Leinster Team Talk Thread (Love you Furlong time)

Buer

I think it'll be tight for the opening 55 minutes but the set piece and tight play will be a case of us hanging in there really and I don't see us keeping it to a one score game in the closing stages if they get the opportunity to squeeze us in our 22. The scrum could really be a shitshow for us in the final quarter.

Not having Conan and Furlong is a big blow. I'd have been more than happy for a 6/2 split for this one if they were available. It would make complete sense. Huge ask for Baird and Connors to perform here.

I can see JGP playing the 80 unless we're adrift.

sydthebeat

yeah im not expecting a Leinster win at all this weekend.

we're playing patchy. we're without our strongest possible players in certain positions. We've chopped and changed since the start of the season and this team is no different. We've a 10 making their european starting debut, who has only 60 minutes of experience playing away in Europe.

Must love hardship

Conan didn't come on last week at all when named on the bench. I wonder did he tweak something while in the warm up.

Happy for Harry to get a start but dissapointed for Frawley.

Wouldnt be suprised if he left at year end. He has sat on the bench now for 80 mins 2 champions cup finals and now is confirmed as still behind both byrnes with pendergast coming up behind. Ulster would be delighted to have him.

Podge_irl

Frawley shafted 😂

He is not a 10 and never will be. Something everyone in Leinster recognised years ago.

Buer

Ulster would be delighted to have him. He would be mad to go there though right now until things settle down and he sees how things pan out. There have been consistent mutterings of discontent in their camp and they're clearly not reaching their potential. And, despite that, he still wouldn't be certain of a starting spot.

He's in Leinster's first choice 23 as it stands on the bench. I don't think I can say for certain that he wouldn't be in the exact same boat at Munster or Ulster. He's able to play 10, 12 or 15.

So that means he would need to be selected ahead of Crowley, Nankivell or Haley in Munster and Burns, McCloskey or Addison/Lowry/Moore in Ulster.

Obviously has a better shot in Ulster but I couldn't say with absolute certainty that he's getting the starting jersey in any of the above spots. I'd suggest he would only actually have a realistic chance of the 10 or 15 spot in Ulster and he'd be only a back up in Munster at best for all three spots.

So, with all that in mind, would Frawley be any better off moving? I think hopes of nailing down a starting spot anywhere right now is as strong by trying to usurp an off form 31 year old Henshaw in Leinster next season (with Ngatai out of contract and getting on).

arsebiscuits1

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121470641#Comment_121470641

Well said TRC.

Leo DOES indeed know best.

I'm so glad people like you appreciate that Leo is a professional coach and knows more than other people.

Great to see you smiling. 2 positive posts in a row?? Must be Christmas time

monkeybutter

not sure what the negativity if for

Leinster lose 1 game from 7... terrible

LAR already lost 5 from 9 yet are brilliant

Must love hardship

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121470776#Comment_121470776

He came out last week in an interview with Rte and said he wants to play more at 10.

He currently has 2 people ahead of him for that Jersey at Leinster.

Leinster has consistently not played him at 10.

If he wants to play at 10 he may have to move and Ulster/connacht would be the most suitable locations

awec

On a related note, I think this is probably a very big game for Robbie Henshaw, I'm not sure how many more poor performances he can afford. Leinster are going to need a performance out of him on Sunday.

Dubinusa

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121470513#Comment_121470513

Agreed! VDF is not at his mighty heights but he's playing well.

Dubinusa

What's with Conan and Tadg? Now I am not feeling confident. 😕

Dubinusa

Big ask of Clarkson. Not an ideal spot for him to be in. No Molony! That is another surprise for me. Ben Murphy getting a baptism of fire. JOB will presumably be better than his last outing.

I'll be happy with a point. I cannot see us getting any parity in the scrum. Big Mike is not quality in the scrum.

AbusesToilets

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121471124#Comment_121471124

If Osbourne was fit, he'd be starting imo.

Clegg

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121471643#Comment_121471643

Not sure about that tbh. Ngatai has been Leinster's best back this season and only makes the bench.

If Osborne were fit I think he would have started at 11. He has a kick to match Lowe's and with both out we lose 5-10 metres on our exits.

Clegg

I hope Ryan Baird takes his chance to nail down the blindside spot. He played well from there last season, but really needs to stick to one position. Switching between lock and flanker won't help his long term development as a player.

TRC10

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121471643#Comment_121471643

Nah Leo wouldn't have picked him. It was always going to be Henshaw

AbusesToilets

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121471656#Comment_121471656

Honestly, I'd have started both of them. I do think Osbourne could be great at 11 too.

chancer12

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121470641#Comment_121470641

What does Frawley have to do to be selected? Leo's obsession with the Byrne's beyond irritating.

