Leinster Team Talk Thread (Love you Furlong time)

salmocab

AdamD wrote: »

Can get it on Now TV

Yeah now tv day pass 10 euro is the easiest way

Have that sorted - thanks for the heads up!

sydthebeat

Great stat I just read


Ross Byrne has never lost a champions cup game that he's started

Burkie1203

Leinster social media giving fans heart attacks by posting pictures of Luke mcgrath this morning. Just saying he is captain.

Clegg

So what now?

For the first time since they've taken over I have to ask questions of Cullen and Lancaster. That's three European knockout games now where once we don't have an advantage up front we fall to pieces. La Rochelle outmuscled us and our defence fell apart.

I also have to question what they're doing with regards to the ruck. In recent weeks we've fallen to pieces in that area. Support runners aren't getting there quickly enough to clear out and we're getting turned over at will.

Dave_The_Sheep

You know the game isn't over yet, right?

Clegg

Dave_The_Sheep wrote: »

You know the game isn't over yet, right?

Yes it is

We've not looked like scoring a try all second half. La Rochelle have been utterly dominant, should already be out of sight and are about to go 14 points up.

salmocab

Ah it’s a poxy way to end a season but in fairness it was an odd season that never really got going. Lack of tough meaningful games is the issue for me.

Squidgy Black

salmocab wrote: »

Ah it’s a poxy way to end a season but in fairness it was an odd season that never really got going. Lack of tough meaningful games is the issue for me.

Odd season combined with an absolutely mental number of injuries throughout it.

salmocab

Squidgy Black wrote: »

Odd season combined with an absolutely mental number of injuries throughout it.

Yeah the injuries were freakish, honestly whilst I’m gutted with today’s result I don’t have any worries for the team, hopefully next year we get a proper season and will see where we are.

AbusesToilets

Ruddock going off was a big loss. Perhaps needed to look at someone to focus on chopping down their big carriers.

We got very one dimensional, too many carries into double tackles. Some pick and goes and grubbers to check their line might have of benefit.

Unlucky in the end too. Baird holds that ball, Larmour hits a better pass to McGrath, those are two potential tries.

Teferi

Miles away from panic stations. All signs point to Porter moving across to Loosehead next year which adds a bit more power on the pitch. Having 2 of him, Healy, Furlong (presumably), and Alaalatoa on the pitch at any one time adds gives us a bit more strenght up front.

Exclamation Marc

La Rochelle were excellent value for their win but I really don't think it's that bad from a Leinster perspective. For me, it just wasn't our day rather than being an abject failure. On another day with a few less injuries or a bit more consistency, we could have won that. On another day, La Rochelle could do it again as well.

Thought it was a pretty poor game to watch, never really flowed. The last four Champions Cup games have been utter crap.

Clegg

I'm going to preface this post by saying Ross Byrne is not the reason we lost today. We lost that up front. As an individual he was fine. But there are flaws to his game which were highlighted today. Byrne has become a far better player than I thought he would. He kicks exceptionally well from the tee and to the corner. Good passer and solid in defence. But there are certain limitations to his game which will hold him back from the highest level.

He's not much of a threat to the opposition line. A defence just doesn't have to worry about a potential break from him so they hold their line. He's worked hard at that side of the game and sometimes it comes good, but his lack of pace will always be a problem for him and for Leinster, especially in games where we find it hard to run over the opposition. Yes, he scored from a break, but that was after the game was finished as a going concern and after 70 minutes of not threatening the defence.

He also has the problem of not even trying to commit a defender to hit him. Too often he received the ball standing still and just shipping it on. That isn't always a problem as you want to get the ball to the outside backs that bit quicker. But when we're getting hammered up front you need to commit a defender is you can just to stress the defence. Byrne just didn't do that.

