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

UAEguy2020 · 21-09-2020 1:45pm

Downlinz wrote: »

Leinster have only won 1 European cup in the last 8 years, they shouldn't be mentioned in the same sentence as Saracens.

They won’t be after this season for awhile atleast.

salmocab · 21-09-2020 1:52pm

rayd3 wrote: »

Think this idea has a few more backers in South Dublin this week.

Utter nonsense

AbusesToilets · 21-09-2020 2:39pm

irishbucsfan wrote: »

It’s a bit of a shame Saracens won’t be around next season for another shot at them

Really sticks in the craw. Losing to them stings worse than maybe any other team. It's two games now where I'd argue we could've won but bottled it completely.

21-09-2020 3:23pm

A fair few hangovers still being nursed on Monday morning :pac:

Richie_Rich89 · 21-09-2020 5:18pm

It's not all doom and gloom. Yes, it was a disappointing reverse at the weekend. And all the media talk of Leinster being the best club side in the world was cringeworthy - play-off v Crusaders to determine who's best etc. when Leinster weren't even the reigning European champions.

True. Leinster only made the last 8, but I'd say they're still the 3rd best team in Europe after Saracens and Racing. I'd back them to beat Toulouse and Exeter more often than not if they played each of them 10 times. They would be well worth a place in the semi finals in my opinion, and were just unlucky to get the greatest side in the history of European rugby in the first knock-out round. Munster have run into the same problem in recent years - getting knocked out by Saracens sides who would go on to win the competition in 2017 and 2019.

Richie_Rich89 · 21-09-2020 5:43pm

rayd3 wrote: »

Think this idea has a few more backers in South Dublin this week.

Zebo is a quality player. His prowess under the high ball would definitely have been an asset for Leinster last Saturday. Prime Zebo would walk into the Ireland team at fullback right now.

Think I'd prefer Leinster to have a look at Keenan at 15 going forward, though.

AbusesToilets · 21-09-2020 5:53pm

Richie_Rich89 wrote: »

Zebo is a quality player. His prowess under the high ball would definitely have been an asset for Leinster last Saturday. Prime Zebo would walk into the Ireland team at fullback right now.

Think I'd prefer Leinster to have a look at Keenan at 15 going forward, though.

Keenan was definitely the best of them under the ball

Clegg · 21-09-2020 5:58pm

It's for a headbutt on Henshaw in the 2nd minute that was missed by the referee and TMO.

https://twitter.com/Saracens/status/1308081051420459014?s=19

Richie_Rich89 · 21-09-2020 6:08pm

Clegg wrote: »

It's for a headbutt on Henshaw in the 2nd minute that was missed by the referee and TMO.

https://twitter.com/Saracens/status/1308081051420459014?s=19

Murray Kinsella has a GIF of it on his twitter. Rhodes is a quality player. It would be a pity for him if he missed the semi final.

Richie_Rich89 · 21-09-2020 6:26pm

Leinster's first-choice XXIII next season?

1. Peter Dooley
2. Ronan Kelleher
3. Tadhg Furlong
4. James Ryan
5. Devin Toner
6. Ryan Baird
7. Will Connors
8. Caelan Doris
9. Jamison Gibson-Park
10. Jonathan Sexton
11. James Lowe
12. Robbie Henshaw
13. Garry Ringrose
14. David Kearney
15. Hugo Keenan

16. Dan Sheehan
17. Cian Healy
18. Andrew Porter
19. Jack Dunne
20. Max Deegan
21. Luke McGrath
22. Harry Byrne
23. Jordan Larmour

Rigor Mortis · 21-09-2020 6:38pm

Clegg wrote: »

It's for a headbutt on Henshaw in the 2nd minute that was missed by the referee and TMO.

https://twitter.com/Saracens/status/1308081051420459014?s=19

This is incredibly frustrating. This was a stonewall red. 78 mins in a game where sarries we’re afraid to use their bench.

StackSteevens · 21-09-2020 6:55pm

molloyjh wrote: »

This post genuinely made me laugh.

