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

Larbre34

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122208377#Comment_122208377

You could have stopped before 'right now'.

Exclamation Marc

Jamie Osborne... 180 minutes in 6 days. That's nuts.

Interested Observer

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122208377#Comment_122208377

He's better than Ross as well. He can run for example. It's absolute insanity to even consider letting him go.

CMcsporty

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122208393#Comment_122208393

and removed Harry

But they will still start Ross

Sam should still go

That’s with my Ireland hat on

and even with my Leinster hat on I’d prefer him to be starting at Connacht regularly.

He’s not going to get a good run of consecutive games next season playing Rassie ball.

Clegg

Game was done at half time. Competent performance where we never got out of second gear.

Was watching Prendergast closely and thought he played well. Liked his willingness to take the outside line, straighten and put someone through a gap. He's faster than he looks. Has a lanky, loping stride that eats up the ground. Lovely range of passing and kicking too.

We'll need to be much better next weekend and potentially the weekends after. But it's good to have a relatively straightforward win under our belts again.

Clegg

Inconsistency of decision making between referees is infuriating.

Near the end of the game Connacht slap the ball ball to block a Leinster scoring attempt out wide. Busby adjudicated it a legitimate attempt to win the ball.

Same thing happened last weekend and Matthew Carley though..

thebaz

Prendergast should have started last Saturday, or at the very least been on the bench

johnh6767

Last weekend and this weekend were different levels so comparing performances is nigh impossible. Molony was exceptional. As was Jimmy O’Brien. Sam impressed for sure and will be a top Irish 10 competing with Crowley for a long time. Great effort by the legends of Leinster, Ruddock has given so much. We move on. Not a great game but good to forget last weekend .

Lost Ormond

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122208439#Comment_122208439

But It's natural there will be differences. Little You can do about that

Lost Ormond

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122208481#Comment_122208481

No he shouldn't. He wasn't in any way ready to start a European cup final.

thebaz

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122208542#Comment_122208542

That didnt take long for your usual reaction to every **** post - you could say Byrne wasnt ready - give it a rest, others are allowed an opinion .

Exclamation Marc

I think we're gonna really need to see some new leaders step up next year in the games where front liners aren't around. We'll miss Ross Molony a lot as well as Rhys and Ed Byrne. Incredible servants to Leinster over the years.

Sam was brilliant today and so dynamic on the ball. Really hope he gets more time going forward alternating with Ross. Great to see Foley play well today as well.

That Jimmy try was beautiful to see live.

Only major downside from today's game was that it died on it arse after the first half.

Jump_In_Jack

Lads, Munster supporter here, but Leinster should dump the two Byrnes and play Prendergast and Frawley next season. It’s criminal at this stage to stick with such below average players with such a good squad.

arsebiscuits1

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122208555#Comment_122208555

And others are allowed rebuttal to said opinions.

Don't express opinions if you can't handle this fact

Lost Ormond

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122208555#Comment_122208555

Well That's a complete over reaction. Prendergast has played feck all and in no way was ready for a game like that final. Look at hoe carefully managed his minutes have been this season. He may next year but not at all this year

El_Duderino 09

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122208377#Comment_122208377

Yeah buy it depends on whether leinster play him or not. If they play him as 4th choice then they should let him go. If they want to promote him and play him in first teams to develop him and see how good he is, then keep him. That means demoting the other guys, then keep him.

But that means a seriously progressive approach. Leinster is a relatively Conservative club. I hope they're bravevand keep him and promote him.

thebaz

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122208749#Comment_122208749

of course, they are , but every post , gets a negative reaction from same poster , as if they know everything , its tedious, rarley post now, and usually regret when I do.

thebaz

on the other hand, maybe if Leinster had actually taken a punt on prendergast , they might have won, the conservative selection didnt work out , again

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122208181#Comment_122208181

The sequence where he smashed Cian Prendergast in the corner is a perfect microcosm of Tommy O’Brien’s career so far.

