Leinster Team Talk/Gossip/Rumours Thread XII (The Byrne Supremacy)

sydthebeat

Lads, that game ended up as a bunch of kids playing in a worthless game for them, against seasoned pros playing for their European future.

Yes those said kids were put under pressure and some made wrong decisions / errors.... But that kind of game will stand to them in the future. We all recall travelling to Italy with shadow squads and coming unstuck, same here.

Review, assess, close the book and move on.

Former Former Former

AdamD wrote: »

Don't agree with this at all. I also highly doubt the Leinster squad care so little about a pro 14 final against their biggest rivals..

It would be very nice to beat Munster in a Pro14 knockout again, but "again" is the operative word. If there's a choice about where our finite resources should be prioritised, there's not really a question IMO.

irishbucsfan

UAEguy2020 wrote: »

I think we are seeing one of the big problems in Irish rugby after this loss especially, instead of taking our medicine and saying we were all responsible we are just looking for scapegoats to blame the whole performance on.

Yeah let’s blame Harry Byrne, he’s the reason Leinster were destroyed at the break down in the second half, he’s the reason Leinster got destroyed in the scrum, he’s the reason the Leinster players would play with their usual hunger and intensity etc. but because he made one mistake let’s just paper over all the other issues and just blame Harry for the whole **** show of a performance.

WTF are you talking about?!

Clegg

Former Former Former wrote: »

It would be very nice to beat Munster in a Pro14 knockout again, but "again" is the operative word. If there's a choice about where our finite resources should be prioritised, there's not really a question IMO.

Not a question me either.

Everything has to be geared towards the final. A trophy is a trophy and takes precedence.

irishbucsfan

Clegg wrote: »

Not a question me either.

Everything has to be geared towards the final. A trophy is a trophy and takes precedence.

Do you think that if Leinster have the choice of selecting their first team for one of a European knockout game (non-final) or a Pro 14 final, they would prioritise the Pro 14 final?

sebdavis

Very silly to be saying Leinster show "throw" a Pro14 final. As I posted before what happens if they lose the next week. It would be a disaster to finish the season with no silverware. I am sure the same people would come out saying we should have won the Pro14 and let Europe look after itself.

Even if we beat Toulon we have a semi v Exeter away. This will be a very difficult game as well.

Leinster should concentrate, win the Pro14 and with silverware in the back pocket it gives them some freedom to attack the European games. Lose the Pro14 and they have pressure to win Europe or they end up with nothing from this season. The fact they get to beat their biggest rivals in the final is all gravy

Buer

Leinster obviously aren't going to throw the game next week. They are going to go 100% to win the game with the players they have on the field.

The issue is they might not be in a position to select all the players they want. I've no doubt that guys like Henshaw, Keenan and Sexton will be rested as well as a number of others based on minutes/recent involvement over the 6N.

But those who are on the field will not lack for hunger or effort. This fixture is always an Irish trial and there's silverware on the line too regardless of the fact that it's not Europe.

irishbucsfan

It is very frustrating that Leinster might only win by 3-4 tries because they're picking their under 20s, but I suppose some heart can be taken in the fact that these guys might not make it at Leinster and they're getting a chance to impress their likely future employers



EDIT: That might sound a bit OTT, but we're talking about 5th/6th choice players here, some of them won't be given the option to play for Ulster

Yeah_Right

UAEguy2020 wrote: »

I think we are seeing one of the big problems in Irish rugby after this loss especially, instead of taking our medicine and saying we were all responsible we are just looking for scapegoats to blame the whole performance on.

Yeah let’s blame Harry Byrne, he’s the reason Leinster were destroyed at the break down in the second half, he’s the reason Leinster got destroyed in the scrum, he’s the reason the Leinster players would play with their usual hunger and intensity etc. but because he made one mistake let’s just paper over all the other issues and just blame Harry for the whole **** show of a performance.

I agree with you but haven't you been doing the same thing in regards to the Irish team the past few weeks?

Exclamation Marc

Former Former Former wrote: »

Then let's give the young lads a chance to shine. Huzzah.

I'll bet if you ask any of the players who already have four or five ProXX medals which game their focus is on, very few of them would say Munster.

Yeah because athletes have a desire to be winners but only so many times. A trophy is a trophy and a medal is a medal. No professional sits at home content with less medals than they would have won because they weren't ărsed. They'll be focused on both games.

Leinster will be out to win both games, it's not either/or and a full throttle game against Munster will be a good tune up for the following week rather than having a lot of players relatively cold.

