Kearney vs Nacewa

thomond2006

Well Leinster fans, who would you put at 15 for the Heineken Cup Final?

Rob Kearney has seen a decline in form as the season has gone on although we all know he is a wonderful talent.

Nacewa on the other hand is the form player. At 10 and on the wing everyone was thinking "what the ****???" but at FB he gave a masterclass against Munster (don't remind me Jackass et al :(:() and left his opposite number Paul Warwick shaking his head.

Or would you put the experienced Dempsey at fullback? :rolleyes::rolleyes:

SO, WHAT WILL IT BE?

danthefan

Girvan Dempsey

I'd go for Nacewa.

phog

Isa Nacewa

I voted before reading the full poll, I thought it was choice between the two lads without realising it was poll for the FB for the final. I'd have gone for Nacewa for the fianl but Kearney for FB for Leinster under normal circumstances.

irishbucsfan

Girvan Dempsey

I'd go for Nacewa.

I've always believed that if you fill the jersey you should keep your place... The player who gives us the best chance of winning should be chosen no matter what the circumstances are.

accensi0n

Girvan Dempsey

It's a no-brainer.

Kearney was in hospital for a week and didn't have a good comback game.

Nacewa has been great in the last 2 games, one of them being a HC semi.

Girvan Dempsey

Nacewa. Kearney is not back to his best.

chupacabra

Girvan Dempsey

Nacewa without a doubt. He was amazing against us in the semi.

mikedragon32

Girvan Dempsey

I'd get NO sleep on Friday if I knew that Rob is in at 15 instead of Nacewa.

Nacewa has been an absolute revelation playing at full back.

[Jackass]

Girvan Dempsey

You can't change that back 3 now, especially with Kearney only having 80 minutes under his belt since the quarter final.

Kearney on the bench, same back 3 that started v Munster and Scarlets start the final for me.

Trojan

Girvan Dempsey

Very simple rule for life lads: If it aint broke, don't fix it.

danthefan

Girvan Dempsey

Trojan wrote: »

Very simple rule for life lads: If it aint broke, don't fix it.

This. There is very little case for changing around the team that played Munster (Sexton for Contepomi of course).

yogidc26

Girvan Dempsey

Its got to be Nacewa he is playing better Rugby at the moment

Noopti

Girvan Dempsey

It would be extremely harsh to take the 15 jersey of Nacewa after the Munster game.

siochain

Girvan Dempsey

you'd have to go on fitness and form and pick Nacewa

justsomebloke

Girvan Dempsey

Nacewa. He has been superb in his last 2 games at 15 and even if Super Rob was match fit I would still give it to Nacewa at the moment as I think he currently brings more to the position then Kearney does

justsomebloke

Girvan Dempsey

Noopti wrote: »

It would be extremely harsh to take the 15 jersey of Nacewa after the Munster game.

...and Scarlets game where he also had a blinder of a game

Tim Robbins

Girvan Dempsey

mikedragon32 wrote: »

I'd get NO sleep on Friday if I knew that Rob is in at 15 instead of Nacewa.

Nacewa has been an absolute revelation playing at full back.

Kearney is better under the high ball. Nacewa is a better broken field runner, passer and tackler.

I hope we see more than ping-pong from Kearny in an Irish jersey as that's pretty much all what we saw this year. I d hate to think it's conservative coaching bashing out what used to seem like Kearney's natural instinct with ball in hand.

Crash

Girvan Dempsey

I'm finding the "Nacewa's a better tackler" point quite funny at this stage - yes he's had two decent games on that point, but does no one remember how utterly ineffective his tackling had been prior to that? He'd try to wrap up players at shoulder height and get bounced 80% of the time, it was painful to watch.

Noopti

Girvan Dempsey

Joe the Santa wrote: »

...and Scarlets game where he also had a blinder of a game

True, I was just highlighting the Munster game because he played fantastic and the final will bring a similar level of pressure and intensity.

Tim Robbins

Girvan Dempsey

Crash wrote: »

I'm finding the "Nacewa's a better tackler" point quite funny at this stage - yes he's had two decent games on that point, but does no one remember how utterly ineffective his tackling had been prior to that? He'd try to wrap up players at shoulder height and get bounced 80% of the time, it was painful to watch.

I'll admit I don't watch every Leinster match. But I remember Isa making try saving tackles in the semi whereas the last time Kearney played Munster he got burnt by Earls.

Crash

Girvan Dempsey

Oh as I said, Nacewa had a defensive stormer against Munster and a great match against Llanelli, its just that up until those games really he had awful tackling technique, and generally had to be covered in defense.

the immortals

Girvan Dempsey

Trojan wrote: »

Very simple rule for life lads: If it aint broke, don't fix it.

wise words indeed.......

leinsterman

Isa Nacewa

On an impulse I voted Kearney ... but having read this thread and thinking about it ... I think Nacewa makes more sense ...

I have to say I am eating my words a bit ... He is a good player, but when I saw him picked for the Semi at FB I was very doubtful given his ability to kick during the year was a bit off to say the least ... but happily I was proven wrong ...

stephen_n

Girvan Dempsey

Have to be Nacewa on current form and fitness with Kearney on the bench providing good cover for the back three!

anonymous_joe

Girvan Dempsey

Crash wrote: »

Oh as I said, Nacewa had a defensive stormer against Munster and a great match against Llanelli, its just that up until those games really he had awful tackling technique, and generally had to be covered in defense.

I'm hoping he's been trained out of the mistakes.

Just a switch of technique or something.

I'd rather have Nacewa for these two reasons:

1. The back three worked in two games, Munster and Scarlets
2. Kearney's recovering from an illness that while not serious is debilitating for a period of time. He's probably lost weight, etc.