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

Buer

If Exeter are determined to win the game , they're going to be giving Luke McGrath some special treatment. If he has to go off injured before the 50th minute, that's game over.

I fully expect to see him getting some attention from Exeter in the opening quarter.

arsebiscuits1

https://dementedmole.com/2021/04/09/leinster-a-tale-of-two-units/#more-7188

Great piece by the rarely seen Demented Mole.

Long read but very interesting

Buer

Quin_Dub wrote: »

Agreed , supported by picking Fardy over Baird to start as he'd be better at being an awkward b****cks at the breakdown to slow down and frustrate Exeter.

He's a far smarter operator than Baird in defence still. Not just in terms of slowing things down but also communication and decision making. Even for more subtle things like bringing the referee's attention to some breakdown play such as angles of entry, going off feet etc. He's constantly talking.

He's also a turnover threat. Leinster rarely employ that tactic anymore, preferring to keep 13-14 men on their feet but, if Exeter are going through 20+ phases, there will be an opportunity to get hands on the ball at some point.

Buer

Former Former Former wrote: »

15. Stuart Hogg, 14. Olly Woodburn, 13. Henry Slade, 12. Ollie Devoto, 11. Tom O'Flaherty, 10. Joe Simmonds (c), 9. Jack Maunder, 1. Ben Moon, 2. Luke Cowan-Dickie, 3. Tom Francis, 4. Jonny Gray, 5. Jonny Hill, 6. Dave Ewers, 7. Jacques Vermeulen, 8. Sam Simmonds.

Replacements:
16. Jack Yeandle, 17. Alec Hepburn, 18. Harry Williams, 19. Sam Skinner, 20. Jannes Kirsten, 21. Stu Townsend, 22. Harvey Skinner, 23. Ian Whitten

Good side

They've swapped their props out from last week, going for a bigger front row. They've had some hiccups at scrum time and I'd imagine they're looking to tighten that up against us. Hopefully they lose a little bit of mobility in that area though where we've a nice mix of beef and speed.

arsebiscuits1

Leinster still extremely slim bookies favorites after team announcement

This is going to be a terrific game.

Pre covid I'd be nervous about the fixture and cogitate over the team sheets but nowadays I'm just happy to see a fierce matchup that could go either way!

Bring on Saturday.

FrannoFan

arsebiscuits1 wrote: »

Leinster still extremely slim bookies favorites after team announcement

Surprised at that

They have a stronger second row pairing. In a tight game as predicted that could easily swing it.
More firepower behind the scrum too.

We have a questionable lineout and missing three/four starters.

Interested Observer

Couldn't understand Dave Kearney not starting against Toulon and I'm twice as baffled by this. He's the exact player you want in this game imo, been absolutely rock solid for ages.

Buer

Interested Observer wrote: »

Couldn't understand Dave Kearney not starting against Toulon and I'm twice as baffled by this. He's the exact player you want in this game imo, been absolutely rock solid for ages.

Yup, their back three is somewhere we could attack them tactically. Hogg is a class act but we've already see for Ireland that he can be vulnerable under a high ball. DK is very good at that aspect and offers probably more than any of our wings. He showed that again against Munster straight from the opening kick off when his chase and pressure forced the mess up between Kleyn and Conway.

Skyfloater

Mods, could you remove the title poll please, it's taking up half the page.

arsebiscuits1

Skyfloater wrote: »

Mods, could you remove the title poll please, it's taking up half the page.

They can't

ak already looked into it and apparently there's no feature for it on boards.

I tend to scroll down. Works a treat

Skyfloater

Skyfloater wrote: »

Mods, could you remove the title poll please, it's taking up half the page.

It will be staying up as a reminder that I came second in the poll.

Ak has a personal vendetta against me since he copied the good parts of my team selections leading to a six nations fantasy superbru victory. He's made some flimsy IT related excuse but we all know the real reason it's staying up.

