Leinster Team Talk Thread (Love you Furlong time)

Ringrose is a massive loss.

The bench will be very important for this one. It always is but its huge considering how well LAR perform later in games.

Like the last few games between the sides this will probably come down to very fine margins, a yellow card, a refs decision or injury.

As a neutral this game is as exciting as wales vs italy in the 6n for potential!

following up on my previous post on JGp importance squidge has done a video on his importance and it highlights his impressive traits

RTE news : Leinster set for Croke Park if they defeat La Rochelle

http://www.rte.ie/sport/rugby/2024/0411/1442979-leinster-set-for-croke-park-if-they-defeat-la-rochelle/

I guess the inference from Jackman's comment is that is will have a bigger morale impact that could undermine this team for once and for all. That is also possible after a sustained period of underachievement, which you could say Leinster is experiencing. Personally I feel like both Leinster and Ireland have remarkable mental fortitude and it has become a truth that they bounce back from defeat very well, while not letting victory go to their heads.

Jack Dunne to Scarlets! That is fairly surprising to me. I thought he'd latch on to a province or another English team.

Starting Connors and leaving Conan on the bench would be a big mistake imo. Gaems against LAR don't open up in the second half, that's when the arm-wrestle really begins. Conan will likely have more chance to carry and do more damage in the first half. Leinster will most likely have to make more tackles in the second half and that's when a fresh Connors would be a huge asset.

I was thinking much the same.

people like to write Connors off but he’s always performed well whenever he’s selected for big leinster games or Ireland games in the past. Personally I think he offers more than VDF against a team like LAR. Even having Doris at 7, Conan 8, Baird 6 would offer more. However, VDF would be a very strong impact sub when LAR are a bit more tired in the second half, he injects a lot of pace and urgency into Leinster.

The one thing I remember about last years final apart from the utter heartbreak was just how much LAR took the piss with their "injuries" and how much they were allowed get away with it. The broadcast didn't really do it justice but Skelton among others (including Dillane) spent several minutes on the ground for treatment.

I am under no disillusion that on pitch treatments are and will always be important due to the nature of rugby.

But what we're seeing more of now is the physio treatment for nothing other than a players lungs to get a breather thus allowing players who are far too large being able to play for far too long. Shed the weight and you'll get the fitness. Rugby Union has enough problems without allowing 150kg players dictate when they can rest so they can maximise the damage they inflict.

I think if you're getting treatment of any kind that lasts more than a certain amount of time. You get it done on the sideline and your team plays with 14 until the next break in play. If that treatment is for a prop and the next play is a scrum - its uncontested. Yes teams could game this. But it's primarily massive teams who love a shove that would be dropping like flies so uncontested scrums works against them.

We have the Dupont Rule. I'd love to now see the Skelton rule.

Trying to inject pace in the second half is pointless when the other team is doing everything to slow the game down. Leinster need to bring the pace early and build a good lead. RAL specialise in turning the screw in the second half, Leinster need to be prepared to deal with it.

In fairness to Karl Dickson I think he is one of the refs that does hurry such antics up. LaR are serial floppers around the ruck too but like any good team will continue to do so unless penalised. Mind you, it probably does take Uini Atonio and Big Willy Skelton longer than normal to heave themselves away….

One would presume Leo Cullen etc have an opportunity to raise such concerns with the ref in advance.