OFFICIAL Buildup Thread - Leinster vs Stade Rochelais Champions Cup Final 28/05/2022

Well, I think I do agree that Andy farrell does need to look at this game and learn for 2023. SA could easily do the same to us come the WC.

As a leinster fan, I could take a slightly more positive view tho. LAR beat us out the gate last year, and this year only just pipped us. Isn't that an improvement? And while I think we were clearly beasted in 2020 and 2021, I really don't buy that's what happened on Saturday. The scrum was challenging but we won all our own ball, and the penalty count was only about 2 to 1 on their put in. (It was 1 each until the last 10, but can't remember how many scrum pens there were in that final set). The leinster attacking maul was a potent threat all game, while again I don't think LARs really got going bar 1 or 2 examples.

If anything LAR identified space on our edges, and their big ball carriers only did just enough in midfield to open a bit of space. And there were plenty of LAR attacks that went nowhere because of this.

Sophisticated? You realise the average iq is below 100?

The stats may say Leinster won their own ball on scrum but I don't think there was any doubt which side was consistently under pressure.

When a side who are losing with 14 men have penalties under the posts and consistently opt for a scrum you know they have clear dominance.

Leinster were (rightly) adopting the Japan approach on their own ball of getting it straight down the tunnel to 8 and out of there as quick as possible.

Before this thread inevitably descends into a "my fronto-parietal network boasts stronger functional connectivity than yours" I thought of something else, which may or may not have flown under the radar: my word Sheehan came on and took to the occasion like a duck to water. Nailed his throws, kept the set piece steady, and did great work in the tight. Serious prospect there who could be ahead of Kelleher before long.

Well maybe that tells us that the issues are more to do with technique rather than size...

Cross posting from the Leinster thread.

Stats for last weekends game have been published. It shows that the talking point of Leinster being overpowered doesn't fully make sense. We had greater gainline success, collision dominance and a faster average ruck speed. You don't get this if your forwards aren't in the game. Leinster definitely tightened up and weren't as expensive in their style. But that's not wholly due to any sort of La Rochelle physical dominance.

La Rochelle an incredible job in monopolising possession and starved us of the ball. Also, they were incredibly cynical in their own 22 and conceded penalties to kill Leinster attacks. Where Leinster fell down is constantly going for the points it seems.

I'd actually argue that one of Leinster's good tactics was to take the points. Building a platform of 21 points in a final won't see you with a loser's medal all too often.

They're just looking for attention. And you're giving it to them. Several posters on here should be ignored, makes it a much nicer place (when people don't quote their moronic statements)

Alot of the excuses about physicality were made before a ball was kicked so now Leinster lost its seems to be the excuse people use even if it defies logic.

You have it nailed there with your one out runners comment. Leinster try to keep it on the feet as much as possible with players moving around. They didn't do that, instead it was one runner and when he met the opposition he was going to ground, to ruck and present. That's not what Leinster do. Why change for this game? Imo that's what cost them, playing a game they don't normally do.