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

Dubinusa · 02-01-2023 9:01pm

Jesus lads! The song was a poor choice. Bad look for the fcuktard who played it. Ireland has a **** history. We have to get over it. I'm not condoning Leinster and I bet upper management is peeved.

Those of us who grew up in the 70's remember all too well the crap that was a daily problem on the news. Just because youngsters weren't affected does not mean that it didn't happen. Life was hard and violent, with 2 sides that were uncompromising.

It's in the past. Someone at Leinster, who's obviously not very bright, made a mistake.

Dubinusa · 02-01-2023 9:04pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120056404#Comment_120056404

I'm pretty sold on Soroka!! I think he's going to be our blindside. Baird is going well, mind. Soroka just looks to have what it takes.

It's nice taking off a lock and having Baird go right into the row. We're very lucky at the moment, McCarthy looks a beast, Molony playing great and Deeny looks like he can contribute.

Dubinusa · 02-01-2023 9:05pm

Oh, forgot to mention Penny! You lads notice that pace? Absolute flyer!

CIARAN_BOYLE · 02-01-2023 9:36pm

I feel like Leinster are going to have make some very tough decisions sometime soon.

So much talent in the backrow.

Doris Conan Van Der Flier Connors Baird Ruddock Penny Deegan in the senior squad. I'd almost be happy with any of the 8 of them playing for Ireland.

Then there's Moloney on his first year in the senior squad, Soroka and Sean O'Brien in the final year of the academy.

Thats basically 11 loose forwards looking for space in the squad next year.

salmocab · 02-01-2023 9:38pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120057298#Comment_120057298

Dublin 12 was the countryside when the brits were still knocking about.

ersatz · 02-01-2023 10:23pm

Right, the ‘newer suburbs’ where people moved to from the city.

Dubinusa · 02-01-2023 10:26pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120057563#Comment_120057563

True. We're going to lose somebody

arsebiscuits1 · 02-01-2023 10:37pm

Connacht made an impressive mess of our lineout which really kept them in mild reaching distance of the game for a while. It was clearly a source they obviously targeted.

A few elements to it.

One or two were on Kelleher, overthrew them but in fairness, Connacht were making it really difficult.

Others we were just out jumped and out read. Niall Murray is near top of the charts of LO steals for a reason. He's a springy dude.

More so I think it's clear that Josh Murphy and Oisin Dowling would have taken the lads through the Leinster lineout in the week leading up to it. Helps having 2 proficient lineout operators in the opposition who'd have good insider knowledge.

To my knowledge Connacht have targeted our line out hard the last 2 seasons to pretty good success.

Something that stood out to me was James Ryan assuring Sexton that the line out would be fine when Sexton was mulling over taking 3. Ryan backs himself and it pays off with Deeny going over after a few phases. It was this backing of himself that I love to see.

Especially when you look back to Paris a few years back when people lambasted his call to go for the corner and called it a shite decision. These things swing on so little.

Dubinusa · 03-01-2023 1:31pm

Sheehan is ahead of Kelleher in my mind. He's better all around. He has improved in the scrum. Kelleher hasn't kicked on yet since coming back.

03-01-2023 2:05pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120057563#Comment_120057563

I really don't think it's an issue when you look at the age profile of some of the guys, the fact it's a world cup year and the level of near constant injury attrition historically in the position.

The horizon may have been less clear 12 months ago, but we've lost Dan Leavy to retirement since then and saw Josh Murphy move to Connacht.

All of Jack Conan (31 in July), Rhys Ruddock (33 next Nov) and Josh van der Flier (30 in April) will be the wrong side of 30.

We've given some minutes this year already to 10 different players in the back row, and it's noticeable how Ruddock for example, despite no real injury issues this year has lost minutes to some others (he's played in 5 games (5 starts), with 263 minutes, whereas after 13 games last season he'd played in 11 games (7 starts) for 606 minutes). It's likely by the time Soroka is ready for more meaningful minutes, Ruddock might be done for Leinster, potentially the same with Culhane & Conan (and slightly further down the road).

