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

Clegg

This is an incredibly fast average ruck speed for Leinster. I've heard commentators and analysts say that a 3 second ruck speed is what every attacking side strives for.

It essentially gives the defensive side no time to realign and leaves those small gaps in defence which Leinster use to get over the gain line. A few phases later and you've a clean line break. What's even more impressive is that for the opening 20 minutes of the game, Leinsters average ruck speed was 1.6 seconds.

La Rochelle pose a much greater threat at the breakdown and Leinster have to be careful about under resourcing rucks as they'll be turned over in a flash. But if they can maintain a sub 3 second average ruck speed, the French side will find it very difficult to cope.

https://twitter.com/CianTracey1/status/1525917964251410432?t=l1q_gGs4HrrwEadBSMOtHQ&s=09

Interested Observer

Really hope Luke Pearce will be reffing.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119067866#Comment_119067866

It makes the decision making for JGP or Sexton (or whoever else might find themselves at first receiver) so much easier too. You don't need to be overly strategic as a scrum half when you're getting lightning quick ball like that, just get there snappily and keep it moving fast and you pick up penalties and find mismatches.

Four big factors give it to you: winning (or at least not hugely losing) the collision, having the support players tracking closely and quick to the ruck, the accuracy of their clearout and having the scrum half quickly to the ball. Leinster excelled at each and every one of these aspects yesterday.

Josh van der Flier for me should be the European Player of the Year. He's been utterly incredible this season.

Neil3030

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119068007#Comment_119068007

I shall let Jaco explain to you all why, given the log-normality of time distributions, an average of 2.8s is so impressive.

Madeoface

As long as we play the 2nds or 3rds against munster; they (munster) can win / sing zombie as long as they want in the aviva, I don't give a shite as long as that 5th star is on the shirt.

I think next year the urc will be an actual worthwhile fight for once. Someone mentioned the rainbow cup...ffs..must have been dialled in from crazytown/ benneton.

Dubinusa

I wouldn't say La Rochelle are any bigger up front than Toulouse? It would be similar? I thought they deserved their win last year. Maybe, they're not looking to play rugby but, to beat other sides into submission.

Porter will have a long day. He's way off the pace right now for scrummaging. So, keep the ball in play and move those heifers around.

hold my beer

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119068189#Comment_119068189

Thought Dickson reffed the Leinster game quite well. Though I was watching in the ground and haven't watched back yet

TRC10

We want a ref who allows a couple of seconds contest on the ground, doesn't just instantly reward the defending team if they get any hands on the ball, isn't whistle happy, let's the game flow and isn't nit-picky on the scrum. So thankfully it won't be a French ref. Pearce would be good.

Since it's an Irish/French final, it will most likely be an English ref so I reckon we're in for either Pearce or Barnes. Could be Carley or Dickson but unlikely as Barnes and Pearce are the two highest rated English refs and both speak decent French.

Interested Observer

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119069300#Comment_119069300

I thought he was fine also but Leinster winning by so much might have something to do with that also.

Buer

Think it will be Pearce. He's a very good referee who is highly rated and speaks French. Barnes would possibly the best result for Leinster given their experience of him and he tends to let the game flow with low penalty counts which would allow Leinster play at pace and keep the ball in play. Pearce is also slightly more likely to be tough on Leinster if La Rochelle are in the ascendancy at the scrum.

I think Carley would be a disaster. Very finicky and his games tend to have massive penalty counts. There were 31 in the game yesterday. It would be very hard to keep the game flowing and tire out the La Rochelle team if they keep getting the opportunity to stick the ball to touch or pack down and slow the game to a crawl. He has also refereed LAR multiple times this seaon already. Oh, he was also the referee between Leinster and La Rochelle last season.

KH25

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119069300#Comment_119069300

I thought he was grand too. My only real gripe was that I thought Toulouse should have been given a yellow early on for consistent penalties. Other than that I think he was solid.

Interested Observer

https://www.leinsterrugby.ie/felipe-contepomi-to-leave-leinster-rugby/

Expected but Contepomi leaving at the end of the season to join Argentina. Disappointed obviously he's going but seems an opportunity he couldn't turn down.

Dubinusa

After rewatching the match, I still am amazed at how good Sexton was. It's not just his management of the attack, but his his bravery and tackling ability. It's incredible!

Every player played very well. There were mistakes, of course, but overall a fantastic display.

errlloyd

So random shower thought. Is JGP Leinster's all-time pro-era scrum half?

For context, I think scrum-half is probably the easiest position to get into on the All Time Leinster team. We've hardly ever had the defacto Irish starting 9, and we've never really had amazing foreign signings. JGP isn't as good as peak Murray or peak Pieenar clearly. You'd argue that when adjusted for their time he is a wash with peak Marmion, park Strings, peak TOL. All of those players had troughs, but sure JGP was second choice at Leinster for 4 years in his late twenties.

Or to put this question another way. We currently have a scrum-half most other top teams in Europe would trade theirs for. Has this ever been the case before?

Dubinusa

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119070098#Comment_119070098

He's certainly very good. It's tough to gauge. Different Leinster teams have had different strengths! On this year's version, JGP is key to the style and tempo of play. He is the starting international scrum half and looks like he will be for the foreseeable future. He could very well be the best Leinster 9. Time will tell

K3v

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119069984#Comment_119069984

Noel McManara announcement inniment.

