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

Burkie1203 · 30-01-2022 9:28am

Welsh rugby twitter is pathetic. Loads of 'leinster didn't form a tunnel for Cardiff " nonsense being posted. The constant negativity is painful. Sport is there to be enjoyed. But they just have to find negative stuff to whinge about.

Toner, Cronin are finished. Hint of Gordon D'Arcy in 2015 about them.

Harry needs regular gametime, week in week out.

30-01-2022 10:27am

Apparently it was the wrong type of “tunnel” after Leinster had to officially respond with actual broadcast imagery. Bare in mind most Brits now live in a land where from the top down you can deny truth and reality in the face of incontrovertible evidence.

on the game

Cardiff were the better team and deserved that win. Better at ruck time, better resourced clearing out ours, we had too many players left on their own in rucks with support arriving too late. Our ball skills have dropped due lack of game time, that was noticeable in both European games and this one.

Its still January lads, bear in mind prior to our two HCup games we were idle for 5 weeks. These players got little game time while the HCup squad/Internationals were given the game time over the last two games. We have had 16 first teamers and J Lowe drawn down for international duty and injury form that bunch. These lads will pick it up again while they get their game time over the next few months.

Its still January and we have 4 months to go in the league. Can all the doomsdayers all please sit down and chill. It’s good we lose every now and again, mainly so that peoples expectations and entitlements can be brought back to down reality.

ShineyShiney · 30-01-2022 2:03pm

What size squad is expected for next season and who are the players still unsigned at leinster?

On Harry Byrne, I'm of the opinion that he lacks the essential ingredient to be a top quality rugby player, availability to play. I think leinster need to be in the market for a 10

Exclamation Marc · 30-01-2022 2:11pm

Harry has not yet gotten a substantial run as the starting ten through key URC and European fixtures whether its the availability of Sexton, Covid disruption or injury.

I remain unconvinced of him being good enough to be Ireland's next incumbent out-half but it would be ludicrous to dismiss him out of hand now until he gets a prolonged run.

ShineyShiney · 30-01-2022 2:16pm

All

jimdemp · 30-01-2022 3:25pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118554312#Comment_118554312

Maybe he should be tried out as a 15. He is never going to get enough game time to develop and has probably regressed as a player. Ben Healy is the same age and looks like a seasoned pro when compared. Carberry is only 3 years older then byrne who is not the kid people are making out. Maybe byrnes father asked bod to hype up his son in the media to help him out

Mebuntu · 30-01-2022 4:01pm

Our ball skills have dropped due lack of game time,

Yes, you're right they have dropped but, leaving aside the painful-to-watch non-stop Cardiff turnovers, the following just three examples cannot be explained away by lack of game time.

Coming out after the interval it was important for both teams to set an early marker. Leinster had the opportunity with an early scrum put in. McGrath put the ball in but instead of immediately running around to fetch it and, at the very least, dispatching it into Cardiff's half, he proceeded to walk away about ten yards behind the scrum and just stood there looking. Cardiff pushed and were awarded a penalty from which they scored. So, instead of being back deep in their own half, Cardiff now had the all-important impetus they needed at the start of the second half.

Later on, a Cardiff player, for the umpteenth time, hoisted the ball over the Leinster defence. This one was in the air a long time but not a single Leinster player was in sight or interested in challenging for it and the Cardiff player ran through and collected it with great ease. Not good if you were someone on the fringes hoping to impress with attitude.

With a minute to go Leinster were leading, had the ball in hand but chose to do the one thing they were losing out on all night - run away and get isolated from team-mates and the rest was almost inevitable.

Lack of awareness all round, tbh.

Sadly, those great stalwarts, Devin and Sean, look shot.

The jury is still out on HB but I can understand the sceptics. He looked like the business so I'm willing to wait and see one more time how he fares if and when he gets an injury-free run of games before writing him off as a future Irish 10.

