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

I'd have thought a 5-3 split on the bench for both teams suggests they intend to play relatively expansive rugby until the end. Toner suggests a bit more winning ugly but he could also be there to mostly provide strong set piece for the attacking platform.

In a normal game you can try to win it and send on the younger lads to get some experience and it doesn't matter if it becomes a but scrappy. But this is the first half of a 160 minute game. They have to finish this game as strongly as if its the first half of a league game.

They need cohesion until the end and don't want to concede any scrappy tries at the end - doesn't usually matter in a league game, but does matter in this time.

SOB, at his very best, was one of the best players in the world. He could do it all. He's the most destructive ball carrier I've ever seen in a Leinster and Ireland jersey, as well as a huge presence at the ruck.

Such a shame we so rarely saw that consistently due to his injuries.

That's another poor performance to add to the bank that has accumulated this season. The first half was very promising, but our level dipped in the second.

That half, after we scored our early try, was dreadful. There were so many unenforced errors. Whether it was JGPs high tackle, Byrne missing touch, McGrath's numerous poor kicks and knock ons and Lowe's knock ons etc.

If we can maintain our level from the first half things would be fine. There was an intensity and accuracy of play which Connacht couldn't match. But we were just so sloppy in the second.

If you take out the 2011/12 season, where he was insanely good.

I think Keenan is better than Kearney

Yeah I've been pretty critical of some of our performances this season, but I don't think we were bad tonight. I think Connacht got a few home town decisions tbh which stifled our momentum. I'm thinking of Aki getting rewarded when he clearly wasn't supporting his body weight and made no attempt to lift the ball, and then Healy got pinged a few minutes later for a textbook turnover. Tracy's disallowed try also baffled me. He clearly grounded the ball to my eye. But that stuff happens in away games and you've got to deal with it.

Our attacking play in the first half was excellent I thought. Our handling, lines of running and decision making was top drawer. We had Connacht chasing shadows. 2nd half wasn't our best but I'd be pretty confident we can take it up a level when we need to.

I think Joe McCarthy could have a role to play yet this season. Especially if we come up against a big pack. Molony and Murphy were good tonight but ideally you'd have one of them there with a bigger guy. McCarthy may be young but he's a big unit, the lads legs are like tree trunks.

Remember we still have Kelleher and Porter to come back, which will massively strengthen both our starting XV and our bench. I'd be bringing JGP back into the starting XV personally. Luke's passing is just too unreliably when it comes to the crunch IMO.

Saracens earned it.

Think if the on field decision was try, then it would have stood, but there was no clear angle to show he got it on the line so couldn't overrule the original call.

Just one of those things.

points difference over 2 legs

I suppose Leinster will go ad strong as possible, meaning that the tour to S.A will probably be a weaker squad.

This leg of the urc in S.A is one I've been looking forward too. Serious different teams at home. I reckon a bok side can win the urc, if not this year, fairly soon.

Fair play to Connacht. They really go all out and play some good rugby versus ourselves. Although, I can't believe Boyle didn't start.

It makes sense to play a fairly strong team in game 1. Aim for that win as the priority, which would all but guarantee top spot and then send a second team out for the Stormer game.