Leinster Team Talk Thread (Love you Furlong time)

TRC10

I feel like VDF becoming brilliant was only really "news" last season and so it isn't really "fashionable" to talk about anymore. So I think it goes under the radar just how good he's been, because talking about guys like Doris, Ryan and Ringrose (who have all improved) is what's in vogue right now. But VDF has been just as good if not better than he was last year. He's phenomenal.

El Vino

Bookies have Leinster as 11/4 favourites for the final. Clearly they should be favourites but seems very bad value.

aloooof

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120543949#Comment_120543949

11/4 on, surely?

Tim Robbins

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120542970#Comment_120542970

It's a high risk play. A lot of refs will penalise you if you slap the ball out of the SH hands. In this case, he slaps it towards his own side, but these things are marginal and if Barnes pinged him no=one would give out.

If anything it's great reffing by Barnes. He is rewarding someone coming through the middle in the maul which is hard to do and allowing a contest at the maul.

El Vino

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120544004#Comment_120544004

Yes sorry that's what I meant!

BoardsMember

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120543855#Comment_120543855

As good as POM has been in the last 2 years I wouldn't have him in the starting 8 if Conan, Doris and VdF are all fit. I just don't think he would contribute as much as them. But I know the Irish management haven't shared that view, though Conan's form has never been this good for so long. The longer that continues the harder it will be to leave him on the bench.

Ardillaun

Leinster’s disruption of Toulouse mauls was impressive, either by getting through the middle or just making a nuisance of themselves as Ryan did on multiple occasions. That should trouble LaR.

The player who most exceeded my expectations was Ngatai. What a performance.

eagle eye

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120543660#Comment_120543660

Yeah, for me he was the man of the match without question and there were a lot of great performances.

crisco10

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120544808#Comment_120544808

he was superb. The number of “small” plays he makes is insane. It’s become a running joke in our group that if there’s a loose ball on the ground, Josh is the only one allowed to fall on it. He pounced on at least 3 balls on the deck on Saturday. It’s easy to do, but to do it so often is insane.

AbusesToilets

I wonder why they're choosing to put Conan at 8 instead of 6, given how much better Doris plays at 8.

roverjoyce

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120544646#Comment_120544646

How can Leinster afford to bring back an All Black to replace Henshaw

Connacht are having to let Irish internationals go because they can't pay them

bingobango12

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120545177#Comment_120545177

Don’t think he has ever played for NZ but I get your point.

The majority of Leinsters squad has come through the academy. Leinster likely also have more and better sponsors adding money into the pot, regular full houses at Lansdowne Road which are nice revenue boosts, regularly getting to or winning finals (presume there is prize money for this) and have lots of front liners on central contracts aswell. Unfortunately something that Connacht don’t have.

ionadnapokot

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120543393#Comment_120543393

I think its fair to say that Leo does practically zero coaching out on the field.

Even before Lancaster his domain was just hovering around at lineout drills. Now I'm sure he did buckets of analysis etc.

Schmidt - a hard act to follow but Lancaster as the defense/backs/forwards coach eventually filled the void.

Intrigued by the Nienebar appointment and how his role plays out with Goodman.

sydthebeat

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120545173#Comment_120545173

I think going by Conan's last few performances, the Leinster system allows the 8 to play in a more effective role in attack, and therefore is more visually prominent than the 6 role.

If Doris had have put in Conan's display play Saturday we'd be anointing him WPOTY.

Buer

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120545177#Comment_120545177

Whilst Leinster undoubtedly have a bigger budget, I think citing Ngatai as an example of spending power is somewhat disingenuous. The guy got 14 minutes off the bench for NZ 8 years ago and that was his only appearance. He suffered significant concussion issues which led to him being stood down for a year from the game. He's also 33 this summer.

I doubt Ngatai commands any massive salary, to be honest. He's a fairly shrewd signing.

Exclamation Marc

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120545173#Comment_120545173

Doris at 6 and Conan at 8 provides a better overall performance for the two players rather than Doris at 8 and Conan on the bench with someone else at 6. It's about getting your best players on the pitch.

sydthebeat

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120545177#Comment_120545177

How many Leinster developed players have ye on your books?

Maybe look at your own issues closer to home before bemoaning the status of others.

Former Former Former

Jesus we're really reaching now lads.

Ngatai has one cap for NZ, off the bench, in 2015. He's not on big money at all.

What Ireland internationals can Connacht not afford to keep?

AbusesToilets

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120545213#Comment_120545213

For Leinster tho, why not Conan at 6? He's played there plenty of times.