So let's get this straight. Saints were able to match Exeter physically (except in the scrum) and so were competitive in their 23 point defeat. Leinster were not able to compete physically and so were not competitive in their 8 point defeat.

Yet Northampton made only 72% of their tackles, missing 31 of them. They only made about 56% of the metres than Exeter made and managed < 120% gain line carries despite > 40% more possession. Their ruck success was 97%.

On the other hand Leinster made 96% of their tackles missing only 3. They made over 220% more metres and almost 350% more gainline carries than Saracens with about 70% more possession. Our ruck success was 98%.

Relatively speaking those stats suggest Leinster were more competitive in every aspect than Northampton, which the scoreline would certainly back up. Billy Vunipola made 22m off 13 carries. Compared to Sam Simmonds 46m off 12 carries. The Saracens back row made a total of 27m off 18 carries compared to 105m off 26 carries for Exeter and 52m off 27 carries for Leinster.

If we really did wilt physically, where exactly has that manifested itself in stats or on the scoreboard?

I recently got a yellow card for very gently pointing out what an imbecile you were, so I have no intention with engaging with you ever again.

Synode · 21-09-2020 7:03pm

Rigor Mortis wrote: »

This is incredibly frustrating. This was a stonewall red. 78 mins in a game where sarries we’re afraid to use their bench.

Is there a decent clip of it?

molloyjh · 21-09-2020 7:27pm

StackSteevens wrote: »

I recently got a yellow card for very gently pointing out what an imbecile you were, so I have no intention with engaging with you ever again.

Isnt it terrible how a grown up tackled your opinion with a fact & evidence based post. Ya poor divil.

kmart6 · 21-09-2020 10:13pm

Synode wrote: »

Is there a decent clip of it?

Not decent but gives a fairly good idea....

https://twitter.com/Luca15_/status/1308082349356318721?s=19

Downlinz · 21-09-2020 10:31pm

Richie_Rich89 wrote: »

Leinster's first-choice XXIII next season?

1. Peter Dooley
2. Ronan Kelleher
3. Tadhg Furlong
4. James Ryan
5. Devin Toner
6. Ryan Baird
7. Will Connors
8. Caelan Doris
9. Jamison Gibson-Park
10. Jonathan Sexton
11. James Lowe
12. Robbie Henshaw
13. Garry Ringrose
14. David Kearney
15. Hugo Keenan

16. Dan Sheehan
17. Cian Healy
18. Andrew Porter
19. Jack Dunne
20. Max Deegan
21. Luke McGrath
22. Harry Byrne
23. Jordan Larmour

Don't you guys think it's time to move on from Toner and Sexton? They'll be going on 36 next season...

Redgirl82 · 21-09-2020 10:33pm

Downlinz wrote: »

Don't you guys think it's time to move on from Toner and Sexton? They'll be 35 and 36 next season...

Sexton will be kept on as he has ventral contract till end of season but I think it is over for him.

Ross and Harry need to fight it out and Sexton to retire gracefully

Toner I think has maybe another season just to train in the kids who don’t know how to run a line out yet

Heres Johnny · 21-09-2020 10:39pm

Any love for porter as a loose head?

Richie_Rich89 · 21-09-2020 10:58pm

Heres Johnny wrote: »

Any love for porter as a loose head?

I'd say the need for that will be greater at international level. Healy's been struggling for a while to make an impact in the really big games and Kilcoyne is Kilcoyne. I always felt that McGrath stepped up his game at international level compared to when he was playing for Leinster. Is he still capable of that? Eric O'Sullivan is the other guy in the equation, I suppose.

We probably will see it for Ireland sooner rather than later, and I guess Leinster will be obliged to follow suit. The question then would be how soon will Clarkson be ready to back up Furlong, and is McBryde's scrum coaching good enough to bring him along quickly?

Burkie1203 · 22-09-2020 10:14am

https://twitter.com/RuaidhriOC/status/1308333310993666048?s=19

arsebiscuits1 · 22-09-2020 10:56am

Heres Johnny wrote: »

Any love for porter as a loose head?