Former Former Former

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119070098#Comment_119070098

Not sure if he'd be on the same level as peak JGP but Chris Whitaker was a big part of the maturation from coiffured showponies to grizzled bullyboys.

arsebiscuits1

No more fitting way for Felipe to end his Leinster coaching career than getting one over on a ROG coached team!!!

arsebiscuits1

I know we've waxed lyrical about the Toulouse game but upon rewatch there were elements that were just really different gravy.

How good is Ross Molony?? That has to be his best ever game in blue and it wasn't even a surprise that he pulled a performance like that.

His ball handling ability is something I've referenced before but he squares up his hips and shoulders so well that he's got 5 viable options (carry left/ right, pass left/ right or out the back) it's a nightmare to defend against. But along with this the accuracy of his blind screen pass is always spot on. And he holds it that much later and the pass is just that much better than others. He gave Sexton a proper armchair ride. 5 carries for 2m is a thankless task and he did dutifully do awful carrying into traffic to shape a play around. I remember him losing a few meters on one carry which is to be expected against that Toulouse pack.

He had 14 tackles which was the most of anyone in blue. He had a monstrous 11 passes which was more than any of the other Leinster player in the 23 bar JGP, Sexton and McGrath. That is bonkers for a second row.

Get that man on the plane to New Zealand. Sure Ahern and McCarthy and even Baird are players for the future etc.

But Molony is a player for the now. He's 27 pretty much a teenager in second row terms. He's a leader and he's durable.

If he can be that influential against a French team in a European semi, he has earned the right to get a look in internationally.

durthacht

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119070098#Comment_119070098

You think about JGP in the shower?

errlloyd

Only when p-hub is down.

Clegg

A few things really stand out from last weekends fixtures. One is the high ball in play time for the Leinster game compared to La Rochelles. If Leinster can keep a high ball in play time it'll really fatigue the opposition forwards. Happened against Toulouse and will happen against La Rochelle too.

Another is just how fast Leinsters ruck speed was. La Rochelle will work to slow that down as much as they can.

Leinster kicked more ball than I remembered as well. But a lot were long touchfinders or kicks from just inside the Toulouse half for territory. They were used to keep the Toulouse pack moving. Finally, Leinster had a huge amount of gainline success. La Rochelle have some huge forwards, but if Leinster can keep varying the point of attack, keep the average ruck time low, and not allow the opposition to set their defence, there should be gaps there to run into.

In last seasons semi final, Leinsters attacking system wasn't as developed as it is now. They too often telegraphed their carries and were double tackles by a defence that had read their play. We've more passing and kicking variety this time round and hopefully we'll be able to keep their forwards on the move and running backwards.

https://twitter.com/RosscoHamilton/status/1526108551223050242?t=XzWWfLWqmN_Q2brNcQXBOg&s=09

KH25

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119070357#Comment_119070357

I've been very impressed with him this year. Some of his handling on Saturday was a joy to watch. He seems to work very well with James Ryan too.

Lsdrugbyfan

The Leinster Rugby coaching staff have issued an injury update ahead of this weekend’s return to URC action.

Following Saturday’s win against Toulouse in the Heineken Champions Cup last four, Leinster are in league action against Munster Rugby at Aviva Stadium (KO 7.15pm – LIVE on TG4, Premier Sports and URC TV).

Tadhg Furlong (ankle) and James Lowe (shin) picked up injuries against the French champions and will be further assessed this week. However, neither player will feature against Munster.

Rónan Kelleher was removed for a Head Injury Assessment in the second half against Toulouse and will follow the return to play protocols this week.

In more positive news, Jordan Larmour will look to return to full training this week after his return from a hip injury.

There are no further updates on:

Tommy O’Brien (knee), Nick McCarthy (shoulder), James Tracy (neck), Dave Kearney (hamstring) and Will Connors (knee)

Must love hardship

With Contepomi announced as leaving and Leamy as good as gone to Munster who are the most likely replacements?

Macnamara for Contepomi and Sean O'Brien for Leamy?

arsebiscuits1

I think the likelihood of SOB coming straight into a senior role at Leinster is pretty slim to be honest. Playing accolades or not.

Much more likely he comes in as an EPDO or some academy coach while he gets his badges and experience.

Trevor Hogan is a rated coach whose been in the Leinster setup who would be in with a should of replacing Leamy

Must love hardship

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119071104#Comment_119071104

Thought i Noticed Hogan running the water during the trip to South Africa. Might have been doing some of the coaching while Lancaster was in Ireland.

Sob was on a podcast around the time he retired ( might have been the left wing) and said he wouldn't mind doing some coaching and even suggested a school team like Kilkenny college might suit him..

Has been involved in coaching at different levels and different codes even Gaa for a number of years. Would be a good voice to get back involved in Leinster.

crisco10

Anybody else think it was weird the Toulouse were also kicking the ball in play on their exits on Saturday??

I get why Leinster wanted to do it, but what were Toulouse doing? Against Munster, Ulster dupont was always clearing to touch but on Saturadt he was kicking down keenans throat from his 22.

TRC10

Just watched the game back.

Ross Molony takes the ball to the line better than Joey Carbery and that's not even an exaggeration.

TRC10

I'd start McGrath and R.Byrne on Saturday. Yes there's a risk they could pick up a knock, but neither of them have started a game in over a month and one of them could easily need to play 70 minutes in the final. They could do with the match sharpness.

Something like this I reckon

1. Byrne
2. Tracy
3. Clarkson
4. Baird
5. McCarthy
6. Soroka
7. Penny
8. Ruddock
9. McGrath
10. R.Byrne
11. O'Loughlin
12. Frawley
13. Osborne
14. Larmour
15. Cosgrave