[2018-19 Guinness Pro 14] Round 18 (22-23/03/2019)

[Bruce_ma gooshvili]

Friday 22nd

Blues vs Scarlets
Connacht vs Benetton
Edinburgh vs Leinster

Saturday 23rd

Ospreys vs Dragons
Ulster vs Kings
Glasgow vs Cheetahs
Munster vs Zebre


First two fixtures as tasty as they come and very hard to call. I think I'll go for Connacht and Scarlets. Pretty much last chance saloon for Ospreys, Cheetahs and Edinburgh. Losses for them and it is probably all over.

 

[Leonormous Boozer]

Embra should win, a few starters returning from injury and Noel Reid and the Heartbreakers (the 2nd choice team) is the best they'll face.

 

[Leinster Fan]

Embra should win, a few starters returning from injury and Noel Reid and the Heartbreakers (the 2nd choice team) is the best they'll face.

Dunno about that, we should be able to put together a decent team. We might even have Leavy back and he isn't going to lose. I'd expect something like

McGrath, Cronin, Bent, Molony, Fardy/Kearney, Ruddock (C), Penny/Leavy/Deegan, Deegan/Doris, JGP, Byrne, Lowe, O'Brien, O'Loughlin, Byrne, Kearney (the other one) and Byrne, Byrne, Abdaladze/Porter, Kearney/Dunne, One of the backrows I said, Lukey (yay), Reid, Tomane (yay?)

Edinburgh will be hit by Scotland and like us will have an eye on next week, I'd be disappointed if we lost to them, I've had too much rugby-related pain already this week!

 

[Leonormous Boozer]

Dunno about that, we should be able to put together a decent team. We might even have Leavy back and he isn't going to lose. I'd expect something like

McGrath, Cronin, Bent, Molony, Fardy/Kearney, Ruddock (C), Penny/Leavy/Deegan, Deegan/Doris, JGP, Byrne, Lowe, O'Brien, O'Loughlin, Byrne, Kearney (the other one) and Byrne, Byrne, Abdaladze/Porter, Kearney/Dunne, One of the backrows I said, Lukey (yay), Reid, Tomane (yay?)

Edinburgh will be hit by Scotland and like us will have an eye on next week, I'd be disappointed if we lost to them, I've had too much rugby-related pain already this week!

I'm thinking with the fact we're away, Embra are in a playoff battle, we've nothing to play for coupled with a b team that Embra should win. Didn't articulate myself at all well.

 

[Leinster Fan]

Leinster: Ciarán Frawley; Fergus McFadden, Noel Reid, Joe Tomane, Barry Daly; Ross Byrne, Luke McGrath; Ed Byrne, Seán Cronin, Michael Bent; Josh Murphy, Mick Kearney; Rhys Ruddock (Capt), Dan Leavy, Max Deegan.

Replacements: Bryan Byrne, Jack McGrath, Andrew Porter, Jack Dunne, Oisín Dowling, Nick McCarthy, Jimmy O'Brien, Conor O'Brien.

Such a weird team. With Edinburgh having a more or less first choice team out I'm going to have to revise my earlier prediction and say that we'll lose. Delighted to see 4/5 players back from injury though, it'll be interesting to see how Josh Murphy does at 4 as well.

 

[snoopy snoopy dog dog]

It's a nothing game for Leinster. Top spot is secured and they've a big quarter final ahead next week. Their priorities are keeping the front liners fit by resting them this week and getting match practice in for those returning from injury. Ciarán Frawley at 15 and Josh Murphy at 4 are with an eye to next season and making them more versatile. The eye opening selection for me is Ed Byrne ahead of Jack McGrath. McGrath hasn't started for Leinster or Ireland since mid February. If he was to feature against Ulster next weekend, he'd likely be starting this game. It looks like Ed Byrne will have the 17 shirt for the Euro quarter final.

 

[Leinster Fan]

The eye opening selection for me is Ed Byrne ahead of Jack McGrath. McGrath hasn't started for Leinster or Ireland since mid February. If he was to feature against Ulster next weekend, he'd likely be starting this game. It looks like Ed Byrne will have the 17 shirt for the Euro quarter final.

Yeah, that stood out to me as well. Surely Jack would be starting if he was going to be involved this week. Wouldn't have any issue with Ed Byrne on the bench against Ulster, definitely deserves it based on form.

 

[dullonien]

Anyone else think that the calendar is a right mess this season? If the Welsh regions hadn't have bombed in Europe it would have been crunch 6 nations games, followed immediately by crunch derby games, followed by crunch European quarter finals.

It's still not great that there's derby matches the week after the 6 nations finished. Scarlets are fielding a part second choice side as a result minus Rob Evans, Ken Owens, Gareth Davies, Hadleigh Parkes and John Davies from the starting lineup as a result.

It really does need addressing because it really is devaluing the league.

I also hate the jumping of competitions. One week of domestic league sandwiched between 6 nations and Europe is ridiculous imo. Sooner they find a way to reduce the number of games a touch + group competitions into chunks the better.

 

[Leinster Fan]

Anyone else think that the calendar is a right mess this season? If the Welsh regions hadn't have bombed in Europe it would have been crunch 6 nations games, followed immediately by crunch derby games, followed by crunch European quarter finals.

It's still not great that there's derby matches the week after the 6 nations finished. Scarlets are fielding a part second choice side as a result minus Rob Evans, Ken Owens, Gareth Davies, Hadleigh Parkes and John Davies from the starting lineup as a result.

It really does need addressing because it really is devaluing the league.

I also hate the jumping of competitions. One week of domestic league sandwiched between 6 nations and Europe is ridiculous imo. Sooner they find a way to reduce the number of games a touch + group competitions into chunks the better.

Playing derby games this week is just silly. I think it's just think it's just the Welsh though. Stupid time to play them though, you're 100% right. Did you guys only play 2 over Christmas or something?

 

[Leinster Fan]

Roos Byrne out, backline reshuffle to replace him.

We're definitely going to lose, Edinburgh should be aiming for a go here.

 

[Amiga500]

Oooh, Connacht Treviso... might see if I can get to sit down and watch that - should be good.

 

[bushytop]

Looks like a nasty injury for Navidi

 

[Leinster Fan]

Looks like a nasty injury for Navidi

He's got terrible luck with injuries.

 

[bushytop]

He's got terrible luck with injuries.

Yeah it's a shame, he had a great 6N last year and then picked up an injury in the Challenge Cup final if I remember rightly and has had to work his butt off to get back in the side... then another great 6N and this. I feel for the guy as I think the World Cup will be out of the question for him now.

 

[bushytop]

Haven't seen a great deal of Shane Lewis-Hughes but he's made a helluva start.

 

[bushytop]

Great second try from the Blues, Jarrod showing Patchell how to run the game here at the mo.

 

[Leinster Fan]

Can't see the Leinster game but I'm very surprised we're 8-0 up.

 

[bushytop]

Blues are rampant... if Anscombe maintains his kicking percentage, it'll be 24-0.

 

[bushytop]

31-0... Scarlets need to start channelling Scotland.

 

[Bruce_ma gooshvili]

An even contest in many respects between Connacht and Benetton, but the home side have all the cutting edge. ToH has had three great moments, which is about average by his standards.

Parting of the Red Sea by Benetton to concede the first try. Scrum time is a ruddy joke.