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

Starting to get concerned about Leinsters prospects this season. There has been a noted deterioration in team performances, especially with regards to the back up players. There are too many unenforced errors especially in the opposition 22. So many knock ons and turnovers.

We were a genuine disgrace at the ruck today. I think we must have been close to double figures conceded at that area alone? We aren't protecting our ball the way we should be.

Poor game management. The long range kick at goal should have been put in the corner and gone after the bonus point. With a minute to go losing the turnover is pretty shocking as well. You got to be happy for Cardiff though, some celebrations.

The new format in the URC has completely derailed the team. No consistency at all, so many rusty players.

Completely agree about the ruck, terrible that it was not addressed at all.

I have a feeling all season this will not be a good one. Missing a massive spark and just look off. They will come unstuck in the tougher matches later this season.

What's the issue with the format?

What's interesting and concerning is that Leinster are showing weaknesses in their game which they haven't in previous seasons. The inability to protect their own ball is a concern, but it's not the only area.

In our two defeats this season Ulster essentially strangled us up front and kept us pinned back with box kicks. That's a game plan which Munster have tried against us and failed with on a number of occasions over the years. Yet Ulster found a chink in the armour.

Cardiff exploited issues with our backfield positioning and put some lovely chip kicks behind our defence to regather. These issues weren't there a season or two ago. There's a plan to beat Leinster now that isn't just to pummel us up front for 80 minutes ala Saracens or La Rochelle.

All this is caveated by the fact that both defeats have occurred at times when we're missing 15/20 players. Our first string is still hitting a very high level of performance. But the years of being able to rotate in the newer academy graduates and still see tremendous continuity in performance appears to be over.

At least we've now three home fixtures on the bounce starting the weekend after next. It's a good chance to build some continuity in performance with the test players away in international duty.

I think there's definitely an issue with the lack of gametime some of our players have this season. Decision making has been poor when once it wasn't. We're playing with the same shape as the first team regulars. Lots of support runners flooding the channels waiting for offloads or acting as decoys for the actual next receiver. But we're making far more errors in the 22 than the Champions Cup side would for instance.

Well, the international window hasn't started yet, so how is that an excuse?

There were no games for five weeks around October and November. The knock on effect was that the games in December were Connacht and Bath which the first string had to play so the second and third strings essentially didn't play for two plus months.

Byrne has had a poor 12 months partly down to injury and Covid enforced absences. Think he missed about 5 months last season through injury alone.

After that he just hasn't had enough gametime to get back into things. But to say he's just hype or been terrible in most matches is just incredibly dishonest.

Same happened for a lot of other teams, most don't have the strength and depth to have 10 internationals on their 2/3 strength team so that's no excuse.

Caused by covid restrictions, not by the URC format

Munster don't want Harry Byrne. Munster and Munster fans also do not want Harry byrne to be scapegoated or villianised

Harry Byrne is a very good rugby player. He may very well become an elite 10. But there are a lot of other players fighting for that same elusive spot

That's not true. There were no games for five weeks between October and November because of the international window. It was nothing to do with Covid.

I'm not saying other teams suffered less or more, am merely pointing out that usually there are games through this period where we'd normally have gametime for those down the depth chart. That's down to the new URC format. Not Covid.

Terrible might have been an over reaction on my behalf but he hasn’t been great and I do acknowledge a whole host of factors in his performances.

I really do hope he comes good, I suppose my reaction is from people way more knowledgeable then me on these things saying he was brilliant or the potential to be brilliant when it just hasn’t really happened for him. Again due to a lot of factors added in with the less URC and Leinster A games I can’t see were his development is going to come from as he needs consistent game time and an injury free run. That won’t be helped when moving in to the business end of the season however the 3 home matches in a row in February should help.

I do agree also there is a group more then happy if he doesn’t progress for various reasons.