Leinster v ASM Clermont Auvergne

[Dougydeluxe]

I still have my money on Leinster even with the injury list.

 

[snoopy snoopy dog dog]

I'd say it'll mean Shaun Berne to 12 and Gordon D'arcy shifting one out to 13. Clermont looked vulnerable when Leinster attacked outside Rougerie's channel. Picking Berne at 12 would give Leinster an extra distributor who can shift the ball wide early and often.

 

[MunsterMan]

D'arcy does not have the pace to attack anybodies' outside channel, but is in excellent form at 12, don't move him. I'd move McFadden in field and bring in Kearney on the wing. Huge shame for O'Malley, like you said his pace had Rougerie worried at times on Sunday. From what I have read online the French seem to think Rougerie struggles when defending against pace (eg. Australia and O'Malley sunday) Fergus has plenty of gas to do his best to expose him.

 

[munstermuffin]

The word is BOD will make it back. Heaslip is 50-50. O'Brien is available.

Leinster could get a BP win here I think - Clermont are very good at home but average away from France and aren't in great form this year.
Leinster now have this experience to know how to kill teams off and well Clermont I think will be intimidated out of it.

 

[lynam1104]

Team for clermount announced.

LEINSTER:

15: Isa Nacewa
14: Shane Horgan
13: Brian O'Driscoll
12: Gordon D'Arcy
11: Fergus McFadden
10: Jonathan Sexton
9: Eoin Reddan

1: Cian Healy
2: Richardt Strauss
3: Mike Ross
4: Leo Cullen CAPTAIN
5: Nathan Hines
6: Sean O'Brien
7: Shane Jennings
8: Jamie Heaslip/Dominic Ryan

REPLACEMENTS:

16: Jason Harris-Wright
17: Heinke van der Merwe
18: Clint Newland
19: Devin Toner
20: Dominic Ryan/Rhys Ruddock
21: Isaac Boss
22: Shaun Berne
23: David Kearney

REFEREE: Nigel Owens (WRU), ASSISTANT REFEREES: Tim Hayes, Hugh Watkins (WRU), 4th OFFICIAL: Brian MacNeice (IRFU), 5th OFFICIAL: Barry O'Keeffe (IRFU), TMO: Derek Bevan (WRU)

A very good looking side, even more so depending on Heslip.

 

[munstermuffin]

That's Leinster win with BP so

 

[TRF_Olyy]

Don't know about that,
I think either way the Ferrets will get a losing BP, whether or not they both score lots of tries or not we'll see

 

[coonor]

A good team glad O'Driscoll is fit as O'Malley is out and O'Driscoll's strong physical defence will be needed. Hopefull Heaslip is fit enough to perform to his standard but if not Dominic Ryan is a good alternative and this could be a great oppoutunity fo him as he played well last week.

I think Leinster will win but it will be close if we can get a bonus point or stop them getting one it would be a brilliant result as I think we can win both our games in the last 2 rounds.

 

[Feicarsinn]

That's Leinster win with BP so

Against the French champions? Pull the other one.

 

[munstermuffin]

They were French champions last year yes but this year they have been poor. Add in they're coming to an almost sold out Aviva. Leinster have almost full team and I just feel this Clermont team won't travel well

 

[snoopy snoopy dog dog]

Not travelling well is one thing, saying Leinster will get a bonus point win is another. In 13 Top 14 games this season Clermont Auvergne have conceded 7 tries. Playing in front of 45K-50K fans won't phase a team which is stacked with internationals and has played 4 consecutive Top 14 finals in the Stade de France.

I thnk Leinster will win but it won't be a bonus point victory. If Leinster do pick up 5 points, I'll be more than happy to admit I was wrong! Leinster by between 3 and 10 points.

 

[munstermuffin]

I'm not saying Leinster should get the BP but that they are well capable of doing it. Although I do have to admit alot drpends on Heaslip as in what is he like with the injury and BOD will be right up against it on his return

 

[shtove]

The Horgan pass on 78 mins was NOT forward. Jeez, what does it take for Nigel Owens to understand the effect of the passer's momentum? Just because the ball is caught forward of the passing point does not mean the pass was forward - all that matters is whether the pass was forward/flat/behind at the point of release. And Iuean Evans agreed with him? Thought the Welsh knew all about passing.

Well done Leinster - up against a stronger team, but smart play wins the day.

 

[TRF_Cymro]

The Horgan pass on 78 mins was NOT forward. Jeez, what does it take for Nigel Owens to understand the effect of the passer's momentum? Just because the ball is caught forward of the passing point does not mean the pass was forward - all that matters is whether the pass was forward/flat/behind at the point of release. And Iuean Evans agreed with him? Thought the Welsh knew all about passing.

Well done Leinster - up against a stronger team, but smart play wins the day.

DEFINITION: THROW FORWARD
A throw forward occurs when a player throws or passes the ball forward.
'Forward' means towards the opposing team's dead ball line.

I personally thought that the pass was forward, and its not the Welsh thing either. The rules in the book are as above, thought the ball was travelling towards the teams dead ball line, makes no mention of the release from the hand or anything.

 

[Duckdee]

The ball went forward but didn't? Wut?

 

[shtove]

The ball went forward but didn't? Wut?

There's a good video on this from Australia, but can't find link.

If you run forward at steady pace and throw the ball straight up in the air, it's a flat pass to yourself. You catch the pass as you continue your run, but 5m further forward - the ball doesn't land on the spot you passed it from, but has travelled forward at the same pace as your run. Yet the pass is still flat. The 5m forward bit is down to your momentum, which stayed with the ball as you passed it.

 

[Feicarsinn]

There's a good video on this from Australia, but can't find link.

If you run forward at steady pace and throw the ball straight up in the air, it's a flat pass to yourself. You catch the pass as you continue your run, but 5m further forward - the ball doesn't land on the spot you passed it from, but has travelled forward at the same pace as your run. Yet the pass is still flat. The 5m forward bit is down to your momentum, which stayed with the ball as you passed it.

Completely correct. Look at it from a physics point of view. Say Horgan is running at 8m/s before he passes. Both he and the ball will be traveling at this speed. Now let's say he executes a flat pass. The ball will be moving at 8m/s towards the opposition's tryline after he stops touching it and then begins decelerating. If Horgan's pass is interpreted as forward, then all flat passes while a player is in motion in the direction of the opposition's are forward. Simple as.

 

[profitius]

There's a good video on this from Australia, but can't find link.

If you run forward at steady pace and throw the ball straight up in the air, it's a flat pass to yourself. You catch the pass as you continue your run, but 5m further forward - the ball doesn't land on the spot you passed it from, but has travelled forward at the same pace as your run. Yet the pass is still flat. The 5m forward bit is down to your momentum, which stayed with the ball as you passed it.

I think its called inertia but I stand to be corrected. Anyway the Shane Horgan call was wrong. He threw the ball backwards but the momentum made it go slightly forward. Thats supposed to be allowed in rugby. its hard for the refs to judge though.

 

[Amobokoboko]

A good game of rugby, both teams giving it a 100% but Leinster being lethal every time they got the ball.

 

[MunsterMan]

The forward pass law is not specific enough, could use clarification from the IRB. If I was a referee I would only penalise players for when they actually throw the ball forward (not when the the ball travels forward due to momentum etc. ) as that is a possible interpretation of the law, and the one which favours exciting play the most, but it is not the only interpretation looking at the post up the page a bit. Owens' decision was perfectly acceptable.