• Help Support The Rugby Forum :

[2018/19 Heineken Cup] Round : Pool (12&13/10/2018)

TRF_Olyy said:
Did he not penalise the guy next to him (Fardy?) who was on his knees while trying to jackle?
I thought he said to SOB after he was fine but the other guy was off his feet
Click to expand...
I thought it was SOB, the fella on the far side of the camera anyway? My issue was that the clear out made on the jackler by the Toulouse player may have been through the gate but if it was it was through Leinster's side of it! It was so audaciously offside I think Barnes missed him completely.

I'm not too bothered getting into it. It cost us one more chance in a game we had plenty and he'd given us a pretty big one in the first half when Toulouse should have had a penalty on halfway.
 
What are we looking at for the Bath game? A whole load of players are on the 'maybe injured' list but I'll have s go at the 23 anyway.

If everyone's fit: Healy, Cronin, Furlong, Toner, Ryan, Fardy*, VDFlier, Conan, McGrath, Sexton, Lowe, Reid/Frawley*, Ringrose, Larmour, Kearney

Tracy, McGrath, Furlong, Ruddock, Leavy, McCarthy, Byrne, Byrne.

Fardy and Ruddock is a weird one, we were picking Ruddock instead earlier but then again I think Fardy is better. You'd assume we'll pick Reid and it'd be the sensible call but if Frawley gets a run at 12 thus weekend and he goes well then we might play him if we're feeling really adventurous. It'd be a massive step up though and playing Reid would be more sensible.

McCarthy could well be injured which would mean we'd have to pick JGP, we need Lowe because there aren't any other fit left wingers so bizarrely we could end up without Fardy which would presumably mean Molony to the bench given he finally seems to be finding some form.

We could be also seeing Deegan or Doris pending the fitness of Leavy and Conan who are both highly doubtful. Larmour apparently should be fit but he might not be which would mean Byrne starting and someone else (I think all the other fit senior players in the back three are inured so maybe Frawley?)
 
If rumours are true Leavys neck is a bit serious. Heard he is a doubt for festive period.
Conan left in a sling wasn't it last Saturday. Will be a race but Leinster backrow options and depth should mean no man is risked unless 100%
 
munstermuffin said:
If rumours are true Leavys neck is a bit serious. Heard he is a doubt for festive period.
Conan left in a sling wasn't it last Saturday. Will be a race but Leinster backrow options and depth should mean no man is risked unless 100%
Click to expand...
Don't think we're likely to see either of them but I threw them in out of hope. I'd be very excited to see how Deegan or Doris did at this level though.
 
This all has shades of 2012/13 about it. Thankfully the b2b is against a soft Bath side rather than a stacked Clermont lusting for revenge.
 
The Alpha Bro said:
This all has shades of 2012/13 about it. Thankfully the b2b is against a soft Bath side rather than a stacked Clermont lusting for revenge.
Click to expand...
Yeah, obviously there are injuries but if you look at the relative squads there's no doubt as to the fact that we should be targeting 10 points from these games, we need those points as well after losing to Toulouse. One loss in the groups isn't the end of the world especially after you put 50 on strong opposition the previous week, but two and we'd be in dangerous territory.

So long as the second and third comings of Christ (Ringrose and Ryan) don't get injured we've got nothing to fear from Bath especially given the form they're in.
 
Injury update ahead of the Bath game.

Leinster Rugby have issued an injury update ahead of Saturday's Recreation Ground clash with Bath in the European Champions Cup (KO 3.15pm).

Head Coach Leo Cullen will be without Jack McGrath for four to six weeks following a procedure to address a hip injury last week.

Nick McCarthy (foot) remains sidelined as does Robbie Henshaw who picked up a hamstring injury while on international duty.

On a positive note, Jack Conan, Rory O'Loughlin, Dan Leavy and Jordan Larmour have all returned to training this week and could be in contention to play on Saturday.

Barry Daly remains out of the running to play despite his return to training last week.

Jack McGrsth can't seem to find a break at the moment. Ed Byrne deserved this opportunity and he's in great form so it's positive on some level as well. We're probably going to be forced into playing JGP on the bench, think we're more able to survive without Fardy than Lowe at the moment so that's the way I'd go.

