Leinster Team Talk/Gossip/Rumours Thread XI (The Finals Countdown)

Paul Smeenus · 15-01-2021 2:28pm

Stout Warrior wrote: »

Any way of determining where the “live” option is on iplayer? At the moment I’m in bbc sport NI website and see no iplayer option. In the Iplayer itself it’s only recorded shows doesn’t show any area for live tv or events

They'll put a link closer to the time, probably

arsebiscuits1 · 15-01-2021 3:52pm

https://www.bbc.com/sport/live/rugby-union/55649976

Buer · 15-01-2021 3:53pm

arsebiscuits1 wrote: »

https://www.bbc.com/sport/live/rugby-union/55649976

I had been intending on spending some quality time with the wife later.

Had been.

OneLungDavy · 15-01-2021 3:55pm

I can't remember the last time I was so excited to watch an 'A' game.

arsebiscuits1 · 15-01-2021 4:06pm

Excellent clearance by Foley there

arsebiscuits1 · 15-01-2021 4:09pm

Some nice passing on display so far (excluding Foley being intercepted)

arsebiscuits1 · 15-01-2021 4:13pm

Twice Foley has been intercepted. Needs to improve there. 9s cannot get intercepted

bayern · 15-01-2021 4:14pm

Leinster scrumhalves and passing..

arsebiscuits1 · 15-01-2021 4:18pm

In fairness to him. That's another phenomenal clearance

bayern · 15-01-2021 4:24pm

Lineout a mess

theVersatile · 15-01-2021 4:24pm

Clarkson on at Loose instead of Boyle?

arsebiscuits1 · 15-01-2021 4:24pm

Why is Clarkson on at LH? Or did they move McGrath over? Wonder did Boyle take a knock in the warm up

RugbyLover123 · 15-01-2021 4:32pm

3 missed line outs already.

That advantage went on far too long with them going nowhere.

PMC83 · 15-01-2021 4:37pm

Pretty poor first half from Leinster. Line outs all over the shop and every time they get a few phases together they throw a crazy wide pass.

arsebiscuits1 · 15-01-2021 4:37pm

PMC83 wrote: »

Pretty poor first half from Leinster. Line outs all over the shop and every time they get a few phases together they throw a crazy wide pass.

Forcing far too much

arsebiscuits1 · 15-01-2021 4:38pm

Greg McGrath playing loosehead. Looks comfortable there

arsebiscuits1 · 15-01-2021 4:39pm

Ah for **** sake.

How is it still penalty advantage after a line break?

arsebiscuits1 · 15-01-2021 4:40pm

Leinster need to start trying to play in Ulsters half.

Why tap and go off the scrum free kick? Gotta start nudging Ulster into their third of the pitch

arsebiscuits1 · 15-01-2021 4:46pm

**** me that was a poor half.

No consistency in possession and far too disorganised without it.

A lot of players really guilty of forcing everything. Lost possession twice trying to play out of our own 22.

It would be easier to play the percentages with a functioning lineout mind you.

bayern · 15-01-2021 4:47pm

ulster should be much further ahead.

arsebiscuits1 · 15-01-2021 4:50pm

bayern wrote: »

ulster should be much further ahead.

Yeah suprised they're not. Territory and possession stats must be stacked in their favour.

The silver lining for Leinster is their scramble D has been good so far

arsebiscuits1 · 15-01-2021 4:58pm

What's Foley doing with those box kicks?

Neither were ever on

arsebiscuits1 · 15-01-2021 5:10pm

I think that's what they call "instant impact" there from Patterson...

Squidgy Black · 15-01-2021 5:10pm

Lovely try.

Turner looks like he's bulked up a fair bit over the past couple months. Bit like most of us but probably less beer.

sydthebeat · 15-01-2021 5:21pm

thats a beautiful try for sexton

arsebiscuits1 · 15-01-2021 5:22pm

After a very good start, Patterson has been poor. Passing is too slow and his kicking game has been dire.

thomond2006 · 15-01-2021 5:24pm

You can keep these ones, Leinster.

pickarooney · 15-01-2021 5:27pm

bayern wrote: »

Yeah Soroka may be bigger, you'd wonder if he will outgrow 8 given his current size at 19.

How do you outgrow 8? Billy V has 25kg on him.

arsebiscuits1 · 15-01-2021 5:27pm

pickarooney wrote: »

How do you outgrow 8? Billy V has 25kg on him.

Vunipola is quite obviously an exception

bayern · 15-01-2021 5:28pm

pickarooney wrote: »

How do you outgrow 8? Billy V has 25kg on him.

Different athletes carry weight more easily.

