Leinster v Toulouse L'effort pour cinq contre The Drive for Five

sydthebeat

Don't know of this has been asked already.. But are we the first team this season to hold Toulouse try less?

Podge_irl

I’m obviously happy Leinster won but I’m thrilled that they basically dominated a huge pack. I’m still worried about sarries but that was as good a performance as I’ve seen all season. Toulouse barely looked like scoring a try. Great stuff.

Thanos

Best performance in a good while, no coincidence when Ringrose and Henshaw were back in the middle and Toner back in the line......

So happy I bought the final tickets when they came out last year

Will be some match!

sydthebeat

swiwi_ wrote: »

They lost their game even with their starting selection. Since when is a journeyman Kiwi centre your starting option for a match of this calibre? And Ramos is just a dial-an-error at 15 from what I've seen. They quite clearly have the talent to win Europe, but their tactics and level-headedness were all over the shop. Some down to Leinster pressure but not all.

Anyway, I await Buer to explain to us why Lowe shouldn't start the final :pac:

Lowe has to start....

Fardy to be luke mcg's bodyguard for he day

Clegg

Sexton played well, but for me MOTM should have went to one of Ringrose, Ryan, Lowe or Fardy.

awec

awec wrote: »

Leinster by 10+.

Never doubt the awec.

sydthebeat

Clegg wrote: »

Sexton played well, but for me MOTM should have went to one of Ringrose, Ryan, Lowe or Fardy.

I called it for Lowe after 70mins...

He can simply do things other wingers can't, both in attack and defense

A-Train

Get in great match great result! Now to pray that the wife lets me away for Newcastle!

Clegg

sydthebeat wrote: »

I called it for Lowe after 70mins...

He can simply do things other wingers can't, both in attack and defense

Yep. Lowe is just so.explosive over the first 10 metres. He makes metres in contact a man of his size simply shouldn't.

I thought Fardy was brilliant as well. He's a great lock, but he plays his best at blindside. We wouldn't have won the European Cup last season without him playing at 6. Ruddock has been excellent for us for the last few seasons, but Fardy needs to start at 6 in the final.

Leinster's management team need to be praised for the quality of imports they've signed. Fardy, Lowe and JGP have all been amazing signings and strengthened the side so much.

Legalfarmer89

swiwi_ wrote: »

I’m starting to think he should get Irish 8 shirt. We see if joe agrees.

Agree with this. Just seems to offer something a bit different to Stander. I think Schmidt will go with Stander tho.

Serious performance by Leinster. Really brought too much intensity for Toulouse who were a bit error prone and whose team selection and tactics seemed strange at times. 14 on 14 and not go for a scrum under the posts! Even the forwards were questioning that descision!

It’s 50/50 against Saracens, two very similar teams, I couldn’t call it.

swiwi_

Clegg wrote: »

Sexton played well, but for me MOTM should have went to one of Ringrose, Ryan, Lowe or Fardy.

...should have went...

Yip this an Irish-based forum

(to be sure)

Clegg

swiwi_ wrote: »

...should have went...

Yip this an Irish-based forum

(to be sure)

Poor grammar notwithstanding, I'm ashamed I forgot about Jack Conan when espousing about MoTM candidates. He was excellent today. I agree with other posters when they say he should be the starting number 8 for Ireland.

clsmooth

So when are tickets for the final on general sale?

troyzer

Excellent match. Great atmosphere in the stadium as well.

Barnes and the ARs need a serious bollocking though. The offside line has become a joke.

P.Walnuts

Conan simply has to be Irish 8 going forward, put CJ at 6 if you want.

thebaz

P.Walnuts wrote: »

Conan simply has to be Irish 8 going forward, put CJ at 6 if you want.

Conan had a great game - good to see Henshaw back, Sextons best game since before Christmas, back to being world class - Toner had a great game along with Ryan (as usual) - Luke MNcGrath did well , as was lowe - all round good game (Toulose were dissapoiting TBH), seamed an age since I watched an Irish team play so well

Buer

swiwi_ wrote:

Anyway, I await Buer to explain to us why Lowe shouldn't start the final

I'd you're awaiting a sober response you'll be waiting awhile.

Anyway....

Wooooo! We won! F*ck yeah! Etc.

swiwi_

Buer wrote: »

I'd you're awaiting a sober response you'll be waiting awhile.

A lighthearted and frivolous reply will do just fine...

Burkie1203

Leinsters pack today was outstanding. The difference between Leinsters tight 5 and Munsters is stark. The Leinster tight 5 just offers far more around the park

Toner and Conan were outstanding in particular for me. Fardy is just awesome. Was delighted to see SOB put in such a good display. Conan offers far more then Stander does at this stage. Any concerns about his workrate are put to bed.