Dubinusa

To be honest, I care a lot more about Europe than the pro14. I'm sure the lads who play will put in a big effort. If the muck warriors win, so what. I will be happy for them. I expect
1. Byrne
2. Treacy
3. Bent
4. Molony
5. Fardy
6. Murphy
7. Penny
8. Ruddock
9. Luke
10. HB
11. Lowe
12 RB
13. Rol
14.DK
15. JOB

16. Sheehan
17. Dooley
18. Porter (hopefully)
19. Baird
20. Conan
21. Osborne
22. Frawley
23. Larmour, hopefully, if not ???

Maybe Cian Kelleher comes back in or stick with MOR?

Exclamation Marc

Dubinusa wrote: »

To be honest, I care a lot more about Europe than the pro14. I'm sure the lads who play will put in a big effort. If the muck warriors win, so what. I will be happy for them. I expect
1. Byrne
2. Treacy
3. Bent
4. Molony
5. Fardy
6. Murphy
7. Penny
8. Ruddock
9. Luke
10. HB
11. Lowe
12 RB
13. Rol
14.DK
15. JOB

16. Sheehan
17. Dooley
18. Porter (hopefully)
19. Baird
20. Conan
21. Osborne
22. Frawley
23. Larmour, hopefully, if not ???

Maybe Cian Kelleher comes back in or stick with MOR?

Toner will be in the squad if available, no doubt.

molloyjh

Ultimately it won't be up to Leinster who is made available from Ireland camp. Front liners will be rested, end of. I didn't consider Lowe previously and I reckon we will see him involved. But even still it will be a very severely depleted Leinster side. In all reality we will be missing:

Healy, Furlong, Abdaladze, Ryan, Leavy, Doris, Deegan, Sexton, Henshaw, Ringrose, Frawley, Keenan, A Byrne and Kelleher

We could also be without some or all of

Porter, Bent, Murphy, Penny, VDF, JGP and McGrath

That doesn't include a bunch of other injuries to guys not in the running for the game. I'm not exactly confident of 4 in a row.

bayern

Munster will be much more up for this final than leinster.
Given they've won 3 Pro 14's in row and Europe is really the measuring stick for this side given how they took the saracens result and how they talk about the end of last season. I'd expect Leinster to field a competitive side but very much the focus being on toulon with the short turn around. Munster have to be favourites for final, given injuries and reality of situation in regards to player rest etc.

Exclamation Marc

bayern wrote: »

Munster will be much more up for this final than leinster.
Given they've won 3 Pro 14's in row and Europe is really the measuring stick for this side given how they took the saracens result and how they talk about the end of last season. I'd expect Leinster to field a competitive side but very much the focus being on toulon with the short turn around. Munster have to be favourites for final, given injuries and reality of situation in regards to player rest etc.

Munster have a game the week after too and will have ambitions for both games. Of course Munster have less silverware in recent years so a Pro14 may be more meaningful but they will have their eye on Europe too.

bayern

Exclamation Marc wrote: »

Munster have a game the week after too and will have ambitions for both games. Of course Munster have less silverware in recent years so a Pro14 may be more meaningful but they will have their eye on Europe too.

Munster haven't won anything in 10 years.. all their focus will be on winning this final so they can say they gap is closing etc. Etc. Leinster win this competition regularly and given the organisers have decided to mess with the competition putting the final in between Europe and the 6 nations leinster will rightly treat not as importantly.

No one likes losing to Munster especially in a final but the pro 14 is a secondary priortity for leinster most seasons, and even more so this season.

Exclamation Marc

bayern wrote: »

Munster haven't won anything in 10 years.. all their focus will be on winning this final so they can say they gap is closing etc. Etc. Leinster win this competition regularly and given the organisers have decided to mess with the competition putting the final in between Europe and the 6 nations leinster will rightly treat not as importantly.

No one likes losing to Munster especially in a final but the pro 14 is a secondary priortity for leinster most seasons, and even more so this season.

Absolutely. I agree entirely with what you're saying. My point was more that some posters' attitudes that it means absolutely nothing to Leinster at this stage or that some players couldn't care less is way off base.

FrannoFan

We were in a similar pinch for the conclusion to the 2020 delayed season.

Look at the team we picked against ulster.

I'd expect us to go full strength. It's not a european final the week after, it's a last 16.