Clegg

Lads, Frawley had a chance at 10 and wasn't doing the business. I'd like to see him get another shot, but there isn't really a body of evidence to suggest he's being hard done by in selection.

On that note, I'd like to say Ruaidhri O'Connor is a bit of a muppet. On the left wing podcast he's giving out again about Frawley not being selected at 10. Laying out all the reasons to why Harry Byrne shouldn't be selected whilst ignoring that all those reasons can also be applied to Frawley.

AdamD

ROC shows very very little understanding of rugby on a regular basis. I don't think he can see beyond how athletic any given player is

RichieRich_89

I hope to see Noel McNamara coach Leinster one day. He'll have good experience of different rugby cultures after his stint in Bordeaux, having also coached the Sharks in SA and spent a short time as a defence coach in NZ provincial rugby. His teams play some standout attacking rugby.

I wonder how it would fit, with Nienaber's and Goodman's and his own contract lengths.

ulsteru20s

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121471124#Comment_121471124

Central contracts come with a lot of rope. They don’t guarantee selection but i feel like they help at least in terms of making 23s.

On Frawley, i’d def let him play 10 for ulster.

Buer

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121470965#Comment_121470965

Because the T14 is a totally different kettle of fish to the URC. Teams lose games. They tend to sacrifice away games or put out weakened selections on the basis that they will win their home fixtures and pick up the odd win/bonus point on the road.

Leinster lost 1 out of 18 regular season games last season in the URC (a third string side against the Bulls) and La Rochelle lost 9 in the T14 (which is actually excellent for the T14).

This season, La Rochelle were massively depleted by the RWC. Aside from their French stars, they lost key guys like Seuteni, Skelton, Botia and Sclavi. They were slow to bring guys back in and also had injuries with guys when they did return like Seuteni, Skelton and Danty. They also had injuries to guys who were their stalwarts holding the fort. Dulin, Leyds and Rhule were all out (Rhule still is). Rhule aside (and Alldritt), they've a full deck tomorrow.

But if we look at their results as the stars started to return, they've won 3 of their last 4. The only game they lost was the away game to top of the table Racing where they played the majority of the game with 14 men. And they still didn't have a full deck in that game either. I watched the extended highlights of that game, they were definitely off colour but the scoreline flattered Racing significantly. The La Rochelle scrum still destroyed Racing and that's a place where they'll look to attack us tomorrow.

This is the first time La Rochelle have put out all their big guns out this season at the same time. They've been clearly targeting this fixture. Winning tomorrow would be a massive result for Leinster.

pickarooney

Is Martin Moloney fit and/or still at Leinster? Haven't heard anything in ages.

monkeybutter

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121473886#Comment_121473886

teams lose games in the URC too, just not Leinster

In France they only seem to target homes games for whatever reason, seems a stupid tactic, too align with a lot of stupid things top 14 teams tend to do

All the other top 14 teams are dealing with the same thing

Leinster lost by a whisker last year and should have won, same the year before

Those saying they are going to get beaten out the gate are mad

When you go down to 14 men it's for 1 of 2 reasons stupidity or because you were being crushed out if the game, mostly the latter, you were going to lose anyway

KH25

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121474473#Comment_121474473

Coming back from a knee injury soon I think.

Foxtrol

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121472525#Comment_121472525

Seems to be a constant moan this season from the media about the Leinster rotation while praising Munster for finally taking a similar approach of getting their young players game time. Leinster's success has been tied to how well they develop players and keep them happy while doing so. They haven't hit their normal levels this season just yet but no team in world rugby has been impacted more than them based on absences from the World Cup, both players and coaches, and still are top of the league.

Agree on Frawley's history and how he should get another shot. I've however no reason not to trust the Leinster set up when it comes to assessing their players, as they very rarely get it wrong. I wonder how different Carbury's career would have had if he'd stuck at 15 with Leinster.

Dubinusa

Lenihan made a point during the Connacht match that Leinster looked disjointed due to the returning international players. I disagree with this! It's not been a problem before and the non internationals kept the standards up very high.

I think that it's due to the departure of Stu. The team looks rudderless and out at sea. It will take time for Ninebar to bed in but, the attacking shape looks poor.

Foxtrol

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121476064#Comment_121476064

Of course they look more disjointed, they were impacted far more than other years. Normally the international players are just later starting their preseason, this year they didn't have one with Leinster.

Sure Stu not being there is an impact but it was made much worse by Goodman also being away with Samoa and no Nienaber. The fact Leinster have been as competent as they have is quite impressive, when you see the excuses put out for the performances of other sides that are less impacted than Leinster.

It might not be enough for tomorrow but it bodes pretty well for later in the season when they click.

Dubinusa

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121476151#Comment_121476151

Very true. Why on earth would they allow Goodman to coach in Samoa, if he's contracted with Leinster? Makes no sense! Either he's a Leinster coach or he should 🚶‍♀️