Leinster Team Talk/Gossip/Rumours Thread VII: The Fan-base Awakens

Larbre34 · 26-01-2016 05:41PM

I dunno, it seems this unwelcome trend needs a shock to the system to stop it.

Nucifora and Schmidt should communicate with the four provincial squads and say, we will not be selecting players who play outside the Irish system under any circumstances. Then there is no ambiguity, the players next move will be fully informed and their ambitions will be clear by the decisions they take.

awec · 26-01-2016 05:42PM

Larbre34 wrote: »

I dunno, it seems this unwelcome trend needs a shock to the system to stop it.

Nucifora and Schmidt should communicate with the four provincial squads and say, we will not be selecting players who play outside the Irish system under any circumstances. Then there is no ambiguity, the players next move will be fully informed and their ambitions will be clear by the decisions they take.

No point saying that when we are not in a position to actually do it.

Irish players playing abroad have always been selected if their performances merited it.

Imagine Sexton is out injured. Does anyone genuinely believe Keatley will be called up ahead of Madigan? We need at least 3 tight heads in every camp, Moore is nailed on to be one of those. As many wingers as we have few are as good as Earls. These guys will continue to be picked, the IRFU's focus is the Irish team and the Irish team is going to be weaker without them.

CMOTDibbler · 26-01-2016 05:44PM

awec wrote: »

Imagine Sexton is out injured. Does anyone genuinely believe Keatley will be called up ahead of Madigan?

:eek:

Paddy Jackson surely :pac:

Synode · 26-01-2016 05:51PM

CMOTDibbler wrote: »

:eek:

Paddy Jackson surely :pac:

He'd start. Madigan to bench

Buer · 26-01-2016 05:54PM

awec wrote: »

Imagine Sexton is out injured. Does anyone genuinely believe Keatley will be called up ahead of Madigan? We need at least 3 tight heads in every camp, Moore is nailed on to be one of those. As many wingers as we have few are as good as Earls. These guys will continue to be picked, the IRFU's focus is the Irish team and the Irish team is going to be weaker without them.

I'll make you a bet, awec, €50 for Earls and Moore are both fit in/not in the 23 for the first game of the 2017 6N? I reckon they won't be.

errlloyd · 26-01-2016 05:57PM

Buer wrote: »

I'll make you a bet, awec, €50 for Earls and Moore are both fit in/not in the 23 for the first game of the 2017 6N? I reckon they won't be.

Come on now, Moore and Earls could pass a military medical tomorrow and I still wouldn't make a bet conditional on either of them being fit for a Saturday morning game!

Buer · 26-01-2016 05:59PM

errlloyd wrote: »

Come on now, Moore and Earls could pass a military medical tomorrow and I still wouldn't make a bet conditional on either of them being fit for a Saturday morning game!

Bet is null and void if they're injured. Bet is only applicable if both are available for selection.

26-01-2016 06:03PM

Buer wrote: »

Bet is null and void if they're injured. Bet is only applicable if both are available for selection.

What if everyone else is injured.

You haven't thought this through.

awec · 26-01-2016 06:05PM

Buer wrote: »

I'll make you a bet, awec, €50 for Earls and Moore are both fit in/not in the 23 for the first game of the 2017 6N? I reckon they won't be.

So if one of them makes it, I win?

I'll take that bet!

awec · 26-01-2016 06:05PM

Deleted User wrote: »

What if everyone else is injured.

You haven't thought this through.

Shhhhhhh.

Buer · 26-01-2016 06:37PM

Deleted User wrote: »

What if everyone else is injured.

You haven't thought this through.

Then I lose. Needs for both of them to be in the 23 though which is going to take several injuries in specific positions.

awec · 26-01-2016 06:38PM

Buer wrote: »

Then I lose. Needs for both of them to be in the 23 though which is going to take several injuries in specific positions.

23? I am talking about the 35.

26-01-2016 06:45PM

awec wrote: »

23? I am talking about the 35.

If Marty Moore and Keith Earls are still rugby players in a year, Buer owes everyone €50.

Buer · 26-01-2016 07:01PM

awec wrote: »

23? I am talking about the 35.

