Pre season: Leinster V Wasps

CouchSmart

Sean O’Brien makes his first appearance in six months and will lead the side from number eight in a team which also includes returning duo Luke Fitzgerald and Devin Toner. Fitzgerald starts at full-back in a backline which also includes Isa Nacewa, while Leinster supporters can get a glimpse of summer signing Heinke van der Merwe who starts in the front row alongside Mike Ross who is one of three Ireland internationals in the pack.
The recently recruited Mariano Galarza is named on an extended bench which also includes Fergus McFadden, scrum-half Isaac Boss and Stan Wright.
LEINSTER:
15: Luke Fitzgerald
14: David Kearney
13: Eoin O’Malley
12: Eamonn Sheridan
11: Isa Nacewa
10: Ian Madigan
9: Paul O’Donohoe
1: Heinke van der Merwe
2: Richardt Strauss
3: Mike Ross
4: Trevor Hogan
5: Devin Toner
6: Eoin Sheriff
7: Paul Ryan
8: Sean O’Brien CAPTAIN
REPLACEMENTS:
16: Jason Harris-Wright
17: Jack McGrath
18: Stan Wright
19: Mariano Galarza
20: Dominic Ryan
21: Isaac Boss
22: Ian McKinley
23: Fergus McFadden
24: Ben Marshall
25: Michael Keating
26: Niall Morris
LONDON WASPS:
15: Jack Wallace
14: Richard Haughton
13: Ben Jacobs
12: Dom Waldouck
11: Tom Varndell
10: Dave Walder
9: Nic Berry

1: Zak Taulafo
2: Tom Lindsay
3: Phil Vickery
4: Marty Veale
5: Richard Birkett
6: Will Matthews
7: Serge Betsen
8: John Hart

REPLACEMENTS:

16: Rob Webber
17: Tim Payne
18: Ben Broster
19: James Cannon
20: Tom Rees
21: Joe Simpson
22: Riki Flutey
23: Christian Wade
24: Simon Shaw
25: Sam Jones
26: Elliot Daly
27: Mark Van Gisbergen.
REFEREE: John Lacey (IRFU), SUB REFEREE: Leo Colgan (IRFU), ASSISTANT REFEREE: Richard Kerr (IRFU), 4TH OFFICIAL: Ed Kenny (ARLB), 5TH OFFICIAL: Dan Wallace (ARLB)

mrboswell

Madigan was training at 10 last week and looked to be running the backs well.

I see Wasps are persisting with the old man at 7.

funky penguin

I'm just very excited about that team, I think it's because the first name I see...Luke Fitzgerald in his prefered position! (correct me if I'm wrong, I'm sure I heard him say that once?). Hope he plays a stormer.

Also great to see POD starting, and since I'm a Wexford man, also great to see new squad member Eoin Sheriff starting as well.

Looking forward to this now.

sock puppet

Good to see McKinley back playing with Leinster

danthefan

I like the look of the team. Would love to go but I refuse to spend €20 on a pre season game after buying a season ticket.

Crash

danthefan wrote: »

I like the look of the team. Would love to go but I refuse to spend €20 on a pre season game after buying a season ticket.

Ah, see the pre-season matches get me through August these days - the weathers ****, its a while til my next holiday, the rugby season doesnt start for another month BUT! half way through I get a match and also Donnybrooks still a fun place to watch a match.

conneem-TT

Can you pay at the gate tomorrow?

Man I really really really want to go to this now after seeing the team!

Anyone spare a score for a broke student?

Also, Sean O'Brien as captain? Very impressive stuff

joanofarse

Is this televised at all??

LeinsterDub

danthefan wrote: »

I like the look of the team. Would love to go but I refuse to spend €20 on a pre season game after buying a season ticket.

That and the fact that a Heineken Cup quarter final was only €25! Looks like Rugby is fast going back to being a rich man's sport

LeinsterDub

conneem-TT wrote: »

Can you pay at the gate tomorrow?

Yes

outwest

good to see like back in action,

its a preseason freindly, why would anyone televise it

redroar1942

Pretty much Waps strongest 22, should be a good test for Leinster.

Would love to see Fitzgerald really stake a claim at 15

Macsimus

outwest wrote: »

good to see like back in action,

its a preseason freindly, why would anyone televise it

why wouldnt they?? i'd have more interest in this than 90% of the crap on the sports channels. A lot of people would like to get a chance to see Fitz, SOB, Toner etc back in action, even if the game's result means little.

