Leinster v Ospreys RDS 29/05/10 6.30pm

durkadurka

No Leo, otherwise all present and correct as far as I can see.
Jackman has played his last game.

LEINSTER SQUAD (v The Ospreys):

Forwards:
C Healy,
S Wright.
M Ross,
CJ van der Linde,

J Fogarty,
R Strauss,

M O’Kelly,
N Hines,
T Hogan,

S Jennings,
S Keogh,
K McLaughlin,
S O’Brien,
J Heaslip,

Backs:

E Reddan,
P O’Donohoe,

S Berne;
J Sexton.

G D’Arcy,
B O’Driscoll,
F McFadden,

S Horgan,
R Kearney,
I Nacewa,
G Dempsey,


http://www.breakingnews.ie/sport/jennings-to-captain-leinster-on-saturday-459073.html#ixzz0oxHIYCTe

Trojan

So to start the only questions are Mal and KMcL. A relatively strong team, I'd be happy with it against most sides.

1. C Healy
2. J Fogarty
3. S Wright
4. M O'Kelly
5. N Hines
6. K McLaughlin
7. S Jennings
8. J Heaslip
9. E Reddan
10. J Sexton
11. I Nacewa
12. G D'Arcy
13. B O'Driscoll
14. S Horgan
15. R Kearney

durkadurka

Id be amazed if that wasn't the team. Maybe cj in at th.

Its slightly worrying if the team picks itself. complacency can creep in a bit.

The Rooster

Trojan wrote: »

So to start the only questions are Mal and KMcL. A relatively strong team, I'd be happy with it against most sides.

1. C Healy
2. J Fogarty
3. S Wright
4. M O'Kelly
5. N Hines
6. K McLaughlin
7. S Jennings
8. J Heaslip
9. E Reddan
10. J Sexton
11. I Nacewa
12. G D'Arcy
13. B O'Driscoll
14. S Horgan
15. R Kearney

With Cullen and O'Brien out I don't see how there are any questions over Mal and KMcL. Even with everyone fit I don't see how anyone could quesiton McLaughlin at 6.

Horgan is the big weakness in that side. IMO he's been awful since his return from injury.

shawpower

SOB has been withdrawn from the squad. He's still not right.

fifth

I'm in the philippines right now and don't want to miss this.. have missed the last two of leinsters games.. anyone know if any U.S. channels will show this game? (A lot of tv here is from the states).. am recording it back home but would prefer to watch it live.

Has the team been officially announced yet?

durkadurka

Teams usually announced on fridays.

colman1212

funkyflea wrote: »

I'm in the philippines right now and don't want to miss this.. have missed the last two of leinsters games.. anyone know if any U.S. channels will show this game? (A lot of tv here is from the states).. am recording it back home but would prefer to watch it live.

Has the team been officially announced yet?

Just watch it through an online stream?
Usually there are streams posted at the top of this forum.
I think S4C have an online channel for free which shows any welsh games too.

smurphy29

Trojan's XV is spot on, hard to see otherwise. I presume they'll take a risk and include McFadden in the 22 in order to keep him sweet for next year.

I just hope we win this - for Cheiks and for the lads retiring, it would be wonderful to sign off with a trophy. Mal will start and hopefuly Girve will get a few minutes at the end. A lot of people seem to think this is a foregone conclusion, but the Ospreys are a seriously dangerous outfit - we have a good record against them, but I think a lot of those games have involved fringe players.

fifth

colman1212 wrote: »

Just watch it through an online stream?
Usually there are streams posted at the top of this forum.
I think S4C have an online channel for free which shows any welsh games too.

Yeah that's probably going to be the best option, forgot about S4c's site actually.

Jemo

funkyflea wrote: »

Yeah that's probably going to be the best option, forgot about S4c's site actually.

If you are outside of the U.K. and Ireland you cannot stream it from s4c, its blocked. Best option is to look for a stream on matchday from:
[HTML]http://www.myp2p.eu/competition.php?competitionid=&part=sports&discipline=rugby[/HTML]

[Jackass]

funkyflea wrote: »

I'm in the philippines right now and don't want to miss this.. have missed the last two of leinsters games.. anyone know if any U.S. channels will show this game? (A lot of tv here is from the states).. am recording it back home but would prefer to watch it live.

Has the team been officially announced yet?

(sorry to go OT)

I'm in Canada and bars are really unreliable with showing games over here. If Chad Barthroot is playing in the 2010 tiddly-winks world championship section 47 qualification game being held in Quebec, they tend to show that instead of the rugby, so i don't take any chances and watch online. If there's a few, bring the lap-top to the pub and it's more fun! Myp2p.eu, Justin.tv and the boards streams thread, or even leinsterfans.com and munsterfans.com usually have streams in the match threads or google for a stream if you're really stuck, but it'll show up. Stream is the only reliable source for me anyway.

