‪Leinster Team Talk/Gossip/Rumours Thread IX: The Last Jordi [****]

Granny15

Bridge93 wrote: »

Really is a toxic group we got.

Montpellier second in the Top14, were top until losing to second placed La Rochelle away at the weekend.

Glasgow breaking league records with their start.

Exeter 9 points clear at the top of the premiership.

Must be close to the hardest group in the history of the competition when you put ourselves in it too

Agreed........I think Exeter are a VERY GOOD unit. Possibly too good for us at this stage even though we got to Euro Semi last season.

We faded in the semis of both our tournaments last season and I don't think we have improved upon those team selections from last season.

Maybe Larmour will be the missing piece to European glory but I think its a couple of seasons too soon for him and us.

THFC198

Granny15 wrote: »

We faded in the semis of both our tournaments last season and I don't think we have improved upon those team selections from last season.

surely the likes of Ryan, Lowe, Fardy are big additions to the side?

errlloyd

Bridge93 wrote: »

Really is a toxic group we got.

Montpellier second in the Top14, were top until losing to second placed La Rochelle away at the weekend.

Glasgow breaking league records with their start.

Exeter 9 points clear at the top of the premiership.

Must be close to the hardest group in the history of the competition when you put ourselves in it too

It had the fewest combined domestic losses of any group ever at the start of the competition. I can't imagine any group had fewer at this stage either. 8 domestic losses total from 42 games.

Granny15

THFC198 wrote: »

surely the likes of Ryan, Lowe, Fardy are big additions to the side?

Yes I think Ryan has been a good addition but a few seasons too soon for him at this stage.

Lowe looks good but perhaps lacks top end acceleration for Euro winger. Looks good though.

Fardy - now this lad has indeed been the addition we were looking for up front. He has surpassed expectations at this early stage.

At the end of the day it will come down to how Johnny performs I think he's that influential on our results.

molloyjh

Granny15 wrote: »

Yes I think Ryan has been a good addition but a few seasons too soon for him at this stage.

Lowe looks good but perhaps lacks top end acceleration for Euro winger. Looks good though.

Fardy - now this lad has indeed been the addition we were looking for up front. He has surpassed expectations at this early stage.

At the end of the day it will come down to how Johnny performs I think he's that influential on our results.

Undoubtedly. But he has been good so far this season. We have an international class pack, a world class 10 and a predominantly international class back row. At club level that's pretty good in fairness. There are very few teams that could live with us and I think we're actually building nicely this season. The time to peak is around April/May, which is easy to say having done the polar opposite last season and crashed around April/May. I'd rather see us building nicely now tbh, which I think we are.

THFC198

Granny15 wrote: »

I don't think we have improved upon those team selections from last season.

.

I'd also say that our '2nd' team has been improved if thats possible. theres very few places where we could be exposed with an injury or two. Obviously losing a world class player like sexton/o'brien is a big blow but this season I've really started to believe that their replacements can do a damn good job for us

irishfan9

James Ryan trained today.

swiwi_

Quint2010 wrote: »

Fancy Leinster to win on Sunday. Always seem to kick it up a notch for this particular fixture.

Not being an expert in the history of Leinster European cup fixtures through the years, have these 2 sides ever met before? My understanding is Exeter were historically pretty crap, but came good in the last couple of seasons? Or am I way off the mark?

Looking forward to these fixtures: surely Lowe will be registered, seems silly to chase a foreign signing, then relegate him to Pro 14 appearances.

I really like the look of that lad Larmour - can he also play 14?? Based on what I saw of Rob Kearney in autumn, I'd have him at 15, Lowe at 11, and then there are lots of options which you all know better than me with various degrees of experience, but jeepers Larmour looks potentially something special. The only option I would be dead set against is the likes of Fergus McFadden at 14 - that would be not showing much ambition.

The Lost Sheep

swiwi_ wrote: »

Not being an expert in the history of Leinster European cup fixtures through the years, have these 2 sides ever met before? My understanding is Exeter were historically pretty crap, but came good in the last couple of seasons? Or am I way off the mark?

Looking forward to these fixtures: surely Lowe will be registered, seems silly to chase a foreign signing, then relegate him to Pro 14 appearances.

I really like the look of that lad Larmour - can he also play 14?? Based on what I saw of Rob Kearney in autumn, I'd have him at 15, Lowe at 11, and then there are lots of options which you all know better than me with various degrees of experience, but jeepers Larmour looks potentially something special. The only option I would be dead set against is the likes of Fergus McFadden at 14 - that would be not showing much ambition.

They played each other in group stage in heineken cup 5 years ago.
Exeter traditionally would have been national league side, only getting up to national 1 level(2 levels below premiership) about 20 years ago and are in premiership 7 or 8 years

swiwi_

swiwi_ wrote: »

Not being an expert in the history of Leinster European cup fixtures through the years, have these 2 sides ever met before? My understanding is Exeter were historically pretty crap, but came good in the last couple of seasons? Or am I way off the mark?

