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

irishfan9

irishfan9 wrote: »

the pro12/14 is a 2nd tier competition for the squad, this has been the case always.

I know which silverware they'd pick if it was a choice between the two but your insistence that the pro14 has no value to the squad is patently false.

I expect they'll be very tough to beat in the semi final and final.

Former Former

If we win Europe then the Pro14 will be a bonus and not much else. Great to win but really no big deal if not. Europe is the yardstick. The attendance at Thomond yesterday is pretty clear proof of that.

stephen_n

Zzippy wrote: »

I've played 2 county finals (hurling and football) a week apart. Well up for the second one. If amateurs can do it professionals can certainly do it. They can go on the piss at the end of the season.

I doubt it has anything even remotely close to do with going on the piss. They are professionals, that won’t be an issue. If the finals were the other way around it would be an easier task. There is no question at all that the champions cup is the bigger prize, so the level of intensity involved will be higher. Getting themselves back up mentally a week later for a semi final is going to be hard. It would be like Ireland playing NZ the week after winning the slam. No question that they’d want to win it, but harder to get the preparation right. Having the home semi final is a huge benefit, but as we saw last year it’s not going to help if the players can’t get their heads right.

thomond2006

Former Former wrote: »

If we win Europe then the Pro14 will be a bonus and not much else. Great to win but really no big deal if not. Europe is the yardstick. The attendance at Thomond yesterday is pretty clear proof of that.

This attitude will hopefully change over the next few years. Increased TV and prize money will go some way.

Zzippy

Former Former wrote: »

If we win Europe then the Pro14 will be a bonus and not much else. Great to win but really no big deal if not. Europe is the yardstick. The attendance at Thomond yesterday is pretty clear proof of that.

And if ye don't win Europe you're staring down the barrel of another year without a trophy if the Pro14 is lost. I guarantee the squad are fully focussed on the CC final, but as soon as that is over they will be gunning full tilt for the double, or redemption, whichever is on offer.

VANG1

Glad it's Munster, the boys won't want to travel to Australia and having to listen to the slagging. They will be up for it no doubt.

Interested Observer

Zzippy wrote: »

Former Former wrote: »

If we win Europe then the Pro14 will be a bonus and not much else. Great to win but really no big deal if not. Europe is the yardstick. The attendance at Thomond yesterday is pretty clear proof of that.

And if ye don't win Europe you're staring down the barrel of another year without a trophy if the Pro14 is lost. I guarantee the squad are fully focussed on the CC final, but as soon as that is over they will be gunning full tilt for the double, or redemption, whichever is on offer.

We know this hasn't been the case in previous years though. After the 11 or 12 win they went on the piss and clearly weren't at their best in the final the next weekend. I hope it's different this time around.

And a little grumble but I was on holiday and missed the chance to buy my ticket for the SF which is very annoying. Hope I can get one on general sale.

Former Former

Zzippy wrote: »

And if ye don't win Europe you're staring down the barrel of another year without a trophy if the Pro14 is lost. I guarantee the squad are fully focussed on the CC final, but as soon as that is over they will be gunning full tilt for the double, or redemption, whichever is on offer.

Well yeah that's the Doomsday scenario.

If we lose next week though, the whole mentality shifts and I'd expect us to beat Munster no problem

salmocab

Interested Observer wrote: »

And a little grumble but I was on holiday and missed the chance to buy my ticket for the SF which is very annoying. Hope I can get one on general sale.

Pretty sure Leinster said on FB yesterday that they expect none to go on general sale as between STH and Munster getting 25% and presumably some corporates which they didn’t mention that that should be it.

irishfan9

VANG1 wrote: »

Glad it's Munster, the boys won't want to travel to Australia and having to listen to the slagging. They will be up for it no doubt.

if leinster beat racing they wont care if they lose to munster.. its not 2009.

Bridge93

irishfan9 wrote: »

if leinster beat racing they wont care if they lose to munster.. its not 2009.

You think a group of highly ambitious professional athletes 'won't care' about losing a semi final to their nearest rivals? It's pretty clearly their second priority but the idea they don't care is totally nonsensical

irishfan9

Bridge93 wrote: »

You think a group of highly ambitious professional athletes 'won't care' about losing a semi final to their nearest rivals? It's pretty clearly their second priority but the idea they don't care is totally nonsensical

u said it urself its a clear second priority.

europe or bust.

Bridge93

irishfan9 wrote: »

u said it urself its a clear second priority.

europe or bust.