(Back OT)

Missing Cullen is a big loss, but MO'K will pull on the jersey for the last ever time, it's hard to see him not being up for this. I'm nervous about this game and it's not sitting easy with me. I don't like how we're exepcted to win, and I even catch myself looking forward to seeing the lads lift the trophy. I just hope Chieks is doing a better job at keeping the lads focused and not letting complacency slip in.

It'll be a massive game and extremely tough, but I think with the home advantage, if we perform the way we know we can, we'll win.

Ospreys have never won in Dublin. Let's keep it that way.

irishbucsfan

smurphy29 wrote: »

Trojan's XV is spot on, hard to see otherwise. I presume they'll take a risk and include McFadden in the 22 in order to keep him sweet for next year.

I don't think they're worried about keeping McFadden sweet. I think they'll probably end up picking Dempsey on the bench because it's his last game as a pro:

20. P O'Donohue
21. S Berne
22. G Dempsey

But, if they do need to keep McFadden sweet then they could put him in the 21 jersey and use P O'Donohue as the outhalf cover. That's a real risk though.

durkadurka

Its tough only having one back line player on the bench. When luke fitz comes back shaggy will probably be put of the 22 altogether.

I reckon mcfadden got loads of games this year and will get even more next year as they wrap drico in cotton wool for the wc.

PhatPiggins

Six weeks ago I would have said Leinster would win this one comfrotably. Now I think its 50/50 at best. The O's have been very impressive since the HC quarter and to be honest the only game I thought Leinster were decent in the same period was against Munster. Derby games against Munster are often no intication of true form.

I'll be rooting for Leinster but if the Ospreys can win half decent ball at the set piece it could be painful watching.

Trojan

I agree on derby not being an indicator, and I wouldn't underestimate Ospreys. But this is a good Leinster team used to winning tight games where they've underperformed all season, in front of what's becoming a really good partisan home crowd.

I wouldn't write the Ospreys off, but they are clear underdogs.

thomond2006

As Thornley said on OTB tonight, every team has its breakthrough game.

This could be the one for the Ospreys. They can't go on underachieving forever.

Still think Leinster can do it. It would be wrong for Dempsey, O'Kelly and Chieka to leave the province without a trophy for their last season.

durkadurka

thomond2006 wrote: »

As Thornley said on OTB tonight, every team has its breakthrough game.

This could be the one for the Ospreys. They can't go on underachieving forever.

Still think Leinster can do it. It would be wrong for Dempsey, O'Kelly and Chieka to leave the province without a trophy for their last season.

Funnily enough i think the defeat to Biarritz was a breakthrough game for them, or maybe a watershed. The attitude seems to have changed radically since then.

irishbucsfan

durkadurka wrote: »

Funnily enough i think the defeat to Biarritz was a breakthrough game for them, or maybe a watershed. The attitude seems to have changed radically since then.

If they win the Magners League next year George Clancy will be getting a strongly worded letter.

mrboswell

durkadurka wrote: »

Funnily enough i think the defeat to Biarritz was a breakthrough game for them, or maybe a watershed. The attitude seems to have changed radically since then.

I was at the final - Munster, Leinster or Ospreys on form would have whopped Biarritz of Toulouse.

Ospreys were robbed in the quarter-final.

durkadurka

No surprises - except both McFadden and Girve make the bench. Isa must be stand in outhalf.

Healy seems to be a bit of a risk if Ross is still provisionally there.

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


1: Stan Wright
2: John Fogarty
3: CJ van der Linde
4: Nathan Hines
5: Malcolm O'Kelly
6: Kevin McLaughlin
7: Shane Jennings CAPTAIN
8: Jamie Heaslip


REPLACEMENTS:
16: Richardt Strauss
17: Cian Healy / Mike Ross
18: Trevor Hogan
19: Stephen Keogh
20: Paul O'Donohoe
21: Fergus McFadden
22: Girvan Dempsey


REFEREE: Chris White (RFU), ASSISTANT REFEREES: Andy Macpherson (SRU), David Changleng (SRU), 4th OFFICIAL: Leo Colgan (IRFU), 5th OFFICIAL: Dermot Moloney (IRFU), TMO: Jim Yuille (SRU)

shawpower

Interesting. They've gone with POD to cover 9 and 10, with McFadden there as backup kicker. Also, no Healy on the pitch. Thought he did very well over the past couple of games.

LeeroyJones

OSPREYS
15 Lee Byrne
14 Tommy Bowe
13 Andrew Bishop
12 James Hook
11 Shane Williams
10 Dan Biggar
9 Mike Phillips

1 Paul James
2 Huw Bennett
3 Adam Jones
4 Alun Wyn Jones
5 Jonathan Thomas
6 Jerry Collins
7 Marty Holah
8 Ryan Jones (Capt)

Replacements:
16 Ed Shervington
17 Ryan Bevington
18 Ian Gough
19 Filo Tiatia
20 Jamie Nutbrown
21 Gareth Owen
22 Nikki Walker

durkadurka

shawpower wrote: »

Interesting. They've gone with POD to cover 9 and 10, with McFadden there as backup kicker. Also, no Healy on the pitch. Thought he did very well over the past couple of games.

