Match Thread: Castres Olympique vs Leinster Rugby Sunday 12th Jan 12:45pm SS2 RB

molloyjh

After a disappointing loss at home to Northampton Saints in front of a near packed Aviva Stadium Leinster will be looking to get their Heineken Cup ball rolling once more away to Castres Olympique this weekend. The last 2 rounds of this years tournament have thrown a potential spanner in the works with a tough away trip to France against the reigning Top14 champions followed only 5 days later by a visit of Leinsters bogey team, Ospreys, to the RDS. Leinsters HEC destiny is still very much in their own hands though as they are 4 points clear of Northampton who are currently second in the pool. And Leinster have beaten them in the head-to-head 5-4. Two wins will guarantee Leinster a quarter final spot, albeit away from home. Judging by the squads put out this weekend a Northampton win is likely in Swansea so in all reality this is a must win game for Leinster. Otherwise they'll be reliant on other results to get them through, i.e. Northampton not to win both of their games with TBPs. And you don't want to be reliant on others in this competition, as Leinster found out last season.

Leinsters front row is as expected, although I wouldn't have been too surprised to see Moore start given the game time he's been getting. Second row is as strong as we've got, and I think McCarthy is really starting to make his presence felt. Literally most of the time! Biggest concern is with Locky starting, and I'm surprised I'm saying that at given how highly I rate him. But I think Ruddocks carrying has been excellent the last few weeks in particular and we could have done with that on Sunday. Still Locky showed against New Zealand that he can mix it up with the best of them so hopefully he has a big game.

Given Madigans form Gopperth was an obvious change and I think people were getting too used to Joes "away team" selection of Boss. MOC seems to prefer Reddan with Boss off the bench. No worries at all from 11 to 15 ability wise, but will we show that we can utilise that ability? Leinster have really struggled to impose themselves in tight games, at least in terms of attacking play. Castres won't sit off the Boys in Blue like Saints did in Round 3 so how much of a bearing our backs (the back 3 in particular) will have is not certain. The one thing to take from last weeks game in Galway, though, was how strong both Kearney brothers were in the contact area. It always seemed to take 2 or 3 men to put them down. We'll probably see them taking on crash ball more than clean ball in space. Also looking back at some of our performances lately it's very noticeable how often D Kearney has come in from his wing over to the far side to take ball on and/or create some space. Don't be surprised to see him pop up on Fitzgeralds wing to try and put Luke away. Leinster will also be looking to Brian O'Driscoll who, Round 3 aside, hasn't looked like himself when playing for Leinster.

I'm very happy to see Jack O'Connell on the bench. He looked fairly decent against Ulster and it's great to see so many young props coming into the senior side from the Academy. We know what we're getting from Dundon and Moore, with Boss, Madigan and Kirchner all able to make an impact. The biggest concerns on the bench is the form of both Cullen and Jennings. Leo seems to be having a hard time getting back up to speed since returning from injury and that's not great news for Leinster coming into the 6 Nations. Jenno has looked good for most of the season but he didn't perform in his last 2 outings. At the time I thought he injured his arm again in Franklins Gardens so hopefully the couple of weeks off have helped.

I'm not hugely familiar with the Castres side so can't comment on them to a huge degree, although the loss of Kockett is an obvious blow. Still though, as I said above, they rarely lose at home. And in the RDS we had real difficulty with them. This is probably going to be a tight and messy affair with penalties being the winning and losing of the game. I don't see either side running in tries or getting a TBP. My predictions this season have been wide of the mark more often than not, but even if I wanted to I'm not sure I can call it. I desperately hope Leinster win it though as I don't want to be facing the Ospreys in the RDS in a desperate last gasp attempt to qualify for the QFs.

|
01: Jack McGrath|01: Yannick Forestier
02: Sean Cronin|02: Marc-Antoine Rallier
03: Mike Ross|03: Karena Wihongi
04: Devin Toner|04: Richie Gray
05: Mike McCarthy|05: Christophe Samson
06: Kevin McLaughlin|06: Mathieu Babillot
07: Jordi Murphy|07: Ibrahim Diarra
08: Jamie Heaslip|08: Piula Fa'asalele
|
09: Eoin Reddan|09: Cedric Garcia
10: Jimmy Gopperth|10: Remi Tales
11: Luke Fitzgerald|11: Max Evans
12: Gordon D'arcy|12: Remi Lamerat
13: Brian O'Driscoll|13: Seremaia Bai
14: Dave Kearney|14: Remy Grosso
15: Rob Kearney|15: Brice Dulin
|
16: Aaron Dundon|16: Brice Mach
17: Jack O'Connell|17: Mihai Lazar
18: Martin Moore|18: Benjamin Desroche
19: Leo Cullen|19: Yannick Caballero
20: Shane Jennings|20: Julien Tomas
21: Isaac Boss|21: Daniel Kirkpatrick
22: Ian Madigan|22: Marcel Garvey
23: Zane Kirchner|23: Anton Pekrishvili

thomond2006

I want to learn how to do a table.

former legend

molloyjh wrote: »

I'm not hugely familiar with the Castres side so can't comment on them to a huge degree, although the loss of Kockett is an obvious blow.