If you can't see than Billy V and Soroka are different I dunno what to tell you.

pickarooney · 15-01-2021 5:41pm

bayern wrote: »

Different athletes carry weight more easily.

If you can't see than Billy V and Soroka are different I dunno what to tell you.

They look nothing alike, I just don't understand how Soroka at 105kg is in any danger of being too big for 8.

arsebiscuits1 · 15-01-2021 5:43pm

Extremely frustrating game. Was ****ing looking forward to this and all.

Those Leinster lads will need to take a harsh look at themselves and ask why they should be considered for selection for higher honours putting together performances like that.

Lethargic. Inaccurate. Poor decision making. Skill levels below par. Forcing things in completely brain dead positions. They might be young. But the intellect needs to be better.

How many times were they intercepted? Shocking.

Just a really deflating performance there.

VANG1 · 15-01-2021 5:44pm

Great lesson for our boys, great ref kept the game moving, didn’t bother with offside! We looked very under cooked and not a team. Plenty of work ones.

arsebiscuits1 · 15-01-2021 5:45pm

pickarooney wrote: »

They look nothing alike, I just don't understand how Soroka at 105kg is in any danger of being too big for 8.

Have you seen him? He's a conservative 105. And he's still very young. Can't think of any under 20s back rows in recent years who were anywhere near as physically developed as him

pickarooney · 15-01-2021 5:50pm

He didn't really strike me as being particularly big watching him there. Are number 8s usually smaller than other back rows? I know Ardie Savea is relatively slight but lads like Vermeulen and Aldritt are big lumps at the back and none the worse for it.

sydthebeat · 15-01-2021 5:59pm

same as the firsts, they find a rush defence very hard to handle... Paynes hands were all over that.

While theres plenty of good rugby players among out half backs, theres a dearth of good decision makers I feel.
Perhaps its as a result of playing behind dominant packs most of the time, but its clear that once we go a score or two behind, the way to play leinster is to rush them and force them into making decisions. The correct decision more often is to relinquish possession and play for territory with some kick tennis, and pressure the opposition defence. Most confidence in our line out would help to.
however we tend to over play and get caught behind. How many times today did we see the one out pass being pressurised?

out of today , Osbourne looked good going forward but suspect in defence at 13.

Patterson always a threat, but passing and kicking leave a lot to be desired.

Nobody else really stood out to me as worthy of mention.

Bill Johnson was head and shoulders above every other player on the pitch

mfceiling · 15-01-2021 6:04pm

I'm delighted!!

Good showing from Ulster. Izzy, McCann and Sheridan the pick of the forwards. Pick and goes straight up the middle seemed to have been a pre worked ploy and gained us plenty of metres.

Not often we get the better of Leinster so you'll forgive me if I dine out on this for a while!!

arsebiscuits1 · 15-01-2021 6:10pm

sydthebeat wrote: »

same as the firsts, they find a rush defence very hard to handle... Paynes hands were all over that.

While theres plenty of good rugby players among out half backs, theres a dearth of good decision makers I feel.
Perhaps its as a result of playing behind dominant packs most of the time, but its clear that once we go a score or two behind, the way to play leinster is to rush them and force them into making decisions. The correct decision more often is to relinquish possession and play for territory with some kick tennis, and pressure the opposition defence. Most confidence in our line out would help to.
however we tend to over play and get caught behind. How many times today did we see the one out pass being pressurised?

out of today , Osbourne looked good going forward but suspect in defence at 13.

Patterson always a threat, but passing and kicking leave a lot to be desired.

Nobody else really stood out to me as worthy of mention.

Bill Johnson was head and shoulders above every other player on the pitch

I'd give Greg McGrath a shout out too. Switched to loosehead early and won a penalty against O'Toole whose an excellent tighthead.

Looks to be a decent find and giving himself a great shot at getting some pro rugby

stellenbosch · 15-01-2021 6:14pm

sydthebeat wrote: »

same as the firsts, they find a rush defence very hard to handle... Paynes hands were all over that.

While theres plenty of good rugby players among out half backs, theres a dearth of good decision makers I feel.
Perhaps its as a result of playing behind dominant packs most of the time, but its clear that once we go a score or two behind, the way to play leinster is to rush them and force them into making decisions. The correct decision more often is to relinquish possession and play for territory with some kick tennis, and pressure the opposition defence. Most confidence in our line out would help to.
however we tend to over play and get caught behind. How many times today did we see the one out pass being pressurised?

out of today , Osbourne looked good going forward but suspect in defence at 13.

Patterson always a threat, but passing and kicking leave a lot to be desired.

Nobody else really stood out to me as worthy of mention.

