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Leinster Team Talk/Gossip/Rumours Thread.

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  • Moderators, Sports Moderators Posts: 14,599 Mod ✭✭✭✭CIARAN_BOYLE


    Cullen was playing injured for most of the season

    We'll see when he comes back but I would have to say Toner should be ahead of him


  • Registered Users Posts: 37,978 ✭✭✭✭irishbucsfan


    D'Arcy is hardly being replaced, he's consistently been first choice and he's done very well.

    I would be fairly certain that D'Arcy will start at 12 and our back row will be McLaughlin/O'Brien/Heaslip.


  • Registered Users Posts: 24,815 ✭✭✭✭emmet02


    Jaysus Emmet, the guy was playing on two dodgy Achilles tendons, cut him some slack! But yeah, he's 34 now, I could well see this being his last season.

    yup, and as a consequence of this and of age he's not been one of our best locks this season. It's not a harsh statement at all!

    Even without injury, I'm not sure we're going to be getting a huge amount from Cullen over the next 12-15 months.


  • Registered Users Posts: 37,978 ✭✭✭✭irishbucsfan


    It is exciting though to think we'll have a fully fit team hopefully for the H Cup finally.

    Healy, Strauss, Ross with VDM, Cronin, White

    Thorn, Cullen with Browne, Toner

    McLaughlin, O'Brien, Heaslip with Ryan, Jennings, Ruddock/Auva'a

    Reddan, Sexton with Boss, Madigan

    D'Arcy, O'Driscoll with McFadden, O'Malley

    Fitzgerald, Nacewa, Kearney with Carr, Kearney, Conway


    Pretty strong 2nd XV in fairness. Could probably make a good fist at winning the RPD12!


    EDIT: And that's not even fully fit, Horgan still to come back!


  • Registered Users Posts: 16,947 ✭✭✭✭Neil3030


    Would Leinster look to a NIQ centre once BOD and/or Darce retire, do people reckon?

    Along with maybe second row, it would be the only position on the field where you could argue Leinster would no longer have a world class talent, backed up by very capable depth.

    Always the option of moving SOB inside to 12 :P


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  • Closed Accounts Posts: 3,632 ✭✭✭ormond lad


    Neil3030 wrote: »
    Would Leinster look to a NIQ centre once BOD and/or Darce retire, do people reckon?

    Along with maybe second row, it would be the only position on the field where you could argue Leinster would no longer have a world class talent, backed up by very capable depth.

    Always the option of moving SOB inside to 12 :P
    No way Leinster should be looking at a NIQ centre. Ye have O Malley, Macken and Mc Fadden in the squad already with Macken and McFadden having quite a bit of experience and you have endless amounts of talent coming from the "Must Win Cup"


  • Registered Users Posts: 24,815 ✭✭✭✭emmet02


    Neil3030 wrote: »
    Would Leinster look to a NIQ centre once BOD and/or Darce retire, do people reckon?

    Along with maybe second row, it would be the only position on the field where you could argue Leinster would no longer have a world class talent, backed up by very capable depth.

    Always the option of moving SOB inside to 12 :P

    no chance. We'll unearth a gem or two from the guys already in the academy / playing semi regularly for the A/full team.

    Second row is pretty much the only area I'm in any way thinking we're short covered for the next 5/6 years.


  • Registered Users Posts: 16,947 ✭✭✭✭Neil3030


    ormond lad wrote: »
    No way Leinster should be looking at a NIQ centre. Ye have O Malley, Macken and Mc Fadden in the squad already with Macken and McFadden having quite a bit of experience and you have endless amounts of talent coming from the "Must Win Cup"

    Do you think those three will become world class though? And I'm obviously not holding them up to the irreplaceable BOD; I mean, will they be as good at centre as Kearney is at FB, as Heaslip is at 8, as Nacewa is at every position bar tight-head, etc.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 3,632 ✭✭✭ormond lad


    Neil3030 wrote: »
    Do you think those three will become world class though? And I'm obviously not holding them up to the irreplaceable BOD; I mean, will they be as good at centre as Kearney is at FB, as Heaslip is at 8, as Nacewa is at every position bar tight-head, etc.
    Dont know but you dont need them to be world class. They are more than capable of being regular HEC players for ye and ye are sure to find a gem or 2 from the "Must Win" Schools Cup in the next few years


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 8,613 ✭✭✭Big Nelly


    Neil3030 wrote: »
    Do you think those three will become world class though? And I'm obviously not holding them up to the irreplaceable BOD; I mean, will they be as good at centre as Kearney is at FB, as Heaslip is at 8, as Nacewa is at every position bar tight-head, etc.

