Leinster Team Talk/Gossip/Rumours Thread X: [****]

Exclamation Marc

Exclamation Marc wrote: »

Can't argue with that logic!:)

If JGP was available I'd have gone with him on the bench and Dave Kearney on one wing.

Our pack will decide the victors this weekend, our backs need to keep Toulouse's hugely talented backline quiet. Dave is one of the better defenders in the team. If he and Ferg were available there would be a solid argument for starting them and just going at them up front.

I also would dispute that our attack is poor, certainly not our first team anyway.

Exclamation Marc

15. Rob Kearney (207)
14. Jordan Larmour (35)
13. Garry Ringrose (61)
12. Robbie Henshaw (33)
11. James Lowe (26)
10. Johnny Sexton (156) CAPTAIN
9. Luke McGrath (109)
1. Cian Healy (204)
2. Seán Cronin (169)
3. Tadhg Furlong (98)
4. Devin Toner (228)
5. James Ryan (27)
6. Rhys Ruddock (158)
7. Seán O’Brien (124)
8. Jack Conan (85)

16. James Tracy (90)
17. Ed Byrne (42)
18. Michael Bent (121)
19. Scott Fardy (40)
20. Max Deegan (41)
21. Hugh O’Sullivan (13)
22. Ross Byrne (67)
23. Rory O’Loughlin (59)

https://twitter.com/leinsterrugby/status/1119192919225692160?s=19

Interested Observer

Quality team on paper, hopefully they play as they're capable.

Clegg

That's the strongest 15 we could out out with the exception of SoB. I really think Deegan should be starting this.

durkadurka

Is porter injured?

Squidgy Black

Delighted that Ringrose is back.

padraig.od

Porter has disappeared.

Dat backline

Former Former

Former Former

Holmes must not have recovered from his head injury; Dupont is OH. Dang

Seems to be a 6-2 split on the bench

Buer

I'm surprised to see Toulouse go with the monster pack again. We knew precisely how to take them on last time and run them absolutely ragged until they couldn't stand. We'll go again.

Leinster team fairly picks itself with JGP absent. Good side, slight concern over Sexton. Ony minor surprise would be to see ROL in the 23 jersey ahead of the other options. I suppose if Sexton wasn't available, Reid would have been at 22 which means Byrne or DK at 23. They're both very unlucky to miss out entirely.

stephen_n

Buer wrote: »

I'm surprised to see Toulouse go with the monster pack again. We knew precisely how to take them on last time and run them absolutely ragged until they couldn't stand. We'll go again.

Leinster team fairly picks itself with JGP absent. Good side, slight concern over Sexton. Ony minor surprise would be to see ROL in the 23 jersey ahead of the other options. I suppose if Sexton wasn't available, Reid would have been at 22 which means Byrne or DK at 23. They're both very unlucky to miss out entirely.

ROL covers the wing and center equally well, kind of the obvious choice for 23 once Ross Byrne is there.

Larbre34

Agree. Just 3 changes in the ST side who edged Clermont in that marathon match and they come to a very fast Lansdowne Road pitch with that pack, I think we'll bust their lungs and then take them by 10 or 12.

sydthebeat

one french player in the starting toulose forwards is a bit disappointing from an overall point of view

Buer

Looking at it in more detail, that really is an exceptionally large Toulouse pack. Both second rowers and all three back rowers have played at lock in their career and not at a low level....minimum Super Rugby/T14 with a few of them at test level. Leinster will want to avoid the ball getting trapped in the set piece or giving Toulouse any sort of opportunity to maul it as it's going to be a very painful afternoon if they do.

Porter is a loss for the impact he can bring off the bench. Is he injured? I can see a logic in putting Bent on the bench regardless. I suspect Furlong may not be 100% and if he cries off or needs to come in early, I'm not sure Porter is the man we want anchoring the scrum against that pack.

Luke McGrath is a critical player now. If Leinster lose him with the game in the balance, it will be a huge boost to Tolouse. HOS is young and will improve undoubtedly but I wouldn't even consider him to be at the level that Nick McCarthy was this time last year.

I'm glad we'll have Fardy to come in to the game. I don't doubt our other replacements but there's a real lack of experience at this level of the game amongst them otherwise for the most part. If things are tight with 20 minutes left, he's exactly the sort of man you want coming into the game. It will be interesting to see how he is deployed. I wonder if someone like SOB will be told to absolutely empty the tank for 50 minutes and Fardy comes on in the back row at that point.

joseywhales

I hate when a team I support has to play against kaino, he is ridiculously good.