Sure John Andress could make that!

errlloyd · 26-01-2016 07:14PM

So this weekend!

Looks like we have an alright back line,

McGrath, Marsh, Ringrose, Reid, teo, mcfadden, kirchener.

Probably with boss, Crosbie and kellegher on the bench, and Fanj and, McGrath overlooked.

It's the pack where we get a bit ropey.

Dooley, tracy, bent, moloney, a tall fan or potentially darragh fanning, Ryan, Murphy, leavy.

And the bench is anyone's guess...

The Rape of Lucretia · 26-01-2016 07:54PM

scott1974 wrote: »

I think it's referring to Nucifora :

Nucifora has previously admitted “straight away the players that go leave themselves at a disadvantage” over the thorny issue of Ireland stars opting to move abroad.

I think too much is being put on this statement. He has a mission to push this possibility.
There was no question of Jonny not being picked for Ireland. In the slightest. Even when in questionable form or fitness, he starts. Easterby or Bowe similarly in the past. What 50-50 call players have lost out from being abroad ? Any at all. The IRFU will not cut off its nose to spite its face. Our playing pool is small enough as it is. Privately, they might even admit that it suits to have someone else paying a few big salaries. But wont say so, if it keeps downward pressure on the price they must pay to those who value an international career. Its just a game of call my bluff at this stage. The more who move, the more the bluff becomes an unplayable gambit.

.ak · 26-01-2016 11:28PM

errlloyd wrote: »

So this weekend!

Looks like we have an alright back line,

McGrath, Marsh, Ringrose, Reid, teo, mcfadden, kirchener.

Probably with boss, Crosbie and kellegher on the bench, and Fanj and, McGrath overlooked.

It's the pack where we get a bit ropey.

Dooley, tracy, bent, moloney, a tall fan or potentially darragh fanning, Ryan, Murphy, leavy.

And the bench is anyone's guess...

Is McFadden still not banned?

errlloyd · 26-01-2016 11:46PM

.ak wrote: »

Is McFadden still not banned?

Nope. 3 week ban, missing ospreys and Europe games. So he's back. That btw would allow us to go with Reid at ten, Teo and Ringrose centre. Mcfadden could kick and either kellegher could start, or one of Fanj and Mick could play (I'd like to see Mick McGrath again).

irishbucsfan · 27-01-2016 12:02AM

Did someone say Reid at 10?

errlloyd · 27-01-2016 12:16AM

irishbucsfan wrote: »

Did someone say Reid at 10?

Guilty as charged.

Tox56 · 27-01-2016 12:18AM

irishbucsfan wrote: »

Did someone say Reid at 10?

molloyjh · 27-01-2016 11:42AM

Yeah our back line could be pretty reasonable for this one, but our pack a little soft. I'm not too worried about our starting front row. Bent hasn't much rugby this season but he has always been solid if unspectacular. The bench options at prop though are really green. I'm assuming Beirne will partner Molony in the second row. Ryan, Murphy and Leavy as the back row should be enough but doesn't fill me with overwhelming confidence either.

I'm assuming we'll see something like:

Dooley Tracy Bent
Molony Beirne
Ryan Murphy Leavy

McGrath Marsh
Te'o Ringrose
Fanning Kirchner McFadden

Dundon, Loughman, Heffernan, O'Connor, Timmins, McCarthy, Crosbie, Reid

I'd be happy if we took anything at all from the game as I'm not convinced that we will. But then how many squads can lose 30+ players and have any hope of getting anything at all?

former total · 27-01-2016 11:45AM

TBH, it will be no harm to see if Dooley, Tracy and Molony can back up their performances against Bath with another one of similar intensity. I'd hope VDF will be released from camp, and that would leave second-row as the only real weak spot.

The bench could be a nightmare though.

molloyjh · 27-01-2016 12:34PM

former total wrote: »

TBH, it will be no harm to see if Dooley, Tracy and Molony can back up their performances against Bath with another one of similar intensity. I'd hope VDF will be released from camp, and that would leave second-row as the only real weak spot.

The bench could be a nightmare though.