Don't see why it being a pre-season friendly should mean it cant be broadcasted - EPL pre season friendlies are often on tv.

I'd say theres as much of an audience out there for this as there is for schools cup games etc (wich are on tv) and at least it would give Setanta something new to repeat ad nauseum.

outwest

only the big 4 preseason friendlys are shown on tv, rugby, will never attract the same support football does.


their just isnt the audience to show preseason rugby games

Macsimus

outwest wrote: »

only the big 4 preseason friendlys are shown on tv, rugby, will never attract the same support football does.


their just isnt the audience to show preseason rugby games

still though - if theres an audience for schools cup games, then theres surely one for this

Jello

Final score Leinster 6 - 41 Wasps, not the best start! Stan came off with an ankle injury hopefully it's not too serious.

Cobwebs. We'll be sorted come real season

TheTMO

Unfortunate result but there were some positives to take from the game. The main one being that Luke Fitzgerald was in incredible form. His kicks to touch were quite literally inch perfect, he was solid in the air, some of hits were absolute monster hits and he broke the line on a couple of occassions. His hands and offloads were excellent also. Honestly it looks like the lay off has actually improved him as a player. I reckon he could displace Kearney at 15, he seems very natural in the position. (yes very premature I know)

I thought Ian Madigan was fantastic throughtout the game. His hands and distribution were brilliant. He impressed me greatly and never seemed lacking in defence.

Heinke Van der Merwe was very good I thought he really got around the pitch and put the hard work in. Its not often you notice a prop but he seemed to pop up all over the pitch!

Another player that impressed me in his brief cameo was Jack McGrath, he was on 9 minutes and managed to turn over a ruck and carried 5 times in that small period. I reckon he carried more in those few minutes than Ross did all game!

The biggest disappointment for me was Dave Kearney, he made one incredible break but other than than just seemed incapable of outpacing his opposite number and even missed a tackle resulting in a try.

Sean O'Brien was noticably quiet compared to his usual standards but I have no doubt he'll improve before the season commences.

PhatPiggins

Richard Strauss was excellent according to the Irish Times

Would like to see a bit more of him with Jackers retiring

LeinsterDub

How many where at it ?

Enjoyed the game, even though it was a drubbing, scoreline flattered Wasps to be fair.

Will post more when I'm less hungover

outwest

as expected, a weakend team v a strong team, i was at it, first leinster match that they werent playing conancht, and i hated it,

i have my doubts whether or not sean o b was fully fit, wasps really showed how to step up a gear.

worst thing about yesterday was the price to see a freindly.

TheTMO

LeinsterDub wrote: »

How many where at it ?

Looked full suprisingly.

ALH-06

TheTMO wrote: »

Unfortunate result but there were some positives to take from the game. The main one being that Luke Fitzgerald was in incredible form. His kicks to touch were quite literally inch perfect, he was solid in the air, some of hits were absolute monster hits and he broke the line on a couple of occassions. His hands and offloads were excellent also. Honestly it looks like the lay off has actually improved him as a player. I reckon he could displace Kearney at 15, he seems very natural in the position. (yes very premature I know)

I thought Ian Madigan was fantastic throughtout the game. His hands and distribution were brilliant. He impressed me greatly and never seemed lacking in defence.

Heinke Van der Merwe was very good I thought he really got around the pitch and put the hard work in. Its not often you notice a prop but he seemed to pop up all over the pitch!

Another player that impressed me in his brief cameo was Jack McGrath, he was on 9 minutes and managed to turn over a ruck and carried 5 times in that small period. I reckon he carried more in those few minutes than Ross did all game!

The biggest disappointment for me was Dave Kearney, he made one incredible break but other than than just seemed incapable of outpacing his opposite number and even missed a tackle resulting in a try.

Sean O'Brien was noticably quiet compared to his usual standards but I have no doubt he'll improve before the season commences.

Great news about Fitz and McGrath, but particularly Madigan. That guy has massive talent - I've been waiting a while to see him show it. He's been played at 15 a lot but I think he'd be a better 10. And he's definitely needed more there with Kearney, Fitz, Nacewa, and Morris coming through too.