The next three matches will be very revealing in respect of who will or won't be staying at the RDS at the end of the season.

degsie · 30-01-2022 4:13pm

That Cardiff crowd, nearly as bad as the Glasgow crowd when their team are behind. Zero respect for anybody booing a kicker.

Dubinusa · 30-01-2022 4:16pm

Devin has been done for a while now. He was a passenger last year for the most part. Cronin has declined rapidly, also. I haven't watched the match, but from reading the posts here, it's apparent the team was poor. It could be lack of gametime or, poor coaching.

Why would Ala'Atoa stay on for the entire match? Why was Molony not starting? Where was Murphy? Is he cast aside because he's leaving?

HB is having a mare of a season and he probably is overhyped. He's not been good and I think Healy at Munster is better atm. I wonder if Leinster need to bring in a 10. Sexton is old, RB has regressed and HB is not going well.

Perhaps the squad is suffering from being so large? Either way, I think Leinstet are going to struggle to win trophy this year.

Lost Ormond · 30-01-2022 4:50pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118554991#Comment_118554991

its a tradition in some places to be quiet. Its tradition in many other places for crowd to make as much noise as possible. As long as its not players, coaches etc ie people within the fence(management and backroom teams as well as players) then its fine unless it goes as far as getting personal with player taking the kick.

TRC10 · 30-01-2022 4:58pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118555006#Comment_118555006

I think Leinstet are going to struggle to win trophy this year.

I think this is a bit an overreaction to be honest, actually no it's a big overreaction. And I'm seeing a lot of that after yesterday's result.

Leinster don't have a squad depth problem. If any of yesterday's team had to come into the 1st XV for a H Cup game, they'd do an ok job.

But losing your entire starting XV to Ireland camp, and having to field an entirely new team made up of guys who haven't played in a couple of months, is a different story altogether.

The team that played yesterday won't be the one winning trophies. The team that does the winning will be the one that plays in the H Cup knockouts and URC playoffs.

Ciaran-Irl · 30-01-2022 5:28pm

Can I just remind everyone that Harry Byrne is 22 years old. Jonathan Sexton turned 23 in July 2008.

Sexton played three games in the 2006–07 season. He scored 11 points in 143 minutes play in fairly mixed performances against limited opposition.

Overall, he scored 73 points during 2007–08 in just 230 minutes of rugby. He rarely got more than 10 minutes at a time and he was always a sub.

If Harry Byrne is being written off by you today, you can absolutely guarantee that you would have written off Jonathan Sexton at age 22.

Dubinusa · 30-01-2022 6:08pm

Problem for Leinster, as I see it, is Sexton is old and injury prone. RB is playing poorly and looks like he's regressing and HB, has looked poor also. It kind of makes me wonder why Corkery was offered a spot in the academy? After these 3, the options are Frawley, Hawkshaw and JOB? Seriously issues at 10 right now, imo.

Dubinusa · 30-01-2022 6:09pm

I would also assume that Josh Murphy is injured? That's got to be why Toner started?

How did McCarthy play?

thomond2006 · 30-01-2022 7:03pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118553157#Comment_118553157

It was a fishing expedition and it looks like you got reeled in.

molloyjh · 30-01-2022 8:50pm

Clearly the coaches were looking to give game time to guys who hadn’t been getting much so far this season. Cronin is behind Tracy, Toner and McCarthy are both behind Molony and Murphy, Penny is behind Deegan at 8. We could have picked a stronger team with a week off next week, but that would have left others possibly somewhat pissed off. Unfortunately playing a somewhat scratch team away from home against a side with good cohesion probably wasn’t the best idea.

Our ball protection was really poor and we were very rusty. Being off the pace was to be expected. And the new league format means that this may end up being an issue for this fixture going forward. The rescheduled games might help us this season as those guys will get a run of games. But I won’t be too upset if we don’t win the league this season. Europe is what we need this season. We already have 4 in a row and the league could do with someone else winning it.