Something like

Healy, Cronin, Furlong, Toner, Ryan, Ruddock, Vdf, Conan (if fit otherwise Doris), McGrsth, Sexton, Lowe, Reid (probably), Ringrose, Larmour (if fit otherwise Byrne), Kearney

Tracy, Byrne, Porter, Molony (in good form and has put on some needed weight by the looks of it), Leavy/Doris/Deegan depending on who's fit, JGP, Byrne, O'Loughlin (if fit otherwise Byrne/D Kearney)
 
Leinster Rugby (caps in brackets):

15. Rob Kearney (202)
14. Jordan Larmour (28)
13. Garry Ringrose (55)
12. Noel Reid (106)
11. James Lowe (20)
10. Johnny Sexton (153) CAPTAIN
9. Luke McGrath (102)
1. Cian Healy (197)
2. Seán Cronin (160)
3. Tadhg Furlong (91)
4. Devin Toner (224)
5. James Ryan (21)
6. Rhys Ruddock (149)
7. Josh van der Flier (66)
8. Dan Leavy (58)

16. James Tracy (77)
17. Ed Byrne (30) – European debut
18. Andrew Porter (39)
19. Ross Molony (71)
20. Jack Conan (80)
21. Jamison Gibson-Park (59)
22. Ross Byrne (57)
23. Rory O'Loughlin (48)

Very surprised to see Conan on the bench, would have thought his carrying would be invaluable. Otherwise strong team and good bench.
 
Conan's stock continues to fall. Wouldn't be surprised if he didn't play for Ireland again until after the RWC.
 
jcahill1 said:
Yeah that's fair, I feel fairly lonely in still rating him. Think he combines smart, dynamic carrying with soft hands very nicely.
Click to expand...

Its the defensive part of the game that lets him down. He's sometimes impulsive in the line and although his workrate has improved a lot he just doesn't come near the likes of Stander in that area.

I wouldn't write him off but Ruddock, VDF, Leavy is a dream come true if the combination works.
 
Interesting team from Leinster, it seems like Leavy is seen as an automatic choice in the backrow even if it's not at 7. Despite him and Josh both being natural sevens, they have very different games that I think could really complement each other if they played together and I'm excited to see how they go.

I don't think Conan's race is run yet but his chances are slipping away. He's probably not fully fit right now which is why he's only on the bench but at the same time if that starting backrow clicks tomorrow it could easily be set in stone for the next few years. Throw in that SOB will walk into the 20 shirt when fit even if just for versatility and he could easily find himself on the outside looking in very soon. His chances of featuring in the 6N almost zero anyway unless there's an injury and even then Joe would definitely prefer Jordi Murphy. He's a good player but the reality is that there are more talented players coming through behind him in and better players ahead of him. I really rate him and he was probably the best player in Leinster's pack this time last year but he's had his chance over the last year and a half and hasn't fully taken it (although he hasn't been helped by being the opposite of what Joe looks for in an 8 through no fault of his own).

It's a pity there's no Jack McGrath but I'm delighted for Ed Byrne, he's been to hell and back over the last few years and he's really found form over the last while, this is a just reward for all the hard work. Ross Molony seems to have moved on from his terrible season last year as well (not helped by constantly playing with Ian Nagle tbf). He's gotten into form over the last few weeks and it's nice to see him back in Champion's Cup teams. He'll never be top drawer but he's easily good enough be a bench player in Europe. That said I wouldn't be surprised if Toner and Ryan played the full 80 if it's close.

Bar Henshaw instead of Reid obviously that's our best backline both from 9-15 and 21-23 imo. Lowe, Larmour and Kearney has the potential to be a brilliant back three. Very well balanced in virtually all ways (brilliant mix of youth, experience, speed, skill etc. there). Wing is definitely Larmour's best position right now, he tends to look a more confident player there even if the ball doesn't come his way as often as it does when he's playing 13/15. Reid has proven before that he's good enough to step up for these games, and that Jamie Roberts isn't the player he was but even still I'll be very nervous watching the collisions between those 12s.

Even though there's every reason to be confident, it has to be remembered that we can't really afford to lose another game in the group (maybe the last one against Wasps of we go 15/15 up till then) or it's going to get very messy.
 

Similar threads

Leonormous Boozer
  • Sticky
Champions Cup 2024 / 25 - Round 4
Replies
3
Views
174
Which Tyler
Which Tyler
Leonormous Boozer
Champions Cup 24/25 - Round 3
7 8 9
Replies
179
Views
4K
TRF_Olyy
TRF_Olyy
Leonormous Boozer
Champions Cup 24/25 - Round 2
6 7 8
Replies
149
Views
5K
mdaclarke
M
Leonormous Boozer
Champions Cup 24/25 - Round 1
9 10 11
Replies
206
Views
6K
General Melchett
General Melchett
Norris102971
Champions Cup & Challenge cup
Replies
1
Views
331
higgik
H

Latest posts

Top