Leinster Team Talk Thread (Love you Furlong time)

kig · 13-06-2026 04:12PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124548064#Comment_124548064

Balloucoune hasn't exactly been able to be without injury either, but I agree he was very good. All I'm saying is that going into a world cup you need as many options and alternatives as possible, and we have just kicked a good one in the teeth.

bingobango12 · 13-06-2026 08:14PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124547816#Comment_124547816

This is from an ex player that obviously has an in with some players in the squad. That is from Tracy, on OTB so he is hardly saying it if not exactly what he say been told. So not sure how much needs to be taken with a pinch of salt.

With Lowes arthritis he doesn’t play a huge amount of games for Leinster, so why should Leinster fork out for his salary when he will mainly play for Ireland? It’s not just Lowe that wasn’t treated well but also POM, an Irish captain.

When you offer someone half the money on a 1 year, it’s obviously he would take a 2 year option on better money, but if everything out there is to believed, along with his own statement he absolutely wanted to stay.

Let’s see long term but this hard line (borderline f**king over players) negotiations from the IRFU may bite them long term when very respected player much as Murray, POM, Lowe likely don’t have a positive word to say about them.

50HX · 13-06-2026 08:37PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124548823#Comment_124548823

Whatever about POM in his final season he has sone meaningful minutes at test level.

Murray played the some total of 84 test minutes in his final year, half of which came v Fiji in the autumn & Italy in 6N's.

He got his one year contract & we can talk in depth about why he got it re viable options behind him at the time but i think somewhere some blazer in the irfu with a calculator has looked at the return on those minutes & deemed it a poor business decision.

Possibly the same conclusion has been arrived at with Lowe.

pickarooney · 14-06-2026 06:07AM

Why would any player ever sign a 1+1 contract again when it's completely meaningless now? A contract with an extension under the sale terms unless one party decides not to continue or the employer changes all the conditions of the contract unilaterally isn't worth the paper it's written on.

By all means, tell the player you can't afford to extend and to look for a job elsewhere but don't take the absolute piss out of him.

El_Duderino 09 · 14-06-2026 06:29AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124549537#Comment_124549537

I wonder if the terms would have been different if he hadn't been injured since the 6N? An older player who only has one year to play at the top of the game, is in a weaker negotiation position when they're currently injured.

Packrat · 14-06-2026 09:52AM

It seems to me that having 5 proven wingers for the 2027RWC would be prudent given the level of injuries that happen in the game. The likelihood of at least one if not two of Hansen, ToB, Balacoune or Stockdale being unavailable through injury seems high given their (all of them) past history. Ward, Kenny, Bolton or A.N.Other may step up and be ready, - or they may not, possibly injured themselves. I'd hate to be facing a WC Semi final with Stockdale starting and the only cover option being moving Crowley JGP or Osborne out. That would be amateur hour stuff.

None of this is Leinsters problem to solve in fairness. Why should they pay in full for a player like Lowe who largely wouldn't be available.

No. This is on the IRFU on Farrell. He ought to have been involved if he wasnt. If he was, then either he has no say or his strategic thinking needs work.

Overall its very very poor strategic move, bordering on lunacy. They'll waste a lot more than it would have cost to keep Lowe in other ways in that time.

On Murray being kept but playing few minutes, - that was necessary. JGP is fortunately very durable, but there was nobody else behind him at test level apart from Murray at the time.

AbusesToilets · 14-06-2026 02:22PM

Will Lowe feature for the upcoming tests now? I can't imagine that Farrell wasn't intending on selecting him.

El_Duderino 09 · 14-06-2026 03:45PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124550192#Comment_124550192

Depending on when his contract ends he might be eligible but I doubt they will play him even if he is.

Although would they want to play him to give him a send-off? Actually you pose a good question. My instinct says no.

AbusesToilets · 14-06-2026 04:12PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124550368#Comment_124550368

Dunno, Farrell has shown he really buys into sentiment for players, Earls final game for example. I think he'll get picked myself, perhaps as a FU by Farrell to the IRFU for screwing over Lowe.

Podge_irl · 14-06-2026 04:51PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124550368#Comment_124550368

Meh, the "eligibility" is entirely an internal IRFU thing so it is not like there are any actual rules about it.

50HX · 14-06-2026 07:35PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124550368#Comment_124550368

Would make absolutely no sense for Farrell to play him even if still in contract.

This could all backfire horribly for irfu, he's still the physically strongest winger we have we a point of difference no other winger has

P.Walnuts · 15-06-2026 02:51PM

Porter out for Friday…

bingobango12 · 15-06-2026 03:06PM

2 of Usanov/Cahir/Byrne vs that Bulls scrum will be a tough tough ask.

FtD v2 · 15-06-2026 03:17PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124552617#Comment_124552617

Not surprised, but absolutely shite news.

Doubts about Sheehan and Doris too.

