Dragons v Leinster

[snoopy snoopy dog dog]

em......
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div>

Leinster squad to face the Dragons...

FORWARDS: Mark Flanagan, John Fogarty, Trevor Hogan, Bernard Jackman, Stephen Keogh, Ronan McCormack, Jack McGrath, Malcolm O'Kelly, Mike Ross, Rhys Ruddock, Dominic Ryan, Paul Ryan, Richardt Strauss, Devin Toner, CJ van der Linde

BACKS: Shaun Berne, Girvan Dempsey, Chris Keane, David Kearney, Michael Keating, Simon Keogh, Ian Madigan, Fergus McFadden, Ian McKinley, Niall Morris, Eoin O'Malley[/b]

So they've left out:
15. Kearney
14. Horgan
13. O'Driscoll
12. D'arcy
11.
10. Nacewa ?
9. Reddan
1. Healy
2.
3.
4. Cullen
5. Hines
6. McLaughlin
7. O'Brien
8. Heaslip

Basically, the Heineken Cup team is being rested and the British & Irish Cup squad is getting another run.

I'd like to see the folowing line up:
15. Dempsey
14. Morris
13. McFadden
12. Berne
11. Kearney
10. McKinley
9. Keogh
1. van der Linde
2. Fogarty ©
3. Ross
4. Toner
5. O'Kelly
6. D.Ryan
7. P.Ryan
8. Keogh
Bench: Jackman, McGrath, Hogan, Ruddock, Keane, O'Malley, Keating

 

[el_tk]

I'd go

Van de Linde
Strauss
Ross
Toner
O'Kelly
Ruddock
D Ryan
Keogh

Keane
Berne
Kearney
O'Malley
McFadden
Morris
Dempsey

 

[dullonien]

Dragons should take this easily....

 

[DuncTheDoodle]

Dragons:
Backs: Aled Brew, Danny Lee, James Arlidge, Jason Tovey, Martyn Thomas, Rhodri Gomer Davies, Richard Fussell, Tom Riley, Wayne Evans, Will Harries
Forwards: Adam Jones, Dan Lydiate, Duane Goodfield, Gavin Thomas, Grant Webb, Hoani MacDonald, Hugh Gustafson, Joe Bearman, Luke Charteris (capt), Pat Palmer, Peter Bracken, Rob Sidoli, Steve Jones, Tom Willis.

Both members of the Wales squad are back, and -Interestingly- Luke Charteris seems to have taken over as captain, considering that Dragons (Normal) skipper Tom Willis is back.

So's Joe Bearman! Rejoyce! Shame he couldn't make the Wales squad in time...

 

[MunsterMan]

Has Fogarty captained Leinster before? I would have thought you would be reluctant to make a Munsterman captain when you have the likes of Girv and Mal in the team.

Will O'Malley ever make it? I remember him getting the yearly next O'Driscoll hype when he was playing for the U19's.

 

[snoopy snoopy dog dog]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (MunsterMan @ Dec 2 2009, 07:38 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div>

Has Fogarty captained Leinster before? I would have thought you would be reluctant to make a Munsterman captain when you have the likes of Girv and Mal in the team.

Will O'Malley ever make it? I remember him getting the yearly next O'Driscoll hype when he was playing for the U19's.[/b]

Fogarty hasn't captained Leinster yet but he was captain of Connacht for a good while and is a senior player. Girv plays too peripheral a role and Mal just isn't the leadership type. I suspect Stephen Keogh, a muck savage like Fogarty, will get the captaincy.

O'Malley has been cursed with injuries for the last season and a half; hopefully he's over those now. He's still only 21 so it's not like his best years are behind him! He's a classy player and was by far the best player on a **** poor Ireland u20 team two seasons back. He could become a very useful inside centre in the Paddy Wallace, 2nd 5/8 mould. I'd rate him higher than the academy 12's Eamonn Sheridan and Kyle Tonetti.

 

[LydiatesGirl]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (DuncTheDoodle @ Dec 2 2009, 07:20 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div>

Dragons:
Backs: Aled Brew, Danny Lee, James Arlidge, Jason Tovey, Martyn Thomas, Rhodri Gomer Davies, Richard Fussell, Tom Riley, Wayne Evans, Will Harries
Forwards: Adam Jones, Dan Lydiate, Duane Goodfield, Gavin Thomas, Grant Webb, Hoani MacDonald, Hugh Gustafson, Joe Bearman, Luke Charteris (capt), Pat Palmer, Peter Bracken, Rob Sidoli, Steve Jones, Tom Willis.

Both members of the Wales squad are back, and -Interestingly- Luke Charteris seems to have taken over as captain, considering that Dragons (Normal) skipper Tom Willis is back.

