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

Strongest side we've named so far this season, but it's also a very strong looking Ulster side. Looking forward to this one.

Hey_Ho_Lets_Go_3

Harry apparently not injured.

Exclamation Marc

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119948825#Comment_119948825

I don't think it'll be long before Leinster move on from Harry Byrne as the 'chosen one', if they haven't already. He unfortunately has a rotten injury profile and it would be better to give those minutes to someone else. The only thing in his favour right now is that Frawley is out.

Exclamation Marc

Aaaand Ticketmaster are hawking Platinum tickets again for the Weeknd. Infuriating to see and makes a mockery of the resale legislation.

arsebiscuits1

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119948976#Comment_119948976

He obviously has a problematic injury profile but he's got another 18 months left on his contract so I don't see why Leinster wont continue to develop him if he can string some consistent periods of fitness together.

There are loads of players who struggled for fitness in their early careers. Keith Earls, James Ryan, Iain Henderson, Garry Ringrose, Tommy O'Brien even your aforementioned Ciaran Frawley all have had numerous spells on the sidelines for various reasons when their careers were blossoming.

If he's fit he plays IMO and rightly so.

CIARAN_BOYLE

If Frawley wasn't following in his footsteps as an injury prone outhalf it would be a lot easier to make a decision to be rid of him.

If Frawley was fit it would be easier to say extended preseason for you, or go play AIL till you prove fitness.

Two fantastic teams on paper - absolutely massive game and should be a cracker. Great advertisement for the URC but even more so for Irish rugby that two provinces are putting out 23's like that.

Ulster definitely seem to be holding back a bit with the starting 15 but that bench is game changing. Leinster will need to get out of the blocks something else.

Really looking forward to this.

Ernie McCracken

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119948421#Comment_119948421

If Harry is a 12 my pet Chihuahua is a Rottweiler.

Dubinusa

Looking 4ward to Osborne at 12. Could be a good fit.

Interested Observer

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119949412#Comment_119949412

Did you... look at the Leinster bench? We'll finish with a stronger pack than we started with, comfortably.

JimmyCorkhill

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119940597#Comment_119940597

Any update on when he is due back from injury?

Nigzcurran

Are we on premier sports 1?

Faugheen

James Lowe is such a sh*thouse. I love him.

Sleepy Joseph

Healy gone. That’s what you get for headbutting Protestants

Strumms

19 points up and an man up and Ulster still didn’t see it out. Got a few dubious and marginal calls from Ridley into the bargain. Great stuff by Leinster.

CIARAN_BOYLE

I guess Healy is bound to get some sort of ban after the Red card tonight.

I think we should be thankful that Ed Byrne started last week. Won't be cold as he is will be on the bench next week now.

crisco10

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119954056#Comment_119954056

I'd still be fearful for him in an away fixture in France.

CIARAN_BOYLE

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119954072#Comment_119954072

Fair but if he hadn't played since October it would be another level.

sydthebeat

Well that was a good game....

Clegg

Osborne found things difficult at times, but again showed why he's such a huge prospect. It was his line break late in the first half which led to the penalty and try.

Clegg

I posted in the match thread that I think Leinster have simplified their game plan a bit this season. We still see our second rows play those pull back passes and the pack make lots of tip ons too.

But we're definitely playing a more direct, grinding style. I saw a lot of one out carries from 9 passing to a forward. We've a lot of very mobile, athletic forwards so that style works as for us.

It does have a few drawbacks however. Playing with more edge exposes you to greater risk of cards. We could easily have received a red card last weekend and we did get one tonight. We see more handling errors as it puts a lot of pressure on us to keep winning the collisions however.

Ultimately, the shift in style is a necessary move. It's a reaction to the losses to La Rochelle and Sharks. We're playing more hard nosed in order to not get caught out by the physical packs. Right now the performances are mixed, but we're seeing improvements. Ryan Baird's move to 6 means we've another power athlete in the pack. He's a huge, athletic hybrid lock/backrow that'll win lots of collisions from Blindside flanker.

Tonight from about the 50th minute onwards we brutalised the Ulster pack. They smashed the rucks and ploughed into every contact in attack and defence. Ulster were wrecked by the 65th minute. They couldn't get up fast enough to refill the defensive line and Leinster were making huge breaks. They couldn't live with Leinsters physicality.

RichieRich_89

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119953195#Comment_119953195

I haven't heard anything.

Dubinusa

That was a good win! Didn't think Ulster would let the foot off. Stockdale not backing himself 1 on 1 with a forward...ouch. Great effort from Ringrose, playing well and leading well. Kelleher getting valuable minutes right on time, he should be ready for Racing. The pack were good, as was Ulsters. Treadwell was busy. He's very athletic! Henderson a little off the pace.

Ross was so so. He's never going to light it up, but he's capable. Burns wasn't glorious either. He's limited. Leo will be very happy! Dan McFarland will be really pissed off. Ulster failed to choke the life out of Leinster. The man advantage etc.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119954736#Comment_119954736

I don't think it was a case of Ulster "letting the foot off" - more like Leinster strangling the game and denying them possession and territory. Your comment implies Ulster were unfortunate or in control, when in reality there was a relentlessness about Leinster's performance in that second half especially that they simply couldn't live with.

Dubinusa

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119954961#Comment_119954961

True! But at 14 players with a large lead, Ulster must be absolutely pissed off. I'm not saying Leinster were fortunate, just that Ulster failed to put them to the knife.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119955204#Comment_119955204

Oh, unquestionably. I think it's losses like yesterday that can potentially really psychologically hurt a team. It's one thing if you can tell yourself you played well, or it was a refereeing decision or something. But teams know when they've been dominated physically and those are the sort of doubts that linger imo.

degsie

Superb win. Ulster must be sickened!

Exclamation Marc

Great game. Atmosphere in the RDS was brilliant.

stephen_n

I think we will start with Jenkins, Ryan and Baird in the big matches this year. Gives us a lot more physicality. I’ve been critical of Baird in that department previously but he has really upped his game there this season.

Definitely a breakthrough performance for Baird. Not that he hasn't been great since coming into the squad but I suspect he's first choice now in one of the best backrows in club rugby.

I think he's more suited to blindside than lock despite having all the attributes you would want for a second rower.