Kieran Keane vs James Lowe - aka the Connacht vs Leinster build up thread

b.gud

This weekend Connacht and Leinster go head to head in a match that will have the full attention of the Waikato Chiefs as Kieran Keane and James Lowe get to see their new clubs square off

To whet your appetite here's the highlights of the last 2 matches played by the teams, with both teams having won a game each.

bonus try that inspired the title

irishbucsfan

Leinster 3rds v Connacht 0ths

b.gud

irishbucsfan wrote: »

Leinster 3rds v Connacht 0ths

In fairness your 3rds probably has as many internationals as our 1sts

So I was chatting to Pat Lam there at the weekend. I said,

"Pat, Bristol man? What the hell"

Pat said, "Officially It's for the cash, but the truth of it is I've had enough of Muldoon and Tiernan".

"Tiernan aswell?" I said inquisitively.

"Yeah..." Pat sighed, "Things have gotten totally out of hand with John, he's changed his surname to Patlam and if you look closely at his beard you can see the subtle outline of my face shaved into the side of it"

"Jesus that's some weird shit" I said. "But what's going on with Tiernan?"

"Well" Said Pat, "He's not taking this whole Ireland selection thing too well, have you noticed his face?"

"What about his face?" I said "Sure isn't he gorgeous?"

Pat frowned, "How have you not noticed? he's been to the plastic surgeons three times"..

"WTF" I uttered breathlessly

"Yeah, the most recent one was to add freckles, he's having them turn him into Rob"

"WTF"

"It gets worse," Said Pat, "He is absolutely refusing to tackle anyone on the pitch anymore, said it's what Joe wants". "He's even after adopting some young lad from the Philippines and renamed him Dave, it's mad shit altogether" Pat said.

"And he is insisting on being the kit man for Connaoughat, cleaning everyone's gear and washing out the changing rooms." said Pat clearly exacerbated. "I mean the place is spotless but he loses it if there is even one sock out of place"

Another one that Joe has ruined I thought to myself.

"Anyway" I said, "what do you make of this weekend?"

"Couldn't give a rashers mate, I let Fionn Carr pick the team for the craic"

---

Potential Leinster XV

Joey Carbery
Dave Kearney
Garry Ringrose
Noel Reid
Fergus McFadden
Johnny Sexytime
Luke McGrath
Rhys Ruddock
Josh VDF
Dan Leavy
Devon Toner
Hayden Triggs
Mike Ross
Sean Cronin
Cian Healy

Potential Connacht XV

TBC

Well this is bizarre timing.

awec

merged venjos post into this thread.

Quint2010

Should Leinster be starting Sexton in this match? I'd be reluctant personally. If he's missing against Clermont we can forget it.

Quint2010

Quint2010 wrote: »

Should Leinster be starting Sexton in this match? I'd be reluctant personally. If he's missing against Clermont we can forget it.

Nah, you can't operate on that basis. We need continuity and you can' keep lads wrapped in cotton wool all season.

He'll come off at 60 minutes.

The only reason he doesn't start is if he is trying to clear the knocks he referred to after the Wasps game.

wp_rathead

Wouldn't let Sexton on same pitch as Aki if ye want him fit for Clermont - he has proven he is able to play well coming straight back into the team so wouldn't risk him

This Muldoons 300th Connacht Cap?

b.gud

wp_rathead wrote: »

This Muldoons 300th Connacht Cap?

Yeah assuming he's fit to play it would be

Edit*

https://twitter.com/connachtrugby/status/851729664397758464

Icemancometh

From a Leinster POV I imagine anyone in line to start against Clermont who didn't start against Ospreys will start. Fitness permitting of course

Quint2010

Deleted User wrote: »

Nah, you can't operate on that basis. We need continuity and you can' keep lads wrapped in cotton wool all season.

He'll come off at 60 minutes.

The only reason he doesn't start is if he is trying to clear the knocks he referred to after the Wasps game.

When it comes to Sexton you absolutely can operate on that basis. He is so injury prone and so vital to Leinster. I was surprised he didn't play last weekend and was rested for this TBH. If he gets injured this weekend we can say bonjour to our chances against Clermont.

pickarooney

I love the way they make out that only one club being interested in you is a good thing.

CMOTDibbler

Quint2010 wrote: »

When it comes to Sexton you absolutely can operate on that basis. He is so injury prone and so vital to Leinster. I was surprised he didn't play last weekend and was rested for this TBH. If he gets injured this weekend we can say bonjour to our chances against Clermont.

Ehhh...