Nor am I, but Antonie Claassen is a massive loss too, particularly since Wannenberg would have been the next option but he's absent too. They're also missing Palis and Martial from their back three but have decent replacements available.

They'll be a very tough nut to crack.

No consensus at all in the office over what way this can go. I guess the inconsistency this season has kind of turned this into a bit of a lottery.

Still, I expect Leinster are going to show up in a big way and come away with a win by 5+.

matthew8

It's not an awful Castres team but they could really struggle to put points on the board. They're already not a high scoring team with the likes of Kockott and Claassen/Wannenburg and they could have a very low score.

I'd definitely back Leinster here, the only way I can see Castres winning is if they absolutely dominate up front, and that is a tall order without some of the back row. Biggest strength for them is probably loosehead, with French starter Forestier starting and Romanian star Lazar ready to come off the bench.

former legend

thomond2006 wrote: »

I want to learn how to do a table.

Maybe molloyjh can show you how to do one, and in return you can show him how to add a poll...

Swiwi.

Ah, great stuff molloy! That warm comforting feeling of a well-set out preview with accompanying table. Really I must retrospectively make a NY's resolution of learning how to do that!

I think the team pretty much picked itself, maybe I would have put ahead ZK ahead of DK, but not a biggie really.

JG has been handed a gilt-edged chance to cement the Leinster 10 jersey, but we'll see if he takes it.

Cheers for taking the time to preview the match.

.ak

Think Reddan over Boss is the main curveball, but not really surprising as MOC seems very fond of him, plus it allows Boss to come on in the last quarter and strangle the game or squeeze a few extra points.

molloyjh

thomond2006 wrote: »

I want to learn how to do a table.

It's actually fairly handy. Just use the table tag (with the first row on the same line) and then the | character to separate the columns. Just make sure each row has the same number of columns. So you get something like this inside the table tag:

08: Jamie Heaslip|08: Piula Fa'asalele
|
09: Eoin Reddan|09: Cedric Garcia

The second line there gives a blank row. Then just put the close table tag on a new line.

.ak

Or just quote molloyjh's post and copy and paste it into your own. Daylight robbery!

Phonehead

I'm nervous about this one, I'm usually quiet confident when it comes to our away European games but this season we have been such a mixed bag. If we are clinical Leinster then I can see us keeping the scoreboard ticking while Castres struggle to convert possession into points but then again I'm not certain which Leinster team will turn up.

.ak

I think this one was always gonna be a nervy one, but it would've been a lot less nervy if they'd had done the double over the Saints.

Then again I always expected us to get 5 points from the double, which we did, just not in the way we thought we would. So the next two games are must wins, or atleast that's how they need to approach them.

jacothelad

thomond2006 wrote: »

I want to learn how to do a table.

Step one, buy it a few drinks and dinner.......:D

Swiwi.

jacothelad wrote: »

Step one, buy it a few drinks and dinner.......:D

You need to see a Dr, jaco. The sickest person I've met this week, and that's saying something.

Buer

Lighten up. I've laid many a table in my time.

19543261

Rugby Boards - Table Jokes

Morf

None of you have a leg to stand on.

molloyjh

3 from 3 so far this weekend, but really nervous about this game now. Really nervous.

former legend

I'm convinced we're going to lose.

Jesus I hope the Ospreys do us a favour.

Hagz

I feel like we're going to leave with 1 point.

awec

Best of luck lads!

[Jackass]

Hagz wrote: »

I feel like we're going to leave with 1 point.

As mad as this sounds, that actually wouldn't be the end of the world.

Either way, at this point, we're going to be away in the quarters, to who is anyones guess but is more or less out of our hands, so it's all about winning the group.

A losing bonus would mean we just need to match Northamptons reuslt against Castres when we play O's in the final game, assuming Northampton don't get a BP win away from home tomorrow.

Funnily enough, that late intercept and denying us the bonus in Lansdowne has hurt us a fair bit, if we had that, a losing BP tomorrow would mean any kind of win over O's would do the job for us.

Either way, I don't think a loss tomorrow would be the end of the world. We'd need to losing BP, but the group would still be in our control going into the final day and our quarter final prospects wouldn't be changed much either way.

Far from ideal, but still not all doom and gloom.

But a win would more or less put us through no matter what, so hope we just win the feckin thing and don't drag out our agony any longer!

Morf

awec wrote: »

Best of luck lads!

I think we can and to a degree should win. Then again I'm worried as heck and will take every bit of luck.

