Leinster Team Talk Thread (Love you Furlong time)

He wouldn't be an upgrade. Leinster are in difficulty at the scrum in about small percentage of their games at the top end of European/URC rugby. Moore would absolutely be an improvement in that regard. But he would be a big downgrade on his work/presence around the park. A tighthead has to be able to make tackles and get to rucks around the park. If he can't do that, he's a liability.

I know we've discussed it before but I can't find any better example than his cameo against the NZ XV last autumn. The NZ try from 10mins 30 seconds in. Moore is No. 18 in midfield. He's on the field about 15 minutes at that stage. He was fully fit at that stage of the season. We cannot carry that sort of mobility or lack thereof. We would have to be consciously looking to protect him defensively throughout.

People (mostly Dub...) really need to 1) adjust their expectations on Ala'alatoa or 2) have the same expectations over any other player that would realistically replace them.

Ala'alatoa has done EXACTLY what we need of him. He's come in to play second fiddle to Tadgh Furlong and shore things up off the bench in Europe all the while manning the fort while Tadgh is away.

YES his moment of madness in the final blotted his copy book slightly.

Let's not forget he played 1100+ minutes last season and the season before. Those are insanely high numbers for a prop whose only really ever going to play max 60 minutes.

Simply put. We needed a NIQ player whose predominantly fit and can do it on a rainy night in Newport as well as coming off the bench on the biggest stage.

He has done this. Not perfectly. But much better than other players of his profile would have.

Leinsters scrummaging issues clearly goes beyond his ability. He is a good scrummager capable of going toe to toe with the top 4 teams in Europe and usually getting parity.

Do you honestly think Marty Moore will be an upgrade on this? Why? When has Moore shown he's at this level? The last run he got top tier knock out games was coming off the bench against us in the Pro14 Final 2020 which they lost and then starting against Toulouse in the CC QF the next week which they also lost.

Moore hasn't gotten close to that 1000+ minutes mark we'd need out of him since 20/21 season.

Great post and clip to show it. Not pretty viewing for Moore.

Leinster are probably going to think long and hard about the forward line of Leinster. They honestly have a few routes they can take, but I think only one suits Leinster and Ireland long term.

I could easily see Nienaber and Leo moving both Andrew Porter and Tadhg Furlong to the bench next season and supercharging the pack towards the end of games. This protects the bodies of Porter and Furlong for club and country and a bench weakness becomes a bench strength. You fast track someone like Jack Boyle and you bring in a quality TH who can start. Ireland and Leinster desperately need another loosehead and if you can give additional minutes to the most promising LH talent since Cian Healy and Andrew Porter, it probably would make sense to give the young man additional minutes in larger games. If Leinster can land a quality TH on a two year deal, someone like Trevor Nyakane who at a pinch can cover the loosehead if needed too.

You bring in Nyakane and JP du Preez and Leinster are a vastly stronger team.

Bench if we go 6-2 again this weekend I wonder.

Kelleher, Healy, Ala'alatoa, Jenkins, Baird, Foley, Frawley, Penny

Both Ross and Osborne have had procedures done. New years time frame for Ross. None given for Jamie. Just that he's unavailable this week.

Given it's a shoulder injury you'd imagine months not weeks though

Ordinarily I do agree with that. And I've been a big fan of Ross for a number of years.

I can just see us fighting fire with fire

Less so fire with fire and more power with power (read in Jeremy Clarksons voice)

Both are exclusively second rows in the context of this game I feel.

But whichever way you slice it Jenkins is a more powerful athlete. I'd feel more comfortable bringing Jenkins on to add ballast to scrum and maul.

Having said that he did not bring any of that when he came on in the final.

I think you probably want Ryan and McCarthy staying on the pitch as long as possible, maybe even the full 80 minutes for both. Even fresh off the bench, Molony, Jenkins or Baird is likely to be a downgrade, which calls into question the value of the 6-2 split if you ask me.

Him and Tommy for sure.

You'd think that this shoulder injury is an 8-10 weeker absolutely BEST case scenario which puts him back right around the time of the 6 Nations.

If he put some strong performances in Europe he'd absolutely be on Farrells radar. Can't see how he gets a look in now.

While I don't think Ireland should be starting a large rebuild just yet for the next RWC cycle, adding someone like Osborne to the 23 shirt would be a perfect way of getting new blood in. Poor fella