Leinster Team Talk Thread (Love you Furlong time)

What are you disagreeing about? That he was coming back from long term injury?

He played against Ulster, in his first game back after months out. Hardly ideal prep.

I don't see this as some sort of controversial dropping, and I doubt many do tbh.

Was pretty much agreed on that he was very rusty the week before and should have come off the bench as Jenkins was in great form at the time. He ended up coming on at half time as Jenkins got injured.

You'll have various liars pointing out he missed a tap tackle against France….

On the one hand you bemoan the conversation becoming about Prendergast. But then post things like the above, just for someone having a difference of opinion. Do you not see how these things are related?

when the entire rest of the team were AWOL but that can be ignored.

Incorrect. Loads of people at the time said the rest of the team weren't good enough too. Both things can be true.

With regards James Ryan, I have some sympathy for Cullen. My suspicion - admittedly with nothing to back it up - is that he was hamstrung from the IRFU from starting both Snyman and Barrett in the same game.

Total bollocks. This is a European Champions Cup semi final. If the IRFU are trying to get involved then any coach worth their salt should be telling them to where to go.

I rate JVDF more highly, but I get the decision to start Connors in that game. Connors at his peak was an exceptional player, and one of the best tacklers I've ever seen. The thinking was probably that put Connors out there to try and take the sting out of Toulouse's big carriers early on, and then spring JVDF off the bench to bring impetus, carrying and momentum in the second half.

I'm not necessarily saying it was the right decision or the wrong decision, but I don't think it was an egregiously bad decision.

We lost that final in 2024 to Toulouse by some pretty slim margins, got absolutely nothing on the day from Matthew Carley, and it still took an all time great performance from one of the greatest players to ever play the game in Antoine Dupont.

We hear all the time from coaches that they see it as a 23 man game, and that they believe fans read too much into who starts games, and I think that's what you're doing here.

Noel McNamara has extended his contract with Bordeaux until 2029. Fair play to him. Developed a lot as a coach since leaving his role at the Leinster Academy.

You could argue that Prendergast coming on at full-back or wing is worse than frawley coming on at 10

That penalty against Ross Moloney.

On that note, again, once I figure out how to transfer tickets, I've four tickets to both games available to someone I would prefer to be a genuine fan if anyone desires it.

Would prefer to stick to my usual t&cs but proving difficult alas.

Having thought about a potential team for this weekend, there is probably 0 chance all the front liners play both of these URC games. Many played against Benetton, Toulon and then potentially 4 weeks in a row from Champions cup final to a URC final, if they get there. So they are looking at 8 weeks in a row. With that in mind, and how the second string went in Belfast, I’d give whoever played last weekend this week off, and go full string next week vs Ospreys to build some cohesion for the final.

I reckon we see something similar to the Ulster lineup. Obviously pie in the sky trying to predict with what’s on the horizon but I predict we could see something like:

1. Cahir 2. Kelleher 3. Slim/Furlong 4. Deeny 5. Soroka 6. Deegan 7. Penny 8. Culhane 9. McGrath 10. Prendergast 11. JOB/Lowe 12. Tector 13. Reiko 14. JJ Kenny 15. JOB/Frawley

16. G McCarthy 17. E Byrne 18. Slim/Furlong 19 O’Tighearnaigh 20. Connors 21. Gunne 22. JOB/Frawley 23. JOB/Lowe

SP's deficiencies in defence are just too easy to exploit. It cost him his place for Ireland.

I don't think it did TBH, we all knew about his liability in defence, it was the collapse of the other parts of his game that did for him in the 6N. His performance against Italy was shocking and defence was the least of it.

anybody else look for final tickets this morning in the STH sale?

Seemed to be all gone within 5 minutes. I got what I needed, but weirdly the tickets i was issued werent in the section I chose from the Seat Picker screen. I don't really mind, happy to have tickets sorted, but strange.