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

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    #8402
    Quin_Dub
    Moderators, Politics Moderators, Social & Fun Moderators Posts: 15,558 Mod ✭✭✭✭Quin_Dub


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119076462#Comment_119076462

    Who's their back-up Scrum half?



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    #8403
    Buer
    Registered Users Posts: 24,258 ✭✭✭✭Buer


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119076715#Comment_119076715

    Likely to be Thomas Berjon, a relatively young scrum half (not by French standards, I suppose) who has never played in this type of game before. Arthur Retiere may be given the nod (unlikely) but he's more of a winger who can play 9 if needed. He covers 9 for them from the bench of late. He started one game at 9 this season, a few weeks ago away to Toulouse....and was taken off at half time.

    TKB is their single most important player, in my mind. The drop off from him is bigger than any other key position. He plays the majority of any big game. He played the full 80 in last year's final. He played 76 minutes against us last season. He has played the full 80 in three of their seven European games this season (only managing 78 minutes against Montpellier) and would have played 80 at the weekend if he didn't break his hand, I'm sure.

    I don't think Leinster have any player where the gap would be as broad. It would be a Sexton to Shaun Berne in 2010 type drop.



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    #8404
    Quin_Dub
    Moderators, Politics Moderators, Social & Fun Moderators Posts: 15,558 Mod ✭✭✭✭Quin_Dub


    And presumably Berjon will have to play a full 80 this week-end as well.

    Is there any confirmation on Skelton?

    Some are saying he's out long term others suggest that he might make it back for the final.



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    #8405
    Dubinusa
    Registered Users Posts: 8,581 ✭✭✭Dubinusa


    It must be VDF? He's played incredible rugby this year. He has been world class. I'm surprised that Johnny Football didn't get nominated?

    Could it be possible that Sexton is the best ever Irish player?



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    #8406
    Dubinusa
    Registered Users Posts: 8,581 ✭✭✭Dubinusa


    Thinking about this upcoming fixture and I can't help feeling that although the players retiring and leaving will be missed and they were key players, the next generation will be better.

    If only we could produce a scrum half! I think the lads going west will do well and Exeter will be chuffed with their haul!



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    #8407
    RichieRich_89
    Registered Users Posts: 1,554 ✭✭✭RichieRich_89


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119076872#Comment_119076872

    You don't like the look of Foley? He looks good to me.



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    #8408
    Lsdrugbyfan
    Registered Users Posts: 882 ✭✭✭Lsdrugbyfan


    Potential Leinster academy next season:

    LH Prop

    • Marcus Hanan (22/Clane RFC/Old Belvedere) - Year 3
    • Jack Boyle (20/St. Michaels/UCD) - Year 2

    TH Prop

    • Temi Lasisi (21/Enniscorthy RFC/Lansdowne) - Year 2
    • Rory McGuire (20/Blackrock College/UCD) - Year 1

    Hooker

    • John McKee (22/Campbell/Old Belvedere) - Year 3
    • Lee Barron (21/St. Michaels/DUFC) - Year 2

    Lock

    • Conor O'Tighnernaigh(19/St. Michaels/UCD) - Year 1

    Blindside-Lock

    • Alex Soroka (21/Belvedere/Clontarf) - Year 3
    • Dairmuid Mangan(19/Newbridge/UCD) - Year 1

    Backrow

    • Sean O'Brien (22/Blackrock/UCD) - Year 3
    • Mark Hernan (22/St. Michaels/Lansdowne) - Year 2
    • James Culhane (19-20/Blackrock/UCD) - Year 1

    Scrumhalf

    • Ben Murphy (20/Pres Bray/Old Wesley) - Year 2

    Outhalf

    • Charlie Tector (20/Kilkenny/Lansdowne) - Year 1
    • Sam Prendergast(19/Newbridge/Lansdowne) - Year 1

    Centre

    • Ben Brownlee (19/Blackrock/UCD) - Year 1

    Back Three

    • Andrew Smith (22/St. Michaels/Clontarf) - Year 3
    • Niall Comerford (22/Blackrock/UCD) - Year 3
    • Max O'Reilly (22/St. Gerards/DUFC) - Year 3
    • Chris Cosgrave (21/St. Michaels/UCD) - Year 2
    • Aitzol King (20/Balbriggan RFC/Clontarf) - Year 1


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    #8409
    Dubinusa
    Registered Users Posts: 8,581 ✭✭✭Dubinusa


    From this list, I would expect MOR; McKie and S.O.B to be definitely updated to development contracts. I really have been impressed with McKie. I just hope Ulster don't come knocking, to entice him back.