Looking forward to these fixtures: surely Lowe will be registered, seems silly to chase a foreign signing, then relegate him to Pro 14 appearances.

I really like the look of that lad Larmour - can he also play 14?? Based on what I saw of Rob Kearney in autumn, I'd have him at 15, Lowe at 11, and then there are lots of options which you all know better than me with various degrees of experience, but jeepers Larmour looks potentially something special. The only option I would be dead set against is the likes of Fergus McFadden at 14 - that would be not showing much ambition.

Id be surprised and extremely disappointed if Lowe wasn't registered for Europe.

Exeter and Leinster have European cup history but not on the level playing field they have now.

I expect Exeter to be favourites to win the fixture this weekend, I expect Leinster to be favourites to win the tournament after this weekend.

#colourstothemast

Bridge93

Paddy P has Exeter as 2 point favourites for the weekend.

prawnsambo

Bridge93 wrote: »

Paddy P has Exeter as 2 point favourites for the weekend.

I would have thought they were worth more than that.

CIARAN_BOYLE

swiwi_ wrote: »

Not being an expert in the history of Leinster European cup fixtures through the years, have these 2 sides ever met before? My understanding is Exeter were historically pretty crap, but came good in the last couple of seasons? Or am I way off the mark?

He meant this fixture as in the Christmas back to back. Leinster always seem to do something special for it.

swiwi_ wrote: »

I really like the look of that lad Larmour - can he also play 14?? Based on what I saw of Rob Kearney in autumn, I'd have him at 15, Lowe at 11, and then there are lots of options which you all know better than me with various degrees of experience, but jeepers Larmour looks potentially something special. The only option I would be dead set against is the likes of Fergus McFadden at 14 - that would be not showing much ambition.

Armour can play on either wing. You have Jordan Larmour ahead of Leinster veteran Fergus mc fadden and Irish internationals from the Autumn Adam Byrne and Dave Kearney for a wing slot? You may be right.

Neil3030

Anything to be said for moving Fardy to 6 and going with three locks to help counter their lineout maul?

.ak

Reckon we'll see:

Kearney
Byrne
Ringrose
Isa
Lowe
Sexton
McGrath
SOB
VDF
Ruddock
Fardy
Toner
Furlong
Tracey
Healy

Cronin, McGrath, Bent, Ryan, Conan, JGP, Byrne, McFadden

Some unlucky not to make it there, Leavy, Murphy, Porter, Maloney, ROL, D. Kearney etc

irishbucsfan

Delete that

swiwi_

CIARAN_BOYLE wrote: »

Armour can play on either wing. You have Jordan Larmour ahead of Leinster veteran Fergus mc fadden and Irish internationals from the Autumn Adam Byrne and Dave Kearney for a wing slot? You may be right.

Ah, it's risky. And Byrne and Kearney are good options (McFadden just no).

But NZ played 20 year old Rieko Ioane this season, and it went grand.

And closer to home, Ulster & Ireland played 21 year old Jacob Stockdale, and it's going fine too.

As for Lowe, he's fresh to Leinster, but he's pretty experienced.

irishfan9

Neil3030 wrote: »

Anything to be said for moving Fardy to 6 and going with three locks to help counter their lineout maul?

No

irishfan9

Thornley reporting Jordi Murphy leaving for Ulster

Wexfordboy89

irishfan9 wrote: »

Thornley reporting Jordi Murphy leaving for Ulster

Replacement for coetzee im guessing ?

mogwai81

irishfan9 wrote: »

Thornley reporting Jordi Murphy leaving for Ulster

I’d like to see that happen!

Former Former

I'd be sad to see Murphy leave but it's a great move for him and for Ulster.

pickarooney

It has to happen, there are just too many back rows at Leinster for them all to be happy.

Tim Robbins

pickarooney wrote: »

It has to happen, there are just too many back rows at Leinster for them all to be happy.

Let's hope there isn't a hard border.

prawnsambo

Tim Robbins wrote: »

Let's hope there isn't a hard border.

Can the DUP block this move too?

prawnsambo

Deleted User wrote: »

Id be surprised and extremely disappointed if Lowe wasn't registered for Europe.

It was confirmed yesterday that Lowe was being added to the CC squad today.

irishbucsfan

Murphy is obviously not going to Ulster. Awec promised us that it's literally impossible for an Irish person to leave his province for Ulster.

Bridge93

Ulster future backrow of Jones Murphy and Timoney has a very dublin feel to it

prawnsambo

Speaking of ex-Leinster back rows, I don't know if it's been mentioned before, but Dom Ryan is on an enforced twelve week break after repeated concussions. All going well, he should be back in January. Hope it works out for him.

Burkie1203

irishbucsfan wrote: »

Murphy is obviously not going to Ulster. Awec promised us that it's literally impossible for an Irish person to leave his province for Ulster.

Timoney, Jones, Cooney, Moore, Jordi.

Ulster away strip next season has to be blue.