Leinster Team Talk/Gossip/Rumours Thread XI (The Finals Countdown)

baaba maal

salmocab wrote: »

It wasn’t mentioned much in the build up to the actual rugby but I quite like the New Jersey, the darker couloured shirts look better than the light blue ones did.

Capitalising the "New" confused me far more than it should have.

salmocab

baaba maal wrote: »

Capitalising the "New" confused me far more than it should have.

Bloody auto correct done it, I spotted it at the time but couldn’t be bothered fixing it.

Buer

salmocab wrote: »

Bloody auto correct done it, I spotted it at the time but couldn’t be bothered fixing it.

Fuhgeddaboudit.

salmocab

Buer wrote: »

Fuhgeddaboudit.

Hey I’m typing here

ongarite

Injury update from Leo:
1 week to soon for Furlong..
Dave Kearney's hamstring injury isn't too bad, few weeks out.

Podge_irl

ongarite wrote: »

1 week to soon for Furlong..

Shame to see him retire so young.




:pac:

degsie

Don't believe the hype!

Buer

Heartened by the showings of some of the younger guys last night. Milne looked really robust and effective off the bench. It's a shame for him that we are now in knock out rugby as he'd be getting a good run of match time if it was a normal September.

Frawley may have given his Leinster career the kick-start it needed with his showing. There's still a significant back log for the 12 jersey with Henshaw, COB and even ROL competing for time there but he has definitely put his hand up.

The middle tier of players really showed up well and wouldn't look out of place in our first choice 23. Kelleher was the pick of the back three for me and has forced himself into contention for the 23 jersey.

Ed Byrne was extremely solid. Scrummaged well, made 13 tackles in his time on the pitch and carried solidly. It's going to be a ding dong battle between himself and Dooley in future.

Molony was very good. Put in a very busy performance, showing for the ball a lot and getting around the park. The crucial steal on his 5m line was a massive moment for deflating Ulster. Nothing drops heads quicker than turning down an easy 3 and having your lineout pinched.

I don't think Kearney did enough to really cement his spot in the 15 without doubt and, with Cullen saying DK will be back in a matter of weeks, there's a chance we'll revert to Larmour for Saracens. That leaves me very uncomfortable though given the presence of Farrell, Goode and Daly in their team. They'll terrorise us in the back field.

I thought ROL worked his socks off but the competition in midfield is fierce and he needs to start having more stand out moments or I can see him being another Kieran Lewis.

I don't think I need to talk much about the back row. They were all brilliant and comprehensively outplayed their opponents.

Lastly, credit to Cronin and Toner. Ulster put not pressure on but the line out was a well oiled machine.

lotmc

An Inter-provincial Grand Slam was won yesterday.

Short Highlights

DeHood123

Buer wrote: »

Heartened by the showings of some of the younger guys last night. Milne looked really robust and effective off the bench. It's a shame for him that we are now in knock out rugby as he'd be getting a good run of match time if it was a normal September.

Frawley may have given his Leinster career the kick-start it needed with his showing. There's still a significant back log for the 12 jersey with Henshaw, COB and even ROL competing for time there but he has definitely put his hand up.

The middle tier of players really showed up well and wouldn't look out of place in our first choice 23. Kelleher was the pick of the back three for me and has forced himself into contention for the 23 jersey.

Ed Byrne was extremely solid. Scrummaged well, made 13 tackles in his time on the pitch and carried solidly. It's going to be a ding dong battle between himself and Dooley in future.

Molony was very good. Put in a very busy performance, showing for the ball a lot and getting around the park. The crucial steal on his 5m line was a massive moment for deflating Ulster. Nothing drops heads quicker than turning down an easy 3 and having your lineout pinched.

I don't think Kearney did enough to really cement his spot in the 15 without doubt and, with Cullen saying DK will be back in a matter of weeks, there's a chance we'll revert to Larmour for Saracens. That leaves me very uncomfortable though given the presence of Farrell, Goode and Daly in their team. They'll terrorise us in the back field.

I thought ROL worked his socks off but the competition in midfield is fierce and he needs to start having more stand out moments or I can see him being another Kieran Lewis.

I don't think I need to talk much about the back row. They were all brilliant and comprehensively outplayed their opponents.

Lastly, credit to Cronin and Toner. Ulster put not pressure on but the line out was a well oiled machine.

Comparing ROL to Kieran Lewis is blasphemous...far better player, more physical, better runner and passer

I’d have Ed Bryne good bit ahead of Dooley, more dog in him, better scrummager and carrier

Will Connors for me should be ahead of JVDF, I’d start him, he’s earned it...spring josh off the bench next week

Serious hat tip to Cronin and Dev too, 100% in the line out and Cronin was far more composed than kelleher last week, maybe less pressure from ulster but Kelleher still over threw 2/3 last week that were not contested

salmocab

DeHood123 wrote: »

Serious hat tip to Cronin and Dev too, 100% in the line out and Cronin was far more composed than kelleher last week, maybe less pressure from ulster but Kelleher still over threw 2/3 last week that were not contested

In fairness Ulster barely competed in the line out whereas Munster fought for nearly everything. No wayward throws but no pressure either from opposition jumpers.

stephen_n

salmocab wrote: »

In fairness Ulster barely competed in the line out whereas Munster fought for nearly everything. No wayward throws but no pressure either from opposition jumpers.