Lot of love for that idea.

But we've lost 2 tight heads to other provinces and 1 for the foreseeable with a back injury.

Can't see it happening

Clegg · 22-09-2020 11:06am

https://twitter.com/leinsterrugby/status/1308345295005245440?s=19

Squidgy Black · 22-09-2020 11:09am

What a shíte way for the two lads to go out all the same. I know they got to lift the trophy after the league final, but still, to not even get a final run out and a send off from the fans is an awful shame for two lads with 400 appearances between the two of them.

Clegg · 22-09-2020 11:22am

League fixtures are released tomorrow.

Over the coming weeks and months I hope we see a lot of Frawley at 12 and Harry Byrne at 10. We know that competition in the league isn't the strongest, but we need to get these two up to speed quickly. Both could be key to any potential European success down the line.

Buer · 22-09-2020 11:54am

Alas, we have only these few Pro12/14 games between now the test season recommencing. I'd expect we'll see a lot of first teamers make an appearance in at least one of the games in October and we'll also be using it as a chance to get some minutes into Furlong.

Ideally, I'd like to see the following pending their fitness:

- Baird start twice
- Jack Dunne and Charlie Ryan each start a match
- Frawley start a couple of games at 12
- Harry Byrne get a start at 10
- Andrew Smith make his debut
- Clarkson and Milne get more game time
- Keenan start 2-3 games at full back
- Leavy back in the fold and starting (and to remain with Leinster during the test window)
- Develop TOB or JOB on the wing for depth

arsebiscuits1 · 22-09-2020 12:45pm

Leinster Tribute to Ferg.

He's scored a great few tries in his time.

I'd have loved it to have included some of his bone shuddering hits.

Niallof9 · 22-09-2020 1:37pm

an outsider's view.

https://www.otbsports.com/rugby/leinster-toulouse-saracens-great-players-1079548

https://www.otbsports.com/rugby/ireland-leinster-physicality-toland-barnes-1079509

some painful truth's for Irish rugby perhaps or just Barnes bluster.

hirondelle · 22-09-2020 1:58pm

I have a feeling that Thornley and Cumiskey don't necessarily agree on all things rugby:

https://www.irishtimes.com/sport/rugby/gerry-thornley-talk-of-anglo-french-hegemony-is-over-the-top-1.4360850

I would agree with Thornley's view.

Niallof9 · 22-09-2020 2:14pm

hirondelle wrote: »

I have a feeling that Thornley and Cumiskey don't necessarily agree on all things rugby:

https://www.irishtimes.com/sport/rugby/gerry-thornley-talk-of-anglo-french-hegemony-is-over-the-top-1.4360850

I would agree with Thornley's view.

I would disagree with it being kneejerk, if we want to consider ourselves as the best around.

Zzippy · 22-09-2020 2:22pm

StackSteevens wrote: »

I recently got a yellow card for very gently pointing out what an imbecile you were, so I have no intention with engaging with you ever again.

Mod tools are currently not operational, but rest assured, when they are you will be getting a red card for this one. Enough of the condescending posts and snide remarks, which have been a feature of your posts. Any more and you'll be getting a lot more than a red card.

UAEguy2020 · 22-09-2020 2:23pm

Niallof9 wrote: »

an outsider's view.

https://www.otbsports.com/rugby/leinster-toulouse-saracens-great-players-1079548

https://www.otbsports.com/rugby/ireland-leinster-physicality-toland-barnes-1079509

some painful truth's for Irish rugby perhaps or just Barnes bluster.

If they were painful truths why weren’t they presented before the match? Especially when Leinster smashed Northampton twice when they were 2nd in the premiership at the time. You won’t hear a Pepe from these lads about the premiership pro14 comparison next season when we get a minimum of 2 in the semi finals because the exact same thing happened in 2016.