I didn't think Sexton was that dispensable. :pac:

Quint2010

CMOTDibbler wrote: »

Ehhh...

I didn't think Sexton was that dispensable. :pac:

You've never seen Only Fools and Horses obviously...:D

Buer

Deleted User wrote: »

Joey Carbery
Dave Kearney
Garry Ringrose
Noel Reid
Fergus McFadden
Johnny Sexytime
Luke McGrath
Rhys Ruddock
Josh VDF
Dan Leavy
Devon Toner
Hayden Triggs
Mike Ross
Sean Cronin
Cian Healy

I'd expect broadly similar. I doubt SOB will sit out again. VDF has appeared in 4 games on the trot so I would imagine his match fitness is getting back to where it was now and he can drop to the bench. Toner can have a break too after back to back 80 minute games.

Ross was hungry at the weekend but I reckon Bent might get the nod and be in the 18 jersey against Clermont.

Think the rest of the team will be as is.

KBurke85

Ian Davies is this weeks Ref

Former Former

Buer wrote: »

I'd expect broadly similar. I doubt SOB will sit out again. VDF has appeared in 4 games on the trot so I would imagine his match fitness is getting back to where it was now and he can drop to the bench. Toner can have a break too after back to back 80 minute games.

Ross was hungry at the weekend but I reckon Bent might get the nod and be in the 18 jersey against Clermont.

Think the rest of the team will be as is.

I'd say that's a permanent state of affairs for our Mike.

evil_seed

pickarooney wrote: »

I love the way they make out that only one club being interested in you is a good thing.

Am I missing something? Where does it say this?

buck65

I think he might go to inside centre for the packy money.

Korat

What's the likely line-up for Connacht?

The injury list must be shortening by now.

CMOTDibbler

buck65 wrote: »

I think he might go to inside centre for the packy money.

The what?

b.gud

Korat wrote: »

What's the likely line-up for Connacht?

The injury list must be shortening by now.

My best guess would be

Buckley
Heffernan
Bealham
Roux
Browne
Sean O’Brien
Heenan
Muldoon
Marmion
Carty
Poolman
Ronaldson
Aki
Adeolokun
O'Halloran

Korat

b.gud wrote: »

My best guess would be

Buckley
Heffernan
Bealham
Roux
Browne
Sean O’Brien
Heenan
Muldoon
Marmion
Carty
Poolman
Ronaldson
Aki
Adeolokun
O'Halloran

No Crosbie?

I thought he put Connacht in the driving seat against Edinburgh. Is he injured?

connemara man

Korat wrote: »

No Crosbie?

I thought he put Connacht in the driving seat against Edinburgh. Is he injured?

He'll be on the bench if Boschoff isn't available, but you go with your senior outhalf for an interpro, and when you are trying to build momentum again

CMOTDibbler

Korat wrote: »

No Crosbie?

I thought he put Connacht in the driving seat against Edinburgh. Is he injured?

Although from a small base, he has to be the most accurate kicker for Connacht right now. AFAIK, he had 100% from six against Edinburgh. Jack Carty has 64% from 34 attempts and Ronaldson and Cooney have 88% from 18 and 17 respectively.

molloyjh

A win this weekend would guarantee a top 3 finish for Leinster regardless of the Ospreys result. A Cardiff win (or even a draw) and a Leinster win would guarantee a home SF. It would be great to get that this weekend, but I wouldn't be too put out if we lost it. A LBP and no injuries ahead of Lyon would be fine too.

Reckon we'll see:

Healy Cronin Bent
Nagle Triggs
Leavy Ruddock SOB

McGrath Sexton
Reid Ringrose
Kearney Nacewa Byrne/McFadden

Strauss, Dooley, Ross, Kearney, VDF, JGP, Byrne, McFadden/ROL

Korat

connemara man wrote: »

He'll be on the bench if Boschoff isn't available, but you go with your senior outhalf for an interpro, and when you are trying to build momentum again

Pinging penalties from half-way may not be how Connacht won last season but missing them from kickable range has hurt them badly this season.

Teams have worked out how to play against them. Connacht play a certain way and opponents don't get hurt when they infringe going offside of just killing the ball.

I think they'd be top 4 now if they'd had a reliable kicker all season.

molloyjh

molloyjh wrote: »

A win this weekend would guarantee a top 3 finish for Leinster regardless of the Ospreys result. A Cardiff win (or even a draw) and a Leinster win would guarantee a home SF. It would be great to get that this weekend, but I wouldn't be too put out if we lost it.