So's Joe Bearman! Rejoyce! Shame he couldn't make the Wales squad in time...[/b]

Tom's not a dead cert to start

glad that Tov's gonna be involved - I wont have to hide lol

 

[monkeypigeon]

LEINSTER:

15: Niall Morris
14: David Kearney
13: Eoin O'Malley
12: Fergus McFadden
11: Simon Keogh
10: Ian McKinley
9: Chris Keane

1: Ronan McCormack
2: Bernard Jackman CAPTAIN
3: CJ van der Linde
4: Devin Toner
5: Malcolm O'Kelly
6: Rhys Ruddock
7: Dominic Ryan
8: Stephen Keogh

REPLACEMENTS:

16: Richardt Strauss
17: Mike Ross
18: Trevor Hogan
19: Paul Ryan
20: Paul O'Donohoe
21: Ian Madigan
22: Michael Keating



The kinda of team that lets you know that Leinster are going all out for the Magners League this year. McKinley and McFadden will be looking to impress, might be chance for McKinley to get on the Leinster bench for the Heineken Cup matches if he impresses. And McFadden must be pushing D'Arcy now, he's had a few good matches. Interested to see how Niall Morris does too.

 

[shazbooger]

A lot of these lads have been involved in certain aspects this year already and (supposedly) both Rhys Ruddock and Dominic Ryan have been ripping it up on training.

Obviously its effectively a second second string but I alyways enjoy watching these guys go out. There are some future stars in there.

 

[MunsterMan]

Nice to see so many yougsters on the field as opposed to something like the old Warner/Berne second teams from a few seasons back.

Seriously, Leinster deserve a pat on the back for that side, young, Irish, only one 1/15 players NIQ. Hope they perform, will watch this one with interest.

 

[snoopy snoopy dog dog]

Let my preface my thoughts by saying that I completely disagree with playoffs at the end of a league season since I believe that the team who have the most points after 20 games should be champions.......

Given the nature of the Magners League this season, I'm quite happy with the team. For the most part Michael Cheika is keeping the A side together for a 3rd game on the trot (including the B&I Cup games) and allowing the front liners a rest after the Autumn test series. He's affording the next generation of Leinster players a chance to shine and is to be commended for it. The worst that can happen is that Leinster will be 2 points off the top of the table come Sunday evening.

My only real quibble is how in Gods name is Ronan McCormack starting? I can only assume that Mike Ross is on the bench due to the IRFU's player management program because he's a far better option than a journeyman like McCormack. It's also surprising (although pleasantly so) that Girvan Dempsey and Shaun Berne aren't starting having been named in the original squad.

 

[snoopy snoopy dog dog]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Logorrhea @ Dec 4 2009, 02:35 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div>

A lot of these lads have been involved in certain aspects this year already and (supposedly) both Rhys Ruddock and Dominic Ryan have been ripping it up on training.[/b]

Rumour alert

Apparently in one of his first training sessions with the senior squad he decked Shane Jennings with a right hook! A 19 year old not to be messed with.....

 

[el_tk]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (snoopy snoopy dog dog @ Dec 4 2009, 03:47 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div>

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Logorrhea @ Dec 4 2009, 02:35 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

A lot of these lads have been involved in certain aspects this year already and (supposedly) both Rhys Ruddock and Dominic Ryan have been ripping it up on training.[/b]

Rumour alert

Apparently in one of his first training sessions with the senior squad he decked Shane Jennings with a right hook! A 19 year old not to be messed with.....
[/b][/quote]
I heard it was Sean O'Brien and that O'Brien flattened Ryan

 

[shazbooger]

Either way, he was either flattened or did the flattening.

All decent backrow forwards should be doing both.

A good sign.

 

[dullonien]

Well, Tom Willis and Joe Bearman obviously weren't quite ready to return to action. Here's the Dragon's team:

Dragons: Jason Tovey; Aled Brew, Rhodri Gomer Davies, Tom Riley, Richard Fussell; James Arlidge, Wayne Evans; Hugh Gustafson, Steve Jones, Pat Palmer, Rob Sidoli, Luke Charteris (capt), Dan Lydiate, Gavin Thomas, Grant Webb.
Replacements: Duane Goodfield, Peter Bracken, Hoani MacDonald, Adam Jones, Martyn Thomas, Will Harries, Alex Walker.

 

[bristol-iain]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (dullonien @ Dec 1 2009, 10:51 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div>

Dragons should take this easily....[/b]

Hence why I've gone for a Dragons win in the prediction comp.

Come on the Dragons

 

[LydiatesGirl]

hopefully its a good game
im going down now in a min and so is BOD's 'cousin'

 

[dullonien]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (LydiatesGirl @ Dec 6 2009, 02:55 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div>

im going down now in a min and so is BOD's 'cousin'[/b]

GOD?

 

[King_D'Arcy]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (dullonien @ Dec 6 2009, 02:57 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div>

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (LydiatesGirl @ Dec 6 2009, 02:55 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

im going down now in a min and so is BOD's 'cousin'[/b]

GOD?
[/b][/quote]

No! his cousin, stupid!

 

[feicarsinn]

Rod and Todd?

Anyway this is a big, big game for Ian McKinley. Hopefully he can put down a good claim to be Leinster's second choice 10 tonight and with Sexton out for the next two Heineken cup games he can at least play himself onto the bench. I'd be alot happier to have him in the side than either Nacewa or Berne and if one of those boys start next weekend McFadden may have to come in to take over the goalkicking.

There were rumours that Matt Giteau was going to sign for a few months for Leinster to sure up the spot but the ARU blocked the move.

Anyway, I don't think we're going to win but I do want to see:

A good performance form McKinley

The backrow to function well, we have high hopes of these boys.

CJ to get through the game without picking up a knock.


If these things happen I'll be hppy at the finish.