I think he's a perfectly good player who'll win us Pro 14's and get us to the knockouts of Europe. He just lacks that extra level that Sexton had or which his brother might have. And when you have a pack that's struggling a bit you need a few players with that bit of individual quality to stress the defence. Ross just doesn't have that.

swiwi_

If you could sign one world class player what position would that be?

I’d say either a hooker or a 10. The cupboard is pretty bare at 2 in Irish rugby, so no options from the other provinces to entice. Lots of solid players but no standout.

If no one pops up to replace sexton, will be a long time between European trophies I think.

Podge_irl

Between 2 and 10, then 100% at 10. I don't think there is anything wrong with Kelleher.

Would probably take a genuine world class 9 though.

AbusesToilets

Podge_irl wrote: »

Between 2 and 10, then 100% at 10. I don't think there is anything wrong with Kelleher.

Would probably take a genuine world class 9 though.

I'd be happy to sign Cooney back...

Clegg

swiwi_ wrote: »

If you could sign one world class player what position would that be?

I’d say either a hooker or a 10. The cupboard is pretty bare at 2 in Irish rugby, so no options from the other provinces to entice. Lots of solid players but no standout.

If no one pops up to replace sexton, will be a long time between European trophies I think.

I actually thought Kelleher was fine. Carried strongly when he could, but too often was met by a brick wall of La Rochelle defenders. Still got beyond the gain line a few times. His darts have improved significantly since the Autumn Nations Cup. Still not perfect but getting there. He'll be Ireland's starring 2 in a few season's time in he continues his development curve. He's a genuinely powerful player in a pack where we seem to lack that extra grunt against the biggest sides.

Maybe Will Skelton specifically? He's a genuine game changer. Just a massive brute of a man who'll get over the gain line no matter if he's coming from a standing start. Leinster rugby and the schools have done a lot to have its young players physically ready for pro rugby right out the gate. But we've very few physical freaks like a Skelton or someone of that ilk. It's clear we're lacking in power against the biggest sides.

Buer

We can discuss Ross Byrne but a far bigger issue today was the man passing him the ball. McGrath has had a brilliant few months but his passing was very erratic today. So many times people were getting a floated pass or a ball slightly off target. His pack were on the back foot but even his passing off first phase line out ball was mediocre. It allowed the La Rochelle defence to get in our face which limited anything our 10, 12 and 13 could do. It was also his worst kicking performance of the year. I think the occasion and captaincy overwhelmed him.

La Rochelle won that game from positions 5-9 with Conan being the only guy to stand up to them with ball in hand.

hold my beer

Such a disappointing loss. Totally dominated up front, which is our biggest weakness. When it happens we look headless. We really need to work on plan B. Ross Byrne needs to work on attacking the line better. He's too predictable, shovelling it on far too much. Luke had a mare. Midfield were anonymous in attack. A very bad day at the office, which hurts more because we saw against Exeter what we're capable of.

Time to drown the sorrows.

Buer

Clegg wrote: »

Maybe Will Skelton specifically? He's a genuine game changer. Just a massive brute of a man who'll get over the gain line no matter if he's coming from a standing start. Leinster rugby and the schools have done a lot to have its young players physically ready for pro rugby right out the gate. But we've very few physical freaks like a Skelton or someone of that ilk. It's clear we're lacking in power against the biggest sides.

Agreed. A top class, monster lock would be the signing for me. Toner is on his way out. Fardy is gone. As much promise as he has, Baird has shown a few times his best use at the moment is as an impact sub. He doesn't have the dog or experience to be a lock in a top end European or test game yet.

Skelton is an animal. Any team would be lucky to have him. A genuine game changer and he has to be a favourite for European POTY right now.

salmocab

swiwi_ wrote: »

If you could sign one world class player what position would that be?

I’d say either a hooker or a 10. The cupboard is pretty bare at 2 in Irish rugby, so no options from the other provinces to entice. Lots of solid players but no standout.

If no one pops up to replace sexton, will be a long time between European trophies I think.