Sangre

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120545173#Comment_120545173

The numbers on their back are largely irrelevant as it depends on how Leinster play them in open play. The only exception is an attacking scrum and, imo, Conan is better off the base than Doris.

Buer

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120545173#Comment_120545173

I think they're both better at 8 than 6 but, for me and particularly now with Conan in top form, the stronger option is Conan at 8 and Doris at 6 than the other way around. I also prefer it to Baird at 6 with either. Baird comes up with big plays and is a superb athlete which makes him more suited to that 20 minutes off the bench when we need something to lift the team and break the opposition. In terms of nuts and bolts, I don't think Baird is at the level of the other two guys quite yet, particularly in defensive play around the park.

Doris is still able to heavily influence the game from blindside and has a better breakdown game. He was deployed as a nuisance after half time and he was brilliant in the opening 15 minutes, continually messing up the Toulouse ball. I don't think Conan has that in his locker.

With all that said, it's largely a matter of how they're deployed on the field. There's no reason they couldn't ask Doris to receive the restarts when wearing 6 for example. I do think Conan is better at that tight carrying when he has a glut of opposition coming at him. He's a bigger guy and handles those collisions very well whilst Doris is probably better if he has a little more space and time to use his footwork.

ionadnapokot

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120545206#Comment_120545206

& even more so for Ireland when Beirne plays. He's the freak that plays both the tight and the loose stuff which frees up another forward to get more involved in the loose.

Doris is simply a better player than Conan & I'd like to see him more centrally involved.

For La Rochelle i'd prefer Ryan, Jenkins; Baird, vdF, Doris.

Harsh on Conan because he was brilliant against Toulouse.

ionadnapokot

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120545300#Comment_120545300

Good point about Baird defense v's that of Conan/Doris. He has improved though.

Would actually take Doris as the better carrier in the tight and loose over Conan. I remember that game v NZ in 2021 (Doris,vdF,Conan) with Doris crashing through contacts and doing almost everything else you'd want of a forward.

sydthebeat

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120545352#Comment_120545352

currently 'Doris, VDF, Conan' is more effective than 'Baird, DVF, Doris'

looking at how LAR play, Alldritt is their main main. He carries significantly more than anyone else, and leads for them in defenders beaten. His carries tend to be around the fringes so we need disciplined experienced players in there, which Conan provides over Baird. They also prefer to pommel the gainline rather than unlock it, as evident from their lack of meters carried and clean breaks, so again discipline and experience is necessary here.

Baird from the bench on 60 against a waning defense is perfect, and more effective than Conan coming on at 8 and moving Doris to 6.

Quin_Dub

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120545431#Comment_120545431

In terms of risks to the Leinster game plan I think Botia is the one that needs to be "managed" from LAR.

There needs to be a specific focus on keeping him away from the ball in terms of turn-overs - Perhaps the ball-carrier will target him to make sure he's the tackler and not the assist to keep him off his feet and away from the poach opportunity.

He almost single-handedly destroyed Saracens in the QF.

Absolutely no chance I'd leave Conan out for the final. Baird to second row possibly?

ionadnapokot

Yep I was just going to reply to Syd about Botia.

vdf,Doris,Conan or vdf,Baird,Doris is fine by me! Prob Jenkins is the more important selection of the lot v LaR

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120545516#Comment_120545516

Nah, couldn't see this. Don't think we will want to play them at their own game, but we'd be giving up enormous size to them by putting Baird into second row.

Quin_Dub

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120545564#Comment_120545564

Leinsters bench should be stronger than LARs.

The drop off was noticeable in the SF against Exeter when the sub came on.

I'd be looking to start pretty much the same side that started the SF in the final with the possible exception of Henshaw coming in for Ngatai and Lowe for Larmour if both are fit.

I think that Moloney offers more of how Leinster need to play than Jenkins - speed , passing etc.

Exeter put LAR under pressure when the got quick ball and got out beyond the 15m lines - Leinster should be able to that a lot better and more often that Exeter.

It would be a huge mistake to try and challenge LAR up front - Move the ball quickly and make that team run and run.

Leinster having Baird , Jenkins and Kelleher (hopefully) to come in in the final 20 or so will be very important.

Serbian

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120545469#Comment_120545469

This is basically La Rochelle's entire game plan. They get away with a relatively average back line because they have some of the best poachers in the game. They have so many of them that it's hard to mark them out of the game. We were able to do it in the 2018 quarter final against Scarlets because Tadhg Beirne was the only real threat, but half the La Rochelle pack dominate over the ball — Botia, Skelton, Alldritt, Antonio etc can all do it.