Squidgy Black

A team to play Connacht Eagles tomorrow:

15. Chris Cosgrave
14. Niall Comerford
13. Max O’Reilly (7)
12. Jamie Osborne (6)
11. Rob Russell
10. Tim Corkery (2)
9. Ben Murphy

1. Marcus Hanan (3)
2. Dan Sheehan CAPTAIN (10)
3. Vakh Abdaladze (11)
4. Joe McCarthy
5. Alex Soroka (2)
6. Lee Barron
7. Mark Hernan
8. Seán O’Brien (2)

Replacements:

John McKee
Jack Boyle
Greg McGrath (3)
Aaron Coleman
Cormac Foley
Marcus Kiely

molloyjh

Squidgy Black wrote: »

A team to play Connacht Eagles tomorrow:

15. Chris Cosgrave
14. Niall Comerford
13. Max O’Reilly (7)
12. Jamie Osborne (6)
11. Rob Russell
10. Tim Corkery (2)
9. Ben Murphy

1. Marcus Hanan (3)
2. Dan Sheehan CAPTAIN (10)
3. Vakh Abdaladze (11)
4. Joe McCarthy
5. Alex Soroka (2)
6. Lee Barron
7. Mark Hernan
8. Seán O’Brien (2)

Replacements:

John McKee
Jack Boyle
Greg McGrath (3)
Aaron Coleman
Cormac Foley
Marcus Kiely

Great to see Abdaladze back. Would have been interesting to see that midfield pairing too.

arsebiscuits1

Squidgy Black wrote: »

A team to play Connacht Eagles tomorrow:

15. Chris Cosgrave
14. Niall Comerford
13. Max O’Reilly (7)
12. Jamie Osborne (6)
11. Rob Russell
10. Tim Corkery (2)
9. Ben Murphy

1. Marcus Hanan (3)
2. Dan Sheehan CAPTAIN (10)
3. Vakh Abdaladze (11)
4. Joe McCarthy
5. Alex Soroka (2)
6. Lee Barron
7. Mark Hernan
8. Seán O’Brien (2)

Replacements:

John McKee
Jack Boyle
Greg McGrath (3)
Aaron Coleman
Cormac Foley
Marcus Kiely

Stream going to be on Youtube for this.

Definite bare bones there. Lee Barron is a Hooker.

Papali'i starting for Connacht. No better test for some of these young fellas

Squidgy Black

arsebiscuits1 wrote: »

Stream going to be on Youtube for this.

Definite bare bones there. Lee Barron is a Hooker.

Papali'i starting for Connacht. No better test for some of these young fellas

Soroka shifting into the second row as well, and only 6 players on the bench, extremely strong side from Connacht with the Papali'i, Fitzgerald, Ben O'Donnell, McNulty, Prendergast, Sullivan, Robertson McCoy, Masterson, Burke all on senior contracts this season

Larbre34

[Deleted User] wrote: »

This is going to be a terrific game.

Pre covid I'd be nervous about the fixture and cogitate over the team sheets but nowadays I'm just happy to see a fierce matchup that could go either way!

Bring on Saturday.

I agree, should be a belter.

My nervousness is that the first rate Leinster XV haven't been challenged as a group for many months, whereas Exeter have been bashing it up on two fronts in a comparitively normal season for them. There is no question they are teak tough and superbly coached.

If Leinster are victors tomorrow, it will rank up there with some of the great away knock-out wins, like Toulouse and Clermont, down the years.

The bookies still have it at +/-2 and I wouldn't argue with that, impossible to call. Leinster's pedigree to shade it by an atom or two. Cmon the boys.

Quin_Dub

Larbre34 wrote: »

I agree, should be a belter.

My nervousness is that the first rate Leinster XV haven't been challenged as a group for many months, whereas Exeter have been bashing it up on two fronts in a comparitively normal season for them. There is no question they are teak tough and superbly coached.

If Leinster are victors tomorrow, it will rank up there with some of the great away knock-out wins, like Toulouse and Clermont, down the years.

The bookies still have it at +/-2 and I wouldn't argue with that, impossible to call. Leinster's pedigree to shade it by an atom or two. Cmon the boys.

It's a sub 5 point game either way for me.

I think Leinster are the better team , but that is offset by the fact that Exeter have more games played where they have been genuinely put under pressure recently.

If Leinster can get up to the tempo and intensity of the game quickly without much cost on the score-board I think they will win.

