Leinster Team Talk/Gossip/Rumours Thread II

ongarite

Squad update:
http://www.leinsterrugby.ie/news/9578.php

Macken out for 6 weeks with broken hand. EOM was rested so will play this weekend.

Sexton with an outside chance of playing, decision will be made on Thursday.

Hagz

The 'A' side should be interesting.

.ak

ongarite wrote: »

Squad update:
http://www.leinsterrugby.ie/news/9578.php

Macken out for 6 weeks with broken hand. EOM was rested so will play this weekend.

Sexton with an outside chance of playing, decision will be made on Thursday.

Sexton being back so soon will be impressive, also Ferg. Having Ferg, Darce, and SOB back will be absolutely massive, and hopefully our backs can engineer some decent rugby in Adams Park.

Will the A game be televised?

thomond2006

So who will play 13?

Is a 12 Goodman 13 D'Arcy a potential pairing?

decisions

Is the A game home or away?

ongarite

thomond2006 wrote: »

So who will play 13?

Is a 12 Goodman 13 D'Arcy a potential pairing?

I'd hope its going to be D'Arcy & EOM. With Ferg, Isa and Rob in the back 3 we should be in good shape.

Would like to see Ruddock or Dom Ryan at 6/7 for this game.
Jennings & McLaughlin have been poor (by their standards) in the last 2 games. Ryan changed the game against Glasgow when he came on.

.ak

Goodman was fantastic though. Showed great leadership at once stage when Boss was missing and acted as SH. Did a better job than Boss too! Really think he's coming into the role well, with style too. If Darce plays like he did last week I'd rather Goodman tbh....

EDIT: Tho, I feel Darce & EOM will be the centres, as we've seen what that pair are capable of before.

.ak

ongarite wrote: »

I'd hope its going to be D'Arcy & EOM. With Ferg, Isa and Rob in the back 3 we should be in good shape.

Would like to see Ruddock or Dom Ryan at 6/7 for this game.
Jennings & McLaughlin have been poor (by their standards) in the last 2 games. Ryan changed the game against Glasgow when he came on.

So what, Ruddock, SOB, and Heaslip? Would be a powerful backrow allright...

P.Walnuts

.ak wrote: »

So what, Ruddock, SOB, and Heaslip? Would be a powerful backrow allright...

Think I'd prefer

6. sob

7. Ryan

8. Heaslip

ormond lad

.ak wrote: »

Will the A game be televised?

No. Only A games ever televised would be B&I final which have been on sky in the past season or two. Prob would be highlights on Leinster website

decisions wrote: »

Is the A game home or away?

Away. Ye're playing Sunday in Bristol

opinionatedfan

SOB, Ryan and Heaslip with either Ruddock or McLaughlin on the bench.

crisco10

opinionatedfan wrote: »

SOB, Ryan and Heaslip with either Ruddock or McLaughlin on the bench.

Would love to see Ryan in the 1st choice back row. Although I reckon he will go with Kev. Kev's "dog" is vital away from home...

[Jackass]

Is Jennings injured?

If so, I reckon we'll be looking at:

1. Healy
2. Strauss
3. Ross
4. Cullen
5. Roux
6. McLoughlin
7. O'Brien
8. Heaslip

9. Boss
10. Madigan
11. Nacewa
12. D'Arcy
13. O'Malley
14. McFadden
15. R.Kearney

16. Cronin 17. McGrath 18. Hagan 19. Toner 20. Ruddock / Ryan 21. Cooney 22. Conway 23. D. Kearney

Sexton, Fitz, Reddan, Murphy, Macken unavilable due to injury, O'Driscoll suspended.

padser

[Jackass] wrote: »

Is Jennings injured?