UAEguy2020 · 22-09-2020 2:25pm

hirondelle wrote: »

I have a feeling that Thornley and Cumiskey don't necessarily agree on all things rugby:

https://www.irishtimes.com/sport/rugby/gerry-thornley-talk-of-anglo-french-hegemony-is-over-the-top-1.4360850

I would agree with Thornley's view.

Because Thornley writes based on logic and reason, not emotion. Let’s see Cummisky is slamming the premiership next season when the pro14 has far more teams in the KO phase like always.

Clegg · 22-09-2020 2:26pm

Leinster A game confirmed for Friday evening. Hopefully it will be streamed like the Connacht/Munster game.

https://twitter.com/leinsterrugby/status/1308395902760112128?s=19

awec · 22-09-2020 2:33pm

UAEguy2020 wrote: »

Because Thornley writes based on logic and reason, not emotion. Let’s see Cummisky is slamming the premiership next season when the pro14 has far more teams in the KO phase like always.

Thornley writes whatever he thinks his mates in the squad and in the IRFU want him to write.

UAEguy2020 · 22-09-2020 2:44pm

awec wrote: »

Thornley writes whatever he thinks his mates in the squad and in the IRFU want him to write.

And also that. At least he doesn’t allow his emotion dominate his thinking. If I had a Euro for the amount of times Cummisky jumped from one narrative to another...

hirondelle · 22-09-2020 3:11pm

UAEguy2020 wrote: »

And also that. At least he doesn’t allow his emotion dominate his thinking. If I had a Euro for the amount of times Cummisky jumped from one narrative to another...

Cummiskey increasingly sounds to me as if he is writing after having had a few cans.

Niallof9 · 22-09-2020 3:20pm

Lets not hold Thornley up as any bastion of good sports writing. He's a fan at a keyboard without a bad word to say about anything involving Irish rugby. He has no critical thinking in regards to any aspect. Its not perfect and some things can be questioned.

arsebiscuits1 · 22-09-2020 3:33pm

Wonder what the A team will look like this weekend. A lot of guys needing a run out.

1) Dooley
2) Sheehan (is he fit again yet?)
3) Clarkson
4) C Ryan
5) Dunne
6) J Murphy
7) Penny
8) ? will they go for someone like Ruddock/ Deegan or Academy
9) O'Sullivan
10) Byrne
11) Smith?
12) Frawley
13) TOB
14) Turner
15) Silvester

salmocab · 22-09-2020 3:46pm

arsebiscuits1 wrote: »

Wonder what the A team will look like this weekend. A lot of guys needing a run out.

1) Dooley
2) Sheehan (is he fit again yet?)
3) Clarkson
4) C Ryan
5) Dunne
6) J Murphy
7) Penny
8) ? will they go for someone like Ruddock/ Deegan or Academy
9) O'Sullivan
10) Byrne
11) Smith?
12) Frawley
13) TOB
14) Turner
15) Silvester

I’d say Leavy will start if he’s involved easier to manage time that way

UAEguy2020 · 22-09-2020 4:09pm

Niallof9 wrote: »

Lets not hold Thornley up as any bastion of good sports writing. He's a fan at a keyboard without a bad word to say about anything involving Irish rugby. He has no critical thinking in regards to any aspect. Its not perfect and some things can be questioned.

I’d hold him up as a bastion compared to cumskiy, after that I’m not so sure and tbh I agree he is like fan with a type writer. Wish we had a journalist that was bang in between the two though

Richie_Rich89 · 22-09-2020 6:21pm

arsebiscuits1 wrote: »

Wonder what the A team will look like this weekend. A lot of guys needing a run out.

1) Dooley
2) Sheehan (is he fit again yet?)
3) Clarkson
4) C Ryan
5) Dunne
6) J Murphy
7) Penny
8) ? will they go for someone like Ruddock/ Deegan or Academy
9) O'Sullivan
10) Byrne
11) Smith?
12) Frawley
13) TOB
14) Turner
15) Silvester

Think they might go for more less established players.

