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

dingbat

(Random post to try to unbookmark this discussion)

arsebiscuits1

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119422291#Comment_119422291

Nick Winkelman is the Head Of Elite and Performance Science with the IRFU. His previous role was with a company called EXOS who in short get employed/ contracted by college footballers to get them ready for the NFL combine.

He'd be a big name in the behind the scenes of American Football and I imagine was a big part of getting Baird in there

TRC10

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119420944#Comment_119420944

Being good in the lineout is a back row skill as much as it's a lock skill. Some of the best lineout forwards in world rugby are back rows (Ollivon, O'Mahony etc). I haven't heard him say he prefers lock but I'd be very surprised as his skill set is far more suited to 6. He's lean and extremely athletic, but he doesn't have the bulk even to be a 5/LH lock.

pickarooney

I hope he gets nicknamed Chicago Baird when he gets back.

DelMcG

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119425949#Comment_119425949

Nice!

Dubinusa

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119425949#Comment_119425949

He's certainly got a fight on his paws! He needs a healthy run and who knows?

I reckon we are stocked fairly deep at lock!

Ryan Baird must be one of those guys who found the last season frustrating, despite being part of the squad in NZ. Injuries in the early part of the season and the emergence of some other guys have seen him pushed down the queue a bit.

It's frustrating, because he has elite athleticism and shows snippets in matches of how good he can be, but just can't seem to stay healthy enough to play enough rugby.

On the flip side, he's just turned 23 so there is plenty of reasons to be hopeful still for his development.

Quin_Dub

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119428541#Comment_119428541

He needs to lock in on one position (no pun intended).

He's a bit light for an International standard lock and he's a bit lacking in the necessary grunt work required of a Top-end blind-side.

He needs to pick a position and stick with it , either bulk up for the 2nd row or get more game time at 6 and work on his fundamentals around defence and the breakdown.

He has all the athleticism and football skills required , but he needs to specialise.

Like you say , time is on his side for now.

Dubinusa

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119428606#Comment_119428606

He's certainly athletic enough. I'm not sure if blindside would be the way to go. I would have him focus on lock. He's going to have to play to a very high level to pass Molony. But, that's what's needed. It's up to Baird as it is with McCarth!

pickarooney

If he fattens up and loses a yard of pace he'll be in a worse position.

Exclamation Marc

Fixtures confirmed (with dates and times)

Leinster Rugby Full Fixture Schedule

Round 1 – Zebre Parma v Leinster – Saturday, 17 September – KO 1pm (Irish time) – LIVE on RTÉ, Premier Sports and SuperSport

Round 2 – Leinster v Benetton – Friday, 23 September – KO 7.35pm – LIVE on TG4, Premier Sports and SuperSport

Round 3 – Ulster v Leinster – Friday, 30 September – KO 7.35pm – LIVE on RTÉ, BBC NI, Premier Sports and SuperSport

Round 4 – Leinster v Cell C Sharks – Saturday, 8 October – KO 5.05pm – LIVE on RTÉ, Premier Sports and SuperSport

Round 5 – Connacht v Leinster – Friday, 14 October – KO 7.35pm – LIVE on RTÉ, Premier Sports and SuperSport

Round 6 – Leinster v Munster – Saturday, 22 October – KO 7.35pm – LIVE on RTÉ, Premier Sports and SuperSport

Round 7 – Scarlets v Leinster – Friday, 28 October – KO 7.35pm – LIVE on TG4, BBC Wales, Premier Sports and SuperSport

Round 8 – Leinster v Glasgow Warriors – Saturday, 26 November – KO 3.15pm – LIVE on RTÉ, Premier Sports and SuperSport

Round 9 – Leinster v Ulster – Saturday, 3 December – KO 7.35pm – LIVE on TG4, Premier Sports and SuperSport

Round 10 – Munster v Leinster – Monday, 26 December – KO 7.35pm – LIVE on TG4, Premier Sports and SuperSport

Round 11 – Leinster v Connacht – Sunday, 1 January – KO 7.35pm – LIVE on RTÉ, Premier Sports and SuperSport

Round 12 – Ospreys v Leinster – Saturday, 7 January – KO 7.35pm – LIVE on TG4, S4C, Premier Sports and SuperSport

Round 13 – Leinster v Cardiff Rugby – Saturday, 28 January – KO 5pm – LIVE on RTÉ, S4C, Premier Sports and SuperSport

Round 14 – Leinster v Dragons – Saturday, 18 February – KO 7.35pm – LIVE on RTÉ, S4C, Premier Sports and SuperSport

Round 15 – Edinburgh v Leinster – Saturday, 4 March – KO 5.05pm – LIVE on TG4, Premier Sports and SuperSport

Round 16 – Leinster v DHL Stormers – Friday, 24 March – KO 7.35pm – LIVE on TG4, Premier Sports and SuperSport

Round 17 – Emirates Lions v Leinster – Saturday, 15 April – KO 1pm (Irish time) – LIVE on TG4, Premier Sports and SuperSport

Round 18 – Vodacom Bulls v Leinster – Saturday, 22 April – KO 3.05pm (Irish time) – LIVE on RTÉ/TG4, Premier Sports and SuperSport

Serbian

I know Leinster bang on about not changing the price of season tickets each year, but this just reminds me of how few games you actually get per season now. We have 9 home games in the league and two in Europe included on a season ticket. My ticket for the South Stand cost me €315 for the season (second cheapest possible after terraces). It averages out at €28.64 per game. If I miss one game, it pushes the cost per game higher than just buying individual tickets per game.

