Leinster Team Talk/Gossip/Rumours Thread II

dub_skav

Tox56 wrote: »

I think I'm right in saying physicality rather than size. According to the Leinster profiles he is the same height and only a few pounds lighter than Brian O'Driscoll, but I don't think he has the same power and physicality as BOD (not many do). If it was purely on size you would think BOD has trouble against bigger opposition, and that's obviously not the case.

I don't think he's a bad defender (far from it), but I do think he does suffer from a lack of physicality or power, or whatever you want to call it (relatively speaking). I don't think it's a major issue, but it doesn't help someone his size.

Fair enough, I get where you're coming from, but I don't think I agree.

If you see him up close warming up or whatever he looks tiny and as you allude to, I don't think it's fair to compare to BOD who is as physical as they come.
I've always taken physicality to mean how much effort somebody puts in physically / abrasiveness (another woolly concept). Obviously the end result of this will be improved if they are bigger / stronger, but for me physicality is what a guy does with his size.
So you can have very big guys who are quite passive and really small guys who are very physical.
I remember a lot of people saying O'malley was too small / not physical enough and using the 2 almost interchangeably, that's what I have an issue with.
Fair enough you actually do think he could do with greater physicality, where I think he's pretty physical as it is.

Winters

Perhaps some of the foreign based fans can answer this question for me.

For the last couple of games we have played against Clermont we have heard from the players how tough those matches were, how big the Clermont players are etc. Even in a recent interview with Strauss he said the Clermont matches were the toughest he has ever played in. Nacewa said the same thing after the two games in 2010.

My question is, what are the Clermont's players opinions on the Leinster matches and the Leinster players? Do they hold the Leinster matches in as high regard? Do they see them as tough encounters too?

Gracelessly Tom

Winters wrote: »

Perhaps some of the foreign based fans can answer this question for me.

For the last couple of games we have played against Clermont we have heard from the players how tough those matches were, how big the Clermont players are etc. Even in a recent interview with Strauss he said the Clermont matches were the toughest he has ever played in. Nacewa said the same thing after the two games in 2010.

My question is, what are the Clermont's players opinions on the Leinster matches and the Leinster players? Do they hold the Leinster matches in as high regard? Do they see them as tough encounters too?

I'd imagine that they do considering they have only beaten us once and we've knocked them out of Europe a few times over the last number of years!

GerM

Domingo had surgery this morning. He's out for the next month.

Quint2010

GerM wrote: »

Domingo had surgery this morning. He's out for the next month.

Shame.

.ak

GerM wrote: »

Domingo had surgery this morning. He's out for the next month.

Hope he recovers for the final, with 23 fully fit players on both sides.

jamiedav2011

GerM wrote: »

Domingo had surgery this morning. He's out for the next month.

Shame as he's a great prop, but good news for us.

Quint2010

Strong words from Schmidt ahead of Sunday. He says they "have to come back with four points" ie win. I think thats a great mindset for the players.



"Leinster coach Joe Schmidt has admitted to being worried at the challenge that awaits his side over the coming fortnight.
Schmidt will take a depleted side to France on Sunday and a defeat to Clermont Auvergne could see the defending champions staring at an early exit from the Heineken Cup.
The Pool 5 leaders are defending an impressive 50-game unbeaten record at home and Schmidt knows defeat in France could spell the end of Leinster’s hat-trick dream.
“We know that we will be playing for our future in European competition over the next two matches,” Schmidt is quoted as saying in the Irish Independent.
“They have scored 12 tries in two games while we have registered one. We have reason to be worried! Apart from the win against Munster, we haven’t been able to play for 80 minutes and produce a performance of the highest level.
“If we do not play at our best, we will not win. I expect that my team will produce its best game of the year.”
Clermont will make the return trip to Dublin on Saturday week and Schmidt, who will be without Brian O’Driscoll, Rob Kearney and Luke Fitzgerald for both matches, believes his side must target back-to-back victories.
“We are missing three top players. We need to find solutions to compensate for these absentees,” he added.
“We cannot leave Clermont without the four points. If we end up six points behind heading into the following week, they will be too far ahead.
“We must have the ambition to win both games.” "

ssaye

Realistic and Optimistic. Joe is a hero. Hopefully forwards to win it for us with a masterclass by Jonny and a try from the training ground either side of half time. The so called "championship minutes" as Matt Williams calls them.

Toughest match in a very very long time.

Higher

Will the team be announced today?

ssaye

Higher wrote: »

Will the team be announced today?

I reckon tomorrow lunch

wicklowwonder

Higher wrote: »

Will the team be announced today?

Lunch time tomorrow (Friday).

.ak

Blood stirring stuff allright from the usual reserved and calculated Schmidt!

He's right tho. This has to be our big game, our make or break game. Funnily enough of hopes hinge on another game against Clermont - even our pool games are knock out games with them!

CIARAN_BOYLE

Higher wrote: »

Will the team be announced today?

Its a Sunday game so probably tomorrow

Teferi

I like how Joe comments to the media. No rubbish, just says how it is.

CatFromHue

Realistically you'd want to get 22 points if you finish second to give yourself the best chance of best second place qualifier.