What the hell is this? Bolded in particular.

This is a inter provincial build up thread, not some sort of kumbaya love in.

VE MUST BREK DEM

b.gud

CMOTDibbler wrote: »

Although from a small base, he has to be the most accurate kicker for Connacht right now. AFAIK, he had 100% from six against Edinburgh. Jack Carty has 64% from 34 attempts and Ronaldson and Cooney have 88% from 18 and 17 respectively.

You're right the base is far too small to call him Connachts most accurate kicker. Cooney went like 10 kicks across a few games before he missed one, and he had a much greater variety of kicks. So far Crosbie has had 5 penalties where he was happy that they were in a kickable position and 1 conversion in front of the posts, plus he has yet to kick at the Sportsground.

Cooney and Ronaldson are Connachts most reliable proven kickers and chances are that at least one of them will be on the pitch at all times. Don't get me wrong I really like Crosbie and really hope he's here next season as I think he has a lot of talent and if Cooney and Ronaldson weren't available then I would be seriously considering him over for the game but as it is I'd currently have Carty in there for his experience

wp_rathead

pickarooney wrote: »

I love the way they make out that only one club being interested in you is a good thing.

You are aware he has had offers from other clubs in the past, right?

irishgrover

There is one thing I have been waiting for since Feb 14th last year....
Mr Aki showing Mr Henshaw in no uncertain terms who will be the future owner of #12 for Ireland..

b.gud

irishgrover wrote: »

There is one thing I have been waiting for since Feb 14th last year....
Mr Aki showing Mr Henshaw in no uncertain terms who will be the future owner of #12 for Ireland..

I'm getting the feeling we won't see it this weekend, Henshaw played last week while Ringrose was reseted so I wonder will Henshaw be rested and Ringrose play this weekend

CMOTDibbler

b.gud wrote: »

You're right the base is far too small to call him Connachts most accurate kicker. Cooney went like 10 kicks across a few games before he missed one, and he had a much greater variety of kicks. So far Crosbie has had 5 penalties where he was happy that they were in a kickable position and 1 conversion in front of the posts, plus he has yet to kick at the Sportsground.

Cooney and Ronaldson are Connachts most reliable proven kickers and chances are that at least one of them will be on the pitch at all times. Don't get me wrong I really like Crosbie and really hope he's here next season as I think he has a lot of talent and if Cooney and Ronaldson weren't available then I would be seriously considering him over for the game but as it is I'd currently have Carty in there for his experience

Yeah, it's a small sample and only mildly indicative of his ability. However it was an away match and he had one pretty long range effort.

I agree about Cooney and Ronaldson. But Carty's kicking is very poor. His rate for conversions is only 50%. That's a lot of points to be giving away.

Buer

Henshaw will neither be playing nor worried

wp_rathead

McKeon was brilliant against Edinburgh but SOB2.0 gotta be 6 if he is fit. I really like what Dawai brings off the bench (he seems a "Finisher" as Eddie Jones would call it) so I'd give him the 20 jersey - means between Heenan and McKeon for 7

irishgrover wrote: »

There is one thing I have been waiting for since Feb 14th last year....
Mr Aki showing Mr Henshaw in no uncertain terms who will be the future owner of #12 for Ireland..

Seen as he played vs Ospreys I'd be surprised if he plays this week. Be nice to see him back though

wp_rathead

wp_rathead wrote: »

You are aware he has had offers from other clubs in the past, right?

I remember there was a few championship teams looking for him alright but no good teams. Munster were after him.

irishgrover wrote: »

There is one thing I have been waiting for since Feb 14th last year....
Mr Aki showing Mr Henshaw in no uncertain terms who will be the future owner of #12 for Ireland..

Ben Te'o is a vastly superior player to Aki and here he is getting obliterated by Henshaw. He had to be taken off after this.

https://twitter.com/Sean_McMahon89/status/843201190397706241

This proves that Henshaw is better than Aki.

Also.

Henshaw is ours now trololololololo

irishgrover

b.gud wrote: »

I'm getting the feeling we won't see it this weekend, Henshaw played last week while Ringrose was reseted so I wonder will Henshaw be rested and Ringrose play this weekend

yeah probably right, but I can live in hope.....

wp_rathead

[Deleted User] wrote: »

Ben Te'o is a vastly superior player to Aki

Good attempt

connemara man

[Deleted User] wrote: »

I remember there was a few championship teams looking for him alright but no good teams. Munster were after him.

I like how you are trolling Munster fans in here as well.

