Leinster v Connacht

[TRF_Cymro]

Date: 1st January 2011
Kick Off: 17:30
Stadium: Royal Dublin Society

Connacht have won two of their last five contests against Leinster, but their only win on Leinster soil in the Magners League was at Donnybrook on 13 September 2002.

Leinster's only defeat in their last seven Magners League matches was 15-19 at Ospreys in round nine.

The Leinstermen's record home winning run in the League currently stands at 20 matches (last year's final at the RDS was deemed a neutral venue).

Connacht ran current Magners League pacesetters Munster very close on Monday, but have now slipped to five straight defeats in all competitions. Connacht's only away win this season came at Glasgow Warriors on 17 September.

Referee: John Lacey (IRFU, 8th League game).
Assistant Referees: Leo Colgan, Jude Quinn (both IRFU).
TMO: Marshall Kilgore (IRFU).

Live on TG4.

http://www.magnersleague.com/matchcentre/6904.php​

 

[snoopy snoopy dog dog]

LEINSTER:

15: Isa Nacewa
14: Andrew Conway
13: Eoin O'Malley
12: Fergus McFadden
11: Dave Kearney
10: Shaun Berne
9: Paul O'Donohoe

1: Heinke van der Merwe
2: Richardt Strauss
3: Clint Newland
4: Nathan Hines
5: Devin Toner
6: Kevin McLaughlin
7: Shane Jennings CAPTAIN
8: Sean O'Brien

REPLACEMENTS:

16: Tom Sexton
17: Jack McGrath
18: Mike Ross
19: Ed O'Donoghue
20: Stephen Keogh
21: Eoin Reddan
22: Ian Madigan
23: Niall Morris

 

[snoopy snoopy dog dog]

Connacht XV to face Leinster (RDS Saturday ko 17.30)
01 Brett Wilkinson
02 Adrian Flavin
03 Jamie Hagan
04 Michael Swift
05 Michael McCarthy
06 Andrew Browne
07 Johnny O'Connor
08 Eoin McKeon
09 Cillian Willis
10 Miah Nikora
11 Brian Tuohy
12 Keith Matthews (C)
13 Ian Keatley
14 Eoin Griffin
15 Troy Nathan

16 Dermot Murphy
17 Rodney Ah You
18 Dylan Rogers
19 Bernie Upton
20 Mike McComish
21 Frank Murphy
22 Niva Ta'auso
23 Fionn Carr

 

[snoopy snoopy dog dog]

What's Eric Elwood thinking with that selection? He's got a flyhalf playing outside centre, an outside centre playing wing and a win playing fullback. Their scrum should be on top but that set piece dominance is let down by a poor back division.

For Leinster, the scrum could struggle, lineout will be better than last week and the backrow is impressive- great to see Locky back. The backs should do okay. Mike Ross and Eoin Reddan will be required off the bench. If Tom Sexton makes his debut off the bench he'll be the 4th different Leinster hooker to play for the senior team in 5 days.

 

[MunsterMan]

Is Eoin McKeon the young lad who played blindside against Samoa? Looks to be an exciting prospect!

Goood to see McLaughlin back, and Conway start. Will watch this one closely, even though they have 6 foreigners on the field team packed with potential.

 

[snoopy snoopy dog dog]

Yeah, McKeon is still eligible for the Ireland u20s. Ireland look like they'll be very strong at that age group this season. If McKeon takes his chance he could easily force his way past Ezra Taylor and Mike McComish to earn the Connacht 8 spot.

 

[munstermuffin]

How many games does Nacewa play. He really seems to be involved alot

 

[snoopy snoopy dog dog]

If Nacewa plays every game for Leinster, he'll play roughly 30 times per season. That's no more than the internationals play - they split their time between country and province.

 

[coonor]

Pretty flat from both teams in the first half. Connach put Leinster under huge pressure in first 10 minutes and had about 3 try scoring oppotunities but didn't take them. Leinster got into the game but and Kearney and Conway have been running good lines. Ruck could be better from Leinster and O'brien has gone off so the back row isn't as powerful. Toner has got into the lineout well and made ground. Leinster poor with kicking and the in he air and Connacht are really not clinical enough.

 

[lucky number 7]

Whats wrong with SOB he went off but i could not hear what happened

 

[lynam1104]

cut over his eye

 

[lucky number 7]

Grand job not bad so

 

[lynam1104]

yea i think it was just a blood sub at first.

 

[snoopy snoopy dog dog]

30-8, job done. Leinster have played far better this season but with the crippling injury list finally clearing up, things are looking good for les bleus. Fergus McFadden is looking like a potential World Cup squad bolter on current form.

 

[coonor]

30-8, job done. Leinster have played far better this season but with the crippling injury list finally clearing up, things are looking good for les bleus. Fergus McFadden is looking like a potential World Cup squad bolter on current form.

I agree and it was good to see some young and returning players get a game. Good to see McLaughlin get a good 80 mins. I also think Stan Wright could make a great impact as that would mean we would have four very good props and two top scrummaging tightheads. I think Keatley is now way above Connachts standards as he has the control and brain that the other Connacht players don't have.

 

[snoopy snoopy dog dog]

Yeah, Keatley is a very good player. He's stagnated at Connacht and deserves his move to Munster.

What we caught yesterday was a glimpse of what Connacht's future could be like next season. They were stripped of Sean Cronin's ball carrying and Fionn Carr's electric running and the results weren't pretty. Those players and Ian Keatley will be very hard to replace- sticking in more kids will not yield positive results. I can see Connacht struggling badly next season and their next batch of quality players (Jamie Hagan and Brett Wilkinson) will be poached too since they can't enjoy playing in a losing side. Hagan and Wilkinson wouldn't look out of place as Munster's starting props right now.