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

Dubinusa

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119027981#Comment_119027981

I agree! His form lately has been top shelf. Back in his early days he was behind Toner and Fardy. Both of who were playing great. I think he's Leinster's best player this year.

I do hope that McCarthy becomes a top level player. If he does, the depth for the 2nd row would be phenomenal.

Clegg

I remember Molony receiving the MoTM award for a Heineken Cup win against Bath years ago.

The talent has always been there, but it took a while for consistency to come. He has gradually improved that year on year. He's deservedly a starting player in Leinsters best XV.

salmocab

Molony early days he had a solid partnership with Triggs.

El_Duderino 09

I think his fitness has looked incredible this year and that could he due to a good run without injury. He hit everything with such viscousness this tmyearcand he looks so sharp. Naybe it's a change in approach but I think he looks super fit and it's allowing him to express his skill.

Whatever it is, delighted for him to be onbsuch great form. Big unit too.

All the second row talent makes the Jenkins decision look unnecessary but if 3 of those second rows are away on Ireland duty, they need cover.

Walter Sobchak III

Rumour is Keenan out injured

AbusesToilets

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119028281#Comment_119028281

Osbourne to 15 then?

RichieRich_89

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119028309#Comment_119028309

JOB to 15, surely? With TOB coming in on teh wing. Frawley on to the bench.

Lsdrugbyfan

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119028309#Comment_119028309

JOB

degsie

Proud of the boys tonight, deserved win

Juventu4

Great win away from home, no major injuries and the team got a run out, hopefully they're much sharper for Toulouse. Scrum still a bit of a worry.

Clegg

I'm delighted with that result and performance. It's Leicester's first home loss of the season in any competition. We attacked them with precision and aggression in the first half and probably should've scored more points than we did. We blasted Leicester away in contact and they couldn't live with Leinsters ruck speed.

Our second half wasn't as good. Leicester had to raise their level a lot and started getting over the gain line more often. It's a credit to our defence that we kept them to one try for 78 minutes and the game already won. Ryan was phenomenal for his first game back. Took away Leicester's attacking maul and forced them to start going for the scrum rather than to the line.

Dubinusa

Clegg, I thought they looked rusty and sloppy. Some good play too. The scrum is a worry. Porter looks lost to me. His bind is terrible and he appears to rotate his hips inward. Toulouse will target him. Kelleher was very poor. Imo. Doris was poor also, imo.

They haven't played in a while, so that may be the reason. I'd be concerned about Porter at the moment, he's not holding his own at the scrum. It's funny, he scrummaged better on the other side.

I doubt they'll win with a scrum that's not functional. Munster were obliterated today! Men v boys, until Loughman and Ryan arrived. Maybe Porter should have played v the Stormers last week?

I'm hoping there's not a lot of scrum.

Interested Observer

Truly bizarre reactions to that game. A one point win in extra time would have been an excellent result. Hell a penalty shootout win would have been an excellent result. Do people just have no idea what Leicester have been doing this season or what? That is the first game they've lost at home this season in either domestic or euro comp. Totally dominant in the premiership. They absolutely demolished Clermont home and away in the round of 16. They are a really, really good side.

El_Duderino 09

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119030608#Comment_119030608

Both Irish teams were soundly beaten in the scrum. I'd expect Leinster to be better than the Munster scrum, particularly without Kilcoyne. But both were a major concern. Both leinster and Toulouse will work on their errors and be better next week. Should be a cracker.

Scrum is a worry though. Irish teams rarely use the scrum as a weapon. At best we usually just hold our own and win games elsewhere on the pitch. But the scrum has to improve. Its a real area of weakness at the moment.

Former Former Former

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119030832#Comment_119030832

Yep, very odd.

Honestly, I think people see us demolishing URC teams with all singing all dancing rugby and think it's going to be like that no matter who we play.

Any win in Welford Road is a good win. No one else has managed it this season.

There was a period in the third quarter where things looked a bit dodgy. We rode it out and were pretty comfortable in the end. That's a good day's work. We're never going to be dominant for 80 minutes against a team that good.

