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

Dubinusa

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119134393#Comment_119134393

Good eyes Jim! You don't miss much? It's a pity Leinster didn't keep Carberry as he being world class and all, would have done better

Luminous Talent

Just a quick question as no one seems to have brought it up here. Why did we throw solely to 2 in line out after Kelleher went off. Surely an attacking backline needs a good platform away from the touch line and throwing to 6 is ideal in this respect. LaRochelle seemed to continue to roll the dice for the whole game even when they were trailing and throw to 6 which reaped dividends for them?

Dubinusa

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119134429#Comment_119134429

Secure the ball easier. The maul was working well.

stephen_n

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119134429#Comment_119134429

Throwing to the tail isn’t the only way to secure quick ball. We were taking of the top at 2 and using VDF to move the ball to JGP meters away from the line out. Allowing Sexton to be further away again receiving the ball. 2 gives you more secure ball with very little difference in Sexton receiving the ball. We were also varying it and mauling off some lineouts to fix their forwards in.

durthacht

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119134042#Comment_119134042

I think this is it.

Sexton's ankle was troubling him since the first half, he decided not to kick clear, and was substituted almost immediately after to put a huge ice pack on his ankle. Maybe it was becoming more painful or seized up.

Tough decision on when to make the substitution.

Madeoface

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119132402#Comment_119132402

Van Der Flier was very complimentary of LaR in his post match tv interview.

Shehal

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119134393#Comment_119134393

To be fair, this is somewhat true although it has been said on here it may have been because of an injury rather than a daft decision.

TRC10

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119135400#Comment_119135400

If he had a bad ankle, kicking a ball would put far less stress on it than trying to sidestep and run around someone.

Dravokivich

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119135836#Comment_119135836

Its rather difficult to kick a ball when you can't feel where your foot is.

ersatz

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119133524#Comment_119133524

They never got their game out of the bag and they didn't score a try. LAR tactics were absolutely on the money. Close score but a comprehensive win.

Quin_Dub

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119135922#Comment_119135922

It was also his left leg from the videos of the ice pack , pretty difficult to steady yourself to kick with your right foot when the left ankle is injured.

AbusesToilets

I was surprised at how Bryne struggled. He's no stranger to this level, and had usually performed well.

scott1974

Looking ahead to Glasgow, Rob Kearney reckons we won't rotate the team drastically.

I do think the SA teams will make winning the League a meaningful achievement.

https://www.irishexaminer.com/sport/rugby/arid-40884407.html

Clegg

Alex Ferguson was a big proponent of naming an unchanged side the week after they'd suffered a big defeat. He felt they had extra motivation to right a wrong from the previous fixture.

You'd wonder if the lads would be able to up their physicality to the required level of a knockout out game though. They went through the ringer and gave as good as they got. They must be shattered.

crisco10

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119136055#Comment_119136055

This was very disappointing alright, he knocked it on 2 maybe 3 times. And the fumble where off conans (imperfect) pullback was another key mistake. It ultimately led to the JGP high tackle and the rest is history.

In that phase of play we were definitely finding space and had a chance to build the game clinching score.

dh1985

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119133560#Comment_119133560

Would agree with this. That was the real turning point. If that ball goes dead naturally without JOB knee making contact it's a scrum back in LAR half with leinster put in. All those small errors in those couple of minutes led to the game having a very different complexion. After rewatching the game at 15-10 maybe leinster should have gone to the corner and trusted there maul. Hard call leaving a certain 3 points in a tight game. There was so many uncharacteristic errors from leinster throughout that was a result of the LAR pressure but leinster should have been able to adapt.

Might be clutching at straws but hopefully moving forward at least the gameplan has been seen for some flaws and that ireland won't be going into a RWC with an heir of invincibility about them and continue to work to improve as opposed to what we seen in 2019.

awec

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119136055#Comment_119136055

He's not a stranger to this level but you must take into account that 99% of Ross Byrne's games for Leinster are behind a pack that gives him a free ride in the game.

It is very rare that any Leinster 10 has to contend with a pack not getting it's own way, and having the opposition right up in their face. Sexton is obviously more used to it due to his vast experience at test level.

Dubinusa

RB is limited athletically. He is not going to claw a team over the finish line. I've always been a big fan but, he hasn't improved to a top level 10.

