Leinster Team Talk Thread (Love you Furlong time)

Obviously Leinster have used one of their three NIQ designations on RG Snyman, and the 2nd designation is understood to be for a Tighthead prop to replace the outgoing Michael Ala'alatoa.

If Charlie Ngatai leaves, who will the 3rd NIQ designation go to?

My first thought jumped to loosehead but it seems that with Cian Healy in a rich vein of form and showing no signs of retiring, Andrew Porter, Michael Milne, Jack Boyle and Paddy McCarthy that loosehead is in fairly good hands moving forward.

I then moved to a utility back to replace Ngatai. With Jimmy O'Brien, Jamie Osborne, Ciaran Frawley, Tommy O'Brien and even James Lowe all capable of filling that role, it doesn't seem like a priority. Ngatai might stay but again I don't think the IRFU want a NIQ player potentially stepping in the way of an Irish player taking the role.

Next was Scrum Half. I have real concerns at scrum half in the short term. JGP is the starter and Luke McGrath is the back up but McGrath seems to have been bitten by the injury bug. We do have a glut of young talent coming through like Fintan Gunne, Ben Murphy and Cormac Foley but the SH position is so essential to both Leinster and Irish rugby that I feel a bit worried that if one or both of JGP and McGrath get injured, Leinster are in a spot of bother.

I think they move Porter over to Tight head in about 18 months. They won't move him over until Boyle has gotten to international standard.

I think Leinster in the next 3 years will have no NIQ at the prop positions.

LH: Jack Boyle, Michael Milne, Paddy McCarthy, Academy player

TH: Andrew Porter, Tadhg Furlong, Tom Clarkson, Rory McGuire.

Milne will have to take another step forward as well for Porter to make the move because Clarkson and McGuire have good talent.

I like Murphy, he's raw but talented. Gunne is a bit away, being so young. I worry about Foley. He can't get any kind of run. He looks good though.

Yeah, where do Foley and Murphy get the gametime?

I suppose Gibson-Park will be unavailable for the two games during the 6N and the mini-tour to SA straight after the 6N, so that will be a bit of an opening. Really at this stage of their careers what would be best for them is being involved in every matchday squad.

I think it's a very pessimistic outlook on Foley and Murphy - the former especially - to say their ceiling is league level, based on their ages and what we've seen so far from them. I would have no real worries at all about Foley being involved in the XXIII for any game Leinster play - unlike when they had to name Hugh O'Sullivan or Nick McCarthy. The future isn't written. Who would have thought JGP would be where he is today when he was behind McGrath and seemingly not in Schmidt's plans? I think if Leinster get Foley's development right he can challenge Casey for Ireland. It's a bit too early to tell with Murphy; I need to see more of him - but I like his fast pass and how he covers things in scramble defence.

Besides, I think Cullen will look for another NIQ at 12 - or just extend Ngatai. I'd like to see Osborne get the gametime there, but Cullen's Leinster don't do backing homegrown 12s.

Not sure about an niq to replace Ngati. We've lots of options there. Frawley, Brownlee and Osborne. That's seriously good depth. If Osborwas healthy, he'd be pushing Henshaw for the starting shirt, imo.

The mini tour to S.A might get the nippers match time. Depending on Foley's recovery, I'd expect Murphy to travel.

If you bring someone in you pretty much guarantee Foley won't be an international - with Leinster anyway. He's looked good at the levels he's been asked to perform at so far, so why not keep developing him and see where he can get to? He could be a long term option, which is more uncertain with an NIQ.

But fair enough. We'll agree to disagree.

I definitely see your point and you make a solid argument. Definitely can agree to disagree. I hope Foley and Murphy push on to the next level and the need for a NIQ player isn't required at the scrum half position.

As long as we pick up a upgrade over Michael Ala'alatoa before next season, I'll be happy.

We may need a less callow team to tour this year. We certainly wont have a cushion to guarantee top spot going down there

there are reduced tickets on sale at midday today from here https://www.ticketmaster.ie/event/18005F6AD2B17E78?camefrom=CFC_IE_CLI_LEINSTER_RUGBY_TWSF . €10 tickets and discounted premium level tickets

Probably too late by now, but did you see this?

https://twitter.com/leinsterrugby/status/1743240832390504640

Rhys Ruddock looking for a Wales call up

I'd hate to see Ruddock leave. He's one of Leinster's great servants and for years he was one of our our most consistently good players. He also didn't get as many Ireland caps as his performances warranted imo.

But it's obvious now that he's well down the pecking order at blindside flanker. Baird and Deegan are selected ahead of him most weeks now. I don't think he'll be offered a new contract and if he is, it will be on reduced terms. Can't begrudge him moving to a Welsh region with the possibility of getting some Wales caps as well.