Guys like Scott Penny (6 apps, 5 starts, 371 mins) and Max Deegan (6 apps, 5 starts, 398 mins) are getting good levels of game time imo, and it's only likely to increase over the coming weeks. Both are in and around the Irish squad, and the guy they have to beat for the shirt is ahead of them for Leinster.

03-01-2023 2:32pm

Post 1/3:

I wanted to do a quick comparison on Leinster’s season to date compared to after the same number of games last year.

Ideally it would be a straight YoY comparison, but on Jan 1st last season we’d only played 9 games (after a number of COVID postponements), so I stretched the comparison period for last season out to the Ospreys game (mid Feb) to compare our first 13 games over both seasons.

Interesting stats from a team comparison perspective:

-this year we’ve scored 459 points (last year 499), and we’ve conceded 179 (last year 162). Some of this is skewed by the blow out European Cup wins v Montpellier & Bath (89-7 and 64-7 respectively) last year.

-We’ve scored 66 tries, conceding 25 (+41 differential), whereas last year we had scored 72 tries, conceding 19 (+53 differential).

-We’ve conceded 139 penalties, opponents conceded 159. Last year 135 conceded by us, 143 by opposition.

-Interesting differential in cards this season, possibly indicative of a combination of the pressure we’re putting teams under, or referees being quicker to go to the pocket: this year we’ve had 4 yellows and 1 red (since amended down to yellow), last year we had 3 yellows, 0 reds. However, our opponents this year have received 15 yellows, 1 red, same period last year 5 yellows, 1 red.

-We’re turning the ball over more than opponents (186 v 183). Last year even more so: 199 conceded v 171, so potentially not a meaningful stat.

-We’ve carried for 6,195m (+1,960m v opposition), last year 7,198m (+3,158 v opposition). Average metres per carry unchanged YoY at 4.1.

03-01-2023 2:32pm

Post 2/3: Player usage stats are broadly similar.

-We have used 50 players this year through 13 games, versus 49 through 13 games last season.

-Players have played on average 311 minutes (314 for same period last year). 25 players have played above the average number of minutes. 22 players last season had played above average number of mins.

-42 players have played over 100 mins, same as last season after 13 games.

-25 players have over 30 carries (24 last season) and 23 players have over 30 tackles (24 last season).

03-01-2023 2:33pm

Post 3/3: Specific Player Stats

At this point in the season, Ross Molony and Ross Byrne have racked up the most minutes (727 and 710 respectively), they were also #1 & #2 after 13 games last season (with 768 mins and 670 mins respectively).

Also in the top 10 in mins both seasons after 13 games: Michael Ala’alatoa, Garry Ringrose, Luke McGrath & Josh van der Flier.

After 13 games last season, our top three carriers by # of carries were Ross Molony (85), Hugo Keenan (73) and Jimmy O’Brien (71). In this season the top 3 are Dan Sheehan (81), Jimmy O’Brien (69) and Garry Ringrose (63).

Dan Sheehan has been our top try scorer through 13 games in both seasons, he had 7 after 13 last year and this year has 8. Some guys have had a noticeable fall off (Jimmy O’Brien 5 tries last year, with 0 this year) while guys like JVDF (5 tries in both seasons) and Ronan Kelleher (4 in 2021, 3 in 2022), James Lowe (3 in both seasons) and Jordan Larmour (5 in 2021, 3 in 2022) have been consistent try scorers.

Ross Molony leads the tackle stats in both years: 139 through 13 games in 2021, 98 through the same number this year. In the top 10 both seasons are Michael Ala’alatoa (100 in 2021, 70 in 2022), JVDF (85 in 2021, 80 in 2022) and Caelan Doris (59 in 2021, 63 in 2022).

Burkie1203 · 03-01-2023 3:13pm

https://twitter.com/RuaidhriOC/status/1610275195570327558?t=6vzdKcZcFePE1J7ROndSjA&s=19

.....

arsebiscuits1 · 03-01-2023 4:02pm

Unbelievable analysis as ever FTD. I love reading that stuff.

