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

I was thinking much the same.

people like to write Connors off but he’s always performed well whenever he’s selected for big leinster games or Ireland games in the past. Personally I think he offers more than VDF against a team like LAR. Even having Doris at 7, Conan 8, Baird 6 would offer more. However, VDF would be a very strong impact sub when LAR are a bit more tired in the second half, he injects a lot of pace and urgency into Leinster.

The one thing I remember about last years final apart from the utter heartbreak was just how much LAR took the piss with their "injuries" and how much they were allowed get away with it. The broadcast didn't really do it justice but Skelton among others (including Dillane) spent several minutes on the ground for treatment.

I am under no disillusion that on pitch treatments are and will always be important due to the nature of rugby.

But what we're seeing more of now is the physio treatment for nothing other than a players lungs to get a breather thus allowing players who are far too large being able to play for far too long. Shed the weight and you'll get the fitness. Rugby Union has enough problems without allowing 150kg players dictate when they can rest so they can maximise the damage they inflict.

I think if you're getting treatment of any kind that lasts more than a certain amount of time. You get it done on the sideline and your team plays with 14 until the next break in play. If that treatment is for a prop and the next play is a scrum - its uncontested. Yes teams could game this. But it's primarily massive teams who love a shove that would be dropping like flies so uncontested scrums works against them.

We have the Dupont Rule. I'd love to now see the Skelton rule.

Trying to inject pace in the second half is pointless when the other team is doing everything to slow the game down. Leinster need to bring the pace early and build a good lead. RAL specialise in turning the screw in the second half, Leinster need to be prepared to deal with it.

In fairness to Karl Dickson I think he is one of the refs that does hurry such antics up. LaR are serial floppers around the ruck too but like any good team will continue to do so unless penalised. Mind you, it probably does take Uini Atonio and Big Willy Skelton longer than normal to heave themselves away….

One would presume Leo Cullen etc have an opportunity to raise such concerns with the ref in advance.

We played at pace at the start of first half last year and went 23-7 up and that still wasn’t enough to win. We beat them with Connors in December so he starts in my books.

Aggregate score of the last 4 meetings is Leinster 86 - LAR 92.

Incredible that after 4 games the score is still a LBP worth of difference.

I also had to admire the utter deception used to lift Skelton. They didn't even strap blocks on him haha.

Team is out

Jenkins and Connors start and it's a 6-2 split. Sacrificing the lineout for more power. No Healy either so we're really hoping this doesn't develop into a slow, set piece battle.

I know we hype up how big La Rochelle pack are. And other French teams.

But that Leinster starting pack is **** massive.

Does Baird call the lineout for tomorrow? Murray Kinsella has been singing his praises all season for how much he has developed his game at the set piece. Will be a huge ask for him though.

Really like the look of our bench. Kelleher, Milne, Conan and VDF are all very impactful carriers. When to use the bench is something we've definitely improved on this season. Our subs took the game away from Bulls a few weeks ago and Conan and Kelleher made positive contributions against Leicester last week. In both finals against La Rochelle we didn't use our subs well enough. Distinct memories of McCarthy getting like 2 minutes off the bench in 2022 and Kelleher just 10 minutes in 2023.

Are Porter and Furlong the only players under 6'4?

Sheehan too. 1.91m on Leinster and Ireland sites which has him at 6'3" and those stats are normally generous

Just don't like the 6/2 split. It's just asking for trouble.

Connors obviously been kept on ice for this the last couple of weeks on the assumption we would be playing LAR.