Daveone

Have 2 tickets at 25/piece for the Leinster game Sunday if anyone is interested

molloyjh

Shefwedfan wrote: »

leakyboots wrote: »

I've raised that on here a few times during the season - turnout for Leinster matches appears to be dropping off... I'm only basing that on what I see on the TV but I'd be interested to see the season-long figures.

Toulouse are only bringing 600 fans I heard on radio? Scarlets last season had a big following which helped in terms of number

Easter weekend with a lot of families on holiday etc so a big number of “the odd match” fan will be watching on tv

40k sold on Wednesday......would be interesting to see how many semi outside of Ireland over the course of Heineken cup have managed 40k fans....

Any professional team would be more than happy being able to pull in 40+k to a game. If there are so few Toulouse fans coming then that basically means all the ticket holders are Leinster fans. For context, the average roundy ball Premiership attendance last season was 38k.

thomond2006

I can't wait to watch Cheslin Kolbe live again, he scored a cracker of a try in the January game.

kingofthekong

Dissappinted O'brien is ahead of Deegan he offers absoulutely nothing anymore, he made 5 metres from 9 carries against ulster

Shefwedfan

kingofthekong wrote: »

Dissappinted O'brien is ahead of Deegan he offers absoulutely nothing anymore, he made 5 metres from 9 carries against ulster

You have to love a sweeping statement like the above.....


He has had some poor and some ok performances since return from a long time injury. But sure dont give him time, just retire him now

kingofthekong

Shefwedfan wrote: »

You have to love a sweeping statement like the above.....


He has had some poor and some ok performances since return from a long time injury. But sure dont give him time, just retire him now

He was declining even before his most recent injury and shows no sign of improving, hes been anonymous against Scotland, Wales, Italy, Glasgow, Ulster he's also leaving at the end of the season and being comprehensively outplayed by Deegan all season

Legalfarmer89

sydthebeat wrote: »

one french player in the starting toulose forwards is a bit disappointing from an overall point of view

Think that they have 2 French players starting tbf Péato Mauvaka and Clément Castets. Still Leinster starting 8 is Irish in comparison.

AbusesToilets

kingofthekong wrote: »

He was declining even before his most recent injury and shows no sign of improving, hes been anonymous against Scotland, Wales, Italy, Glasgow, Ulster he's also leaving at the end of the season and being comprehensively outplayed by Deegan all season

Thought process might be to start him, and if he's not going well you've Deegan to come on a tear it up.

redmca2

Assuming Sexton plays as well as we know he is capable then we have the very best backline possible. Not quite so convinced about our pack, though the return of Toner is a huge positive. Could see Deegan and Parry both subbing into the back row.

joseywhales

The management have done well to get that 23 to this stage of the season. You could put that team out in the six nation's and have a good shot.

Kauto

AbusesToilets wrote: »

Thought process might be to start him, and if he's not going well you've Deegan to come on a tear it up.

Deegan to tear it up? Maybe against the Dragons in the pro 14 but not going to happen on Sunday.

Shefwedfan

kingofthekong wrote: »

He was declining even before his most recent injury and shows no sign of improving, hes been anonymous against Scotland, Wales, Italy, Glasgow, Ulster he's also leaving at the end of the season and being comprehensively outplayed by Deegan all season

Declining how? He was one of the best players on lions tour when he last had a run of games

Against Scotland he done well....some of the other games it was a mixture

Deegan ripping it up? He struggled to get past Doris a good part of the season. Played well recently but against what opposition?

Don’t get me wrong I think deegan is the future but we also need SOB playing well if we want to win the final, writing him off now is foolish

BoardsMember

Shefwedfan wrote: »

Declining how? He was one of the best players on lions tour when he last had a run of games

Declining how? Really? Lions tour was 2 years ago. Most of the games he's played this year he has been average, at best. Certainly he hasn't been near the level he was at 2 years ago on the Lions tour. That's a decline. A decline in every single aspect of his game. To suggest anything else if just fantasy. He may yet get back to his previous level, but for now he's nowhere near Lions level.

Shefwedfan

BoardsMember wrote: »

Declining how? Really? Lions tour was 2 years ago. Most of the games he's played this year he has been average, at best. Certainly he hasn't been near the level he was at 2 years ago on the Lions tour. That's a decline. A decline in every single aspect of his game. To suggest anything else if just fantasy. He may yet get back to his previous level, but for now he's nowhere near Lions level.

So he has gone from doing nothing to average in a few posts...not a bad return

All of the above can be explained easily, he is coming back from injury.

Also he has played with Ireland who had a team malfunction and Leinster hardly lighting up the place. Not easy from him to carry a team while out of form himself

I know last season it was JGP who everyone was saying is useless etc and I knew he would come good, this year it’s SOB....will let you know Sunday evening if I was right....