Way to precious with players saying they can't do 4 weeks in a row (potentially 5) they can have a long rest when rainbow cup doesn't happen.

sydthebeat

FrannoFan wrote: »

We were in a similar pinch for the conclusion to the 2020 delayed season.

Look at the team we picked against ulster.

I'd expect us to go full strength. It's not a european final the week after, it's a last 16.

Way to precious with players saying they can't do 4 weeks in a row (potentially 5) they can have a long rest when rainbow cup doesn't happen.

We didn't go full strength against ulster

UAEguy2020

irishbucsfan wrote: »

WTF are you talking about?!

What I’m talking about is there is now a really horrible trend in Irish rugby where we are just picking on certain players after a loss and say it was his fault...

irishbucsfan

UAEguy2020 wrote: »

What I’m talking about is there is now a really horrible trend in Irish rugby where we are just picking on certain players after a loss and say it was his fault...

No one on here blamed the loss on one player, let alone Harry Byrne.

You're getting worked up and upset over something that didn't happen

Clegg

Re-watched the game for my sins. The first half wasn't brilliant and we were quite disjointed in attack but rather solid defensively. Harry Byrne attacked well individually and threatened the line a lot. Was pretty happy with his performance overall tbh.

Second half wasn't even that bad. Until the 60th minute Leinster were comfortable and Ospreys weren't really threatening. Then we picked up a few injuries and things took a turn. Everything that Byrne was doing well at up to that point deserted him. He needed to kick for territory more but out the ball through the hands too much. There was no control from 9 and all our forwards looked knackered.

It was a freak final 20 minutes and one I don't think we'll ever see repeated hopefully.

Buer

Clegg wrote: »

.

Second half wasn't even that bad. Until the 60th minute Leinster were comfortable and Ospreys weren't really threatening. Then we picked up a few injuries and things took a turn. Everything that Byrne was doing well at up to that point deserted him. He needed to kick for territory more but out the ball through the hands too much. There was no control from 9 and all our forwards looked knackered.

The scrum fell apart with Clarkson and Hanan on. Literally ever scrum set was a penalty to the Ospreys with them both on the field, I think. That gave them a window back I to game and they took it. We were on the back foot with a back row of Penny (who looked to be carrying a knock), Sheehan and Molony. The Ospreys were completely in the ascendancy at the breakdown on both sides.

Our half backs panicked then. HOS was very poor and doesn't look capable of making the grade professionally, I'm afraid. Multiple counter rucks led to him juggling the ball, spilling it or, at best, giving a pass which put HB under pressure. HB for his part had a grand game for the first hour. But when he needed to steady the ship, he didn't have that experience or coolness. He made three big errors in that period. The charge down was completely unforced, he threw a very poor pass to nobody that led to us knocking on in our own half when we were on the ropes and he went for a cross kick when we weren't ready for it which essentially ended our opportunity of pinching it.

But he was quite good for the first hour and showed some lovely touches in open play including some really aggressive carries.

It was something of a freak last 20 minutes, as you say. I think the origin of it all will come back to those scrums which sapped Leinster of all momentum and territory. Lock down a few of those and the game just fizzles out at 19-3. Clarkson went back off in the final 10 minutes for Bent. I'm not sure he was injured either....

irishbucsfan

That HB cross kick (off his left foot, that one right?) was with penalty advantage.... I thought?



It's interesting. I think the period that really helped make Sexton was the time that he was coming on for Felipe to close out games. I wonder if HB could settle into a similar role and become more comfortable with the final quarter of the game.

Buer

irishbucsfan wrote: »

That HB cross kick (off his left foot, that one right?) was with penalty advantage.... I thought?

It was late on when he kicked to the far, left wing. The Ospreys fielded it unchallenged and called a mark.

There was an earlier one which he kicked off his left.

Unless I'm completely losing my memory/mind.

sydthebeat

Buer wrote: »

It was late on when he kicked to the far, left wing. The Ospreys fielded it unchallenged and called a mark.

There was an earlier one which he kicked off his left.

Unless I'm completely losing my memory/mind.

Your right, Dan Evans marked it, kicked right to left....

Clegg

Does Ross Byrne moving into the Ireland 23 rule him out of the final?

You'd hope not. Hasn't actually played much rugby in the last few months.

kmart6

Doubt it unless there's an injury that gets him on early.

Exclamation Marc

Can safely see Ross being available anyway.

FrannoFan

sydthebeat wrote: »

We didn't go full strength against ulster

No, but it was pretty much just ross byrne in for sexton