    McFadden needs to play at 12 and stay at 12, stop moving around because it is not helping him. I think he will be a great 12 the same as Darcy was....

    O'Malley needs to bulk up and get some game time in the bigger match's. But from what I have seen he is a very very good player.....has potential to be World Class but nobody will ever be as good as BOD..... he is a 1 off


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  • Registered Users Posts: 16,947 ✭✭✭✭Neil3030


    ormond lad wrote: »
    Dont know but you dont need them to be world class. They are more than capable of being regular HEC players for ye and ye are sure to find a gem or 2 from the "Must Win" Schools Cup in the next few years

    Capable of featuring regularly, perhaps. But capable of serving as the centre pairing on a team with aspirations of winning the tournament? Also, I don't think any team should put all their faith in "promising young lads" making the step up, as far too many fall by the wayside.

    Personally, I think a NIQ centre on a one year deal could be needed in a year's time. But time will tell.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 5,592 ✭✭✭GerM


    Signing a NIQ centre is definitely a possibility by default. If Munster have Downey and Laulala and Ulster have Marshall/Cave/Wallace/Spence then I wouldn’t rule out a NIQ inside centre coming to the RDS. I don’t think they would make a big signing though and it would be in keeping with Berne/Berquist/Warner i.e. someone that can cover 10/12. Schmidt has shown that he’s enthusiastic about developing indigenous talent in all positions and I think we’ll see the continuation of that policy. Next year, I think we could see O’Shea or Reid get some solid game time as McFadden spends more time with the Irish side. Would love to see Reid come through and be a real option at 12. He offers something that Wallace only really provides at 12 in this country right now.


  • Registered Users Posts: 37,978 ✭✭✭✭irishbucsfan


    GerM wrote: »
    Signing a NIQ centre is definitely a possibility by default. If Munster have Downey and Laulala and Ulster have Marshall/Cave/Wallace/Spence then I wouldn’t rule out a NIQ inside centre coming to the RDS. I don’t think they would make a big signing though and it would be in keeping with Berne/Berquist/Warner i.e. someone that can cover 10/12. Schmidt has shown that he’s enthusiastic about developing indigenous talent in all positions and I think we’ll see the continuation of that policy. Next year, I think we could see O’Shea or Reid get some solid game time as McFadden spends more time with the Irish side. Would love to see Reid come through and be a real option at 12. He offers something that Wallace only really provides at 12 in this country right now.
    It looks like every province is bringing on a 2nd 5/8th with ambitions of playing pro rugby. Although I'd say Ulster and Munster have the better prospects in Luke Marshall and JJ.

    Leinster have McFadden, O'Malley, Macken, Reid and O'Shea on their rosters right now all as depth.

    After BOD goes I reckon that between Macken and O'Malley they'll have a long term 13 between them.

    After D'Arcy goes they'll have O'Shea, McFadden and Reid battling it out. If they can't get sufficient quality from them there is always the possibility of bringing back McSharry from Connacht or even possibly taking on one of Ulsters young centers because its not fair how many they have!

    Irish rugby will hopefully soon be past the stage of needing NIQs in any position.


  • Registered Users Posts: 11,636 ✭✭✭✭Tox56


    I'd echo what was said above, with the amount of young and existing talent, I would have thought centre is one of the areas least in need of NIQ.

    Second Row and Front-Row are where the priorities are for NIQ's for us I would think, Back-Row, Scrum-Half, Fly-Half, Midfield and Back 3 have excellent strength in depth, nearly all of which is Irish, which is obviously a good thing.

    Those positions have so much promising talent coming through, at least some of them are bound to make the step up.


  • Registered Users Posts: 6,207 ✭✭✭durkadurka


    My Munster away tickets arrived today for those of you wondering when thry are going out.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 9,193 ✭✭✭[Jackass]


    Nacewa and the front 5 (particularly second row and tight-head) are the only areas we need imports.

    We still need a long term solution in second row though, and I don't know where that's going to come from. Toner, Flanagan, Browne, maybe somehow sign Caldwell and then a top quality NIQ with McLoughlin able to cover would be decent options in squad.