1. Michael Milne
2. John McKee
3. Thomas Clarkson
4. Jack Dunne
5. Charlie Ryan
6. Alex Soroka
7. Dan Leavy
8. Brian Deeny
9. Hugh O'Sullivan/Paddy Patterson/Cormac Foley
10. David Hawkshaw
11. Andrew Smith
12. Tommy O'Brien
13. Liam Turner
14. Aaron O'Sullivan
15. Michael Silvester

16. Bobby Sheehan
17. Marcus Hanan
18. Ryan McMahon
19. Joe McCarthy
20. Martin Moloney/Sean O'Brien
21. Paddy Patterson/Cormac Foley/Hugh O'Sullivan
22. Tim Corkery
23. Max O'Reilly/Niall Comerford

arsebiscuits1 · 22-09-2020 7:37pm

salmocab wrote: »

I’d say Leavy will start if he’s involved easier to manage time that way

I actually started the list with Leavy in mind but got distracted. He will definitely play if he's fit yeah

Richie_Rich89 · 22-09-2020 7:50pm

Because, looking at the bigger picture, you'd get more out of it in the long run by treating it as a development game than you would by looking at it as a pre-season warm-up?

What's someone like Josh Murphy actually going to gain from playing this? Leavy is an exception because it makes sense to ease him back in at a lower level first.

Purist98 · 22-09-2020 8:13pm

Richie_Rich89 wrote: »

Think they might go for more less established players.

1. Michael Milne
2. John McKee
3. Thomas Clarkson
4. Jack Dunne
5. Charlie Ryan
6. Alex Soroka
7. Dan Leavy
8. Brian Deeny
9. Hugh O'Sullivan/Paddy Patterson/Cormac Foley
10. David Hawkshaw
11. Andrew Smith
12. Tommy O'Brien
13. Liam Turner
14. Aaron O'Sullivan
15. Michael Silvester

16. Bobby Sheehan
17. Marcus Hanan
18. Ryan McMahon
19. Joe McCarthy
20. Martin Moloney/Sean O'Brien
21. Paddy Patterson/Cormac Foley/Hugh O'Sullivan
22. Tim Corkery
23. Max O'Reilly/Niall Comerford

Not sure if they plan on having any sub academy lads involved in these games initially

Clegg · 23-09-2020 11:51am

https://twitter.com/fergmcfadden/status/1308685085252747264?s=19

sydthebeat · 23-09-2020 12:14pm

https://twitter.com/fergmcfadden/status/442672904413917185

One of the best tweets ever

some warrior !!

FrannoFan · 23-09-2020 3:29pm

Richie_Rich89 wrote: »

Think they might go for more less established players.

1. Michael Milne
2. John McKee
3. Thomas Clarkson
4. Jack Dunne
5. Charlie Ryan
6. Alex Soroka
7. Dan Leavy
8. Brian Deeny
9. Hugh O'Sullivan/Paddy Patterson/Cormac Foley
10. David Hawkshaw
11. Andrew Smith
12. Tommy O'Brien
13. Liam Turner
14. Aaron O'Sullivan
15. Michael Silvester

16. Bobby Sheehan
17. Marcus Hanan
18. Ryan McMahon
19. Joe McCarthy
20. Martin Moloney/Sean O'Brien
21. Paddy Patterson/Cormac Foley/Hugh O'Sullivan
22. Tim Corkery
23. Max O'Reilly/Niall Comerford

Who is Brian deeny?

RedRaider0 · 23-09-2020 3:38pm

FrannoFan wrote: »

Who is Brian deeny?

2nd year academy lock.. theres no hope he will be playing 8 for the A team.

Buer · 23-09-2020 3:43pm

FrannoFan wrote: »

Who is Brian deeny?

Lock/No. 8 from Wexford who had a couple of years at U20 level.

He played for the A side last season. Looks like a good, rangy back row player who is comfortable with ball in hand but not a stand out at this point, to be honest. Future is probably at lock but will need to get a bit more niggle to him from what I can see.

Buer · 23-09-2020 3:44pm

RedRaider0 wrote: »

2nd year academy lock.. theres no hope he will be playing 8 for the A team.

He already did last season.

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

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