It's another aspect that doesn't really get discussed in the context of central contracts - the fact that if Doris or Sheehan played for an English or French club, they'd be starting on Friday, but because they're with an Irish province that gamble won't be taken in all likelihood. IRFU would feel it's more important they're available to play Australia in a few weeks' time than play the URC Grand Final.

FtD v2 · 15-06-2026 03:21PM

I'm pretty worried about Friday's game.

Guessing we'll have Usanov & Cahir as our LHPs (up against Wilco Louw and Francois Klopper).

The Bulls team will have Cameron Hanekom, Elrigh Louw, Ruan Vermaak, Handre Pollard, Gerhard Steenekamp and Kurt-Lee Arendse, all of whom they didn't have 12 months ago.

We don't have Porter, Baird, Snyman, Jordie Barrett (obviously), Paddy McCarthy / Jack Boyle, and then potentially Sheehan and Doris too on top of everything else, when the only real addition to us this year is we have Hugo Keenan.

JeanRasczak · 15-06-2026 03:52PM

We have the yearly pod from Jackman telling everyone how brill the Bulls are and that he has no idea bout Leinster and if they will win.

It gets a bit tiresome when every podcast and him telling everyone how great SA rugby is or English etc and that Irish rugby is shite

letsbefair · 15-06-2026 05:28PM

They will go 6-2 and try to mill us up front.

ersatz · 15-06-2026 05:38PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124552683#Comment_124552683

Are there any long term studies/results of the player management system wrt injuries and availability of Irish players being better than their French/English/Welsh counterparts? I've heard the argument that the system helps extend careers but that's a hard one to prove one way or another. There will be significantly more pressure on this system now that squads are smaller.

bingobango12 · 15-06-2026 07:21PM

What's the make up of the backrow if Doris doesn't make it? Assuming Conan goes to 8, does Deegan start at 6, Soroka comes back in? I hope they stay with Osbourne and Ioane in the centre, even with Osbourne not being great the second half of the season. I fear they go with Henshaw and Ringrose though. Is TOB back for Friday? No mention of him at all in the report.

AbusesToilets · 15-06-2026 07:50PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124553338#Comment_124553338

Soroka at 6, with Culhane coming in on the bench for me.

johnh6767 · 15-06-2026 08:17PM

There’s always a fury of doom coming up to these matches. Last year JGP was injured and Gunne came on and scored a great try. Trust the process, system and team, we have enough good players to get over the line here.

I don’t know how the international players do their workload so effectively without exhaustion , agree the more rested at the >30’s the better

mr_edge_to_you · 16-06-2026 10:40AM

Seems there is some nice seats on upper team available for sale now at €30 a pop.

Don't understand why they didn't blitz the market with cheaper tickets on day one.

user060916 · 16-06-2026 11:12AM

The usual, screw over fans who buy early.

sydthebeat · 16-06-2026 01:22PM

yeah 704 to 707 open and great price for those seats, some front rows available currently.

crisco10 · 16-06-2026 04:20PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124554980#Comment_124554980

Yeah, im ragin. Would have much preferred those seats than the ones i have.

bingobango12 · 16-06-2026 04:35PM

A handful of season ticket holders/regular match goers I know have copped onto this and wait until later in the week to get tickets now if a game isn't going to sell out. Presume there is others doing the same. 30k tickets sold as of yesterday, would be great if it got to 40k+ by Friday.

mr_edge_to_you · 16-06-2026 06:26PM

It's bad form I think.

I was waiting to buy tickets this week because I reckoned something like this might happen or like all other games there'd be tickets knocking around. I often end up picking up tickets that people are trying to offload (via ticketswap) or pass on, rather than have them go to waste (in which case I will always offer a contribution or charity donation on their behalf).

But my missus went and bought an expensive ticket at the weekend for me and my son as a father's day present because she was afraid that there'd be none left and thought it would be a nice surprise.

..........and then they wonder why people are losing interest.

Fans are being taken for a ride at this stage I think.

johnh6767 · 16-06-2026 09:06PM

Ok what ever the management can be accused of, ticket prices is not one of them. €20-50 to go to a final of a great competition is incredible value. Are we really saying that going to a final is worth the same as 5 pints of beer? That’s absolutely beyond ridiculous

mr_edge_to_you · 16-06-2026 10:53PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124556171#Comment_124556171

Its not unreasonable for an individual ticket but very different when you go to games as a family.

I think it's tough for supporters who fork out time and time again, week in week out.

A family ticket in the Aviva two weeks ago was €46. This time round it was €104 for seated tickets. That's a big difference.

When you spend hundreds every year buying tickets and supporting the team it's bad form seeing better tickets being released today at lower prices, it's tough to take.

Podge_irl · 17-06-2026 05:30AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124554492#Comment_124554492

They don't open the upper tier at all if ticket sales aren't good enough so they can't sell them early.

Leinster Team Talk Thread (Love you Furlong time)

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