Overall it's pretty fair to say we're about on par with where we were last season. The disparity in tries and meters can be chalked off to those 2 huge euro wins alone nearly alone.

Although interesting to see we lost 3 at this point last season (Ulster away, Cardiff away and Montpellier conceded) where as obviously we're undefeated so far

arsebiscuits1 · 03-01-2023 4:09pm

The lack of update on Jenkins as well as no clarity on actually what happened him is a bit concerning to me.

Based on his social media it would not appear he had surgery (although to be fair there's no realistic way of knowing)

I've resigned to the fact we wont see him for the January European games but I just hope it's not a serious tear and he'd be struggling to get back in time for the knock outs.

Dubinusa · 03-01-2023 4:19pm

With Sexton out our prospects have diminished, imo. It's always a possibility that players get injured. It's a shame that it's our best player.

Dubinusa · 03-01-2023 4:36pm

Big, big opportunity for HB/Frawley to stake a claim. Ross will start the big games.

Sangre · 03-01-2023 4:38pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120060290#Comment_120060290

I don't think we will feel his absence until semis and beyond of Euro. Until then, there is enough quality in the team.

6N is a completely other matter though...

Dubinusa · 03-01-2023 4:48pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120060380#Comment_120060380

Yep! Sexton missing any time in the 6 nations is brutal. But there's always Munsters Carberry to steer the ship.

Dubinusa · 03-01-2023 4:52pm

The season is midway through and Frawley hasn't had any minutes. He's injury prone. I wouldn't bet the house on him. Ross is the most physically reliable out half we have.

Would love to see Frawley get minutes and HB.

Dubinusa · 03-01-2023 4:56pm

The injury list is not looking great. Deegan and Luke picking up injuries. There's about 8 or 9 lads permanently on the injured list.

No update on TOB, Charlie Ryan. I doubt Charlie gets retained. He's not played a second.

03-01-2023 6:15pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120060424#Comment_120060424

Calling Ciaran Frawley injury prone in this instance is a little harsh to me.

To me, injury prone guys are the guys who's body seems to continually let them down with non-contact or training style soft tissue injuries; the two who would spring to mind for me would be Harry Byrne and Robert Baloucoune.

Frawley sustained a serious knee injury in a match situation. He has had a couple of bad facial injuries too historically due to misfortune and some bad technique.

After 13 games last season, he had played the third most minutes of all of Leinster players, with 9 starts (11 appearances) for 648 mins. It's a sign of how big a loss he is to the squad, how lucky we've been with how good Ngatai has been and how seamlessly he's slotted in and how Frawley is capable of playing a sustained run of games - having played in 11 of our first 13 games in 2021/22.

Dubinusa · 03-01-2023 6:30pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120060719#Comment_120060719

Maybe I was harsh. No doubt he's a very good player and is missed. Will he be a good out half? Anyway, there's no sign of him returning soon.

stephen_n · 03-01-2023 9:04pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120060719#Comment_120060719

I think the second half of the season saw him pick up a fair few niggly injuries. Where he would be out for a few weeks then back in for a week or two and gone again. If memory serves correctly.

Dubinusa · 03-01-2023 9:33pm

I suppose Conan starts this week. Was hoping to see Deegan. I hope Luke doesn't miss much time.

Rigor Mortis · 03-01-2023 11:05pm

LUke is a big loss. Would have liked to have him inside either HB or Tector for the Ospreys game.

StevenToast · 03-01-2023 11:13pm

Has anyone questioned why sexton wasnt red carded for his awful tackle technique the other night?

Multiple concussions and now a broken cheekbone and he still hasnt learnt how to tackle properly......

Dave_The_Sheep · 03-01-2023 11:17pm

Plenty of people have mentioned that it should have been looked at but wasn't.

stephen_n · 03-01-2023 11:56pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120062391#Comment_120062391

The first time you said it, did it not get the reaction you required. So you’re trying the wind again?

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

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