The commitment and dedication Muldoon has shown to Connacht would be lauded if it was any other province. He had a few offers from premiership teams over the years and chose to stay.

connemara man

connemara man wrote: »

I like how you are trolling Munster fans in here as well.

The commitment and dedication Muldoon has shown to Connacht would be lauded if it was any other province. He had a few offers from premiership teams over the years and chose to stay.

And he would have gotten a central contract too if it wasn't for those meddling Heaslips...

300 caps is amazing in this day and age. I'm sure there were plenty of teams after him.

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Just not the Irish team oooooooooooooooooooooooooo SNAP

b.gud

CMOTDibbler wrote: »

Yeah, it's a small sample and only mildly indicative of his ability. However it was an away match and he had one pretty long range effort.

I agree about Cooney and Ronaldson. But Carty's kicking is very poor. His rate for conversions is only 50%. That's a lot of points to be giving away.

Yeah I absolutely agree with you about Carty which is why I said this

Don't get me wrong I really like Crosbie and really hope he's here next season as I think he has a lot of talent and if Cooney and Ronaldson weren't available then I would be seriously considering him over for the game but as it is I'd currently have Carty in there for his experience

With regard to the away match that actually helps Connacht players kicking stats, I don't have the exact stats but I know that on the Craggy Rugby podcast before they mentioned that Ronaldsons kicking stats are like 10% higher in away matches than they are at home because of the difficult conditions that are often present in the Sportsground.

Again I really like Crosbie but lets not pretend that he is the solution to Connachts problems off the tee, this season at least, when we have Ronaldson and Cooney available to us as more proven kickers at this level

connemara man

[Deleted User] wrote: »

And he would have gotten a central contract too if it wasn't for those meddling Heaslips...

300 caps is amazing in this day and age. I'm sure there were plenty of teams after him.

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.

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Just not the Irish team oooooooooooooooooooooooooo SNAP

I really like the subtlety with your winding

irishgrover

admitedly recycled from a post a couple of weeks ago....

Redo91

[Deleted User] wrote: »

I remember there was a few championship teams looking for him alright but no good teams. Munster were after him.



Ben Te'o is a vastly superior player to Aki and here he is getting obliterated by Henshaw. He had to be taken off after this.

https://twitter.com/Sean_McMahon89/status/843201190397706241

This proves that Henshaw is better than Aki.

Also.

Henshaw is ours now trololololololo

I know you're just a WUM but using an example of Henshaw getting the better of Teo'o to prove he's better than Aki is bizarre. I'll give you a 5/10 for that one but at least you have a few days to work on it! :P

pickarooney

Redo91 wrote: »

I know you're just a WUM but using an example of Henshaw getting the better of Teo'o to prove he's better than Aki is bizarre. I'll give you a 5/10 for that one but at least you have a few days to work on it! :P

He's taller and has more caps.

irishgrover

pickarooney wrote: »

He's taller and has more caps.

/case closed....

Korat

connemara man wrote: »

The commitment and dedication Muldoon has shown to Connacht would be lauded if it was any other province. He had a few offers from premiership teams over the years and chose to stay.

East Galway has some vicious hurling rivalries but Muldoon is a source of regional pride, maybe more than some hurlers. He's too much of a totem to be able to take the cash and run.

irishgrover

For fear of this turning into a John Muldoon appriciation thread, the guy is a ****ing legend....

He epitomises what is great about rugby, community, team, beleif and never giving up....
In addition he is such a great ambassador for the sport and his team. I was talking to him in Toulouse after the defeat. He asked after my daughter (12) who is a big fan and he has gotten to know through her going to games etc, and I explained that she was not able to make the game but I had just been on the phone to her and she was disapointed and feling bad for the team, but very proud.... he borrowed my phone and gave her a call and chatted with her for 5 minutes .... total legend..

connemara man

irishgrover wrote: »

For fear of this turning into a John Muldoon appriciation thread, the guy is a ****ing legend....

He epitomises what is great about rugby, community, team, beleif and never giving up....
In addition he is such a great ambassador for the sport and his team. I was talking to him in Toulouse after the defeat. He asked after my daughter (12) who is a big fan and he has gotten to know through her going to games etc, and I explained that she was not able to make the game but I had just been on the phone to her and she was disapointed and feling bad for the team, but very proud.... he borrowed my phone and gave her a call and chatted with her for 5 minutes .... total legend..

irishgrover

connemara man wrote: »

I'm currently standing on my desk at work, looking at his picture, calling out "Oh Captain, my Captain"..........