    Soroka and Boyle could possibly earn contracts too. I don't know anything about Hanan, so he could surprise and make the grade.

    I just read that a young lad from Kildare has signed on with Bristol. Loose head prop too.



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    #8410
    Dubinusa
    Registered Users Posts: 8,581 ✭✭✭Dubinusa


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119077026#Comment_119077026

    I do think Foley could be a decent player! But, I doubt he's going to be a Casey or Doak type player!



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    #8411
    Buer
    Registered Users Posts: 24,258 ✭✭✭✭Buer


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119076791#Comment_119076791

    ROG said himself that Skelton is potentially done for the season. There's certainly some growing questions (largely online without much basis) that he'll be back for the final but it looks unlikely right now.

    Skelton has a calf injury which is a notoriously finicky injury to clear. But when you're 130kg+, I'd imagine it's more difficult again. I'd be very surprised if he was on the field.



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    #8412
    Lsdrugbyfan
    Registered Users Posts: 882 ✭✭✭Lsdrugbyfan


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119077451#Comment_119077451

    Skelton more 150kg these days apparently.



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    #8413
    Quin_Dub
    Moderators, Politics Moderators, Social & Fun Moderators Posts: 15,558 Mod ✭✭✭✭Quin_Dub


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119077464#Comment_119077464

    Indeed , he's a guy that loses fitness very quickly when he's not fully active.

    Some people have a naturally high baseline fitness level and can come back very quickly from a long lay-off - Skelton isn't typically one of those people.



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    #8414
    errlloyd
    Registered Users Posts: 12,611 ✭✭✭✭errlloyd


    Indeed they're not the Toulon or Sarries of old.


    We are.



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    #8415
    Lsdrugbyfan
    Registered Users Posts: 882 ✭✭✭Lsdrugbyfan


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119077897#Comment_119077897

    Sounds like you find supporting leinster miserable, not sure why you bother.

    Hollow. 😅



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    #8416
    Buer
    Registered Users Posts: 24,258 ✭✭✭✭Buer


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119077464#Comment_119077464

    Don't think he has been that weight for a long time unless he has put on an absolutely obscene amount of weight recently which he doesn't appear to have. He spoke at length this time last year of the his weight loss at Saracens and further loss upon arrival in France. He was 135kg at Saracens. La Rochelle have him down as 125kg which is possibly lower than reality, I'd think.



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    #8417
    Lsdrugbyfan
    Registered Users Posts: 882 ✭✭✭Lsdrugbyfan


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119078052#Comment_119078052

    Skelton says these days he is between 145-150kg on this podcast: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MTx4Qc-TNug&ab_channel=RugbyPass


    https://www.rugbypass.com/new/203cm-23-stone-will-skelton-is-dwarfed-by-his-younger-brothers/



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    #8418
    stephen_n
    Registered Users Posts: 12,920 ✭✭✭✭stephen_n


    What’s the record number of re-regs for one person?



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    #8419
    OldRio
    Registered Users Posts: 6,078 ✭✭✭OldRio


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119077897#Comment_119077897

    1/10. Must do better.



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    #8420
    TRC10
    Registered Users Posts: 3,952 ✭✭✭TRC10


    French clubs don't care about Europe, and yet 3 of the 4 semi-finalists were French and only once in the last 10 years has there been no French club in the final



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    #8421
    Stephen_Maturin
    Registered Users Posts: 1,164 ✭✭✭Stephen_Maturin


    Ah lads honestly why do ye bother even dignify the wind up merchants with a response.

    And a transparent, piss poor attempt from them at that



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    #8422
    Dubinusa
    Registered Users Posts: 8,581 ✭✭✭Dubinusa


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119078615#Comment_119078615

    Tsk tsk. French sides don't win the Heineken cup. I can only think of Toulon and Toulouse. Biarritz? Perpignan? England teams don't care either! Why would they? Exeter have won just 1. Tigers 2, wasps 2, Sarries 3, Saints 1. They're not interested.