Bill Johnson was head and shoulders above every other player on the pitch

Turner equally poor in defence and tbh his hands are not great either.

bayern · 15-01-2021 6:42pm

pickarooney wrote: »

They look nothing alike, I just don't understand how Soroka at 105kg is in any danger of being too big for 8.

he is 19.. he is likely continue to fill out and get heavier. Which may mean he has to move position.

Richie_Rich89 · 15-01-2021 7:20pm

pickarooney wrote: »

He didn't really strike me as being particularly big watching him there. Are number 8s usually smaller than other back rows? I know Ardie Savea is relatively slight but lads like Vermeulen and Aldritt are big lumps at the back and none the worse for it.

I'd says 8s are usually the heaviest of the three backrows. Sometimes it's the blindside if you've got a big lock-like 6 in there - PSTD is 120kg, apparently.

Some heavy 8s other than Vunipola

Nick Williams 130kg
David Lyons 127kg
Gillian Galan 120kg
Ben Morgan 117kg
Duane Vermuelen 117kg
Louis Picamoles 116kg
Nick Easter 115kg

Weights from Wikipedia and might not be completely reliable

El_Duderino 09 · 15-01-2021 8:25pm

Completely fair result. Ulster were much more sharp in every aspect. The Leinster aerial game was totally outmatched. Ulster also looked for the interception so many times that I wonders if they were all offside all the time or if Leinster were just very slow from the base of the ruck.

Ryan Baird was very poor and Patterson made a big impact when he came on.

sydthebeat · 15-01-2021 8:35pm

Richie_Rich89 wrote: »

I'd says 8s are usually the heaviest of the three backrows. Sometimes it's the blindside if you've got a big lock-like 6 in there - PSTD is 120kg, apparently.

Some heavy 8s other than Vunipola

Nick Williams 130kg
David Lyons 127kg
Gillian Galan 120kg
Ben Morgan 117kg
Duane Vermuelen 117kg
Louis Picamoles 116kg
Nick Easter 115kg

Weights from Wikipedia and might not be completely reliable

and who can forget....

Mathieu Bastareaud 120 kg

OneLungDavy · 15-01-2021 9:24pm

Soroka is tall, nothing more right now in terms of size.

Exclamation Marc · 16-01-2021 12:24pm

Great story and interview with Barry Daly in the42 today.

https://www.the42.ie/barry-daly-5326702-Jan2021/

Great player and such a shame his career ended so early. Hard to believe he only had 36 appearances in blue.

Clegg · 18-01-2021 3:26pm

Cronin and Frawley are fit to to play Munster. Ringrose and Lowe are back in training but it may be a week too soon for them.

https://twitter.com/Murray_Kinsella/status/1351172880915197956?s=09

bayern · 18-01-2021 3:28pm

There is positive news regarding Seán Cronin and Ciarán Frawley as both have recovered from their minor injuries, knee and hamstring respectively, and are expected to train as normal this week.

Both Garry Ringrose (jaw) and James Lowe (groin) are still being managed as they make their way back from injury and will need further assessment but are expected to train this week as they continue that progress.

There was no new injury update on a number of other players who still remain unavailable to Cullen:

Rory O’Loughlin (shoulder), Scott Penny (neck), Conor O’Brien (knee), Tommy O’Brien (ankle), Tadhg Furlong (calf), Max Deegan (knee), Vakh Abdaladze (back) and Adam Byrne (hamstring)

arsebiscuits1 · 18-01-2021 3:38pm

Tommy is now 9 weeks into a 6-8 week injury and there's still no update on him.

I'd have been hoping for more positive injury updates on him by now. Unlikely he'd have been involved in any case.

Hopefully Scott Penny is ok too. No injury update on a neck injury is rarely a quick recovery. It's hampered Cronin and Conan recently.

Can't see either Garry or Lowe being involved although there'd be significant pressure on getting them match minutes ahead of the 6N. Also Lowe playing against Munster is becoming one of my favourite parts of the fixture.

Presume Frawley will come straight into the 12 shirt. Big test for him against de Allende

Rigor Mortis · 19-01-2021 1:32pm

Andrew Brace reffing the Munster game. I really hope we have figured out how to play the breakdown with him reffing.

bayern · 19-01-2021 2:05pm

Rigor Mortis wrote: »

Andrew Brace reffing the Munster game. I really hope we have figured out how to play the breakdown with him reffing.

better than frank murphy, but that wouldn't be hard.

give Ruddock the captaincy, Sexton and Brace not a good combo.

Leinster Team Talk/Gossip/Rumours Thread XI (The Finals Countdown)

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