Leinster Team Talk Thread (Love you Furlong time)

That McGuire fella is a big unit, great clear out at the end that Soroka celebrated. Frawley just isn't a 10. Cooney looks lively.

A.I. nonsense.

Some positives:

Boyle was pretty dominant in the scrum. Both the O’Briens did well with limited ball. Tector looking the part at 12.

Some negatives:

Frawley, Deegan, all of our decision making

I never thought Leinster's scrum would become so dominant. Porter has always been targeted as a scrummager that could give away penalties, but he has been rock solid for Ireland and Leinster this season. The addition of Slimani is obviously one factor to our improved scrummaging, but Jack Boyle and Tom Clarkson have quickly become very capable in their own right.

Boyle was winning scrum penalties for fun last night and Clarkson is holding his side steady for Ireland in the Six Nations. Paddy McCarthy and Rory McGuire looked solid too and they're not as experienced as the others yet either.

It's not solely down to the props either. Mangan and Deeny are just as important to making that scrum look powerful. Same with Ryan, McCarthy and Snyman.

SHarks 29-17 ahead v bulls now. Last few minutes. Big boost for Leinster.

Diarmuid Mangan named in the Ireland senior squad is a big surprise. He's played well this season as a lock/blindside hybrid and has taken part in bigger games than I'd expected him to. Was really good against Connacht before Christmas.

I guess he's in there as a training panelist so the coaches can get a better look at him. Hopefully he impresses.

Seems much more like this yeah.

Good for Mangan as it can only be a good thing for him.

But if they were naming "development players" like they did at the start of the campaign I imagine the asterisk would be beside his name.

Wasn't in contention for the A panel and the seniors needed bodies for training.

It’s roughly 43% of all Irish eligible players called into either the A or full squad. I think a bunch of the lads in the full squad are in there just to hold the tackle bags as I’m guessing some of the players in the full squad will play in the A game.

A number of people saying that Frawley isn't a 10. If he isn't a 10 what is he? Full Back? Centre?

HHe's Probably in the role of utility back now. 10/12/15. But not preferred choice at any of those positions. Handy to have around because he can do the job but never the first choice.

He has a versatile enough skillset and a large enough body of work for people to make a valid case based on evidence they choose to weight more over others.

Personally I think his best position is 12. I think J Barrett is a person Frawley should be looking to copy. Yes he gives up a few kgs and a few cms on Barrett.

But Barrett has made a remarkably successful career out of being versatile but doing his primary job well enough that the versatility on the pitch is icing on the cake rather than sacrificing core aspects of the role to get those versatile elements (goal kicking, fielding the ball, play making etc)

Given his 6'3" frame I don't see any reason he can't and wont get to ~98-100kgs. Henshaw is a similar height and has been carrying in and around that the majority of his career.

Frawley is more physical than he is given credit for, but lacks the physicality to be a top, top level 12 at present.

If he nails down the fundamentals of a 12, then the ball handling skills, the kicking game, the distributing vision all add to it and make him a serious contender there.

I don't suggest he plays the utility role though.

I suggest he nails down the 12 role and the versatility that he brings adds to it.

Barrett spent the first few years of his career flitting around the backline until he found his groove at 12. Frawley is only 7 months younger than him amazingly but I think there is scope there.

His biggest issue with this plan comes in the shape of Jamie Osborne who offers a lot of what Frawley does but bags more physicality.