KaneToad

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119136002#Comment_119136002

They were one knock on or turnover away from not doing it. They spent 78mins behind. They were deserved winners but you're deluded with your "comprehensive win" and "tore them a new one".

errlloyd

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119136883#Comment_119136883

It was mentally that RB let us down in that game. He dropped his first high ball, dropped the offload when through, dropped the pass. He is well capable of catching a ball, but he completely buckled under the pressure.

Madeoface

I'd really like to see Frawley tried at 10 on Saturday....not in a home game with zebre or the dragons next year. A game with a bit of bite.

Though he's slightly less tall than RB and about the same weight, he just seems more robust to me. I think RB is good, (not last weekend unfortunately) but Frawley and B.Healy might be the guys to take to NZ at 10. I'm still unconvinced by HB as a potential heir to green 10 jersey either, he needed bigger games this year.

Exclamation Marc

This weekend's game can't come quick enough.

Clegg

Stats for last weekends game have been published. It shows that the talking point of Leinster being overpowered doesn't fully make sense. We had greater gainline success, collision dominance and a faster average ruck speed. You don't get this if your forwards aren't in the game. Leinster definitely tightened up and weren't as expensive in their style. But that's not wholly due to any sort of La Rochelle physical dominance.

La Rochelle an incredible job in monopolising possession and starved us of the ball. Also, they were incredibly cynical in their own 22 and conceded penalties to kill Leinster attacks. Where Leinster fell down is constantly going for the points it seems.

https://twitter.com/RosscoHamilton/status/1531544125115359232?t=LOx_LGb0y_vbjipLgOvv1A&s=09

Shehal

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119138974#Comment_119138974

It doesnt make sense because there isnt much sense in it, its the usual lazy excuse thrown about just because La Rochelle had afew fat bastards in their pack and as a result the real problems such as consistent brain farts are struggle in the technical aspects of the game dont get fixed and then Leinster are doomed to repeat the same mistakes in the future...

RichieRich_89

At some point I think we have to realise and accept that the brand of rugby Stuart Lancaster coaches just doesn't work very well in big pressure games against quality opposition - or at least not very well relative to how effective it is against lesser teams. It doesn't translate up the levels very well.

Lancaster's record is four second place finishes out of four attempts in the 6N, a pool-stage exit at the RWC, and one European Cup win out of six attempts. Smith won two Heineken Cups from three attempts, three 6N titles from six attempts, and had two QF exits at World Cups. Looking at Lancaster's predecessor and successor in the position of England coach, Martin Johnson was coach for three 6N Championships, winning one title, and oversaw a quarter-final exit at the 2011 RWC. Eddie Jones has been coach for seven 6N Championships, and has won three titles. England also made the World Cup Final in 2019.

That's a fairly large body of evidence. You'd have to say, relative to his peers, and despite the fact his teams play a lot of good rugby, the results just haven't been there when it comes to getting over the line in front. His strengths as a coach lie in developing players and building a squad.

brokenangel

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119133853#Comment_119133853

Really?

Question is would we have made it to either final without Sexton?

Shehal

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119139045#Comment_119139045

Aren't Toulouse a top quality side? The issue is when Leinster needed to take risks they took the safe option whereas with La Rochelle when they needed to take a risk they went for it, that ultimately was the difference, Leinster made decisions they would never had made versus Toulouse a few weeks back.

Shehal

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119139073#Comment_119139073

They would have, the sooner we stop putting players on pedostole the better. The final on the weekend was more evidence to show why Sexton shouldnt be put on a pedostole, just imagine if Ross Byrne did half the stuff Sexton did on Saturday and he's been grilled for less. Is Sexton a great player? Yes, is he our best 10? Yes...but Furlong is our best 3, Lowe is our best 11, Henshaw is our best 12 and are all great players...do we treat them like gods? No, and yet they turn up for big games more often than Sexton does, so if you are looking for anyone to be put on a pedostole look no further than the 3 players I mentioned.

aloooof

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119138546#Comment_119138546

“Though he's slightly less tall than RB and about the same weight, he just seems more robust to me.”

To be fair to Ross Byrne, I don’t think a lack of robustness is his issue at all. He’s rarely injured, and extremely good defensively and in the tackle.

The reasons to favour Frawley would be more around his creative potential imo.

Dubinusa

Porter must start! He needs to get his scrummaging up to par. Maybe a dedicated scrum coach would help? Who is the scrum coach?