MATCH THREAD: Leinster vs Ospreys, Sat 29th Nov 2014 17:15, RDS, TG4/SS2

molloyjh

Momentum

Leinster have a huge game tomorrow against bogey team Ospreys. After an incredibly poor showing away to Treviso Leinster desperately need to build up some momentum ahead of the back to back European Cup clashes against Harlequins. They also need to start getting their league campaign back on track. Last season Leinster lost a total of 4 games and drew one in the league. Already this season they have lost 3 and drawn 1. This weekend they face the table toppers Ospreys with a handful of returning internationals. The visitors though have no such luck. With the Welsh playing South Africa on Saturday afternoon the Ospreys will be short a number of players. It's as good a time to meet our bogey team as possible really, but do Leinster have it in themselves to get the result?

Leinster's front row is it's third choice front-row, but all 3 players have really stepped up this season and performed well. The second row is the strongest and most powerful we have. Our back-row is unchanged from last week and is probably also third choice for the most part. There will need to be a marked improvement from them this week.

At half-backs Gopperth is lucky to have escaped the consequences of is showing on Sunday, but with issues at 13 MOC is probably looking to next week in this selection, giving Madigan the game at 12 where he is likely to start against Quins. McFadden comes back into the starting line-up at 13, but will likely come off for Darce during the second half. The back three of Dave Kearney, Darragh Fanning and Zane Kirchner would be pretty good under normal circumstances, but Dave looked very rusty last week and Zane wasn't as good as he has shown in the past. Only Fanning looks to have some form there. On the bench we don't have much in the way of impact, with Ruddock, Reid and Darce about the only ones capable of changing things up.

Ospreys may be missing several players to international duty and another dozen to injury but we saw last week that they can be very dangerous. Despite going behind in the first half to Ulster they were able to get themselves back into the game quite well. And they are looking for a reaction from last week. Beck is a loss though with Dirksen coming infield to 12. I'm not sure if he's ever played centre for Ospreys before so this could be an opportunity for Leinster up the middle. Duncan Jones is also out injured so there could be opportunities at the scrum for Leinster to target Thomas and Arhip, who I believe was under some pressure last weekend.

Leinster's set piece hasn't been all that great lately but now is as good a time as any to get things sorted. I would be worried about us at line-out though. Byrne has had his issues there and I wouldn't class either lock as real line-out operators. Ferg coming straight back into the 13 shirt, a position he's never exactly excelled in, could also be a problem. It's hard to see where either side could win this game in all honesty. They look vulnerable at the scrum and in the centre. But Leinster's set piece has been less than convincing and our centre partnership isn't a hugely inspiring one alongside an out-half who was very poor last week. If Leinster can get the reaction they need from the players they probably have enough in the squad to get the edge on Ospreys, but I can't see it being a particularly clear cut or inspiring game.

There's been a lot of talk in the last week among Leinster fans about that performance in Italy and the next 5-6 weeks could make or break Leinster's season. It's times like these when the team needs it's supporters though, so for those going pack away your disquiet and frustration for the 80 minutes and get behind your team.

COME ON LEINSTER!

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01. Michael Bent|01. Marc Thomas
02. Bryan Byrne|02. Sam Parry
03. Tadhg Furlong|03. Dimitri Arhip
04. Mike McCarthy|04. Lloyd Peers
05. Kane Douglas|05. Tyler Ardron
06. Dominic Ryan|06. Joe Bearman
07. Jordi Murphy|07. Sam Lewis
08. Jack Conan|08. Dan Baker
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09. Eoin Reddan|09. Martin Roberts
10. Jimmy Gopperth|10. Sam Davies
11. David Kearney|11. Tom Grabham
12. Ian Madigan|12. Hanno Dirksen
13. Fergus McFadden|13. Andrew Bishop
14. Darragh Fanning|14. Aisea Natoga
15. Zane Kirchner|15. Daniel Evans
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16. James Tracy|16. Scott Otten
17. Peter Dooley|17. Gareth Thomas
18. Jamie Hagan|18. Cai Griffiths
19. Tom Denton|19. Rynier Bernardo
20. Rhys Ruddock|20. Ieuan Jones
21. Isaac Boss|21. Tom Habberfield
22. Noel Reid|22. Josh Matavesi
23. Gordon D'Arcy|23. Dafydd Howells

Zzippy

Ospreys decimated by Welsh call-ups. Leinster should win this one and deny them a LBP easily. TBP would be just that. Don't know anything about the Leinster bench front row but they should be well on top before they have to come on.

molloyjh

Zzippy wrote: »

Ospreys decimated by Welsh call-ups. Leinster should win this one and deny them a LBP easily. TBP would be just that. Don't know anything about the Leinster bench front row but they should be well on top before they have to come on.

Have a look back over the predictions last week. Or the predictions in the run up to the Connacht game. Even before the Munster game we were confident that Munster weren't good enough to beat us.

