Leinster v Scarlets, 15.45 19 December 2009

Sangre

Team named:

LEINSTER:

15: Rob Kearney
14: Shane Horgan
13: Brian O'Driscoll
12: Gordon D'Arcy
11: Isa Nacewa
10: Shaun Berne
9: Eoin Reddan

1: Cian Healy
2: John Fogarty
3: CJ van der Linde
4: Leo Cullen CAPTAIN
5: Nathan Hines
6: Kevin McLaughlin
7: Sean O'Brien
8: Jamie Heaslip

REPLACEMENTS:

16: Bernard Jackman
17: Mike Ross
18: Stan Wright
19: Malcolm O'Kelly
20: Stephen Keogh
21: Paul O'Donohoe
22: Fergus McFadden
23: Girvan Dempsey

SCARLETS: 15: Rhys Priestland, 14: Darren Daniel, 13: Sean Lamont, 12: Jonathan Davies, 11: Andrew Fenby, 10: Stephen Jones, 9: Martin Roberts; 1: Iestyn Thomas, 2: Ken Owens, 3: Deacon Manu, 4: Lou Reed, 5: Dominic Day, 6: Simon Easterby, 7: Jonathan Edwards, 8: David Lyons CAPTAIN

REPLACEMENTS: 16: Emyr Phillips, 17: Phil John, 18: Jamie Corsi, 19: Vernon Cooper, 20: Rob McCusker, 21: Tavis Knoyle, 22: Daniel Evans, 23: Gareth Maule

REFEREE: Wayne Barnes (RFU), ASSISTANT REFEREES: Roy Maybank (RFU), Kevin Stewart (RFU), 4th OFFICIAL: Paul Haycock (ARLB), 5th OFFICIAL: Peter Dennehy (ARLB), TMO: Ed Morrison


The side is unchanged from the team that started last weekend's 32-7 victory in Parc y Scarlets which means that all four try scorers - Shane Horgan, Gordon D'Arcy, Shaun Berne and Sean O'Brien all start. Horgan's try was his 25th in European competitions and he became only the second Leinster player to achieve that milestone after Brian O'Driscoll who continues his centre partnership with D'Arcy.

In the pack, Kevin McLaughlin makes his 11th appearance of the season and starts in the back-row alongside O'Brien and Jamie Heaslip, who is one of 13 full Ireland internationals in the 23-man squad.

Saturday's match is a sell out and there will be no tickets on sale on the day.

I can't see Leisnter losing this in RDS. The bonus point is another matter though.

thomond2006

Is Fogarty the nailed-on first choice hooker?

Blured

thomond2006 wrote: »

Is Fogarty the nailed-on first choice hooker?

Think so - he was played very well this season and havent seen anything from Jackman in his limited gametime that would displace him IMO

Size=everything

Whats the craic with Strauss I thought he was meant to be a good player yet isn't even making the 23?

Also disappointed to see Stephen Keogh there as Ruddock made the squad so would of been great to see him in the 23 instead of Keogh. I honestly think Ruddock brings, even at this very early stage, more to the table than Keogh does if someone got injured

Sangre

Size=everything wrote: »

Whats the craic with Strauss I thought he was meant to be a good player yet isn't even making the 23?

Also disappointed to see Stephen Keogh there as Ruddock made the squad so would of been great to see him in the 23 instead of Keogh. I honestly think Ruddock brings, even at this very early stage, more to the table than Keogh does if someone got injured

Stephen Keogh has been very effective as a late game finisher. I presume Cheika thinks the pack has more then enough fire power and he has a back as the sub in case Leinster are pushing for the 4th try towards the end of the game.

Podge_irl

Size=everything wrote: »

Whats the craic with Strauss I thought he was meant to be a good player yet isn't even making the 23?

Was just about to ask that. He's one of the NIQ players, so I assumed he was brought over with the expectation of playing.

danthefan

Strauss is injured as far as I know.

PhatPiggins

Size=everything wrote: »

Whats the craic with Strauss I thought he was meant to be a good player yet isn't even making the 23?

quote]

I heard similar rumours about Mike Ross, then he turned up four stone over weight and is realistically 3rd choice TH.

Size=everything

PhatPiggins wrote: »

I heard similar rumours about Mike Ross, then he turned up four stone over weight and is realistically 3rd choice TH.

So you are claiming he was 15stone at Harlequinns?

19stone is perfectly normal for a prop. There were no rumours of him being he was in the GP team of the year it was fact that he was very good. Slow start but then again we could say the same for De Villiers this year, Howlett still and Nacewa last year.

PhatPiggins

Size=everything wrote: »

So you are claiming he was 15stone at Harlequinns?

19stone is perfectly normal for a prop. There were no rumours of him being he was in the GP team of the year it was fact that he was very good. Slow start but then again we could say the same for De Villiers this year, Howlett still and Nacewa last year.

He's 19 stone now, not four months ago.

Regardless I really dont want to get into a circular arguement with you so what ever you say next is the correct answer by me.

Size=everything

So you are claiming he was 23.6 stone when he arrived? The heaviest player in world rugby (besides that Fijian guy think he retired)

bamboozle

hope we have the 4 trys wrapped up by halftime tomorrow!

danthefan

PhatPiggins wrote: »

He's 19 stone now, not four months ago.