If so, I reckon we'll be looking at:

1. Healy
2. Strauss
3. Ross
4. Cullen
5. Roux
6. McLoughlin
7. O'Brien
8. Heaslip

9. Boss
10. Madigan
11. Nacewa
12. D'Arcy
13. O'Malley
14. McFadden
15. R.Kearney

16. Cronin 17. McGrath 18. Hagan 19. Toner 20. Ruddock / Ryan 21. Cooney 22. Conway 23. D. Kearney

Sexton, Fitz, Reddan, Murphy, Macken unavilable due to injury, O'Driscoll suspended.

Neither of your second rows are likely to last a full game. That said I can't see Cullen not starting and Cullen / Toner would lack power. Difficult to see how to get the second row right....

Heroditas

Unless Wasps have dramatically improved their maul defence, we're going to see a lot of our pack on Friday. Vital we get the balance right.
Can't see Jennings not playing unless he's injured.
6-2 split on the bench perhaps?

totallegend

[Jackass] wrote: »

Is Jennings injured?

No, he played 80 minutes on Saturday night and isn't mentioned in the squad update, so can only assume he'll be available and will start on the bench if O'Brien is passed fit.

opinionatedfan

Looks like O'Malley is a doubt for Wasps aswell.

Macken also played 30 minutes of the Ulster match with a broken hand according to Joe.

On return from injury, O’Malley was immediately promoted to the Irish training squad but there remains a fear that, as Luke Fitzgerald proved, immediate exposure to high intensity rugby may provoke a relapse.
“It’s a bit of residue from that original injury where he had a crush fracture at the top of the femur and blew out the ACL (anterior cruciate ligament) and it was a fairly traumatic injury so he’s had a few calf problems since then and I think that's probably over-compensation and we just haven’t had him quite right. Even against Glasgow he muscled up and just got through the game, a little bit like Brendan Macken playing with a broken hand for 30 minutes. It does mean they're sub-par and that’s something you can't afford to be at this time of year.”

irishbucsfan

I'm happy with Goodman and D'Arcy. No bench depth for 13 is unfortunate.

CIARAN_BOYLE

irishbucsfan wrote: »

I'm happy with Goodman and D'Arcy. No bench depth for 13 is unfortunate.

McFadden should be fit and will either cover 13 or start there with Rob Dave and Isa in the back 3

opinionatedfan

Leinster A team should be interesting enough aswell, especially with some of the injuries.

.ak

opinionatedfan wrote: »

Looks like O'Malley is a doubt for Wasps aswell.

Macken also played 30 minutes of the Ulster match with a broken hand according to Joe.

Where was that quote taken from btw?

opinionatedfan

.ak wrote: »

Where was that quote taken from btw?

Irishtimes today.

http://www.irishtimes.com/sport/rugby/schmidt-focused-on-the-centre-not-ireland-1.1345478

Sandwlch

If Sexton is fit, is Madigan not a serious solution option for this problem - even a serious strength - at either second five eighth or outside centre ?

.ak

Sandwlch wrote: »

If Sexton is fit, is Madigan not a serious solution option for this problem - even a serious strength - at either second five eighth or outside centre ?

I don't think he'd be a great outside centre, but he has played at 12 before for us and did a decent job.

.ak

... but Sexton won't be fit.

Sandwlch

.ak wrote: »

... but Sexton won't be fit.

Do you know when is he likely to be back ? Or are his Leinster days done...

awec

My understanding was that he would just miss out this week which suggests he'd be back next week.

.ak

Aye, probably back for the Munster game or Zebre.

Larbre34

.ak wrote: »

Aye, probably back for the Munster game or Zebre.

As it stands I'd keep going with Madigan at Thomond even if Jonny were declared fit. Sexton has a bit of a hoodoo down there and he would be a good 10/12 cover on the bench.

.ak

Hoodoo? We won the last game there with him at 10, and the game before that he was metronomic with the boot, we just conceded silly pen's and let them back into the game. He has no problem playing in Thomond. The Munster game is a must win game for us to get a home semi so if Johnny is fit he'll start.