Leinster Team Talk Thread (Love you Furlong time)

Healy won’t be playing for a while. Picked up a different injury in training last week.

I don't think Neville did say "no mitigation". She had explained the contact was with Barron's left shoulder, but the ref asked again and as they reached the point of contact on the replay, I think Neville said "making contact now". The ref then seemed to mumble "mitigation", probably because he was already going through the process in his mind. He settled on an interpretation of low force because it was indirect contact from Ngatai's tackle. I thought it was the right decision with good process and good communication between them.

Foley is 24 now so really needs to step up this season if he's going to be someone who has a significant contribution to make to Leinster (and that doesn't have to be as a first choice player).

I don't think he's ever going to be a top player but he could give us something different. With his background as a centre, he's a bit more physical and a bigger unit than our other option who are all near identical in size. But at 90kg, Foley could be more in the Isaac Boss mould. I thought he was ok at the weekend in wet conditions and mixed up his kicking game fairly well too.

It looks like we might get one or two guys back this week from Irish duty with Baird, Conan and McCarthy all training yesterday although Conan appeared to be working independently of the squad for the most part.

With Edinburgh coming to town, I would be happy to see a little more mix and match. If we're bringing Baird and McCarthy back in then I'd be happy to see Culhane and Connors come into the backrow. Stick with the same front row but I'd be interested to see more of Rory McGuire. Boyle and McCarthy are getting the plaudits but it's more important right now for someone like McGuire to develop. He has looked solid so far and appears to have moved past Clarkson. If he gets the same level of game time that Clarkson did last season, it will be a good return. We don't produce too many 120kg+ props at 21. At 6'4", he probably has the scope to put on another few kilos too.

Edinburgh have the bulk of their Scottish players back now. I think they had 9 in their 23 at the weekend. Some big names to come back in this weekend potentially though in Graham. Ritchie, VDM and Schoeman. I would imagine they'll bring some of them back in but potentially rest others. They're hosting Connacht the following weekend and that's a big game for them in terms of the top 8.

Would be happy to see something along the lines of Boyle, Barron, Ala'alatoa, McCarthy, Molony, Baird, Connors, Culhane, Foley, Prendergast, Larmour, Ngatai, Osborne, TOB, Frawley.

Neither Henshaw nor Byrne were at training by the looks of it; only Conan, Baird and McCarthy were there from the international contingent.

Leinster have a fairly heavy run of games from late November onwards so they'll be happy enough to hold the test players back for that period....

Munster at home, Connacht away, La Rochelle away, Sale at home, Munster away, Ulster at home, Stade Francais at home, Leicester away all in a row. Huge impact on the season if a couple of those are lost.

Is there an argument to start Osborne over Henshaw for La Rochelle game? Osborne has a better passing game IMO and it looks like Henshaw is beginning to fade with his injuries, I understand it hinges on how he performs the next couple of games but every time I watch him he amazes me. He picked out passes on the weekend that Ringrose struggles to make, his boot is an absolute cannon and he seems to get an offload off every time he takes it into contact. He was a big miss at the end of last season, especially in the semi against Munster where we were relying on HB to clear the ball, which is something he struggles with IMO.

I also think that we implemented an interesting kicking tactic in the Sharks game and I think it will be easy to apply the little chips toward the wings against higher level opposition this year. I wouldn't be surprised if it payed dividends.

He might have changed our defensive system though or our tactics that resulted in us being no where for 60 minutes.

No one is undroppable and Henshaw is firmly in that frame too. I'd be looking over my shoulder if I were him.

He is easily world class and on his day jaw droppingly good. BUT he's missed I reckon 2 cumulative seasons over his career with injuries. And in recent years these niggly injuries are last months instead of weeks.

It is fair to say Osborne should be considered first choice 12 if he is playing better than Robbie. He's got top level minutes at 12 after all.

The elephant in the room topic over the last season is Henshaws form hasn't been that good. Even when he's fit and playing he probably wasn't up to the standard we expect of him.

But we are getting a player back whose light on game time whose been usurped by (the absolutely incredible) Aki in Green and has a very young and hungry up and comer breathing down his neck. I hope to see this bring the competitor out in him even more and he kicks on!

Even since it was announced that Nienaber was taking over, I was really intrigued. In Andrew Goodman, I think Leinster have an attacking coach who plays expansive, fast paced and creative rugby. In Jacques Nienaber, Leinster are getting one of the best defensive minds in World Rugby. I would agree with your point that Leinster are slightly deficient in players who represent the type of rugby Nienaber wishes to play.

I have a pie in the sky signing who is currently a free agent after finishing up in Japan who represents everything you have outlined about the South African style.

I wonder will Leinster potentially bring in Pieter-Steph du Toit.

Granted it probably WON'T happen but, capable of playing flanker and second row, Pieter-Steph du Toit and his never say die attitude and his world class abilities would send Leinster into a different stratosphere.

I know the argument can be made that Leinster have more than enough talent at flanker and maybe enough in the second row to even entertain the idea of bringing in du Toit.

Leinster have had signings like this in the past who have come to Leinster and have changed or enhanced the culture of the team and taken them to new heights.

He is the type of signing who puts fear into the hearts of your opponent. Again it is very pie in the sky but just imagine what Leinster could do with him.

If Leinster don't sign him, teams like the Sharks will or a team in France will and life will get even more difficult for Leinster to win trophies. This is a statement of intent signing that Leinster are going to try and dominate even more under Nienaber.