Healy was ill during the week.

smurphy29

It's a serious Ospreys team. I can't remember Tommy Bowe playing at the RDS for Ospreys before, has he been absent each time?

Shame for Healy, he'd bounced pack impressively from his Toulouse debacle. But we've no shortage of depth at prop this year so we should be ok. It's going to be tight. Osreys took us apart in the first half of the recent 20-16 win at the RDS, they are more than capable of getting the ball wide where our narrow defence can be hurt. We'll have to bring our A game to beat them. That means no sleepwalking trough the first 20 minutes of the match, and a big improvement on fielding restarts, where we've been dreadful recently.

thomond2006

The Osprey's biggest weakness is their lineout, Bennett can't throw for ****.

Risteard

durkadurka wrote: »

Funnily enough i think the defeat to Biarritz was a breakthrough game for them, or maybe a watershed. The attitude seems to have changed radically since then.

I agree with that. They've always taken a bit of a slagging but after getting knocked out of the HC in a pretty devastating way, the majority of those players played three days later and beat Ulster with a bonus point, got a bonus point against Leinster and beat Munster in Thomond Park. There's no doubt that that's the sign of a team that wants to win something badly.

Macsimus

irishbucsfan wrote: »

If they win the Magners League next year George Clancy will be getting a strongly worded letter.

Ronan?

[Jackass]

Set piece is where the clear Leinster advantage lies, plus I think our pack are beefier than them.

If the back-row can dominate the breakdown like they have done for us so many times before, the Ospreys backline will have a seriously stunnted affect without the quality flow of ball that see's them tear teams to shreds.

I don't think we'll be playing an open expansive game. I think we'll play off the boot of Sexton and through the pack, and once within 30 yeards of their line or so, we'll pull out the trademark moves off a lineout or scrum and go over in the corner.

Leinster have found the nice balance between playing terretory through 10, playing possession through the pack, and unleashing devistating backline moves at the right time.

I think experience and tactics should make the difference, but if Ospreys can impose their tempo and their playing style on the match, sparks will fly seeing these two backlines take eachother on.

Lots and lots of pace in their backline, can't see us scoring too many break away tires in this one.

As always, nervous, but quietly confident.

durkadurka

We need to cut off the supply to the backs alright, keep the game tight and take our chances when we get them. I suspect that won't happen though.

I can see this being a rollercoaster 34-28 type game. Ospreys score great try or two and leinster respond by taking risks and flinging it around.

Bookies have it right. Leinster by 6.

Two months ago i would have said the ospreys would crumple like a hooker who's been punched by a fat guy (i saw it in a movie somewhere) but there's a steel back bone in this team now allied with some serious talent.

Hopefully we'll win it at the breakdown.

Patsy fyre

For anybody not in the know dont forget the match is also live on s4c on sky digital!

skinner2x

Patsy fyre wrote: »

For anybody not in the know dont forget the match is also live on s4c on sky digital!

Thanks for that.

thomond2006

Poor from Byrne there.

Very close to a Leinster try, shame about the forward pass.

Sherifu

Messy enough. Leinster just doing enough so far.

thomond2006

That's a shocker from Biggar.

Stev_o

Reddans been poor so far.

Stev_o

Brilliant try, Bishop with a beautiful line break.

thomond2006

Superb line from Bishop and it had to be Bowe to touch it down!

Sherifu

I'm glad it's Bowe that got it.

Patsy fyre

Ospreys are impressive so far but can they keep up this high tempo.

outwest

just when i thaught redden form was good enugh to push tol for a starting place this summer, he goes had starts to half a poor game like this

ongarite

horgan and reddan having a shocker so far.

stackerman

outwest wrote: »

just when i thaught redden form was good enugh to push tol for a starting place this summer, he goes had starts to half a poor game like this

Yea, not doing great at all

stackerman

Try saver, thank God :eek:

Stev_o

Sprays really should of scored there.

Risteard

****ing hell. McLaughlin gone off and a very serious looking injury. Just when he was going to get a good run of games for Ireland as well.

chupacabra

Looks like locky has broken his leg

thomond2006

That looks bad for Kevin McL.

How did Ospreys not score a try there?

stackerman

Seemed to twist it quite badly, feel sorry for him if it takes his tour away.

Stev_o

Seriously Kearney it would make more sense if you ran with your wingers instead of away from them come on!

stackerman

chupacabra wrote: »

Looks like locky has broken his leg

Jasus, dont say that !