Regardless I really dont want to get into a circular arguement with you so what ever you say next is the correct answer by me.

If you won't engage people who have an issue with you saying things that quite clearly aren't true, such as Mike Ross was 23 stone when he arrived at Leinster, then why post it in the first place?

Ross has done fine when he's played so far, I think Cheika has been a bit harsh on him to be honest. Ross should have to earn the right to be ahead of the other props in the squad, it's still very early days for him.

bamboozle wrote: »

hope we have the 4 trys wrapped up by halftime tomorrow!

Think we could find it tough to get the BP. It didn't even come easily last weekend to be fair, and Leinster have a habit of not backing up performances.

julien05

Healy had a good start played well for Ireland and Cj is a wc winner so i presume it has more to do with fighting for a place?

irishbucsfan

As long as CJ is properly back from his injury now I'm happy for him to be starting, and I believe Stan Wright is a better TH than Mike Ross so I don't see a problem with Ross being third choice.

Hopefully the back row can play some more class rugby like they did last weekend. It'll be interesting to see which one of them will be standing aside for Jennings on the 7th January.

themont85

"Beware The Wounded Tiger"

I'm genuinely a little worried about this game. Stephen Jones will keep them close as I don't see Leinster being nearly as precise at home as they were (suprisingly imo) away. I'm not quite sure of the weather for tommorow but it is sure to be cold and hopefully stays dry, I don't want a Shaun Berne/SJ kicking duel.

anonymous_joe

themont85 wrote: »

"Beware The Wounded Tiger"

I'm genuinely a little worried about this game. Stephen Jones will keep them close as I don't see Leinster being nearly as precise at home as they were (suprisingly imo) away. I'm not quite sure of the weather for tommorow but it is sure to be cold and hopefully stays dry, I don't want a Shaun Berne/SJ kicking duel.

Leinster lost to the Scarlets in like the first game of the season despite playing the better urgby. I doubt they'll underestimate 'em sos badly again. I hope.

Im quite confident we'll win with a BP.

Noffles

I'm hoping for a far better performance than last week from the Scarlets, we need to come out and play a far better 1st half, thus we can try and enjoy it a little more rather than the last few poxy minutes...

Should be nippy enough in the stands too!!!!

Stev_o

Heading out to the match today, going to have wear about 6 layers to keep out the cold

wixfjord

Very worried about this game I have to say. I mean before last week this was nearly 50/50, last week has little or no bearing on it, Leinster still have to win in 80 mins today. Id be happy with a win and no bp. Also if the scarlets win today they are in a good position and Leinster are ****ed. I have faith though!
Come on yew boys in blue!

Kearney ffs!

Macsimus

yes try Kearney- 5-0 leinster after 7 mins

Macsimus

SJ misses 2nd penalty in 2 mins - byrne missed 1 pen and a conv too

leinster scrum dominating

Surely thats a try

Macsimus

yyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeesssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssss

21 mins: 2nd try Kearney - missed 3 highballs so far, but hes hitting the line really well

byrne misses conversion - lein 10- 0 sca

fifth

Brilliant from kearney

fifth

Wow, what happened there

Macsimus

CJ injured again :mad:

on the bright side - Stan the man takes the field

sneem-man

Well done Shaggy:)

fifth

shaaaaaaaaaagggggggggggggyyyy!!!

Macsimus

37 mins: horgan intercepts at his own 22 and goes the lenght of the field to score

byrne misses again

15- 0 going in at half time

Fair play shaggy getting away from the covering defence.

seeing_ie

lol.

Horgan back in contention for the 6N!

Are Scarlets making them look good?

e2a: CJ looked crocked coming off from the way he was talking. Hope that's not him wrapped up in cotton wool again for the rest of the season.

Macsimus

seeing_ie wrote: »

Are Scarlets making them look good?

Think any team would find it hard to live with us today - destroying them in the scrum and at the breakdown, and the backline's cutting ribbons out of them. We should have the 4th try already...

Byrnes place kicking been poor though - missed 4 from 4 so far

bonus point try wooot.

trout

BP try ... thanks for that Gordon

jamser89

lets hope they keep it up, put the pressure on lon irish!

Macsimus

45 mins: 4th Try Darcy under the posts - byrne finally adds the 2

22-0

LI have the bonus point already in reading

seeing_ie

Macsimus wrote: »

Think any team would find it hard to live with us today - destroying them in the scrum and at the breakdown, and the backline's cutting ribbons out of them. We should have the 4th try already...

Byrnes place kicking been poor though - missed 4 from 4 so far

Didn't want to say it, but yes, we are brilliant today

D'Arcy having a great game avoiding the obvious options consistently.

jamser89

Jackman, Oh Great step.lol

jamser89

Drico 27 nil

jamser89

D'arcy! 32 nil

jamser89

Berne adds the xtras. 2 out 6 cons

sneem-man

Against a Pathetic Scarlets team

trout

What did the Ref see ? What was the foul ?

jamser89

They're fairly atrocious alright:rolleyes:

csm

try scarlets, didn't see that happening. poor from kearney

trout

Ah ... Kearney!

suppafly

wow that was a really bad error there from kearney to let scarlets in for the try!

suppafly

trout wrote: »

What did the Ref see ? What was the foul ?

A foot trip