Yeah there's a few guys there that I'm not at all worried about. But Beirne has only gotten 20 mins so far this season, Bent isn't exactly the most dynamic, our back row is fine but no more than that, our back 3 are the auld lads of the squad and the bench is as green as they come. And who captains that side? It's hardly choc full of experience and leadership.

Hagz · 27-01-2016 12:34PM

I think Beirne and Thornbury are injured. Haven't seen them in the training snaps and they weren't involved in the 'A' fixture. We may well see Dave O'Connor in the second-row alongside Molony.

molloyjh · 27-01-2016 12:39PM

Hagz wrote: »

I think Beirne and Thornbury are injured. Haven't seen them in the training snaps and they weren't involved in the 'A' fixture. We may well see Dave O'Connor in the second-row alongside Molony.

I know Thornbury is injured all right as I saw him in a sling in the RDS at the Bath game. Haven't seen or heard anything about Beirne being injured though and I'm assuming someone went to Coventry as back-up lock. Beirne played 69 mins against Moseley and came off with a couple of others so he wasn't injured in that one I wouldn't think.

Buer · 27-01-2016 01:21PM

As odd as it sounds, away to the Dragons will be as much of a test of these younger guys as the Bath game was. It's not difficult to motivate yourself to deliver in a high profile fixture in front of a raucous home crowd where the pressure is off. Away to the Dragons in front of partisan crowd (partisan is being polite for Rodney Parade) when attention is all elsewhere will say just as much about their motivation and ability to step up.

The Dragons have only 3 players in the Welsh squad with only 1 forward so are largely unaffected and will have consistency in their selection and training. They'll be more than happy to take Leinster down; they never make it easy over there and will be rightly licking their lips at the opportunity to beat a vastly understrength team. At this point, a losing BP might be a good result.

molloyjh · 27-01-2016 01:24PM

Buer wrote: »

As odd as it sounds, away to the Dragons will be as much of a test of these younger guys as the Bath game was. It's not difficult to motivate yourself to deliver in a high profile fixture in front of a raucous home crowd where the pressure is off. Away to the Dragons in front of partisan crowd (partisan is being polite for Rodney Parade) when attention is all elsewhere will say just as much about their motivation and ability to step up.

The Dragons have only 3 players in the Welsh squad with only 1 forward so are largely unaffected and will have consistency in their selection and training. They'll be more than happy to take Leinster down; they never make it easy over there and will be rightly licking their lips at the opportunity to beat a vastly understrength team. At this point, a losing BP might be a good result.

Agree with this. They always make these games real dog fights and I just don't know how we're going to cope with that.

irishbucsfan · 27-01-2016 01:29PM

I think for these guys their motivation is entirely linked to the fact they're not first choice. There's two real groups here, the academy/development guys and the more established fringe guys.

The development/academy guys like Dooley/Tracy/Moloney/Leavy/McGrath/Marsh/Ringrose will be motivated by trying to shine as much as possible throughout this period to establish themselves for when the internationals return. As far as they're concerned the return of the internationals after the 6 Nations might be the end of their season. I don't think the opposition will change that, I'd expect them to go all out over the next few weeks.

The other group I'm more concerned about. Guys like Ryan/Murphy/McFadden. These guys have had the gauntlet thrown down this year and a few of them have lost ground. I'm hoping they'll recognise the threat of the guys coming up behind them and really push themselves hard to re-establish themselves.

irishbucsfan · 27-01-2016 01:29PM

I think for these guys their motivation is entirely linked to the fact they're not first choice. There's two real groups here, the academy/development guys and the more established fringe guys.

The development/academy guys like Dooley/Tracy/Moloney/Leavy/McGrath/Marsh/Ringrose will be motivated by trying to shine as much as possible throughout this period to establish themselves for when the internationals return. As far as they're concerned the return of the internationals after the 6 Nations might be the end of their season. I don't think the opposition will change that, I'd expect them to go all out over the next few weeks.

The other group I'm more concerned about. Guys like Ryan/Murphy/McFadden. These guys have had the gauntlet thrown down this year and a few of them have lost ground. I'm hoping they'll recognise the threat of the guys coming up behind them and really push themselves hard to re-establish themselves.

Leinster Team Talk/Gossip/Rumours Thread VII: The Fan-base Awakens

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