Leinster Team Talk Thread (Love you Furlong time)

Former Former Former · 07-05-2025 04:33PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123425865#Comment_123425865

What these discussions are missing is that it should not have mattered.

Imagine Barrett pulled his hamstring last week and Henshaw had to play. Would anyone have said, that's it, we're f**ked, advantage Northampton? Of course not. Whatever the difference is between Henshaw and Barrett, it is not big enough to swing the game so much (and Barrett did very little in the half hour he had).

The Healy thing is nonsense. Porter came on after 20 minutes and was there for all the pivotal moments of the match. The plan, stupid as it is, worked exactly as it was supposed to.

I have been saying for a long time that Deegan isn't up to top-level, but again, it shouldn't have mattered. We could have picked Conan, or even Baird, but why would we assume they wouldn't have been as bad as the other forwards? We should have been able to beat Northampton with an academy player at 6.

The issues were not selection, they ran much deeper.

awec · 07-05-2025 05:08PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123426079#Comment_123426079

Whatever the difference is between Henshaw and Barrett, it is not big enough to swing the game so much

Cannot get onboard with this notion at all.

There is a chasm between Barrett and Henshaw. I do not know how you can sit here and assert that starting a player who is arguably the best in the world in the position would not have made a significant difference versus starting a guy who has been fairly average at best for about a year now.

If Barrett had done his hamstring and wasn't available I guarantee you it would have been lamented, and there would have been absolutely nobody going "ah sure it's grand, we have Robbie Henshaw and he's just as good as Barrett and it'll make absolutely no difference."

In fact, I can absolutely guarantee that if Barrett weren't available a large part of the narrative of why Leinster lost would have been due to Barrett's unavailability. I imagine the story would have been "Leinster were so unlucky that their best player was ruled out through injury, Barrett would have been a big difference maker."

Yet, because he was not starting through choice, we're to believe it wasn't an overly material decision? Not buying that at all. Literally nobody is backing this decision because it's a nonsensical call by Cullen / Nienaber.

Similarly Healy. Your take makes absolutely no sense. Healy did nothing, in fact, he was caught a mile behind the play which led directly to their first try. The plan absolutely did not work. Whoever about benching Porter, it is hard to fathom how Healy started over Boyle.

The problems ran deep, it wasn't entirely down to selection, but the selections absolutely played a big part in it.

Former Former Former · 07-05-2025 05:48PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123426154#Comment_123426154

Cannot get onboard with this notion at all.

I'm not asking you to get on board with anything.

there would have been absolutely nobody going "ah sure it's grand, we have Robbie Henshaw and he's just as good as Barrett and it'll make absolutely no difference."

I never suggested there would be. You just made that up to have a dig at me.

we're to believe it wasn't an overly material decision? Not buying that at all.

Again, not selling it. I can't imagine any scenario where I would try to convince you of anything.

Similarly Healy. Your take makes absolutely no sense.

You didn't even read it so I'm not surprised it didn't. The red mist is down, if it clears later on have another go.

no.8 · 07-05-2025 05:55PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123426154#Comment_123426154

Excellent remark.

The MOTM vs. Glasgow Warriors sat on the bench for 51mins, and the sentimental nonsense in leaving Boyle out / playing Healy...which really sounds wonderful but ultimately cuts deep if you lose the game.

Barrett made a positive impact and ran hard lines. He did the basics and tackled well. He couldn't single-handedly be expected to bail Leinster out.

All in all…based on the national team and Leinsters past decision-making...I'm not too confident any lessons will be learned (selection and game management-wise). So disappointing.

FrannoFan · 07-05-2025 06:25PM

Personally I'd rotate for zebre and then go full strength for Glasgow. Get cohesion going. They (now) have a rest week the following week. Go full strength for knock outs as long as we are in them.

None of this overthinking about finishing strong and bomb squads etc. go strong from the start and kill off teams. Keep your players on the pitch until the data shows they are flagging. No pre ordained changes.

Bomb squads/final quarter performance more relevant in a contest of equals, we should be the stronger 23 in the URC games

AbusesToilets · 07-05-2025 06:54PM

the timing of the league run in really is unfortunate. It would be so much better if everything finished and then we had the CC knock outs.

lawrencesummers · 07-05-2025 07:38PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123426064#Comment_123426064

in that picture I see a defending player on his feet, with hands on the ball trying to lift but the attacking player is also playing it, textbook penalty.

AbusesToilets · 07-05-2025 07:50PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123426489#Comment_123426489

I suggest you watch the video then. Pollock never releases after the tackle on McCarthy, goes to a knee while grabbing the ball, then falls over into the way of JGP. He also plays the ball on the ground by pushing it towards the Northampton side. Leinster players drive over the ruck and Northampton 5 just reaches in a grabs the ball.

