Leinster Team Talk Thread (Love you Furlong time)

Leinster don’t need a right wing JOB and Larmour are there.
on showing so far I’d try keep Snyman Don’t think we should be allowed sign a 9. Prop depth is the problem position but Leinster need to sort that internally

The utility back would have to be world class, like Isa Nacewa. Leinster already has a lot of cover with decent players. JOB and Osborne, might not even be starters in the full strength team and are utility backs. Frawley is probably the Champions cup starter but also covers centre and full back.

I'm not opposed to a utility back, but they'd need to be starting quality.

Leinster Rugby ‘A’ (caps in brackets):

15 Ruben Moloney
14. Aitzol King (2)
13. Liam Turner (32)
12. Ben Brownlee (9)
11. Andrew Osborne (4)
10. Harry Byrne (70)
9. Fintan Gunne (6)

1. Michael Milne (45)
2. John McKee (28)
3. Rory McGuire (3)
4. Brian Deeny (27)
5. Conor O’Tighearnaigh (5)
6. Diarmuid Mangan (3)
7. Will Connors (51)
8. James Culhane (11) (CAPTAIN)
9. Stephen Smyth (2)
10. Alex Usanov - u20
11. Niall Smyth - u20
12. Max Deegan (118)
13. Liam Molony (1)
14. Cormac Foley (21)
15. Ross Byrne (168)
16. Caspar Gabriel - u20
17. Conor Fahy - u20
18. Ciarán Mangan - u20

A genuine top quality wing would be great, we've been lacking someone who can break a game open. We could do worse than to look at some of the Tier 2 players, lads from Portugal, Spain, Chile. There's a lot of talent there, that would be probably be cheap as chips.

I think that can pretty much be put down to Ala'alatoa being at the World Cup with Samoa. McGuire's appearances last season were mostly early on before the internationals returned. There's a good chance he'll feature in the next URC game. It depends on whether Clarkson is released back.

With Clarkson progressing well, Slimani might not turn out to be quite as important a player as was projected.

I think some of it is just the faster guys with the fast twitch muscle fibres seem to be incredibly susceptible to these soft tissue injuries. Guys like Devin Toner, Ross Byrne, Billy Holland etc weren't pulling hamstrings too regularly by contrast.

Guys like O'Brien & Rob Baloucoune seem to be perpetually injured, even Keith Earls went through a lot of turmoil for chunks of his career. We, as in Ireland and Irish players, seem to have more of an issue than some of our compatriots though.

I am very enthusiastic about Gunne. Whether he makes the step up, is another thing. Foley needs playing time. To be honest, I doubt he's going to be a top level 9. I believe he's 26? Coffee is also a lad to keep an eye on. Our inability to produce scrum halves is skewed by the fact that we allow some to leave and perform well for other teams. The lads leaving or who have left are probably the ones we should have kept.

Yeah, I'd say that's a big part of it. O'Brien's muscles contract a lot faster than Devin Toner's, so there's a lot more force going through them and through his connective tissue.

I was wondering before if he wasn't supple enough. But he'd have to have good hamstring and hip flexibility to be a high hurdler.

Maybe it's carrying extra bulk that's the problem. The combination of fast-twitch fibres and artificial bulk can lead to injury-proneness, from what I've read. Google says O'Brien is 92kg, at 183cm tall. He doesn't look especially bulky, but that's probably in a rugby context. For comparison Justin Gatlin is 185cm and 80kg (if internet info is accurate). How much is it that O'Brien is naturally big versus it being a battle to keep weight on?

Earls says: “[I was] constantly trying to be 95kg, but my natural weight now is 86 to 88kg. I think that’s why I kept breaking down, trying to put on weight. I was too heavy and my body wasn’t able to carry it.”

https://www.the42.ie/keith-earls-munster-health-fitness-ireland-2902722-Aug2016/

I wonder how much of an impact it would have on Tommy's game if he slimmed down by 5 kilos.

Brownlee isn't a winger at all - just doesn't fit the profile at all.

I'm always kind of baffled by the constant desire here to consider moving players' positions.

No desire to move him. Just speculation.

I thought the two centres went really well too and significantly outplayed their opponents- both were physical in defence and both had some good line breaks and moments in attack.

James Ryan brought huge physicality too - down for 5 dominant tackles and had some good carries as well. He had one ridiculous penalty where the ref called “tackle” after he’d ripped and then penalised him.

Nothing new there - there are people slating guys like Ringrose and JVDF who were probably two of the best players on the field.

Best uncapped Leinster team needs to be updated after Clarkson and Prendergast made the leap to Test level.

1. Jack Boyle
2. Gus McCarthy
3. Rory McGuire
4. Brian Deeny
5. Conor O'Tighearnaigh
6. Alex
7. Scott Penny
8. James Culhane
9. Cormac Foley
10. Charlie Tector
11. Robert Russell
12. Ben Brownlee
13. Liam Turner
14. Tommy O'Brien
15. Andrew Osborne
16. Lee Barron
17. Michael Milne
18. Andrew Sparrow/Niall Smyth
19. Diarmuid Mangan
20. Liam Molony
21. Fintan Gunne
22. Caspar Gabriel
23. Hugh Cooney

Some might have John McKee ahead of Barron, but my impression is that Barron is favoured based on selection this season and last season.

Osborne isn't an out-and-out fullback, but if I'm not mistaken he has featured there in warm-up matches or A games. And McErlean seems out in the cold at the moment, not featuring at all for the senior side so far in 2024/2025 after his two starts and one sub appearance last season.

Cooney looked promising against the Lions and for Emerging Ireland. I'd say he might not be long overtaking Turner.

Who will be next to get capped?

Jack Boyle probably? Would think he’ll be involved next week. Let Healy break the record against Aus, no point in featuring him next week. Chance Gus might be involved next week too, but less likely.

Wouldn’t have expected Tommy O’Brien to still be on this list at this point, and Scott Penny is probably the guy most disappointed to still be on this list (though it’s fair enough IMO).

Who do you think of that bunch has the potential to get to 50+ caps? Boyle again for me, but maybe someone like Niall Smyth, James Culhane or Fintan Gunne too.

VDF being out best player both matches. A lot of former snipers back on the forum.

Looking forward to this.

Hoping for big games from McGuire (we need him to step up a lot next season), O’Tighearnaigh, and Culhane. Most intrigued to get another look at Ruben Moloney, Niall Smyth, Caspar the Friendly Ghost and Connor Fahy.