go away as long as the Union allow Leinster to sign NIQs for the position (or poach Henshaw from Connacht). Necessity is the mother of invention. When the IRFU eventually told Munster they couldn't sign any more NIQ tightheads they eventually developed Ryan and Archer to a good enough level.

Is Ngatai coming to be third choice 12? He's very high-profile for that - if it is indeed the case. But maybe with Henshaw being away with Ireland a lot and Frawley being quite injury-prone and possibly in line to play a bit at outhalf there is gametime there for him. How versatile is he? I was under the impression his switch to 15 from 12 was to keep him out of heavy traffic because of his concussion issues. His concussion issues have cleared up, presumably? I've read that brain injuries don't heal, but then you see guys like Luke Marshall able to come back, so maybe that's not strictly accurate.

RichieRich_89

If COB does end up leaving I think it would be good to see him move somewhere with a coaching set-up that will really hone his skills and technical ability. Pat Lam's Bristol, or down to NZ, maybe.

Speaking of which, I think the 7s is a great way for players who play certain positions to hone their handling skills, draw and pass instincts, stepping ability and maybe fending - these sort of technical things that NZ players are so good at - to a high level. If a player goes off to focus on 7s for a few seasons it will initially probably retard their progress in the 15-man game. But when they do eventually come through they will be more rounded players. Larmour versus Keenan and JOB is what I'm thinking of.

Dubinusa

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118844925#Comment_118844925

Hone what skills? He's played about 2 dozen times v minnow opposition mainly! Over 6 plus years! No Euro experience. I believe you over rate him. He's good enough to cover when the International players are away. That's about it! He's not been a factor at all. He's in the medical wing moreso than the team. That's probably why they signed an NIQ, C.O.B will be released now, imo.

RichieRich_89

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118844965#Comment_118844965

He has demonstrated excellent passing, kicking and offloading skills at times, coupled with the vision to use them. And he's good at timing the pass while running a line that draws the defender. But at other times he's been a bit loose, coming up with knock-ons and so on. Hence "hone". He needs to be sounder technically, like Keenan or JOB are.

TRC10

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118844859#Comment_118844859

What 12s have Leinster developed into internationals over the last 20 years?

Ben Te'o