Leinster Team Talk Thread (Love you Furlong time)

I can't see Leinster winning anything atm.

https://x.com/MoctarKane/status/1794401737853313224

This is a very similar try to the one Northampton probably could have scored near the end of the semi if Augustus had passed. They get outside the blitz line and then it's a two on one.

Larmour doesn't exactly cover himself in glory. I can't be too critical, because how much is he just doing what he's been told to do? But if he'd started just a fraction wider, covering the Toulouse edge man, and then trusted Henshaw just a bit more…

I'm thinking with Keenan gone for the 7s JOB on the right wing and Larmour at fullback might actually be better than the other way round in Leinster's attacking and defensive systems. Larmour just gets too narrow in defence too much, and he looked great going forward against the Bulls at 15.

Edit: not sure how to embed tweets.

You know that since the league has improved and competition is ferocious, am I wrong in saying that Leinster as a team have not improved? Not being pricky but, are supporters content with the shite we shoveled in Belfast a week ago?

For me if Leo is to leave , I would love ROG to take over

I don't know if Harry Byrne or Prendergast have ever played with JGP without injury to Ross

I've bitten the bullet and rewatched the game. For me, this might be the best Caelan Doris has ever played. When Leinster were struggling for momentum, he made a big carry to get them on the front foot. When Toulouse were on top, he acted the complete bollix at a ruck and killed the ball illegally without being spotted by the referee. It's a shame he had that brain fade late in extra time. It detracts from an excellent performance.

Henshaw was outstanding as well. Took on the defensive mantle in midfield in Ringrose's absence and also looked sharp in attack.

I don't think I've ever seen a front row forward quite like Dan Sheehan. His footwork to evade contact and speed off the mark is outstanding. His darts at the lineout were mostly very good as well.

Yesterday, I thought Leinster had missed their 'window' to win a Champions Cup. But we had so many great performances, especially up front, that I think this run to a final can be replicated one more time. We have a decent age profile in the pack, albeit I'm a bit worried about Furlongs replacement now Ala'alatoa is leaving. But that can be ameliorated elsewhere with the arrival of Snyman.

Another positive is how our scrum has improved recently. Against La Rochelle and now Toulouse, we had the better of them. Our lineout was solid in both games as well. It's something we can build upon next season, I hope.

More of a concern was the maul. We could never get going offensively and Toulouse plowed through our defensive set ups.

In a truly professional outfit Ross would have been let go long ago. Take Pep as an example. If he had a player that couldn't do one of the basic functions of the job ( I.e. run ) he would be out. In some ways you can admire a family type group holding on and encouraging a player to get better. But Leinster have to be better than that . Ross an Luke are not good enough and should be let go.

Did you watch the match v Ulster? Open thou eyes and gaze at a brutal performance. Was it not brutal?

Leinster have lost 4 of the last 5. 3 of those losses, Leinster were brutal. When was the last time this happened? Even if they were to win the URC, they have been substandard. I've not seen as many poor performances from them in years. They've gone backwards, in my mind.

Cullen is in the position where he gets none of the praise when Leinster win, but all of the criticism when they lose.

Bernard Jackman talked about Leo's role on the latest Rugby Weekly podcast. He's responsible for a lot of the mundane tasks that take time away from the on pitch coaches. He handles the media and admin tasks. But also liaising with the academy coaches and schools, monitoring the development and player pathways. He's a Director of Rugby in all but name.

The way I see it, Cullen took over when Leinster were in a far worse position than they are now. We'd grown stagnant under MOC and there was a danger that the player pipeline from academy to senior side had been broken. He came in, cleared the deck and integrated younger players into the side. When he knew his coaching wasn't good enough he brought on Lancaster. This has led to Leinster winning 4 league titles and a Champions Cup. It has also led to the province being the backbone of Ireland sides that have won back to back Six Nations titles and a series victory in New Zealand. That's a wildly successful tenure.

There might come a time where a lack of trophies at provincial level might cost him. But for now I think he has done a good job.

For next weekend against Connacht we need a big performance. Not only to get some momentum back after the final, but also because we've lost the last few matches. Need to restore some sort of winning feeling again.

We need a strong enough side to get the win, but not so strong that the players who played yesterday don't get the requisite rest for the Quarter Final in a fortnight.

I just don't want a repeat of a few seasons ago where we peaked for the Champions Cup Final but lost, pummeled Glasgow a week later, then looked out of gas against the Bulls.