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

Next weekend will the first fixture of potentially eight fixtures in consecutive weeks. It makes sense to keep the senior players fresh for the semi final of the champions cup then to start rotating after.

Leinster are giving themselves the best chance to compete for a double. Come the URC knockouts we'll be selecting strong squads for every fixture. It's better to err on the side of caution and make sure they're in the best shape possible for them.

The money is still a big factor. Is Nolan Park or Scotstoun preferable? Nolan Park is obviously better. Any disadvantage leinster has (like never playing there before) applies equally to other teams, but the travel is shorter for leinster and more money comes back to Leinster after the stadium gets a cut.

Based on the mentality of away depleted sides, whats the point to the pool games? Win your home games with a loaded team but sacrifice the away games? Might as well only attend the playoffs if that is the case. It's a poor model for genuine rugby fans.

The only trophy that matters to Leinster is the European Cup.

Q: How many Celtic League/Pro 12/Pro 14/URC have Leinster won?

A: Who really cares? It’s just another the fizzy cup.

You want Leinster to win it? Two posts ago you didn't care.

Each to their own, but you'll find most fans care about winning both the URC and the Champions Cup. Of course the Champions Cup is a priority but the URC matters a lot too.

I think Leinster can win both. Ideally we'd finish top of the URC to guarantee home matches all the way through.

But I don't think we'll be fazed if we're required to travel for an away knock out tie. We've gone to Thomond and won; we beat Leicester away and must crucially went to the Stade Marcel Deflandre and beat the European Champions on their own patch.

Leinster have a quality squad and will be relying on it over the next few weeks. It makes sense to have a rested 23 for the Champions Cup SF and not risk travel fatigue from South Africa. Would have be nice to give them one game, but the circumstances didn't allow it.

If we're going to send the kids down to SA every season then surely it would be wiser, cheaper and better for the planet to simply give 5 point walkovers to the host teams and stay at home? I don't particularly enjoy watching our youngsters being beaten up in one-sided non games.

Plus, if yesterday was his last Leinster appearance. it was a really lousy way for Rhys Rudock to end his illustrious career.

Sure and similarly there are people who thought Irelands win in the 6N wasn't anything to celebrate because it wasn't a Grand Slam. There are fans of many teams in many sports who view anything other than winning everything as a failure. Personally, that's a fairly lousy way to feel but each to their own as I said.

It doesn't mean that the majority of fans don't want to win the URC. They do. They of course know the European Cup in the holy grail but that doesn't mean the URC is worthless. Nearly every Leinster fan I know wants them to win the URC.

Semi final week in my head now. Parking that pretty shocking trip to South Africa.

Some slight potential selection head aches. Does Ringrose come straight back in? I presume everyone is in agreement that Keenan should. I’m not too sure who will be selected at second row with McCarthy.

Connors back out of the 23 presuming they go 5-3 split I would guess. Does Frawley cover 10 from the bench or back 3?

JOB surely back now but hasn’t played in a long time so H Byrne & Frawley the obvious bench cover.

Ngatai was decent the past two weeks and offers additional bulk but only really covers the centre.

Mcgrath was pretty abysmal is SA and for most of the season to be honest but there isn’t anyone else trusted. JGP goes down early and there could be issues.

Kinda wish they would back one of the young lads over McGrath. Pity Gunne wasn't accelerated this season

If we win Europe, no one will give a shyte about the URC. Did anyone really care that we lost the Magners final in 2011?

However, if we do not win Europe, suddenly the URC will come into very sharp focus as an acid test of whether we're chokers, and throwing these matches will come under intense scrutiny again.

I did because I drove the whole way to Limerick to watch it live after coming back from Cardiff the week before

Having 4 pi**ed mates on the way back up signing wasn't much fun either :-)

Didn't Larmour play scrum half recently and played well during a yellow card period or maybe I am losing it