Pro 14 Semi-Finals

[ajwffc]

The two semi fixtures are as follows

Friday, September 4

LEINSTER (1) V MUNSTER (3)
Venue: Aviva Stadium, Dublin Kick-off: 19:35 UK/IRE TV: Live on eir Sport 1 & Premier Sports 1

Saturday, September 5

EDINBURGH (2) V ULSTER (4)
Venue: BT Murrayfield, Edinburgh Kick-off: 19:35 UK/IRE TV: Live on Premier Sports 1 & eir Sport 1

If Leinster win they will host the final. If Edinburgh win they will host the final if Munster win. If Munster win they will be at home if Ulster win and Ulster can't get a home final

 

[Redman7]

Leinster/Edinburgh final I think

 

[The Seeker]

Leinster
Edinburgh

I hope Munster and Ulster pull off upsets, although I doubt it will happen.

 

[Leinster Fan]

This would be a bad time to end a 23 game winning run.

Everything is in our favour here, we've had a better season, we've looked the strongest since the restart. Munster have a five day turnaround while we've had two weeks off. There's also talk of Furlong, Ryan and even Leavy coming back from injury. It's all so perfectly set up for us to win that I have no choice but to predict Munster by 2 after a dodgy penalty in the last minute.

In all seriousness, Leinster by about 10. In the other game Ulster need a massive inprovement on the last two weeks or Edinburgh will have it easy.

 

[Groundhog]

Its certainly stacked against Munster alright. Game against Connacht was a hammering, but pretty end to end and like a sevens game at the end so I'd say the lads who played are pretty gassed. We also have a terrible record in the Aviva and Leinster will likely field the strongest team on paper. In terms of Furlong, Leavy and Ryan coming back I am not sure if they will all be risked with Europe to think of, but I'm sure they'll all push heavily to play.
With that said, I think we're in decent form in our last two games, obviously lost the first game, but were capable enough of pushing Leinster in the set piece and in the air, particularly if they don't free the injury table 3. The benefit of home advantage is fairly worthless now and we should be able to pick a pretty consistent team again. I think all of our players have come back very fit in a way Ulster's guys for example don't look so hopefully we can beat the turnaround.
I would absolutely love to **** all over Leinster's parade, but I think it will probably another one score game against us.

In the other semi I think Edinburgh will get the better of Ulster who have definitely stumbled out of lockdown. As I said Connacht straight up outworked them and Leinster's kids outclassed them, so they'd need to seriously turn it around. Full credit to Cockerill for developing this Edinburgh team who is not full of superstars, but are playing nice stuff. It would be good to see the two Scott sides follow each other in finals, but I imagine the result will be the same as last year and Leinster will win out.

 

[Leinster Fan]

Its certainly stacked against Munster alright. Game against Connacht was a hammering, but pretty end to end and like a sevens game at the end so I'd say the lads who played are pretty gassed. We also have a terrible record in the Aviva and Leinster will likely field the strongest team on paper. In terms of Furlong, Leavy and Ryan coming back I am not sure if they will all be risked with Europe to think of, but I'm sure they'll all push heavily to play.
With that said, I think we're in decent form in our last two games, obviously lost the first game, but were capable enough of pushing Leinster in the set piece and in the air, particularly if they don't free the injury table 3. The benefit of home advantage is fairly worthless now and we should be able to pick a pretty consistent team again. I think all of our players have come back very fit in a way Ulster's guys for example don't look so hopefully we can beat the turnaround.
I would absolutely love to **** all over Leinster's parade, but I think it will probably another one score game against us.

In the other semi I think Edinburgh will get the better of Ulster who have definitely stumbled out of lockdown. As I said Connacht straight up outworked them and Leinster's kids outclassed them, so they'd need to seriously turn it around. Full credit to Cockerill for developing this Edinburgh team who is not full of superstars, but are playing nice stuff. It would be good to see the two Scott sides follow each other in finals, but I imagine the result will be the same as last year and Leinster will win out.

Wouldn't be surprised to see Furlong on the bench if he's looking good. I'd say Porter will stsrt regardless. Ryan will probably be involved if he's fit. Leavy almost certainly won't play, not the game to try someone who hasn't played in 18 months and we have about 6 backrows who deserve to be involved anyway. Need to be careful with them for Europe but equally speaking don't want our best forwards going in undercooked either.

