Leinster v Ulster - The Last Stand

[An Tarbh]

Well we've had our series of last games at Lansdowne Rd for the time being, starting with the last 6N, last Schools Cup final, last football international, rugby international, Heineken Cup game and finally we'll have the Last Stand when Leinster host Ulster in the last Magners League game to be played at the famous venue.

A record crowd for the Magners League is guaranteed on New Year's Eve, could even be close to capacity if reports are to be believed.

Leinster will be looking to bounce back from their defeat in Limerick and reduce the 7 point lead on the champions. Will be interesting to see what changes both coaches make in the light of the quick turnaround from the last game.

 

[DC]

i hope leinster lays it all on the line and savours the opportunity to be the last players to play on the old lansdowne road

a win here will bring us even closer to the top and i feel if were looking at winning the ML this year this is a deffo must win

hope to see the backline start to click with contempomi back more than it had in previous weeks with some of the backup fly halves standing in

Prediction

21-17 to leinster

i feel it will be a hard fought win by leinster, and i think this will go down as a superb performance by the backline and an ok to mediocre performance by the pack.

 

[An Tarbh]

No Contepomi just yet, Sexton continues at outhalf while Rob Kearney starts for the injured Dempsey, Fitzgerald must have failed his fitness test as well. Will Green returns in the front row which is a huge boost to the Leinster pack, Contepomi and Green coming back just in time with the final 2 pool games coming up fast.

 

[O'Rothlain]

"Stand Up For the Ulsterman, Stand Up For the Ulsterman..."

 

[getofmeland]

Should be a cracker of a game, to send of one of the greatest stadiums in the rugby world... There was an interesting article in the Daily Mail, which I shall find and post if I can...

Found it

Click here to read

 

[An Tarbh]

Been plenty of good articles to read about Lansdowne, got a book about the place for Christmas but was a bit of a disappointment, just some bloke writing about players who have graced Lansdowne Rd and any of the quotes taken were just from file not from interviews done himself, still doesn't take away from the many memories though.

Hopefully just need Leinster to put in a performance so that it gets the right send off from my point of view.

 

[loratadine]

im saying

leinster 30
ulster 26

 

[An Tarbh]

Leinster win the final final game at Lansdowne with a more than decent performance in the second half, conditions as ever at Lansdowne not the easiest but that didn't stop Leinster from trying to play, too many handling errors though in the first 40, much better in the second half.

Dr Phil certainly looked a lot better for his runout against Munster and come the game against the Ospreys he should be looking to possibly start the game.

In terms of the ML though very important result for Leinster in denying Ulster a losing bp and closing the gap to 3, until the Scarlets play next.

Last try though at Lansdowne goes to Jamie Heaslip, won't be seeing rugby or any sport at Lansdowne now for the forseeable future, don't think there's much chance of the new stadium being finished on time either. Dissappointing not to be there today, but that can't be helped unfortunately so best to savour the memories from all the last games of 2006.

 

[DC]

perfect send off for the ole stadium, too bad you couldnt get tickets for that one!

 

[An Tarbh]

I had a ticket but couldn't go cause my asthma started playing up on me last night and was no better today and given how windy it was today that makes it harder for me to breathe so I'd have been in a far worse condition than I am now.

But yeah a good send off alright, big positive that we ended up taking 7 points despite being down to 14 players as well.

 

[DC]

yea true, cant wait to watch this one once i get an opportunity

 

[shtove]

Didn't see this.

The people I spoke to raved about BOD's pass to himself - not quite sure what they were describing, so was it special + anyone got a video link?

Did Contepomi play, and how was the Humps?

Anyway, goodbye to the windy shithole with the Wendy house in the corner. Please knock down Jury's too, and the Berkeley Court. Someone else can do the American embassy.

Happy New Year, and farewell Saddam.

 

[An Tarbh]

He just lobbed the ball to himself when feigning a pass, think it looked better from the line he actually ran but he didn't have the pace to finish the move.

Humphreys picked up an elbow injury after 5 minutes, Wallace did really well in the first half, was quite a surprise tbh.

Contepomi got 20 minutes in the second half, looked the better for his run out in the Munster game.

It may have been a windy shithole, but it was our windy shithole and I loved it. I'll knock the US embassy if someone else knocks some sense into the residents and their poxy objections.

 

[shtove]

That's BOD's only imperfection - strikes like a rattlesnake, but after 20m the leg speed declines. That chubster 14, Copacabana, ought to have caught him on his Agen intercept try.

Good to hear about Wallace at 10.

 

[SmokeyMonkey]

Humphreys has a suspected broken arm:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/rugby_unio...ish/6222607.stm

 

[An Tarbh]

Huh that article said he didn't suffer a break just that he's a doubt for Saturday's game in Glasgow.

 

[SmokeyMonkey]

That article changed after I posted it!

 

[An Tarbh]

That would make sense, but either way Ulster can start to take some heart in the performances of Wallace, finally beginning to look like he could step into the shoes of the great man following so many year of failing to deliver on the promise he showed in the early part of his career.

 

[O'Rothlain]

It was great game, even if Ulster lost. A fitting closure for Lansdowne.

 

[An Tarbh]

Didn't see this.

The people I spoke to raved about BOD's pass to himself - not quite sure what they were describing, so was it special + anyone got a video link
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