Henshaw and Ringrose is Ireland's best centre pairing by a distance.

bennyl10

P.Walnuts wrote: »

Conan simply has to be Irish 8 going forward, put CJ at 6 if you want.

This gets brought up every few months, CJ has shown time and time again why he holds onto the Irish 8 jersey.
He plays the Schmidt system more than Conan and he won’t be losing it any time soon.

Burkie1203

bennyl10 wrote: »

This gets brought up every few months, CJ has shown time and time again why he holds onto the Irish 8 jersey.
He plays the Schmidt system more than Conan and he won’t be losing it any time soon.

The Schmidt system was badly off key in the 6n. I think Conan offers far more and I'd like to see Stander moved back to 6

irishbucsfan

swiwi_ wrote: »

A lighthearted and frivolous reply will do just fine...

I’m really looking forward to all his jibes and/or japes

Rigor Mortis

awec wrote: »

Never doubt the awec.

10+ isnt a prediction. The win was 18. Thats 80% over your base call. Thats essentially saying John Delaney was just paid his base salary, or something like that.

sydthebeat

Amazing that five of the oldest players on the pitch did the whole 80 to a very high standard.

Fardy, SOB, Sexton, dev and rob

molloyjh

The big concern going into today's game was whether this Leinster side could click having played so little together in the last 4 months. It was great to see that answered so resoundingly. That performance was akin to the ones we were seeing last season. Toulouse were a but disappointing and their lack of ambition was a major surprise. It looked to me like they had a plan to keep it tight until 60 mins before unleashing their superior bench to win the game. When we started pulling away they just didnt seem to have the decision makers to change it up.

Will need to watch it back to properly comment on individual performances, but I thought Fardy and SOB were both excellent. Sexton quieted those talking about his form and Rob wasn't too far behind either. Overall though it was the dominant performance we needed. Now the big question is, who gets selected for the P14 SF, the week before the HEC final???

Faugheen

bennyl10 wrote: »

This gets brought up every few months, CJ has shown time and time again why he holds onto the Irish 8 jersey.
He plays the Schmidt system more than Conan and he won’t be losing it any time soon.

Conan's increased involvement and good performances as the Six Nations progressed shows that gap has narrowed significantly.

I maintain that Stander's best form in an Irish jersey has been when he played at 6. That's not to say he's been poor at 8 because it's far from the case, but he was outstanding at 6 for Ireland.

Former Former

Former Former wrote: »

Backed Leinster -7 on the handicap. Think it will be similar to the pool match, if we can keep them from scoring early tries we'll pull away as it goes on.

What that guy said.

I think Toulouse will be very disappointed to have lost without really firing a shot but the Leinster defence was far better organized than it has been recently.

Fardy, Henshaw and Ringrose were great. Lowe looked like a man with a point to prove as did O'Brien. Hopefully Cronin is OK but it didn't look good.

Great performance but Sarries will be a sterner test.

Rigor Mortis

molloyjh wrote: »

The big concern going into today's game was whether this Leinster side could click having played so little together in the last 4 months. It was great to see that answered so resoundingly. That performance was akin to the ones we were seeing last season. Toulouse were a but disappointing and their lack of ambition was a major surprise. It looked to me like they had a plan to keep it tight until 60 mins before unleashing their superior bench to win the game. When we started pulling away they just didnt seem to have the decision makers to change it up.

Will need to watch it back to properly comment on individual performances, but I thought Fardy and SOB were both excellent. Sexton quieted those talking about his form and Rob wasn't too far behind either. Overall though it was the dominant performance we needed. Now the big question is, who gets selected for the P14 SF, the week before the HEC final???

No one, the SF is the week after the HEC final

molloyjh

Rigor Mortis wrote: »

molloyjh wrote: »

The big concern going into today's game was whether this Leinster side could click having played so little together in the last 4 months. It was great to see that answered so resoundingly. That performance was akin to the ones we were seeing last season. Toulouse were a but disappointing and their lack of ambition was a major surprise. It looked to me like they had a plan to keep it tight until 60 mins before unleashing their superior bench to win the game. When we started pulling away they just didnt seem to have the decision makers to change it up.

Will need to watch it back to properly comment on individual performances, but I thought Fardy and SOB were both excellent. Sexton quieted those talking about his form and Rob wasn't too far behind either. Overall though it was the dominant performance we needed. Now the big question is, who gets selected for the P14 SF, the week before the HEC final???

No one, the SF is the week after the HEC final

You're right, got my dates totally mixed up. Great!

Burkie1203

Think this is a great point from Heaslip about different attitudes from the two sides today


https://twitter.com/C4Sport/status/1120022239359823873?s=19