That's five wins and two bonus points and at the moment we have two wins and no bonus points. So in theory we could lose away to Clermont but we do have to beat them in the Aviva to qualify, as well as win the rest of our games.

ssaye

CatFromHue wrote: »

Realistically you'd want to get 22 points if you finish second to give yourself the best chance of best second place qualifier.

That's five wins and two bonus points and at the moment we have two wins and no bonus points. So in theory we could lose away to Clermont but we do have to beat them in the Aviva to qualify, as well as win the rest of our games.

5/6 wins no BP 20 points will qualify with bugger of an away game, need a TBP home to scarlets if we win 3 of the 4 next games

pc7

Im filling in my superbru picks and at first I put Claremont to win then couldn't do it! heart just wont let me, head is saying do it! So think I will wait and see what the team is but reckon I'll be going for Leinster for the surprise win, have to say soooo excited about this one!

jamiedav2011

ssaye wrote: »

5/6 wins no BP 20 points will qualify with bugger of an away game, need a TBP home to scarlets if we win 3 of the 4 next games

Actually, coming last may see us playing Quins, whom I certainly wouldn't fear.

That's the beauty of the last weekend though!

CatFromHue

ssaye wrote: »

5/6 wins no BP 20 points will qualify with bugger of an away game, need a TBP home to scarlets if we win 3 of the 4 next games

The amount of tries you score comes into it if two teams have the same amount of points for seeding the QF's. We've only scored one try so unless we start running them in for fun we'll have some problems unless we pick up a try bonus or a losing bonus point.

ssaye

jamiedav2011 wrote: »

Actually, coming last may see us playing Quins, whom I certainly wouldn't fear.

That's the beauty of the last weekend though!

Could be much tougher than that but I know what you mean.

Noopti

I am dreading having to watch this game. I nearly had a heart attack watching the semi-final last year.

I just won't enjoy watching it, unless somehow we pull away with a nice lead - which is probably not going to happen.

.ak

This is what H-Cup games are all about. Heart in your throat stuff. I can't wait.

Noopti

.ak wrote: »

This is what H-Cup games are all about. Heart in your throat stuff. I can't wait.

True....but I still just can't really enjoy these types of games when they are close and there is so much on the line! I will just have to ensure I have lots of Guinness handy to dull the pain.

ssaye

CatFromHue wrote: »

The amount of tries you score comes into it if two teams have the same amount of points for seeding the QF's. We've only scored one try so unless we start running them in for fun we'll have some problems unless we pick up a try bonus or a losing bonus point.

Tries are needed obviously but I dont think 20 has ever not qualified. Open to correction.

Quint2010

I had a full blown panic attack during the last 5 minutes of the semi final. Nearly had to be hospitalised...

molloyjh

Winters wrote: »

Perhaps some of the foreign based fans can answer this question for me.

For the last couple of games we have played against Clermont we have heard from the players how tough those matches were, how big the Clermont players are etc. Even in a recent interview with Strauss he said the Clermont matches were the toughest he has ever played in. Nacewa said the same thing after the two games in 2010.

My question is, what are the Clermont's players opinions on the Leinster matches and the Leinster players? Do they hold the Leinster matches in as high regard? Do they see them as tough encounters too?

From talking to them they love these games. They highly rate our team and fans and reckon it's exactly what the HEC is all about. They fear and respect us the same way we do them really. Although I think their frustration with losing to us so often is overriding any fear they have this time around. I'm friends with a few Clermont fans on FB and they are looking forward to the next 2 weeks as much as we are.

Quint2010 wrote: »

I had a full blown panic attack during the last 5 minutes of the semi final. Nearly had to be hospitalised...

My panic attack hit me after the final whistle blew. I had it all bottled up for those few minutes, went mad for a minute or so when Barnes blew it up and then collapsed in my seat a complete wreck!

pc7

Quint2010 wrote: »

I had a full blown panic attack during the last 5 minutes of the semi final. Nearly had to be hospitalised...

I went home straight after it, I was just exhausted, tired and emotional, but that said it should be a rip roaring weekend of rugby.

Phonehead

Finally got a Skygo account up and running:D so for once I won't be watching horrible streams or ringing every pub in Toronto to see if they will show the game. I'm honestly so excited at the thoughts of spending a weekend lying on the sofa, screaming abuse at the TV while ignoring her good self getting very angry at me for pi$$ing all over her plans for the weekend.

Realistically a bonus point loss would be a good achievement this weekend.

.ak

I remember the glee we had around the game in Bordeaux. It was a surreal experience, as the 'festival' atmosphere was all of a sudden very flat as thousands of disappointed French fans left the stadium. We were like giddy school kids, not wanting to seem like bad losers by being arrogantly loud, so we drank our 8.5% beer quietly giggling as we made our way back to the Connemara bar.

When we got to the bar though I think we all crashed. Those minutes at the end literally killed us. I had one or two beers in the Connemara then hit the hay before the sun set! Slept like a rock!

Felt bad for my mate who had to rush straight out after the end of the game and catch a train to Amsterdam.