Leinster Team Talk Thread (Love you Furlong time)

Leinster played down a bit to their opponents, the type of performance you expect the weekend before a big knockout game.

Impossible for them knowing LAR were on the horizon in advance to not impact the performance.

They'll need to be better next week and they'll know it. That level of competition and physicality will do them good - it was solid but not too attritional, like the Stormers were.

Fingers crossed no major injuries.

There is always a chance .

Jackman highlighting the problems in defence. The rush only works when everyone picks up their correct marker. On multiple occasions Larmour was caught too narrow and was looking to make the hit that Henshaw had covered.

I'd be half tempted to start Rob Russell against La Rochelle. He's very fast off the mark and can get in the face of the opposition quickly.

RTE just mentioned O’Gara is doing a training camp in Cork next week for LAR. Does anyone else find it very strange that Munster fans would willingly cheer on a foreign team against an Irish team in a quarter final?

Thought Pollard was good tonight. Wouldn’t happen but would love if Leinster went after him. H Byrne and Prendergast would learn a tonne off him too.

Think we might go with a 6-2 split for next week. I assume Connors will start to try and recreate his tackling masterclass from last December. The extra forward lets us bring VDF and Conan on for impact too.

Maybe even select Milne ahead of Healy for maximum impact in contact. Sacrifices your scrum a bit, but I think we need to take risks to best La Rochelle.

Demented Molecast made an interesting point this week on Russell that he refuses to tackle on one shoulder. Haven’t been savvy enough to pick up on that myself yet, but if so, might explain why he hasn’t got a start in a bigger game yet.

Bonkers if he said that, they are clearly in our head. Was weird everyone sitting around me at the game were resigned to us loosing to LAR , so I can't imagine what team think. Big week ahead now for coaches.

La Rochelle were nothing special for a lot of today's game. They were very good for the final half hour, but I don't think Leinster should fear them either. Stormers lost four forwards to injury in the game, but still mounted a comeback and were a missed kick away from winning.

Any idea of kick off time for next week?

Ah I know, but up until last year I would have supported any Irish team in URC or Champions Cup,but not anymore especially not Munster. The anti leinster bile was sickening in lead up to last years final. Munster fans are cheering on same players when we are carrying irish team.

Apologies for the rant.

La Rochelle will be in rough shape coming all the way from South Africa, and then having to travel to Ireland. I think Leinster will be fresher.

The training camp down in cork will be like a fan camp for Munster fans of O’Gara/LAR, a chance for them to take photos etc. This is probably o’gara’s reasoning for going down there because he knows he can muster support.