Leinster vs. Zebre, Friday 23rd October, 19.35 (TG4, Eir Sport 1)

Dave_The_Sheep

Leinster

|

Zebre

|

15. Jimmy O'Brien | Michaelangelo Biondelli
14. Tommy O'Brien | Pierre Bruno
13. Liam Turner| Tommaso Boni
12. Ciarán Frawley | Enrico Lucchin
11. Dave Kearney | Jamie Elliot
10. Harry Byrne | Pablo Pescetto
9. Luke McGrath | Nicoló Casilio
1. Peter Dooley | Paolo Buonfiglio
2. Dan Sheehan| Marco Manfredi
3. Michael Bent | Alexandru Tarus
4. Ross Moloney | Mick Kearney
5. Devin Toner | Ian Nagle
6. Josh Murphy | Lorenzo Masselli
7. Scott Penny | Renato Giammarioli
8. Rhys Ruddock | Jimmy Tuivaiti
|
16. James Tracy | Oliviero Fabiana
17. Michael Milne | Andrea Lovotti
18. Ciaran Parker | Matteo Nocera
19. Jack Dunne | Leonard Krumov
20. Scott Fardy | Samuele Ortis
21. Jamison Gibson-Park | Joshua Renton
22. David Hawkshaw | Antonio Rizzi
23. Dan Leavy | Junior Lalofi


Referee: Craig Evans (WRU) (ugh)
Assistants: Robert O'Sullivan (IRFU), Chris Busby (IRFU)
TMO: Joy Neville (IRFU)

Great to see Leavy back on the bench (23, odd) and Hawkshaw also returning from injury. Mick Kearney and Ian Nagle too return to the RDS for Zebre.

Anyone care to educate me on what Liam Turner is like?

bayern

Dave_The_Sheep wrote: »

Leinster

|

Zebre

|

15. Jimmy O'Brien | Michaelangelo Biondelli
14. Tommy O'Brien | Pierre Bruno
13. Liam Turner| Tommaso Boni
12. Ciarán Frawley | Enrico Lucchin
11. Dave Kearney | Jamie Elliot
10. Harry Byrne | Pablo Pescetto
9. Luke McGrath | Nicoló Casilio
1. Peter Dooley | Paolo Buonfiglio
2. Dan Sheehan| Marco Manfredi
3. Michael Bent | Alexandru Tarus
4. Ross Moloney | Mick Kearney
5. Devin Toner | Ian Nagle
6. Josh Murphy | Lorenzo Masselli
7. Scott Penny | Renato Giammarioli
8. Rhys Ruddock | Jimmy Tuivaiti
|
16. James Tracy | Oliviero Fabiana
17. Michael Milne | Andrea Lovotti
18. Ciaran Parker | Matteo Nocera
19. Jack Dunne | Leonard Krumov
20. Scott Fardy | Samuele Ortis
21. Jamison Gibson-Park | Joshua Renton
22. David Hawkshaw | Antonio Rizzi
23. Dan Leavy | Junior Lalofi


Referee: Craig Evans (WRU) (ugh)
Assistants: Robert O'Sullivan (IRFU), Chris Busby (IRFU)
TMO: Joy Neville (IRFU)

Great to see Leavy back on the bench (23, odd) and Hawkshaw also returning from injury. Mick Kearney and Ian Nagle too return to the RDS for Zebre.

Anyone care to educate me on what Liam Turner is like?

Turner is a short stocky outside centre. Played 7s last season.

thomond2006

You couldn't ask for a better opportunity to throw some new names in. Fantastic to see Leavy back. There's a long window of Pro14 games to rotate him in and out.

pickarooney

So Leavy has been bionically reconstructed as a winger? You love to see it.

Buer

Dave is hurt.

Go Leinster.

Dave_The_Sheep

Shut up, thanks Buer.

bayern

JOB been very good.

bayern

what a kick from JOB again.

Buer

An educated left boot from JOB. Two cracking touch finders.

Buer

Not clear enough but if they catch it, this is red.

Morris Moss

Absolutely nothing in that

A-Train

Good try by Dave

randomname2005

A-Train wrote: »

Good try by Dave

Great move

Dave_The_Sheep

Penalty only problem the right call.