We've been well off the pace for a lot of the season and while I think we should win this I really don't think it'll be that straight forward. Murphy and Kearney were both rusty last week and that will carry over to some degree. McFadden will almost certainly be rusty this week. Kirchner didn't look fully fit. Our set piece hasn't been great and our back play has been dreadful. Treviso had Italian club players in their side and we still couldn't beat them. And the elephant in the room that everyone is talking about, Gopperths form, needs to be streets ahead of where it was last week. Will it be?

former legend

The Ospreys have lost a serious amount of players but it's still a good XV.

That backrow is going to spend 80 minutes knocking people over and Roberts/Davies is a decent reserve half-back partnership. Decent backline too, no idea what Dirksen is like at centre but should be interesting. The front row were schooled at times by Ulster last week so hopefully we'll see more of the same.

I think we can win but it will be tight.

vienne86

Ospreys - ugh! Always a difficult encounter, but this is a great opportunity for Leinster to set things straight, given Ospreys are missing so many first choice players. We really need to win this and deny them a LBP too if possible. Never easy, but if we don't win tomorrow, it will be a bad lead in to European rugby in the next two weeks, and it will bode badly for our season in the Pro12.

thomond2006

Dirksen at 12 eh. Given Matavesi is available on the bench I'm surprised they are playing a winger there.

vienne86

Lovely day here in Dublin. Back in the blue gear on a great day for a match. We really need to win this one - if we don't I would fear for our season.

stephen_n

Doubt Goperth will have back to back poor games, he's to experienced to allow a shocker of a game to drag him down. If he does though, hopefully MOC will call it early in the second half and not let him try ride it out, we really can't afford to lose this game.

Hagz

Luke McGrath and Ben Marshall pulled out of the 'A' team. Maybe one of Boss/Reddan shipped a knock?

The Lost Sheep

Hagz wrote: »

Luke McGrath and Ben Marshall pulled out of the 'A' team. Maybe one of Boss/Reddan shipped a knock?

Boss is out. LMcG is on bench. Denton in for McCarthy

A-Train

They have finally seen sense and returned the second screen to between the South Stand and Grand stand.

Tox56

What an awful kick from Kirchner

Kanrith

Fanning didn't touch that.

errlloyd

Last thing Madigan needs

Tox56

Kanrith wrote: »

Fanning didn't touch that.

Wasn't even close, now we're facing a penalty and an injury, typical

Swan Curry

****, not Madigan

errlloyd

This is too bloody frustrating, if he's injured I'm giving up supporting Leinster

Larbre34

errlloyd wrote: »

This is too bloody frustrating, if he's injured I'm giving up supporting Leinster

Think happy thought.

He'll run that one off

Larbre34

Good on the TMO

Taco Corp

Cameramen loving the crowd tonight

Swan Curry

What the **** was that kick

kingofthekong

Gopperth is doing my head in ffs

Skid X

The announcer finally realised that Madigan is taking the kicks :rolleyes: 6-3

Swan Curry

Ospreys are seriously undisciplined

Kearney already having a better game than last week

Clegg

Match has been a bit ehhhhhh so far.

Hagz

Ref has been a bit harsh on Ospreys so far at the breakdown.

Teferi

Dave Kearney looking so hungry. Lovely footwork with ball in hand.

former legend

Had that ruck really formed? Looked harsh

Swan Curry

Big tackle from Jimmy, unfortunate it resulted in a penalty

former legend

That is how you defend a maul. Massive effort.

Heroditas

Great defence there.
Apart from that though, not for the first time I'm kinda glad everyone in the house is sick and we're resorting to watch the game on TV.

Kanrith

This referee is allowing no competition at the breakdown.

Tox56

Well this is crap

LeinsterDub

A other mocball slog. Jasus Leinster are a hard watch nowadays

former legend

Kirchner having a poor game.

Irlandczyk

Tox56 wrote: »

Well this is crap

No question. It's a bit of a scrap and Ospreys are just about outplaying us. Is it just me or have we been slipping off tackles a lot lately?

Clegg

This is a weak Ospreys side too.

Very disappointing so far.

errlloyd

LeinsterDub wrote: »

A other mocball slog. Jasus Leinster are a hard watch nowadays

Indeed

Tox56

Conan at least continues to show up well, Byrne has been good outside a terrible missed tackle, Ryan's got around... That's about it

LeinsterDub

Irlandczyk wrote: »

No question. It's a bit of a scrap and Ospreys are just about outplaying us. Is it just me or have we been slipping off tackles a lot lately?

It would help if we started using our arms. Seen 3 shoulder barges in a row there.

ssaye2

****e no territory or cop On painful as usual still should win at home

Swan Curry

Don't think the bonus point is coming this week

LeinsterDub

Swan Curry wrote: »

Don't think the bonus point is coming this week

You never know we could hang on for a losing BP

vienne86

Turgid stuff here in the rds. Awful to watch.

durkadurka

Absolutely appalling half of rugby from Leinster

Kanrith

Forward, I think.

corny

I'd give it. Super play from the 9.

former legend

Jordi will be praying this gets called forward.

former legend

former legend wrote: »

Jordi will be praying this gets called forward.

Very lucky. Appalling tackle.

jack01986

Got away with that one.

Irlandczyk

Forward. But 1 and a half minutes of mistakes straight out of the dressing room and we could already have been 5 down...