 

[irisht]

Rumoured Leinster side for Friday:

1. Healy
2. Kelleher
3. Porter
4. Toner
5. Fardy
6. Doris
7. Connors
8. Conan
9. McGrath
10. Sexton
11. Lowe
12. Henshaw
13. Ringrose
14. Keenan
15. Larmour
16. Cronin
17. Byrne
18. Bent
19. Baird
20. JVDF
21. JGP
22. Byrne Sr.
23. ROL

 

[ajwffc]

Referee appointments for the 2 games
Leinster v Munster
Referee: Andrew Brace (IRFU, 54th Championship Appearance)

AR1: George Clancy (IRFU) AR2: Sean Gallagher (IRFU)

TMO: Brian MacNeice (IRFU)

Edinburgh v Ulster
Referee: Frank Murphy (IRFU, 35th Championship Appearance)

AR1: Mike Adamson (SRU) AR2: Sam Grove-White (SRU)

TMO: Neil Patterson (SRU)

 

[Leonormous Boozer]

Over/under on cards given out by Frank Murphy, 17 at 1/3

 

[Conal]

can't see Ulster pulling it off,

few knocks in the squad on key players and we have looked very slow coming out of lockdown,

safe to say a few chippies in belfast made a killing from some of the Ulster boys over lockdown

 

[Groundhog]

Munster: Shane Daly; Andrew Conway, Chris Farrell, Damian de Allende, Keith Earls; JJ Hanrahan, Conor Murray; Jeremy Loughman, Niall Scannell, Stephen Archer; Tadhg Beirne, Billy Holland; Peter O'Mahony (C), Jack O'Donoghue, CJ Stander.

Replacements: Kevin O'Byrne, James Cronin, John Ryan, Fineen Wycherley, Chris Cloete, Craig Casey, Rory Scannell, Mike Haley.

 

[Redman7]

Interested to see how Shane Daly goes. Seems to be a real prospect.

Thought they might go with cloete at 7 and go all out in terms of attacking the ball as they way the game is refereed at the moment it's easier to win penalties and they will need turnovers when leinster have the ball. Bernie, O'Mahony, Stander & Cloete could cause leinster problems

 

[Groundhog]

I'm not mad on the prop choices. I think we have stronger options on the bench in Cronin (certainly in the scrum) and Ryan. Also probably would have picked Cloete for how suited he is to the new breakdown, but I see the logic in O'Donoghue. He's faster, a better carrier and does more at the lineout and not guaranteed to give away at least two pointless penalties. Also thought Wycherley was fantastic last week with Beirne, but its not a huge issue. More comfortable with the sub split adding another back.

 

[Groundhog]

No sign of Leavy, Ryan or Furlong anyway. Have a feeling they were never going to be picked in reality.

 

[Conal]

View attachment 8421

No sign of Leavy, Ryan or Furlong anyway. Have a feeling they were never going to be picked in reality.

still great that Leavy was in the conversation when the injury happened I thought that was the career over

 

[Groundhog]

still great that Leavy was in the conversation when the injury happened I thought that was the career over

Oh absolutely. I hope he comes back really strongly because he's a player Ireland desperately lack at test level as well as being a sound fella. Just don't want him to play against us and I get the feeling he wasn't really available for selection this week in reality.

 

[Conal]

Ulster team to play Edinburgh, Guinness PRO14 semi-final, BT Murrayfield, Saturday 5 September (7.35pm, live on Premier Sports):

(15-9) Jacob Stockdale, Louis Ludik, James Hume, Stuart McCloskey, Rob Lyttle, Billy Burns (Capt.), John Cooney.

(1-8) Eric O'Sullivan, Rob Herring, Tom O'Toole, Alan O'Connor, Sam Carter, Matthew Rea, Jordi Murphy, Marcell Coetzee.

Replacements: John Andrew, Jack McGrath, Marty Moore, Kieran Treadwell, Sean Reidy, Alby Mathewson, Ian Madigan, Michael Lowry.


seem to be committing to Stockdale at 15, wonder if that is a Dublin directive. about as good a squad as we could send all things considered but I worry about the pack's mobility and fitness and the backs lack of cutting edge

hope i'm wrong

 

[Leinster Fan]

seem to be committing to Stockdale at 15, wonder if that is a Dublin directive.

Doubt it, Ulster have been doing this since before the world cup and Ireland haven't showed any interest in playing him there (yet).

Ulster will need a massive improvement on the last few weeks but if they can find their best they have a real chance.

 

[Conal]

Doubt it, Ulster have been doing this since before the world cup and Ireland haven't showed any interest in playing him there (yet).

Ulster will need a massive improvement on the last few weeks but if they can find their best they have a real chance.

he's filled in before but don't think a run of three games starting FB and one of them being a play off, just seems odd is all

 

[Leinster Fan]

he's filled in before but don't think a run of three games starting FB and one of them being a play off, just seems odd is all

I'm pretty sure he had a run of games there at the end of last season before he got injured. You wouldn't necessarily have pencilled him in there for a playoff game but he looked good at 15 against Leinster.