Also just watching it back there, the Northampton 12 hits McCarthy with a no arms shoulder check. So there you go, 3-5 penalties the ref could've blown for.

https://yourrugbycatchup.top/2025/05/03/semi-final-2-leinster-rugby-vs-northampton-saints-2025-05-03/

1:34:00 into that video if you want to watch it.

ersatz · 07-05-2025 07:58PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123426517#Comment_123426517

In fairness to Pollock he'd been slowing down ball illegally all game, as players do, and getting away with it. I'm sure if we examined all the rucks there are numerous examples of Doris and VDF doing similar stuff.

AbusesToilets · 07-05-2025 08:04PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123426542#Comment_123426542

For sure, if a backrower isn't cheating, why is he on the pitch. The time of this, the location, the stakes, it's a abject failure by the ref and coaching team not to blow there.

Paul Smeenus · 07-05-2025 08:31PM

I thought the most egregious non-whistled penalty was allowing Deegan to lie about on his back, waggling the ball in the air, just waiting for a player in blue to come within passing distance, which led directly to a try. Swings and roundabouts.

ersatz · 07-05-2025 08:37PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123426674#Comment_123426674

People are making too much of that. There is no NH player trying to retrieve the ball from Deegan and the ball is playable if there were.

almostover · 07-05-2025 09:17PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123425924#Comment_123425924

Can't defend the backfield and can't defend in the line. Playing with 14 men in defence so? I mean, there's excusing the guy and then there's this.

accensi0n · 07-05-2025 09:17PM

Not familiar with Brownlee, but why would he be leaving?

I think I've read a few posts before saying that he's fantastic.

almostover · 07-05-2025 09:19PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123426078#Comment_123426078

That's it in a nutshell, Sexton was a once in a generation player and the media and some of the fanbase are willing SP to be Sexton despite it being glaringly obvious that he's nowhere near that level. Not yet. There is promise but there is also a major doubt. The comfort is that Sexton didn't break through until he was another few years older than SP.

almostover · 07-05-2025 09:23PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123426707#Comment_123426707

That's not the law though, it doesn't matter if there's no opposition player competing. The player must release or pass the ball immediately upon being grounded by the tackle.

ersatz · 07-05-2025 09:36PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123426895#Comment_123426895

If that law were to be enforced unconditionally lads holding a ball up from the bottom of a ruck as they wait for a scrum half would be penalised. It doesn't happen for the same reason Deegan wasn't penalised, the opposition is not being prevented accessing the ball and the preference os for play to continue.

phog · 07-05-2025 09:44PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123426989#Comment_123426989

Stop.

If Deegan released that ball immediately then the tackler could have got on his feet and taken the ball.

lawrencesummers · 07-05-2025 09:55PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123426517#Comment_123426517

He clearly releases, you can see his right hand out. As for the no arms there is minimal contact there.

What you are doing is looking at one breakdown and interpreting everything with blue glasses on. If you want to do that then realise Leinster got away with plenty at the breakdown as well.

If you go back to 68:15 on the match clock and watch the breakdown, slamini could be done for sealing off, next ruck Baird could be done for side entry, next breakdown 2 saints players on the ball tommyobrien doesn’t release they don’t get rewarded, 69.03 pollock gets done for not releasing, looked a dubious call that could have gone either way as it’s clear he released his right hand. Commentators reckon he had as well, from that dubious penalty Lowe goes over in the corner.

The game is a lot more than one breakdown where you think the ref got it wrong.

AbusesToilets · 07-05-2025 10:14PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123427080#Comment_123427080

Pollock has two arms... His left never leaves McCarthy. Fair play though trying to hand wave away the other 4 penalty offenses that happened. There's loads of moments in matches at rucks, You're right. This matters to me because of the circumstances. The time on the clock, the location and the stakes. That and how incredibly blatant it was, for the ref to miss it completely

lawrencesummers · 07-05-2025 10:23PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123427171#Comment_123427171

hike a bridge bud. Ye were Beat fair and square

AbusesToilets · 07-05-2025 10:27PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123427206#Comment_123427206

Congrats on being incapable of dealing with the facts. Colour me unsurprised

lawrencesummers · 07-05-2025 10:46PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123427213#Comment_123427213

would that colour be blue?

AbusesToilets · 07-05-2025 10:57PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123427247#Comment_123427247

For you? I imagine green is more apt

conquestscarer · 07-05-2025 11:03PM

His hands were on the floor before he even touched the ball ffs, I've no idea why the TMO never gets involved on those ones, SA got a call for that, stuck it over the posts and won a world cup off the back of it.

ersatz · 07-05-2025 11:04PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123427026#Comment_123427026

Any NH player could have arrived and attempted to take the ball and easily won a penalty or taken possession, but none did. The tackler did not stand up and take it. Its a simple point that the ref didn't see Doris obstruct anyone from taking the ball.