Good finish from Dave Kearney though.

ongarite

Very nice pre-planned move for the try

timple23

Should a Leinster player have been penalised for grabbing scrum cap of Zebre player? (Not a rugby follower)

schmoo2k

Morris Moss wrote: »

Absolutely nothing in that

Nothing deliberate - but any contact in that area has potential to do damage...

Clegg

Didn't see the match thread earlier.

Ruddock's been the stand out player. Ploughing into every contact. Thought he was excellent in our last game too.

schmoo2k

...appropriate decision thankfully...

bayern

great work by JOB.

Clegg

Excellent defence from Leinster. The rush pushed Zebre back 20 metres and forced them to kick. Great turnover from Penney then.

A-Train

That’s a lovely try and finished well by TOB.

bayern

lukey very good today.

ongarite

Nice!

ongarite

Very Schmidt like pre-planned strike play scores tonight.

bayern

Ruddock, JOB, Sheehan and Luke some clear standouts for me.

Richie_Rich89

What's the point of a match thread? Nothing wrong with the normal thread. Seems a bit attention seeking if you ask me.

Buer

Zebre have been utter dirt. The space and gaps in their defence are ridiculous. The Kearney and TOB tries were AIL level at best by Zebre. No team should have such wide gaps at pro level.

Good finishes but very simple reverse of play on both occasions into massive holes off first or second phase. A defence shouldn't be that out of shape so quickly.

This is what I much prefer to see Leinster put out the youngsters and fringe guys for these games. What's the benefit in putting out a stronger team here? Senior guys would get the job done whilst minding themselves.

bayern

get Dunne on asap.

OldRio

Whilst praising the young guns of Leinster don't forget the effort and experience of Ruddock and Toner.
Ruddock especially has been very very good.

A-Train

Leinster just go through the phases and another try for Sheehan

Dave_The_Sheep

Bit of a procession.

McGrath's passing is light years away from where he was a month or so ago, quality of opposition notwithstanding.

Buer

Dave_The_Sheep wrote: »

Bit of a procession.

McGrath's passing is light years away from where he was a month or so ago, quality of opposition notwithstanding.

That's the issue though. It's near impossible to really look great given how poor the opposition is. However, any senior player not looking good out there should be worried.

molloyjh

Hard to read too much into this. As Buer said, Zebre are awful. The collisions are all going one way & one way only. Everything else is much easier from there. The hole for the JOB try was comical too.

That said, it's great to see the tempo we're looking to play with and I think Sheehan, Toner, Murphy, Ruddock and McGrath are all putting in performances. It can be easy to let the focus slip a bit in games like this but that didn't happen at all in the first half. So there are positives. But there's also a large pinch of salt to go with them.

bayern

given the situation outside of this game.. im gonna get carried away..

A-Train

Great to see Leavy just back on a pitch. A long road travelled just to get to here. Best of luck to him.

ongarite

Best of luck Dan.

Dave_The_Sheep

That's an awful try to conceed, given how Murphy had to take that ball.

Clegg

Frawley has been very impressive this half.

A-Train

Parker with a try on his debut.

bayern

Clegg wrote: »

Frawley has been very impressive this half.

him and everyone else in blue.

Clegg

That was one hell of a tackle from Turner. Completely ruined the Zebre kickers routine. Led to the try.

Squidgy Black

A-Train wrote: »

Parker with a try on his debut.

His first professional senior try also, never scored in Munster I don't think.

ElisaAtWar

Harry Byrne versus Ross Byrne? Harry Byrne looks really secure with his conversions/penalties

Passing from the leinster backline is great to watch

Squidgy Black

ElisaAtWar wrote: »

Harry Byrne versus Ross Byrne? Harry Byrne looks really secure with his conversions/penalties

Ross is no slouch off the tee either, but wouldn't be surprised to see Harry pushing for the starting spot when Sexton moves on.

Clegg

Dual playmakers at 10 & 12 to the fore this half. Byrne and Frawley are alterinating at first receiver and speaking the ball to the wings quickly. Great to see.

thomond2006

Garbage time try but that was epic.

Dave_The_Sheep

In fairness that's a lovely score.

Richie_Rich89

Outstanding try by Zebre.

What a try