Leinster Team Talk Thread (Love you Furlong time)

Clegg · 03-05-2025 08:03PM

Doris went off around 55/60 minutes. I don't know if he would have made the call to take the 3 near the end, but there was a significant drop off in play when he left. He scored a try and made at least three turnovers in the second half.

eagle eye · 03-05-2025 08:05PM

All Leinster's worst performances have come in crucial games at the end of the season. In '23 they didn't look anything like the team that dominated the Champions cup that season in the final.

Last year they fell over the line against Northampton and underperformed in the final. And now they go out to a side that the pundits expected them to beat by around 21 points.

It's all mental, I don't understand how they haven't addressed this. A decent sports psychologist is required and if they have one he needs to be sacked immediately.

As someone who has experience in the field I've seen many who are not up to the task and it's basically because they are looking to show their importance and be stuck in the faces of the players every day.

A proper sports psychologist's job is over 90% talking to and advising the coach on things he needs to say. It's only when a player admits he has issues that the sp steps in and talks to him.

Leinster need to find the right guy.

The first thing I'd tell the coach to say before the first game of the season is that this is our Champions cup final because if we don't win this one it's possible we don't win anything. That message would be part of the team talk every week.

leakyboots · 03-05-2025 08:18PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123415453#Comment_123415453

He looked like a rabbit in headlights, a player of his experience shouldn't be needing to look to the stands

leakyboots · 03-05-2025 08:19PM

Commiserations Leinster fans btw

AbusesToilets · 03-05-2025 08:22PM

Thought Baird went well today, Deegan less so, but was watching on my phone so hard to tell.

Genuinely so frustrating that Ryan has been missing for 3 of the biggest games of recent history. Have to think that game goes differently with him melting rucks over whatever Snyman was at.

TOB was pure quality, the difference his pace made in attack was marked. Hope he kicks on from here.

Cannot understand why Cullen doesn't trust McGrath to play in these matches. JGP is great, but he's no that much better after 60-70mins. McGrath has actually been in great form recently, use him ffs. The fact they brought Prendergast back on for TOB at the end was laughable.

autogrow · 03-05-2025 08:25PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123415593#Comment_123415593

might want to stick to his wife and not others and cop on

autogrow · 03-05-2025 08:28PM

so leinster spent how much on rg , barrett , slimmy and still be massive chokers at home again says alot , no wonder Irish rugby will never actually win a world cup but talk the talk , sad to see a premership team rip us a new one in the fisrt half , must be all up to coaching if all our players are so called world class and shoe in lions blh blah blah

awec · 03-05-2025 08:30PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123415607#Comment_123415607

Deegan played well up to this point in the tournament to deserve his start today but he was so not at the level of this game.

Deegan is a squad player for Leinster, he’ll never be anything more than that.

Paul Smeenus · 03-05-2025 08:55PM

Thought TOB was pretty good but not the world beater he's being made out to be on here. Lowe was poor and slow, Henshaw was alright, Ringrose was busy but not massively impactful, Keenan can be glad Kinghorn is injured. So TOB was by far the best of a fairly meh bunch. But he wasn't great. Freeman was superb .

Exclamation Marc · 03-05-2025 08:57PM

I thought Lowe had a very good game. Cracking banana kick at one point and largely kicked well.

Biggest disappointments for me were Snyman (anonymous), Deegan (also anonymous), Sam (shocker) and Hugo (one of his worst games in blue).

mr_edge_to_you · 03-05-2025 08:58PM

You really have to wonder what the story with Leinster is. There's something fundamentally wrong. They just can't get the job done.

If I take it that an IRFU dictat was the reason Barrett was on the bench, for the life of meI cannot understand how he didn't start the 2nd half. Leinster were on the back foot at the point and going nowhere. That's on the Leinster management.

Most of the kicking was aimless too.

I've a 10 yr old son who has never seen Leinster win a cup semi-final at home (Munster in URC a few years ago and today). The poor child actually thinks he's cursed.

On the plus side, ToB was outstanding. My wife was even impressed. Also, the disappointment is easier in a semi final I guess.

AbusesToilets · 03-05-2025 08:59PM

Freeman took his tries well, has good pace to him. Don't think he was markedly better than TOB from first viewing, just for getting to be the one to score from a sequence of passes

johnh6767 · 03-05-2025 09:00PM

Tough day for Sam , getting way too much **** on X , transition periods are hard from a Sexton level . Reality is Northampton played their game of the year and Finn Smith/ Pollock were 10/10

johnh6767 · 03-05-2025 09:02PM

Entirely disagree

Exclamation Marc · 03-05-2025 09:18PM

Hard to see how Ross wouldn't have been a better choice in hindsight over Sam. But that's hindsight for you. Sam was fairly toxic today and it's really bewildering how he was left on the pitch for so long. I've all the faith that he'll improve and in years to come will be a top tier talent but anyone who tries to argue his performance was even passable today needs their heads checked.