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    #8423
    molloyjh
    Registered Users Posts: 24,762 ✭✭✭✭molloyjh


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119078839#Comment_119078839

    The number of titles isn’t the sole barometer of interest. Sure Munster haven’t won a title in 14 years. Have they lost interest in Europe? Leinster have won only 1 in the last 10. Are they barely bothered with Europe?

    French and English teams aren’t 2 homogenous groups where a singular perspective applies to all teams all of the time. There are teams that give a crap about Europe in both leagues and teams that don’t. And even at that, the list of which do and don’t changes with time and fortune. Toulouse, Toulon, Clermont, Racing and La Rochelle spring to mind immediately as teams in France who care about Europe for example.

    Why people feel the need to think that “all French teams are this” or “all English teams are that” honestly baffles me.



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    #8424
    pickarooney
    Moderators, Arts Moderators Posts: 35,472 Mod ✭✭✭✭pickarooney


    Glory and a paycheck (sic) - the very life blood of professional rugby then



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    #8425
    El_Duderino 09
    Registered Users Posts: 20,294 ✭✭✭✭El_Duderino 09


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119078546#Comment_119078546

    Yeah it's often made out to be a decision to disrespect the European competition, but it's much more about lack of options. They don't have the luxury to rest whole first teams in their league, so they have to be more strategic. If they can't a fight effectively on both fronts ad the Irish teams can, then they focus on their domestic league because that's where the money is for them. It's fairly understandable under the circumstances.



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    #8426
    pickarooney
    Moderators, Arts Moderators Posts: 35,472 Mod ✭✭✭✭pickarooney


    Of course they can fight effectively. Toulouse and La Rochelle reached both finals last year!

    This bullshit of poor tired French teams is getting ridiculous.



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    #8427
    Former Former Former
    Registered Users Posts: 6,016 ✭✭✭Former Former Former


    I'm always amazed at the number of regular posters who cannot spot a blatant troll. Like, he wasn't even trying to be subtle about it.



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    #8428
    El_Duderino 09
    Registered Users Posts: 20,294 ✭✭✭✭El_Duderino 09


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119079106#Comment_119079106

    I don't think its bullshit and I didnt call them poor or tired. Their league is both more lucrative and more competitive than the URC so their primary focus is the URC.

    I doubt any French team could afford to send a team like leinsters SA tour squad. Thst happened because leinster had built up such a cushion that they only needed 2 points from their last 3 games to be guaranteed top spot. That's very unusual.

    Why is it such an issue anyway? Just because we have a relatively weak league and focus on Europe, why do we get cross when someone else doesn't give it the same focus?



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    #8429
    OldRio
    Registered Users Posts: 6,078 ✭✭✭OldRio


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119079123#Comment_119079123

    This a million times.



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    #8430
    TRC10
    Registered Users Posts: 3,952 ✭✭✭TRC10


    Nobody is denying that the Top14 is a very competitive league and that the French clubs don't have the luxury of being able to rest players like the Irish provinces do. It was the blanket statement that "French clubs don't care about Europe" which is what people take issue with, because it's just objectively and provably false.

    Many French clubs care a great deal about Europe. Toulouse have won the most out of anyone, so they clearly care. La Rochelle have made it to two finals in a row, so they clearly care. Racing have been in 3 of the last 6 finals, so they clearly care. Toulon won 3 in a row from 2013-15, so they clearly care.

    If they truly "didn't care", they'd all just field their espoirs in the group stage and be done with it and we'd have all 4 provinces in the 1/4 finals every year.



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    #8431
    crisco10
    Registered Users Posts: 6,205 ✭✭✭crisco10


    What actually irritates me in this whole conversation is that Leinster "prioritise" Europe. That would only really be true if they were making sacrifices in the Pro12/14/rabo/URC, but that hasn't been the case in years. The reality is that Leinster have been able to right-size their effort (and selections), to be in the mix to win the league and also compete in Europe.

    If for example Ross Byrne is good enough to win URC but we need to keepSexton to compete in Europe, that's not Leinster prioritising, that's using resources appropriately.

    What will be interesting is if tha SA teams make the balance harder to strike and we genuinely need to go full bore in the URC at some point during the season.



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