TRC10

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119030832#Comment_119030832

Nobody is complaining about the result. But the 2nd half performance was incredibly sloppy and we got demolished in the scrum (again), those just are just facts. We won't win a H Cup with no scrum.

And it's well established at this stage that being a good Premiership team does not correlate to being a good team in Europe. Clermont are also crap, beating them doesn't prove anything.

Toulouse are going to go after us the exact same way Leicester did, only with way better players. We saw yesterday the exact same cracks that have been exposed at this stage in the season by the top sides every year for the last 3 years. We got bullied by a bigger, stronger pack for 40 minutes, and if that doesn't worry you as a Leinster fan, it should.

RichieRich_89

Thinking about the semi, I don't think Leinster will be as good as Munster were at winning turnovers. But they should be a fair bit more potent in attack, especially out wide.

The scrum and maul are huge concerns. I think they'll probably be able to get past Toulouse at home, but overcoming La Rochelle or Racing in the Final in France looks like a huge ask with scrum and maul the way they are. Do Leinster need better coaching in these areas of the game?

Burkie1203

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119030922#Comment_119030922

Leinster are better at retaining possession, and the Leinster kicking game I expect would be better then Munsters.

#LeoOut

Interested Observer

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119030935#Comment_119030935

Leinster do a great very many things better than Munster, as was evident in the recent game in Thomond. Munster and what they did against Toulouse don't really matter, Leinster play a totally different way.

sydthebeat

That was as comprehensive a win away in Welford Road as any team will do for years to come.

How some see it as a poor display is truly bizarre.

Yes the scrum was under pressure, but when raynal eventually copped on to genges cheating the picture turned 180.

Former Former Former

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119030897#Comment_119030897

Toulouse are going to go after us the exact same way Leicester did, only with way better players.

If both we and Toulouse play to the same levels as yesterday, we will absolutely wipe the floor with them. It won't even be close.

AdamD

I think certain teams just make rugby matches poor to watch and Leicester are one of them

Dubinusa

Lads, I'm delighted with the win. I knew it would physical. It was a good win. The 1st half was great. The 2nd half was poor.

Some players I thought had poor outings. Again Leinster looked off the pace when the Tigers came at them. We were playing in our own half for most of the 2nd half!

Each of the past 3 seasons we were beaten by big physical sides. The scrum struggled in each match. Lots of posters here are happy enough with winning yesterday, but surely the cracks are visible? Some were saying that the front row was world class! I think the front row struggled yesterday. Kelleher at the line out was poor and Porter struggled scrummaging.

Toulouse are very strong in the pack. Their fitness might be in question. Some of them looked shot after the 1st half. Leinster need a fast paced match. That Toulouse pack has got to be moved all over the pitch. The bench for Toulouse was and is immense!

I hope we gel better next week. The set piece has to function. Toulouse will be relishing getting stuck into the scrums. I think we can win and being home will be a big advantage.

Sheep Shagger

ST holder window for tickets is Monday from 10am....public sales from 2pm

https://www.ticketmaster.ie/heineken-champions-cup-semi-final-leinster-v-toulouse-dublin-14-05-2022/event/18005CA4A038706B

Clegg

^

The link also states that kickoff is 3pm next Saturday. Pretty much what was expected I think. Just awaiting official confirmation.

Clegg

Just received an email from Leinster Rugby confirming the match will be next Saturday at 3pm

Sheep Shagger

Good pricing to try and fill it in just 5 days...

pc7

Any ST holder not using their code, I’d happily take it :) but hopefully should be good choice left at 2pm

TRC10

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119031261#Comment_119031261

How some see it as a poor display is truly bizarre.

Because that's the standard Leinster are held to.

Any other club who wins their domestic league and gets to H Cup semi finals/finals every season would be adulated beyond belief by the media and rival fans. But when it's Leinster it's seen as regular failure and being bottlers.

So beating average sides (and yes, that's what Leicester are on the European stage) and getting to semis should not be cause for celebration. You don't see New Zealand celebrating quarter final wins. Any performance that isn't worthy of winning the competition should be called out. Our display over the 80 minutes yesterday will not be good enough against Toulouse or La Rochelle. Because they will dominate us in the exact same ways Leicester did, only they will have the quality to capitalise that Leicester didn't.