Leinster Team Talk Thread (Love you Furlong time)

Ringrose finished the second SA test at 14, w Henshaw at 13 and big Stu at 12 in a very good backline. It’s one way to get the best players on the field w Barrett in the mix. Farrell seems to get an extra few prevent out of many of these Leinster players.

Tell you something for free.

A lot of people have/ had reservations about Prendergasts size.

Frawley posted a pic on his instagram with all the half backs. Sam towers over them all! It was the first thing I noticed.

I know when you're stood beside Casey that isn't exactly a difficult thing…

I also appreciate that a photo tells only a fraction of a picture and there are mild perspective things at play here. But it's interesting visually to see how much taller Sam is than Frawley and Crowley and even how much broader he looks too.

Preview link is weird - it's the 6th pic

This is 100% it for me.

I haven't seen his lack of physical strength be an issue thus far in his defending, more his positioning and his willingness.

I really hope I'm wrong on this - but so far he hasn't struck me as a guy who loves the physical hitting in the way you ideally want him to.

So home kits no longer last for two seasons now? I know there have been a few exceptions like the last Adidas kit was a one season jersey but that was the last year of a five year deal. Most previous home kits covered two seasons, yes? (I know the alternates and the European kits may have changed more regularly than that)

Best uncapped side now that Osborne's an international:

1. Michael Milne
2. Lee Barron
3. Thomas Clarkson
4. Brian Deeny
5. Conor O'Tighearnaigh
6. Alex
7. Scott Penny
8. James Culhane
9. Cormac Foley
10. Sam Prendergast
11. Robert Russell
12. Ben Brownlee
13. Liam Turner
14. Tommy O'Brien
15. Henry McErlean
16. John McKee
17. Jack Boyle
18. Rory McGuire
19. Diarmuid Mangan
20. Martin Moloney
21. Fintan Gunne
22. Charlie Tector
23. Andrew Osborne

Who will be next to be capped? Prendergast is probably the most likely.

Will Boyle have a big season and overtake Milne? The latter's scrummaging was such an Achilles heel towards the end of the season.

Best uncapped side is a funny enough concept as there's only 14 senior players still uncapped ha.

(Actually as I type it I realise I'm going by Leinster site which isn't up to date on academy grads. Boyle got promoted so 15 that I count)

Prendergast surely in line for International minutes this November against Fiji or someone else fitness depending to others.

South Africa cemented a pretty clear pecking order for Farrell in Green of Crowley, Frawley and Prendergast (this could obviously change)

One maybe for the Ulster or Ireland thread but Aiden Morgan is a totally unknown quantity. I am NOT calling for him to be capped this November but he might go straight on the Emerging tour, and if he does well you never know. Stranger things have happened and Farrell (but now Easterby for the mo) is not afraid to make big calls.

Boyle started last season extremely strongly and Leinster looks to be managing his development quite well. His scrummaging performances were largely good but I am cognisant of fact that I had no previous performances to rate him on. He was a totally blank slate. Hopefully he starts this season and shows himself as a solid contender for European rugby.

As you said, Milne kinda forgot how to scrummage towards the end of last season. If I'm Boyle I'm looking at him saying that jersey is mine.

I wonder how well Morgan (1.72m, 82kg) handles the physicality. He's barely bigger than Michael Lowry (1.70m, 79kg). Might be better also if he was allowed to find his feet with Ulster through getting a run of games rather than being taken out of the set up soon after joining.