Pale Caucasian · 31-01-2022 8:49am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118553157#Comment_118553157

The constant negativity? Forgive me for pointing out the absolute backhandedness of that comment for one moment. That’s good coming from an account set up purely to destroy Peter o Mahoney after every Munster and Ireland game for nigh on two to two and a half years. That was literally your raisin d’etre for the past two and a half years. You didn’t post anything else for that entire time.

And people will say that’s an exaggeration but I was tracking you solely for some time because I was wondering where the hatred and spite towards O Mahon came from. And what your function in the system you boys seem to have going up here. Your role for literally two years was only to pull stats on Mahoney after every game and slate him.

Now I know it was more than just a Munster thing so I considered what was it that had you so bitter. So hate filled and negative? That I will leave for another time but I think we both know the reason one of them stemming from a coach O Mahony once had in school. Your bitter about a result he once achieved against you back in the day. In any case you’ve resurrected your account to fully engaging and functioning again. But never preach to me about negativity again.

salmocab · 31-01-2022 9:19am

Jesus wept this place is a cess pit

Podge_irl · 31-01-2022 9:45am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118555368#Comment_118555368

Sexton had 1087 mins of rugby in 07-08 and was essentially the starting 10 for the Magners/ProX campaign. He just wasn't the primary goal kicker.

I'm not writing HB off by any stretch, but Sexton at the same age was leagues ahead. Which should not be that surprising given he's Ireland's greatest ever 10...

pickarooney · 31-01-2022 9:48am

That was literally your raisin d'être for the past two and a half years

That's just sour grapes

Podge_irl · 31-01-2022 10:30am

Clearly the coaches were looking to give game time to guys who hadn’t been getting much so far this season. Cronin is behind Tracy, Toner and McCarthy are both behind Molony and Murphy, Penny is behind Deegan at 8. We could have picked a stronger team with a week off next week, but that would have left others possibly somewhat pissed off.

Probably as good an argument as any to suggest that a number of players are going to have to make way after this season.

molloyjh · 31-01-2022 10:52am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118557970#Comment_118557970

Sexton also had less competition too. The Ross Byrne conundrum is an interesting one. He’s the better option for Leinster right now and will continue to be a very strong option for Leinster going forward. Unfortunately he isn’t an option at Test level. Harry could be better in time and could be an option at Test level. But Leinster aren’t all that incentivised to play the weaker player now no matter how good that may be for Ireland.

Podge_irl · 31-01-2022 10:55am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118558308#Comment_118558308

Yup, he absolutely did. But there appears to be consistent efforts to reframe Sexton as someone who broke through out of nowhere quite late and was magically able to lead Leinster to the HEC. Which is an unhelpful re-writing of history.

HByrne's problem is that he is not playing matches and any comparison to Sexton at a similar point in his career will only serve to highlight that massive problem, not ameliorate it.

Must love hardship · 31-01-2022 11:19am

Realistically H Byrne and R Byrne could get 4 starts each, (including r Byrne v Cardiff last Saturday) before the Connacht H Cup game April 9th.

Hopefully both get through the period injury free and have a fair shot at who's first choice back up going into the business end of the season.

An injury to either could free up a spot for Frawley to stake his claim for the 22 Jersey.

crisco10 · 31-01-2022 11:33am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118558324#Comment_118558324

I also don't understand the historical reframing. Felipe was very much competition, was around most of the year and very very good. It was a constant source of discussion in 07/08 about how to fit them both in the team, and Felipe moved to 12 on occasion to get them on the same pitch. Sexton even started at 15 away to Munster IIRC.

What then happened was Sexton's form dipped in middle of 08/09 season and he famously went back to Mary's etc. So on a 6 month scale, his rise was huge (from Marys to Croker), but on a 18 month scale, it was a bit more of a natural progression.

Back to Harry, for me the jury is out, and he has had a pretty poor season. But maybe he is the next messiah. ;-)

molloyjh · 31-01-2022 11:38am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118558501#Comment_118558501

Just in case the competition thing is in reference to my comment, I was really referring to Harry having Ross ahead of him as well as Sexton. Sexton had Felipe ahead of him but that was it.