I'd agree it doesn't reflect well on the season if they lose in Europe. But that doesn't mean they don't care about the Pro14. The events aren't mutually exclusive

irishfan9

Bridge93 wrote: »

I'd agree it doesn't reflect well on the season if they lose in Europe. But that doesn't mean they don't care about the Pro14. The events aren't mutually exclusive

europe is the measuring stick.. if they lose and win the pro 14 they will treat this season as a failure. if they win and lose the pro 14 they will treat the season as a success.

Bridge93

irishfan9 wrote: »

europe is the measuring stick.. if they lose and win the pro 14 they will treat this season as a failure. if they win and lose the pro 14 they will treat the season as a success.

I'd agree with that. But it still doesn't mean they don't care about the Pro14. They want to win every tournament they're in

irishfan9

Bridge93 wrote: »

I'd agree with that. But it still doesn't mean they don't care about the Pro14. They want to win every tournament they're in

true.. but the hangover from hopefully a europe win will be severe.. IMO

Podge_irl

irishfan9 wrote: »

europe is the measuring stick.. if they lose and win the pro 14 they will treat this season as a failure. if they win and lose the pro 14 they will treat the season as a success.

And if they win both it is objectively better. Squads have managed the double in the past and a failure on leinsters part to do the same is exactly that - a failure.

awec

This Leinster squad is more than capable of doing a double. I'd be shocked if it's not the goal right now within the squad.

irishfan9

awec wrote: »

This Leinster squad is more than capable of doing a double. I'd be shocked if it's not the goal right now within the squad.

id expect it to be.. im sure it was the goal of previous european champions.. but the come down post final is severe. the are peaking for next saturday.

maybe they are that much better than munster that leinster at 80% will defeat them.

awec

irishfan9 wrote: »

id expect it to be.. im sure it was the goal of previous european champions.. but the come down post final is severe. the are peaking for next saturday.

maybe they are that much better than munster that leinster at 80% will defeat them.

Yea but this Leinster squad is surely much deeper than any of the three previous winners?

Leinster could realistically challenge on both fronts with only a handful of players being required to start both games.

Dubinusa

I see them switching up after next week.
The team that play Munster will be different. Maybe 5 changes to the side and the 23. I hope nobody gets injured for the CC final. I think the team that played Scarlets will start again,except JGP if Luke is healthy and Lowe coming in for Ferg. 2 big games ahead, maybe 3 so there should be some adjustments. I hope Ruddock is back for the pro 14 run in. Conan will feature in some capacity and Deegan may get into the squad against Munster. I bet Leo has already picked next weeks squad and is just hoping they all are healthy come next weekend.

Zzippy

irishfan9 wrote: »

if leinster beat racing they wont care if they lose to munster.. its not 2009.

:rolleyes:

This is just getting ridiculous now...

Synode

Dubinusa wrote: »

I hope nobody gets injured for the CC final.

CC final is next week

Synode

Synode wrote: »

CC final is next week

"Hi, I'm Chris Farrell and I'd like to talk about the dangers of training ground injuries..."

thomond2006

I'm going to be insufferable and post the same cute whoorism multiple times.

thomond2006

thomond2006 wrote: »

I'm going to be insufferable and post the same cute whoorism multiple times.

Ha ha, that's a really awkward autocorrect of a buerism.

clsmooth

James Lowe interview on the 42. What a guy :cool:

http://the42.ie/3992574

Bazzo

clsmooth wrote: »

James Lowe interview on the 42. What a guy :cool:

http://the42.ie/3992574

Well whoever it was who was saying he was going to play for a few years for Leinster and retire(genuinely can't remember who it was) clearly isn't on the same page as Lowe anyway.

“Instead of doing it for three or four years at the end of my career, if I can do it for 10 and set myself up. Why wouldn’t you do it?”

irishbucsfan

Bazzo wrote: »

Well whoever it was who was saying he was going to play for a few years for Leinster and retire(genuinely can't remember who it was) clearly isn't on the same page as Lowe anyway.

Certainly the same page:

At the age of 15, Lowe contracted a severe rash and within a couple of weeks, he was left bedridden and in deep pain having been diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis, a long-term autoimmune disorder that primarily affects joints.

“Things would work for an hour or a day and then I’d be back in bed and then finally they found this drug which worked but I needed clearance from the Government to get a subsidy,” he explains.

“I haven’t had any flare-ups since I was like 18. It’s something I live with. It takes me a bit longer to recover from such a physical sport, but I’m still able to perform, to train and get through absolutely everything. As long as my body holds up I’ll keep playing rugby.”

Bazzo

irishbucsfan wrote: »

Certainly the same page:

What? He said he wants to play for 10 years, not 3.