They can't do what they did vs. Saracens 6 months ago and give them 12-15 points of a lead in the 1st half before hitting the right intensity.

Former Former Former

Deleted User wrote: »

It will be staying up as a reminder that I came second in the poll.

Making a big deal about coming second? You must have Munster heritage.

Dubinusa

This is the season for Leinster. A very tough outing against a great side. I think we win by 3.

sydthebeat

Leinster by 11

Interested Observer

sydthebeat wrote: »

Leinster by 11

Think it'll be the other way tbh, I'm in a pessimistic mood but I think it'll be Exeter by more than a score.

sydthebeat

Interested Observer wrote: »

Think it'll be the other way tbh, I'm in a pessimistic mood but I think it'll be Exeter by more than a score.

These new breakdown variations really don't suit Exeter. They're trying to develop themselves to a more rounded game.. And they're finding their feet with that.

Lost 5 from 15 already this season in the prem... Including two thumpings by wasps.

Beaten at home by saints and fell over the line by 1 point at home against quinns.

They're not the team they were last year, and I think that loss last year of us by sarries still seriously gnaws at our lads.

In my opinion it will come down to who wants it more, and I think our lads are single minded whereas Exeter may have one eye on the prem

FrannoFan

sydthebeat wrote: »

These new breakdown variations really don't suit Exeter. They're trying to develop themselves to a more rounded game.. And they're finding their feet with that.

Lost 5 from 15 already this season in the prem... Including two thumpings by wasps.

Beaten at home by saints and fell over the line by 1 point at home against quinns.

They're not the team they were last year, and I think that loss last year of us by sarries still seriously gnaws at our lads.

In my opinion it will come down to who wants it more, and I think our lads are single minded whereas Exeter may have one eye on the prem

Dig into those losses and see the line ups. When they are playing from a full deck they have been winning

sydthebeat

FrannoFan wrote: »

Dig into those losses and see the line ups. When they are playing from a full deck they have been winning

They haven't been that depleted by test games.

Look at that team that lost at home to saints recently??.... Saints who had furbank at 10!

They are eminently "get at able"

.ak

Deleted User wrote: »

It will be staying up as a reminder that I came second in the poll.

Ak has a personal vendetta against me since he copied the good parts of my team selections leading to a six nations fantasy superbru victory. He's made some flimsy IT related excuse but we all know the real reason it's staying up.

Imma gonna call you Lucky from now on, as in Lucky Number 13.

scott1974

sydthebeat wrote: »

They haven't been that depleted by test games.

Look at that team that lost at home to saints recently??.... Saints who had furbank at 10!

They are eminently "get at able"

That's fair enough but they base their game on overpowering teams and then playing the percentages.
With a big front 5, like Gray and Hill they are a different team.
I'm hoping Leo & Stu have a game plan to play to our strengths.
If we get in an arm wrestle then it'll be hard.

errlloyd

GT in the IT reporting that Scott Fardy "isn't thinking about retirement yet".

I know IRFU rules about extensions for foreign players over 30, but we've only got one and I'd keep him.

Interested Observer

sydthebeat wrote: »

They haven't been that depleted by test games.

Look at that team that lost at home to saints recently??.... Saints who had furbank at 10!

They are eminently "get at able"

Just looked at the team, it looks like it's about 10 players short of first choice, I think there's only 2 forwards who started against NH who are starting against Leinster. NH had Furbank at 10, Exeter had Harvey Skinner (who??).

Garda Kenny

scott1974 wrote: »

That's fair enough but they base their game on overpowering teams and then playing the percentages.
With a big front 5, like Gray and Hill they are a different team.
I'm hoping Leo & Stu have a game plan to play to our strengths.
If we get in an arm wrestle then it'll be hard.

I can see our front 5 matching up quite well the only caveat being Healy and whether he’s past his best. Dev Furlong and Kelleher always front up to the physical challenge.

Fardy should hopefully be there also although some questions remain as to his stamina to match the opposition intensity over 60-80 mins. Hopefully he shows up and makes an impact today.

If our front 5 shows up we should hopefully reach parity with Exeter front 5 Gray and Cowan Dickie whilst ex internationals are not any better than our players.