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

Irish rugby doesn't have a good set of reporters on the sport. During the week they were doing their best to talk down Leinster's chances of winning. They brushed off Leinster's win at the Stade Marcel Deflandre as irrelevant as it wasn't a 'meaningful game'.

Clearly it was meaningful as it put Leinster on the path to a home QF and La Rochelle on an away one. It gave the squad confidence in their new defensive system and selection policies.

But pessimism and criticism of the team was the overriding narrative in the build up to the game. I hope we start to see a bit more positivity going forwards.

Also some framing that Leinster had "limped" into the QF which I found truly bizarre from RO'C. Then after the game he does everything he can to make excuses for La Rochelle, they were tired, they had to do lots of traveling (why was that exactly?) etc.

100% it didn’t suit Leinster. If you look at all the tries from yesterday, they came from getting the ball out wide through handling/cross kicking as opposed to LAR who mauled one over and generally attack up the guts. There is an argument that it may have suited Leinster’s rush defence but LAR are no slouches in that regard either.

Watched the game back and couple of key points:

Our ball presentation was almost perfect whole game. Furlong was emptied at one stage in their 22 by Skelton, but still twisted and presented on a plate for JGP.

Accuracy at ruck time was phenomenal especially from the backs. Osbourne, Frawley, Larmour sometimes protecting ball against their forwards preventing what would ordinarily be easy turnovers.

Several players scragged or chop tackled LAR players who were very close to making breaks.

Word on Tadhg Furlong's two early tackles on their freaks. Set the tone in the first quarter.

Do you leave all of the following at home to prepare for Europe?

lh: Porter, Healy

h: Sheehan, Kelleher

th: Furlong, Ala'alatoa

sr: McCarthy, Jenkins, Molony

bs: Baird

os: van der Flier, Connors

no. 8: Doris, Conan

sh: JGP, McGrath

fh: Byrne, Byrne

lw: Lowe

ic: Osborne, Ngatai

oc: Henshaw, Ringrose

rw: Larmour

fb: Keenan, Frawley

Leaving the following for the SA trip:

1. Michael Milne, 2. Lee Barron, 3. Thomas Clarkson, 4. Brian Deeny, 5. Conor O'Tighearnaigh, 6. Rhys Ruddock, 7. Scott Penny, 8. Max Deegan, 9. Ben Murphy, 10. Sam Prendergast, 11. Robert Russell, 12. Ben Brownlee, 13. Liam Turner, 14. Jimmy O'Brien, 15. Henry McErlean; 16. John McKee, 17. Jack Boyle, 18. Rory McGuire, 19. Diarmuid Mangan, 20. Martin Moloney, 21. Fintan Gunne, 22. Charlie Tector, 23. Andrew Osborne

others travelling: Edward Byrne, Gus McCarthy, Temi Lasisi, Liam Molony, Cormac Foley, Hugh Cooney, Aitzol Arenzana-King

Milne could do with the scrum practice. He was unconvincing there against La Rochelle. Ngatai needs the gametime, you could argue, if he's to feature later in the season, but hard SA pitches against pacy attackers isn't a great reintroduction for a slow player with no match fitness.

4th of May for the semi final so.

How many points do we need to pick up in SA to have home advantage in URC in knockouts?

I would send Rungrose to SA btw if he is available .

Don't think there would be anything stopping them, I can't see how there's competition rules about this. The entire province could travel surely.

My understanding is that travel is paid for X amount of people so it would be down to the club to pick up the extra cost. No rules stopping it.

Ngatai probably travels to Lions as well

I feel there's too much a) being resigned to your fate if your team is up against a formidable opponent, and b) assuming the team is going to win when you don't think the opposition are good enough

There was a lot of the the former before yesterday's match, and a lot of the latter before the 2022 European Final.

Barring extra time anyone at game can still get buses. Wont be an issue

Fully agree on this. If I was asked to pick one non Leinster person that I’d be 100% certain wouldn’t have been complaining about the booing then ROG is who I’d name.

He set himself up for it all week as well as last year and knew he did and took it in good jest. If anything I think he enjoyed it!

He was TBF. I was wondering how he'd react, he had a meltdown after the Top14 final last season where he showed the opposite, about as classless as you could get.