He shows ridiculous pace to make up the ground to be in position to make the hit.

Shows great tenacity and determination to put in a really physical hit, dislodging the ball.

Gets hurt in the process.

He’s 25 now, and should be an Irish international by now, but I’d bet a lot of fans outside of Leinster barely know the guy. He has two key things you can’t coach or can’t develop - great pace and a real edge/physicality to his game, but he is unfortunately made of glass and cannot seem to string 3 games together.

johnh6767

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122208804#Comment_122208804

that’s a stretch … Toulouse

thebaz

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122208868#Comment_122208868

a stretch, they didnt win with Byrne at 10, and had the better pack

I've made my point , going to bed

Comfortable win all in without getting out of second gear. Connacht looked mentally checked out for the most part.

Was delighted to see a good send off for guys like Rhys Ruddock, Ed Byrne and a few others in the RDS (but who’ll likely feature for Leinster in the URC run in). Rhys is particular is one of my all time favourite Leinster players.

Once again, I cannot understand why Ed Byrne is going to Cardiff as I think he’s good enough for a first choice 23 at any of Munster, Ulster or Connacht.

Thought Cormac Foley had a good game at 9, and hope we see him on the bench before season end. Was at the game, so dunno if Russell was hurt, but hoping the decision to put Foley on the wing at the end was giving him more experience for a role on a 6-2 bench.

Sam had an excellent night and could easily have been MotM. He attacked the line all night and really showed off his great passing game again. Showed some great pace chasing Milne’s kick too. Really encouraging night from him, and he’d have to look at the rabble Connacht were tonight and ask himself where he needs to be next year from a development perspective.

Outside of that, Jack Conan had a great 40 mins, Ed Byrne had a great game, Tom Clarkson has a great engine around the field and had a good game and Ross Molony was superb. We’ll sorely miss him next season.

Interested Observer

That is one thing about Prendergast that goes under the radar I think, he is really, really quick.

Can't wait for the coaches to drop him completely for the knockouts.

Former Former Former

Prendergast was good but I was pretty disappointed with Connacht so it’s hard to put it into context, we’ve seen Harry Byrne rip mediocre teams apart too.

Foley looked lively but plenty of errors too, still some work to be done. Poor Rob Russell had a nightmare, following his nightmare against Ulster.

Another stormer from Osborne and we definitely missed a trick not having JOB on the bench last week.

El_Duderino 09

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122209111#Comment_122209111

Yeah in hindsight, JOB should have been involved last week. I wouldn't object if they started him and Larmour dropped out of the squad.

On the other gand, JOB got the ball in space last night and there was no space last week.

I think it's probably too simplistic, but a 10 carrying the ball to the line and using up an opposition defender is entirely different to a 10 sitting in the pocket letting the defence drift to suit themselves

I think people are reading a bit too much into a URC game against a relatively poor Connacht. There's a reason they could finish 11th.

You can rip it up in URC and yet be no where near Champions Cup level

CMcsporty

Russell developed Stockdale syndrome in Ravenhill

it’s only a matter of time until the irfu will have to remove both Nienaber and Shane Nolan to try and stop the contagion

Some say it’s too late

Ryan will forever kick to the corner and Ross will never be dislodged from 10

Prendergast better get out quick

Clegg

I was pretty disappointed by Connacht overall. They stretched the Leinster defence once or twice, but for the most part their attacking play involved a lot of quick pop passes and dummy lines in front of Leinster. They got so little from their forwards that the backs struggled to do anything.

OldRio

I think there is a lot of useful analysis of Rugby that isn't done at a million miles an hour. That isn't delivered in such a juvenile fashion. But like you said each to their own.

Quick edit I quoted a post about Squidge, but for some reason, probably my own fault, it didnt appear.

theVersatile

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122208917#Comment_122208917

Has TOB played 7s? He strikes me as a guy with great raw attributes but could do with cleaning up the technical side of his game.