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

No ones forgetting about how good Robs open field running was. Naturally his game was going to change the older he got. But theres 10 years between them. Kennans not going to be reverting to that more conservative style of play for years, he's only 25. I can't see people moaning about him any time soon.

Ah mate stop moving the goalposts.

They were 2 supremely good defensive plays from a player who worked on their deficiencies.

Yes you'd expect international players to make them. But the fact that he did is still impressive.

The best players make the big impacts when the stakes are the highest. Not everyone can do that.

Lowe did that.

Take POMs intercept of the chip through against NZ in 2018. Isolated it was nothing special. But he still had to make it. And he did and deservedly got the plaudits

Those incidents prove that he has worked on his defence and improved. And he’s getting credit for that. Heaven forbid people show some perspective.

But neither are examples of excellent defence. One is a very obvious read and the other is a scrag tackle that should really have been a dominant hit. It's only excellent defence because he's set the bar so Lowe.

Higher pressure environments are generally more difficult to perform in. He won't always be playing in an utterly dominant team.

I'm inclined to agree. I would say how good Lowe looks in defence is largely a function of how good a job Ireland are doing at winning the momentum battle.

When I said 10 players I meant across the back 3..

As a full back only Keenan in top 10. Maybe even top 5 in a year or 2.

Jaminet for me would have to be very high up in the discussion beside Barretts, mckenslzie, hogg and Carberry ;) (joke)

I don't think there's sufficient evidence to suggest he has. We always knew he could make a tackle, apart from the Jones one in Murrayfield that was never really his issue.

However even if I was to say he has gotten better, could he have gotten any worse?

Wonder will we see Ross or Harry Byrne start? The latter has gotten some stick for recent outings, but I don't think Ross has played particularly well this season either.

I was quite impressed with Harry's performances against Connacht last weekend. He was under pressure to perform and out in a very solid performance. Ross is the better player right now, but lacks an individual game breaking threat to ever really kick on from the level he's at right now. I think Harry might have that potential, but he needs a run of games to develop as a player.

Bath are in diabolical form at the minute. I think this is possibly the best chance to see how Harry gets on in a Champions Cup game.

One potential factor in Ross's favour is the Montpellier game next week. If Sexton is out then Ross starts that one. He may need the Bath game as a tune up.

yeah, if Lowe could be blamed for another NZ try and it was a 2 point game coming into the home stretch it would be a very different story and he’d be done and dusted for a lot of people. Those are the breaks. As it stands he has changed the narrative for the time being, opposition coaches won’t forget his issues anytime soon though.

Nothing Larmour could do about the Hansen try, it was a great kick and catch. He was at fault for the second try and also caught out of position for the Hume break that led to Ulsters 1st try he did well to stop him but they scored off next pass.

The difference between Kolbe and Larmour is that Kolbe steps players when he needs to and burns players with pace if doesn't need to step. Larmour nearly always goes for an extra step when you would like to see him just stick the head down and back himself. For example for his try last week, most wingers would simply put the head down and scored in the corner. He stepped back in, he did score but only because Robb made a poor tackle, he wouldn't get away with that against better defenders.

I would like to see his working on his passing, Lowe /Hansen for example are so much more rounded and more comfortable ball in hand. A top class winger is also able to bring the players around him into play, not sure Larmour has developed that yet. He is the same size as conway who took a few years to reach his peak so he has plenty of time.

Mckenzie couldn't catch a cold against Italy. Hogg got dropped by Exeter and the Lions last year, has often been shocking against Ireland.

Watched it again, he could have easily made the corner. He was lucky Robb made a poor tackle, he nearly always takes that extra step.

I seen people asking for him to be dropped out of the squad not alone the team. Pure nonsense. Now he is the greatest thing ever. Boom or bust fans, next day if he is seen to make an error they will come back out saying he should be dropped from the squad.

Pure Hyperbole, Lowes attacking prowess was never in doubt. His defence was always an issue. He has at least to some degree sorted the issues in his defence. This makes him a live option for starting winger. That’s all people are saying.

Could , if he didn't then he is bundled into touch. The route he took meant he could keep the ball alive.

there was 20 meters between Hansen and the touch line when Larmour got the ball. The touchline wasn’t or shouldn’t have been a factor.