Loose head for me followed by 10. Healy still good but not close to the destructive player he was and Ed Byrne is a good player but just isn’t the top player Leinster need.
10 Ross and Harry are both good but following Sexton is a head show.

Podge_irl

hold my beer wrote: »

Such a disappointing loss. Totally dominated up front, which is our biggest weakness. When it happens we look headless. We really need to work on plan B. Ross Byrne needs to work on attacking the line better. He's too predictable, shovelling it on far too much. Luke had a mare. Midfield were anonymous in attack. A very bad day at the office, which hurts more because we saw against Exeter what we're capable of.

Time to drown the sorrows.

Ross Byrne has worked on attacking the line better. He does it noticeably more and better than he used to. But you can't coach speed and he just doesn't have it.

Clegg

McGrath was very poor alright. I suppose I singled out Byrne because 10 is a more prominent position and there could be a bette player waiting in the wings.

We've an issue at 9 in that both McGrath and JGP are excellent footballers but have deficiencies for a scrum half. With McGrath it's always been his passing. He's improved that aspect of his game a lot since he first became a pro, but every so often he'll have a nightmare game from the base of the ruck. Today was one of those.

Buer

Well, we've been beaten up physically in three knock out European games in three seasons and, unfortunately, McGrath has looked very wobbly in all of them. He has a huge weight on his shoulders as captain and the only viable, fit scrum half at Leinster currently but TKB had the same issue today.

He's in danger of becoming something of a weak point on the big stage as harsh as it is to say.

Clegg

Maybe a monster of a player isn't even required? It would certainly help, but we maybe could have won this afternoon's game with a fully fit squad. We've sorely missed Doris this season. Conan has been excellent, but he does everything Conan can do and he does it at a slightly higher level.

We've also sorely missed Connors and Leavy. I think VDF is overall an equal to them, but he's not a destructive tackler like his peers at openside and we could've done with their stopping power against La Rochelle's behemoths today.

Having a Conan or a Leavy/Connors coming off the bench would also have allowed Baird to come on as a second row. I rate him highly, but I've yet to see him perform well as a blindside.

This is all a pipe dream though. Every side plays with injuries. Would be nice if we could have one or two players back though.

hold my beer

Podge_irl wrote: »

Ross Byrne has worked on attacking the line better. He does it noticeably more and better than he used to. But you can't coach speed and he just doesn't have it.

You'd never say Jonny was the fastest. Don't think it's speed. It's just better awareness of the space and the ability to mix up the point of attack. Ross throws on a lot of nothing passes, that suck in nobody. I like him, he's a very good player, but he has to get better in those areas.

Clegg

I think going forward we simply have to try and change our style of play. We've become very dependent on winning the collisions. Obviously winning those is a key part of rugby. But it's got to the stage where the players lose their composure if they get knocked back for a few phases. That shouldn't happen to players as talented as that.

I thought we were developing an attacking kicking game post-lockdown. We'd started using our centres to put through little chips and grubbers to get behind defences and those actually led to some trys. But we abandoned that midway through the Saracens QF and we've seen none of it since. We need something that will make the bigger packs second guess themselves. Currently we're just too predictable.

corny

I thought Byrne played well behind a beaten pack. Really well actually.

Skelton and Antonio gave them the advantage line so many times it hurt. We couldn't generate any line speed and their halfbacks were excellent in using the platform. We perhaps could have gone for Skeltons legs a little more but that's a minor gripe.

At the other end... Carly likes blowing his whistle for holding on. He wasn't unfair in his interpretation but, points from penalties aside, it didn't suit us that we couldn't run through a high number of phases. They either gave up a penalty or won the turnover. They were happy to roll the dice and make the game stop start.

PMC83

Clegg wrote: »

I thought we were developing an attacking kicking game post-lockdown we'd started using our centres to out through little chips and grubbers to get behind defences and those actually led to some trys. .

This exactly. We needed to get those heavy units turning today but it just never happened.