The season the South African teams joined the league and the format changed, you would lose one home game every second season. They rectified that by allowing you to add an extra ticket to any game of your choice to bring a friend. I wish they would do something like that to make the ticket better value. Maybe for one of the games in the Aviva since there's gonna be a load of seats free anyway.

Exclamation Marc

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119433311#Comment_119433311

Yep. It was 14 games included in the season ticket back in 2016/17 and its 11 this year. The rhetoric of freezing prices is a hugely disingenuous.

CIARAN_BOYLE

To make matters worse there was a decent standard set of A team games (freen entrance for season ticket holders). I think it was guaranteed 6 home A games between B&I cup and All Ireland Interprovincial Championship.

Now we don't really know if there will be any home A games do we.

salmocab

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119433311#Comment_119433311

Yeah season tickets are less and less value lately. The only reasons to get them are access to knock out matches before the plebs and personally it makes me go to games that otherwise I wouldn’t bother with which oddly I like.

DelMcG

Also, with the Heineken Cup adding that round of 16 and the URC having a quarter final round where there wasn't one before, it's another two games you have to pay for if we qualify, which we almost always will.

I actually sent a mail with all these issues outlined to the OLSC for the upcoming AGM, so they can put it to whichever honcho gets sent to it, but I'd be doubtful that anything comes of it. I'm sure they'll just blame "the pandemic", which is every company's excuse these days.

Stephen_Maturin

When are season ticket holder supporters packs being sent out does anyone know?

DelMcG

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119447728#Comment_119447728

It was early September last year when they were sent out.

Hopefully they've learned their lesson from the customs duty debacle with last year's packs 🤞

stephen_n

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119453365#Comment_119453365

They might go back to giving them out at the first two home games. Now there are no restrictions to attendance.

Lsdrugbyfan

Mark Hernan retiring due to injury.

sydthebeat

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119453779#Comment_119453779

very sad to hear, hopefully he has better days ahead

arsebiscuits1

16 shoulder dislocations all before his under 20s tenure... the odds were always going to be against him.

It's a credit to him he succeeded to get as far as he did. I believe he spent this entire season injured.

Such a shame for him. Wish him the best

https://www.independent.ie/regionals/herald/sport/rugby/hernans-not-so-sweet-16-shoulder-dislocations-38930697.html

Quin_Dub

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119454626#Comment_119454626

16 Dislocations!

Bloody hell, I've had shoulder problems and ended up having surgery a few years ago to put pins in so I know the pain all too well , but 16 in three years????

Dubinusa

Jesus! That's awful

Sheep Shagger

Anyone got a sniff of when the actual KO day and times will be announced for the HC games?

Thought it was late August but perhaps its September?

That's quite concerning. Possibly a genetic weakness but even that should be identified by professional medics long before it's exacerbated sixteen times. It's one thing if you have a variety of injuries across your frame but that significant level of damage to one area of the body implies negligence to me.

Itxa

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119454660#Comment_119454660

I’d be interested to know if he had surgery. After surgery the shoulder is very stable in the socket.

It takes 6 months post op to build it back up to playable strength but I doubt 16 dislocations displays responsible levels of management of the injury.

Even after one dislocation the ball falls out of the socket if you stretch upwards to turn on your bedside light in the morning.

16 to me says he didn’t manage it medically and follow the guidelines on how to build it back up to playable level.

Quin_Dub

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119455544#Comment_119455544

The article linked earlier mentioned multiple surgeries.

It also talks about 16 dislocations in ~3 years which is about one dislocation every 2 months or so.

That is shocking mismanagement if true.

Itxa

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119455910#Comment_119455910

Some people just aren’t built for pro rugby. It’s unfortunate he’s done that much damage to his body at this stage but possibly better he did it early than later when rehab isn’t as productive. I didn’t read the article will review now but he sure as hell gave it his all! Sometimes the shoulder just doesn’t stabilise.

Itxa

Just read the article. I had 3 dislocations in school first in fourth year. I survived with exercises and weights until autumn sixth year and put it out twice. Cup season over for me.

It’s a credit to modern medicine that he had so many surgeries in school and managed to keep up playing. I would have thought a minimum of 6 months post op was advised to keep your long term chances of recovery realistic.

I had the surgery post leaving cert and missed one year of twenties. Problem is once you pin one shoulder it imbalances your posture and the other one goes pretty quickly afterwards. Didn’t make it playing serious rugby thereafter.

Looks to me like he was rushed back to playing too soon after each surgery but such is the pressure in the schools game to perform. He won a cup out of it so I’d say he’s not complaining but 16 is a lot of damage to your body. Hopefully no long term damage!