    Touch wood squad is coming back together nicely towards the end of this season now. Just hope they can hit the ground running ahead of Ospreys, Munster & Cardiff, and those games all going well, hopefully we can kick on from there with momentum to carry us into the end season shoot outs.


  • Registered Users Posts: 45,433 ✭✭✭✭thomond2006


    If Browne has surgery now, perhaps it would give him a better chance of earning an extension? If he has it in June, he might miss up to half of next season.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 9,193 ✭✭✭[Jackass]


    Because of the "emergency" in the second row, I'd put it off if at all possible. I think he's done enough to earn a contract extension, but if we put Browne out now, Cullen recovery pending, and Brad Thorne having played 15 months non-stop rugby, anything happens to him and we've only got Toner, McLoughlin and Flanagan to pick from.

    I'd rather keep as many people as fit for as long as possible, and presumably we can sort out second row over the summer with a signing or two, and Cullen fully fit for next season too with Browne out for a bit.

    I bet he didn't think he'd be this important to Leinster when he signed.


  • Registered Users Posts: 6,889 ✭✭✭tolosenc


    Well, it'll be hard to lose first place now...


  • Registered Users Posts: 24,742 ✭✭✭✭molloyjh


    tolosenc wrote: »
    Well, it'll be hard to lose first place now...

    Yeah. If we win our 2 home games now we'll have at least a 19 point advantage. Munster can get a max of 25 points from their remaining games. It's looking good.


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  • Closed Accounts Posts: 5,234 ✭✭✭totallegend


    tolosenc wrote: »
    Well, it'll be hard to lose first place now...

    Not sure about that but Aironi did us a massive favour. If we can win our last two home games against Ospreys and Edinburgh, we could have some scope to rotate and rest players in the away games against Ulster and Dragons. Being optimistic, a win in Thomond would be only massive as I think Munster have the easier run-in.


  • Registered Users Posts: 6,207 ✭✭✭durkadurka


    A win in thomond after a win over ospreys would effectively end it.
    We would be likely to have a 15 pt lead with three games to go.


  • Registered Users Posts: 8,176 ✭✭✭ongarite


    Leinster move admin & training facilities to UCD campus:
    Leinster Rugby are delighted to announce details of the opening phase of the province's exciting move to the new purpose built facility in University College Dublin...
    http://www.leinsterrugby.ie/newsroom/9621.php


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 9,193 ✭✭✭[Jackass]


    Amongst the many facilities that are the best in that country that UCD already have, these might have been posted before, but an elite training centre has been purposed built for Leinster at the new HQ which will incorporate all the state of the art technology in partnership with UCD, but was quoted as being "as good as anything you'll find anywhere in the world" and was modeld off both the Chelsea training centre and American Football style research training centres...also avail of all surface pitches and indoor and outdoor training areas, weather no longer a factor on training schedules..

    Some pics...

    leinsterrugbygym1.jpg

    leinsterrugbygym2.jpg

    (couldn't find decent pics that were put up before of entire base)


  • Moderators, Sports Moderators Posts: 14,599 Mod ✭✭✭✭CIARAN_BOYLE


    There are Red weights

    This should not be :D


  • Registered Users Posts: 11,636 ✭✭✭✭Tox56


    That is SO COOL!!


  • Registered Users Posts: 13,264 ✭✭✭✭Fireball07


    Looks awfully fancy. Posh boys will get soft using that :p


  • Registered Users Posts: 702 ✭✭✭chancer12


    Fireball07 wrote: »
    Looks awfully fancy. Posh boys will get soft using that :p


    Fireball, do you have to?


  • Registered Users Posts: 37,978 ✭✭✭✭irishbucsfan


    Pretty sure tgr facilities at UUJ are similarly advanced, Gary Longwell was going on about them.

    But it is great to see the team move in properly. David Lloyd's is hardly where you want aspiring European Champions to be training!


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  • Registered Users Posts: 4,402 ✭✭✭BoardsMember


    Pretty sure tgr facilities at UUJ are similarly advanced, Gary Longwell was going on about them.

    But it is great to see the team move in properly. David Lloyd's is hardly where you want current and aspiring European Champions to be training!

    I fixed that for you...:D


This discussion has been closed.
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