So in McKinley and Madigan (and Sexton as incumbent), we look to have what could be three quality 10s coming through at Leinster. Glorious!

Diamondmaker

Macsimus wrote: »

why wouldnt they?? i'd have more interest in this than 90% of the crap on the sports channels. A lot of people would like to get a chance to see Fitz, SOB, Toner etc back in action, even if the game's result means little.

Don't see why it being a pre-season friendly should mean it cant be broadcasted - EPL pre season friendlies are often on tv.

I'd say theres as much of an audience out there for this as there is for schools cup games etc (wich are on tv) and at least it would give Setanta something new to repeat ad nauseum.

I think the people who broadcast, market and sell rights to games are in a best position to decide is a particular match viable to broadcast and well, they have decided that this one was not.

dave13

The Times today reported that wright picked up an achilles tendon injury and may be out until after Christmas. Disaster if true.

TheTMO

dave13 wrote: »

The Times today reported that wright picked up an achilles tendon injury and may be out until after Christmas. Disaster if true.

Can't help but be happy for Ross though, he'll get more chances now.

Crash

dave13 wrote: »

The Times today reported that wright picked up an achilles tendon injury and may be out until after Christmas. Disaster if true.

Aye, saw one of the medical team racing along with a boot directly after the match, assumed it was for him.

Deleted User

Deleted User wrote: »

Enjoyed the game, even though it was a drubbing, scoreline flattered Wasps to be fair.

Will post more when I'm less hungover

Probably should've just typed yesterday when I could remember everything I wanted to say.

The game was the quintessential game of two halves. Substitutions were so many that there were several shirt swaps on field. Fitzgerald only played the first 40, as did O'Brien I *think.

Fitz looked very lively and excellently confident, I thought the confidence part was the most important part to be honest, after a big layoff, its got to be important to get your head screwed straight back on.

O'Donoghue was headless at 9, I was very disappointed. The lad can play super rugby, and I've seen it before, but he consistently made terrible decisions at the breakdown, and was slow getting the ball moving.
Boss made a huge difference when he came on, the ball was far faster, it was as though he'd watched Reddan and O'Leary scrap for the Ireland Jersey by playing a similar game, and realised that going back to Stringer's gameplan would work as a way to set him apart from the two. Looking forward to seeing him link up with Sexton alright.

Madigan had a great game at ten, really did, he made one silly knock on/error with 15 minutes to go, and I think that might have been the first mistake he made in the whole game.

Felt awful for Sheridan, who only lasted 20 minutes of the game, and really didn't get many opportunities to do much either. Similar story with Wright, although it wasn't as if he had as much to prove.

McFadden did well when he came on, although the ridiculous shoulder charge which was his first foray into the game should've been a yellow card, and indiscipline is a horrible habit to pick up.

Very impressed with the starting front row, all of them got around the park well, and Strauss hit his lineout well.

I thought Sheriff and Marshall had good games in the backrow, only really getting a bit of gametime each though.

As I said, the scoreline flattered wasps. McFadden chipped through on our 22 and if the ball had've bounced 12 inches higher he was gone under the posts. Wasps were the benefactors of another lucky bounce when Wade snapped up a ball that bounced agonisingly out of the reach of Morris at full back and strolled under the posts.

On an aside, Wasps' sub scrum half, Simpson, set up a fantastic try. The guy had a super game, pace to burn, a sweet pass and a good head. I was very impressed with him, hadn't seen/heard too much about him before.

thomond2006

Deleted User wrote: »

On an aside, Wasps' sub scrum half, Simpson, set up a fantastic try. The guy had a super game, pace to burn, a sweet pass and a good head. I was very impressed with him, hadn't seen/heard too much about him before.

http://www.wasps.co.uk/PlayerDisplaySS.ink?skip=23&season=10/11&squadno=8239&seasonl=2010/2011&Playertype=P

He was tipped for an England Six Nations spot last season but he dislocated his shoulder in January (IIRC) which ruled him out.

Didn't play more than 30 minutes but could've been a contender for Man of the Match I thought. He was excellent

PhatPiggins

Have seen a good bit of Simpson in the premiership. Exciting player to watch who's imergance was a big factor in Wasps letting Reddan go. I'd rate Ben Youngs more but Simpson should be in the England setup in the near future