Leinster Team Talk Thread (Love you Furlong time)

On the Rugby Weekly podcast Bernard Jackman mentioned that this fixture has the potential to break the Leinster squad if they lose. That we can't beat them in a knockout game on the fourth time of trying would devastate them. I wouldn't go that far, but there's definitely the threat of the season being derailed if we don't get to the semi final.

The game will depend on match ups. We need Doris to get one over on Alldritt. In the last two finals the latter has performed better. But Doris has outperformed him twice in a row in Ireland/France games. So we know he can do it.

Henshaw might be our most important player on Saturday. It looks like Ringrose will be unavailable so Osborne will take his place. The majority of the defensive work then falls to Robbie.

I actually feel really bad for LARs travel arrangements.

Imagine having to be far, far away from home in a barely developed part of the world straight after spending a week in South Africa?

Some of the posters.

I'll be devastated losing! It's the hope that kills me.

Rugby Weekly Extra have a French journalist that covers La Rochelle on today's podcast.

Interestingly he thinks they're playing quite poorly, relying on maybe 20 minutes of good play per game to get them through. He speculates that their mentality isn't what it was. They had poor patches across the last few seasons and won the Champions Cup anyway. But this season the issues are more pronounced.

Although, I disagree with their supposition that La Rochelle are underdogs for this game. They're double European Champions that have won 3 of the last 4 games between the sides.

Theres nothing wrong with that. He's an Irishman, from their home province, that has coached a team to successive Champions Cups.

They've been very even in their praise for both sides.

‘We’ll take any support we can!’ – La Rochelle enjoying Cork welcome as key trio fit for Leinster

https://www.independent.ie/sport/rugby/champions-cup/well-take-any-support-we-can-la-rochelle-enjoying-cork-welcome-as-key-trio-fit-for-leinster/a753202471.html

Don't buy 'break the squad' or that it will 'devastate them' - if that was going to happen it would have been after losing the final at home last year after being so far ahead. Most of that team then went and got knocked out in the QF for so if those combined losses didn't break them then a QF loss in the CC, where there is far less pressure and focus, will not.

The very recent narrative was that Leinster couldn't beat LAR and now after they went to their home and did that in the rain and down key players a few months ago the goal posts have quickly been shifted to they 'can't beat them in a knockout' and 'cant beat them when it matters'.

If Leinster win at the weekend it will be just one of three steps they need to take to get to their main goal. The same media heads who are building LAR as potential to 'break the squad' will again move the goal posts and say the same thing when it comes to a loss in the semi or final.

It is part of the pressure of being the most successful Irish side, while the media will coddle other provinces and pat them on the head for even failing to do the bare minimum in Europe.

That is pretty much the point I was making.

Being expected to win and losing the odd game each season against good teams is also normal, especially when they are by the smallest margins.

It is those who are making it out that a loss would 'break the team' who have gone way into hyperbole.