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

Libbock is an amazing player, just doesn't have the kicking consistently. Not sure why SA haven't just given kicking duties to someone else and kept his play making ability

He probably still can't, but he's a part owner of the team and he's living out a childhood fantasy.

sounds great, out of interest was there a good crowd /atmosphere?

Did the ex Terenure 10 play for Chicago? I think his name is Dooley? Scored 30 plus points for them in AIL final last year.

Well the game was on a Monday evening so I would guess that took some numbers off the gate. About 2,000 I would say, with a pretty low key atmosphere. They play in a decent stadium though. Probably about the same capacity as the RDS but they only used the main stand and the views and general condition of the stadium and pitch were pretty good.

Bitter pill to swallow last weekend. Season has been a huge disappointment in the end.

It's still early days but I was never comfortable seeing us move to this South Africa lite style of play. Our attack has really declined with the extra emphasis on defence. I'd also suggest that we are not as fit as we have been over the last 2-3 years but I can accept this could be due to coming off from the peak of a world cup cycle.

It will be interesting to see how the players go vs South Africa.

We have had announcements that Rhys Ruddock is to retire, Ed Byrne is off to Wales, Jason Jenkins back to S.A, Ross Molony, to England and Michael Ala'alatoa to France, but everything has been fairly quiet regarding Charlie Ngatai. I wonder is Leinster trying to get a short term contract until December done to keep him until Jordie Barrett arrives.

There could have been an announcement around Ngatai, but I must have missed it if there was.

Out of interest what are the 2nd row options for Leinster nxt year now with Molony & Jenkins gone & assuming Snyman as a sub

Ryan, Joe mc & culhane is it?

We always have Baird as well.

Mangan is too short in the pro game to play it IMO. Would be really pushing it.

I haven't seen anything announced about him re-signing with La Rochelle. His contract is due to expire but he seems to be getting alot of game time with La Rochelle so can't see him leaving unless they want to replace him or he wants to try and get back into the Irish set up. If Dillane came in as a Ross Molony replacement, he would still get loads of game time and by the time next season ends, RG Snyman will more than likely be moving on and Dillane would get even more game time.

Ulster have Henderson, Treadwell, O'Connor and Izuchukwu as well as Charlie Irvine and Harry Sheridan. They are fairly comfortable at lock. but if they played him at Blindside Flanker along with Dave McCann and Nick Timoney then that is a dangerous backrow.

If Soroka is healthy, he should get time. Deeny and C.O.T should be good enough at league level, imo. I wouldn't mind signing Thornbury. He would be relatively inexpensive.