If Leinster were to take a 7+ point lead early on I could see them lose interest pretty quick.

.ak

Yeah, very nervous now, especially when the other provinces have all marked up wins.

It really depends on what castres side turns up. Unfortunately it also depends what Leinster side turns up too! We've been a bit Jekyll and Hyde this season

I'm hoping we play a game more like what we did against the ospreys in Swansea, (as opposed to the franklin gardens game) power at the break down, everyone from 1 to 15 getting involved in rucks, and hopefully chip away at them until they can't live with us. We have to make their lives he'll, they just won't want to be there if we can do that.

vienne86

My nerves is bad this morning, very bad.

Just starting to get things ready for a crowd coming to watch on my red button. Certainly not putting champagne on ice, but I'm a bit encouraged by the absence of Kockott.

I think weather forecast is good enough for Castres, so it might be a decent game. I don't care what sort of a game it is if we win.

RuggieBear

not feeling v confident tbh. we've only really played well in a third of our matches this season. I feel the Castre pack is well able to beat the ****e out of us. losing bp is absolute minimum

LostArt

bricking it already

Tox56

Not confident either but the other games this season I have felt this nervous (Ospreys away, Northampton away, Ulster) they've pulled a performance out of the bag and won all 3 games comfortably. In fact we almost seem better away from home, even last week I was not optimistic at half-time but they stepped up when they needed to and really turned the screw on Connacht, another comfortable victory in the end

Larbre34

I think we have the nous and the experience to shade it, but not expecting it to be pretty. We certainly have an advantage in Nige who has always given us a certain latitude for positive approach. The only bonus point may be an LB for Castres, im calling 17-20 or so in favour of pedigree.

phog

Gwan Leinster make it 4 from 4 Irish provinces to win this weekend for the 2nd time tthis season in the Heineken Cup.

ktulu123

Nice day here in Castres, will hopefully get some nice running rugby which should suit our boys. Just about to leave for the match now, nervously excited! Decent amount of us over here too. Players all seem relaxed.

COME ON YOU BOYS IN BLUE!!!!!

DGRulz

I should really be trying to get some study done before the match but I'm do God fanned nervous about this. Think we might just shade it. Why do rounds 5 and 6 have to take place during my study weeks every year?

Buer

Jesus, you're all a ray of sunshine! It's a tough game but one we can win. I can't see more than a try or two being scored but hopefully we've the pack and experience to force the three pointers.

Zzippy

phog wrote: »

Gwan Leinster make it 4 from 4 Irish provinces to win this weekend for the 2nd time tthis season in the Heineken Cup.

3rd time actually, clean sweeps in rounds 2 and 3 already.

I have no idea which way this will go, Leinster's form has been so topsy turvy this year. They were sublime against Northampton away, then just poor at home, and poor again last week. They have the ability to win and win well today, but they could also be well beaten. Just hope they bring their Franklins Gardens form...

penybont exile

If N.O. is the ref lads you can't lose ...........

durkadurka

@MichaelC_RTE: Cian Healy on the @leinsterrugby bench v Castres @RTErugby


I repeat:

@MichaelC_RTE: Cian Healy on the @leinsterrugby bench v Castres @RTErugby

Tox56

durkadurka wrote: »

@MichaelC_RTE: Cian Healy on the @leinsterrugby bench v Castres @RTErugby


I repeat:

@MichaelC_RTE: Cian Healy on the @leinsterrugby bench v Castres @RTErugby

Someone get the Borat gif

Grimebox

Tox56 wrote: »

Someone get the Borat gif

This one?

Tox56

Grimebox wrote: »

This one?

I'll allow it

Zzippy

Grimebox wrote: »

This one?

Ugh!!!!

Get out!

its_phil

That's some quiff on Horgan. Definitely didn't pick that up with Meath minors. Dublin changes people.

jacothelad

Grimebox wrote: »

This one?

Is that Thomond's table I see?

.ak

Yeeeeeeeeerow. Healy you beaut.

Glass Prison 1214

Healy to come on and score the winning try

Tox56

"The spotlight very much on Swansea".. why?! Leinster's destiny is in their own hands, both Northampton and Ospreys could be out of the tournament by this evening, one of them already is!

former legend

durkadurka wrote: »

@MichaelC_RTE: Cian Healy on the @leinsterrugby bench v Castres @RTErugby

That is AWESOME, I just hope we don't need to use him.

Pudsy33

Just to clarify, this is in fact kicking off in 10mins right?

Taco Corp

****, why did I think this was at 1:35???

Glass Prison 1214

Pudsy33 wrote: »

Just to clarify, this is in fact kicking off in 10mins right?

Yes it is

RuggieBear

i've literally heard of about 5 of the Castre team.:o

errlloyd

Come on you ****ing beauties.