Having a recognized caller with Toner’s experience helps too. It’s very unfair to draw comparisons across those two games.

salmocab

stephen_n wrote: »

Having a recognized caller with Toner’s experience helps too. It’s very unfair to draw comparisons across those two games.

Oh yeah that was my point though drawing comparisons between yesterday’s and last weeks line outs is unfair.

armchaircoach

For the Cooney try, it looks like there is an Ulster forward who joins in the ruck (previously uncontested) just before Cooney starts his run. Cooney never retreats back onside for this (he was not offside until this point). Marginal call, but you can't override the laws just because someone has done something impressive.

OneLungDavy

DeHood123 wrote: »

Will Connors for me should be ahead of JVDF, I’d start him, he’s earned it...spring josh off the bench next week

I'd love to see Connors start too, he consistently influences the game with textbook defending, something VDF fails to do.

Richie_Rich89

armchaircoach wrote: »

For the Cooney try, it looks like there is an Ulster forward who joins in the ruck (previously uncontested) just before Cooney starts his run. Cooney never retreats back onside for this (he was not offside until this point). Marginal call, but you can't override the laws just because someone has done something impressive.

Ball's out fractionally before the Ulster player binds on from what I can see.

Richie_Rich89

DeHood123 wrote: »

Comparing ROL to Kieran Lewis is blasphemous...far better player, more physical, better runner and passer

I’d have Ed Bryne good bit ahead of Dooley, more dog in him, better scrummager and carrier

Will Connors for me should be ahead of JVDF, I’d start him, he’s earned it...spring josh off the bench next week

Serious hat tip to Cronin and Dev too, 100% in the line out and Cronin was far more composed than kelleher last week, maybe less pressure from ulster but Kelleher still over threw 2/3 last week that were not contested

Kieran Lewis was a classy player. Just seemed to lack confidence.

Interested Observer

Do we know who the ref is for next weekend? Brace whistled Leinster off the park last weekend and I'll keep my opinions of Frank Murphy to myself but sufficed to say I don't think he should be involved. Not really sure who else it could be.

The Lost Sheep

Interested Observer wrote: »

Do we know who the ref is for next weekend? Brace whistled Leinster off the park last weekend and I'll keep my opinions of Frank Murphy to myself but sufficed to say I don't think he should be involved. Not really sure who else it could be.

wont be confirmed yet

Former Former

Interested Observer wrote: »

Do we know who the ref is for next weekend? Brace whistled Leinster off the park last weekend and I'll keep my opinions of Frank Murphy to myself but sufficed to say I don't think he should be involved. Not really sure who else it could be.

Clancy, Lacey, Brace or Murphy I guess.

stephen_n

Former Former wrote: »

Clancy, Lacey, Brace or Murphy I guess.

Lacey has retired hasn’t he?

The Lost Sheep

stephen_n wrote: »

Lacey has retired hasn’t he?

Laceys finished up. He's IRFU High Performance Ref Coach now.

thomond2006

I think it's time.

The Lost Sheep: This is your moment my friend.

molloyjh

OneLungDavy wrote: »

I'd love to see Connors start too, he consistently influences the game with textbook defending, something VDF fails to do.

Tell that to Connnacht. This really is classic new shiny thing syndrome.

https://twitter.com/PRO14Official/status/948136764488802304?s=19

Buer

VDF fails to influence the game with textbook defending....except when he has done it in the past including against NZ where his linespeed was a significant factor in beating them.

Hopefully he can step up to a Pro14 game.

Richie_Rich89

Connors and van der Flier can both rack up impressive tackle numbers, but Connors also makes many dominant tackles. He looks like the more influential of the two to me.

Faugheen

Buer wrote: »

VDF fails to influence the game with textbook defending....except when he has done it in the past including against NZ where his linespeed was a significant factor in beating them.

Hopefully he can step up to a Pro14 game.

Line speed and his overall pace which makes him an excellent cover defender.

It’s baffling how people don’t appreciate what he brings. He was not just the best 7 (by a distance) but one of the best players on this island before lockdown.

Clegg

Faugheen wrote: »

Line speed and his overall pace which makes him an excellent cover defender.

It’s baffling how people don’t appreciate what he brings. He was not just the best 7 (by a distance) but one of the best players on this island before lockdown.

Following our awful showing at the World Cup, VDF was the the first returning test player to hit the ground running for his province. Was Leinster's best player in the pool stages of the Champions Cup.

thomond2006

Buer wrote: »

VDF fails to influence the game with textbook defending....except when he has done it in the past including against NZ where his linespeed was a significant factor in beating them.

Hopefully he can step up to a Pro14 game.

I don't think he deserves even a squad spot at Leinster. He should go to some average team like Munster.