Paul Smeenus · 03-05-2025 09:22PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123415751#Comment_123415751

The way Freeman absolutely glided past Lowe was a fairly black mark. Happy to be talked around but there's zero reason to say he was "very good'.

Paul Smeenus · 03-05-2025 09:23PM

He didn't just get the ball with a straight run from twenty yard out. He worked very hard and delivered, always popper up in the right place.

johnh6767 · 03-05-2025 09:26PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123415831#Comment_123415831

Hindsight is 20/20 always easy to make decisions based on fact . Can’t blame the coaches on players performance

Mr Disco · 03-05-2025 09:30PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123415831#Comment_123415831

Now now we must all worship at the alter of Sam whether Leinster, Lions or Ireland fans…

Strand1970 · 03-05-2025 09:30PM

10 - 20 years ago a home semi would be big news nation wide. But now Leinster are the only competive Irish province. It's a bit like the leinster football championship, no one cares anymore. My point is leinster is so far ahead it's killing interest in rugby for the casual fans. NOT leinster'd fault but IRFU needs to address and propose solutions. I see at under age in counties 120 players at under 14's desperate to make the cut for development GAA county teams while local rugby clubs struggling to field 15 players at the same age, rugby not on the radar for these lads and these are athlete player within each county that all sports want to attract. Rugby and the IRFU needs to figure out how to make rugby more attractive to the young players. Apologies for the rant but I am sick of people giving out aboutLeinster and not realising the rest of the country is falling behind due to not making rugby attractive alternative and just focusing on the existing clubs and schools. Connacht fan

eastie17 · 03-05-2025 09:30PM

why oh why oh why oh why would u not not take the kick to level the game, get the ball back and build again. Brainless

dublin49 · 03-05-2025 09:31PM

forget isolated incidents , big picture Northampton scored 5 tries away against an odds on favourite for the title, fair play and good luck to them , they played great and we were below par, thats sport, on another day we hammer them, anyone wanna buy 2 tickets for final.

Exclamation Marc · 03-05-2025 09:32PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123415862#Comment_123415862

Yep, as I said... hindsight.

You can certainly blame coaches for player selection and inability to make changes when needed.

For Petes Sake · 03-05-2025 09:35PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123415244#Comment_123415244

I’m sorry but to leave Jordie Barrett on the bench for the Champions Cup semi-final, the exact reason you signed him to win, will go down as one of the most nonsensical team selections I’ve ever witnessed as a Leinster fan.

What was the point in having him if you’re not going to play him in these games? Complete rubbish to suggest the team that started was the right now. Not one player in their respective position in the outside backs is a better player than him.

It was a foolish call. Complete waste.

Exclamation Marc · 03-05-2025 09:38PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123415890#Comment_123415890

100%.

It was arrogance. If it was Toulouse, he'd have started. But they took Northampton as an easy ride.

Coaching ticket has a serious systemic issue.

Ruginator · 03-05-2025 09:40PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123415905#Comment_123415905

Arrogance summed up the day. Supporters arrogant. Leo's team selection no Jordie Barrett. But to top it off the Arrogance at the end to go for a tap penalty having already turned down a kickable penalty. Arrogance gets you nowhere.

Foxtrol · 03-05-2025 09:51PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123408916#Comment_123408916

I defended leaving Barrett on the bench but it only works when you have the rest of the team playing to the level needed to win and they were miles off it today.

Feel Leo's strength of keeping the wider squad happy and being best boy in class for rotating Irish starters has become a weakness. The team looked undercooked today and rudderless.

Big element of mental issue too, the side fails to hit their heights when it truly matters and they face stiff resistance. One too many years of a bounce of the ball being the difference in winning or losing when most of the 23 didnt play close to their peak performance.

AbusesToilets · 03-05-2025 09:53PM

At this stage, it's best team available every week. No reason to put out such a weak team last week.

conquestscarer · 03-05-2025 09:55PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123415754#Comment_123415754

Honestly, either Andy Farrell is the best coach in the world or Leo Cullen should be no where near a pro gig. Has to be one or the other doesn't it?

Ruginator · 03-05-2025 09:58PM

Irfu strategy is fucked. 3 provinces utterly disenfranchised. Leinster the golden goose constantly failing on the big stage. Rugby is in a bad place in this country.

Leinster Team Talk Thread (Love you Furlong time)

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