The Leinster thread

[munstermuffin]

Only other transfer rumour I've seen concerns the singing of Wasps 18 year old back tree player Aaron O'Sullivan.

Have seen Aaron in flesh before. Will be a superb player in few years.

 

[big ginger 8]

Thought I heard rumours of some championship hooker signing but they were pretty vague.

 

[Leonormous Boozer]

Pre season games are away to Montauban and home to Falcons. You should be more interested in Fermanagh's stroll to All Ireland victory in August though.

 

[Amiga500]

Pre season games are away to Montauban and home to Falcons. You should be more interested in Fermanagh's stroll to All Ireland victory in August though.

Donegal will hammer them out the gate.

The standard has been bad up here for some time. Now its puke football and uncompetitive.

The GAA has a major problem with the football championships. Interest levels and attendances are dropping. The "super" 8s are a step in the wrong direction for several reasons.

The main strength of the organisation has always been its spine of volunteers. Keep marginalising the club game with more inter-county fixtures and even that will start to erode.


While this makes me sound like one of those old fellas with the flat caps at every club game "let 'er in long tae the full faward!!"... the solution to me is:
Back to the real championship - straight knockout. Cuts the number of games down, concentrates the minds of both supporters and players and gives free weeekends back to the club footballer/member. Would Dublin and Meath really have replayed 3 times in '91 if the loser had a qualifier as a backup?

 

[Leonormous Boozer]

Donegal will hammer them out the gate.

The standard has been bad up here for some time. Now its puke football and uncompetitive.

The GAA has a major problem with the football championships. Interest levels and attendances are dropping. The "super" 8s are a step in the wrong direction for several reasons.

The main strength of the organisation has always been its spine of volunteers. Keep marginalising the club game with more inter-county fixtures and even that will start to erode.


While this makes me sound like one of those old fellas with the flat caps at every club game "let 'er in long tae the full faward!!"... the solution to me is:
Back to the real championship - straight knockout. Cuts the number of games down, concentrates the minds of both supporters and players and gives free weeekends back to the club footballer/member. Would Dublin and Meath really have replayed 3 times in '91 if the loser had a qualifier as a backup?

I don't really mind the "puke" football. It's a bit unfortunate it's concentrated almost completely on one province but it's better than everyone playing the same and seeing Dublin and Kerry have games won against Longford and Clare before 10 minutes have passed. I reckon Fermanagh would give Dublin more of a game than any other Leinster side because of it.

Ulster is also still by far the most interesting championship, the only game that comes close to Monaghan v Tyrone or Fermanagh this year was Galway v Mayo which has gone the same way for some time now too. As for the super 8s, I'll wait to judge after they're done but they do have some flaws. I don't really think it's in Donegal's best interest to win Sunday week, they're faced with the possibility of a super 8 with Dublin, Cork and one of Tyrone or Mayo I'm pretty sure, compare that to Kerry, one of Tyrone or Mayo and the likes of Roscommon, Laois or Croke Park Monaghan and it's an easy choice - it does depend on whether they have All Ireland aspirations and they back their fitness which is questionable.

As a Fermanagh fan I'll be heading to Clones with a bit of hope anyway, they straight up haven't been given a lot of credit for their game against Monaghan and easily dispatching Armagh before that, they've set up far better than the likes of Carlow who a pissy Colm O'Rourke is too happy to compare them with to distract from his own county's embarrassing summer. Given that the match means a lot more to them, they were a side who had a bit of pedigree under a prehistoric coach in Pete McGrath and now that they have a home coach with top tier experience and knowledge of Donegal I think they'll be a whole lot more competitive than people think. It might be wishful thinking but the limited time Tomas Corrigan and Sean Quigley, less so, have seen makes me think they're planning an ambush, if Arlene accepts her invite they'll surely up the ante further for their favourite minister!

My biggest wish for the championship though is that Mayo crash out in the qualifiers - I can't stick them.

 

[Groundhog]

Here @The Alpha Bro. I'll not be paying thirty quid to watch puke football. Champagne Champers football only lad or I do an Enniskillen enema in the backseat of your car

 

[Leonormous Boozer]

Here @The Alpha Bro. I'll not be paying thirty quid to watch puke football. Champagne Champers football only lad or I do an Enniskillen enema in the backseat of your car

Stop denying your roots, your Fermanagh blood cancels out all the Limerick to make you palatable!

 

[Leinster Fan]

I honestly can't see the point of the Super 8s. It's just adding 8 games to a stage in the competition that doesn't need them, there's nothing wrong with quarter finals for gods sake.

The Leinster championship is one of the most depressing competitions in any sport ever. Some of the others aren't as bad, the football in Ulster is boring but the championship matters and is competitive. Connacht used to be bad but now has Galway/Mayo and a decent Roscommon team as well to keep them honest but that's counteracted by Cork falling of a cliff and not being able to provide any sort of meaningful opposition to Kerry anymore.

The new hurling format has worked well IMO, even if watching Dublin heroically pull defeat from the jaws of victory three times was a bit frustrating. Amazing that Tipp are put so early though.

 

[Groundhog]

Down with garrison sports!

 

[big ginger 8]

Felipe Contepomi is returning as assistant backs coach.

 

[munstermuffin]

Felipe Contepomi is returning as assistant backs coach.

Will be an interesting mix there now. Big difference to Girv. 1 very calm and the other extremely hot headed character.
Also talks of Noel McNamara getting a bigger role there too with academy

 

[snoopy snoopy dog dog]

Cautiously optimistic about the apparent arrival of Felipe Contepomi. It's not his first coaching gig as he's with the Jaguares. His experience of coaching in Super Rugby and ability as a flyhalf/centre will be of benefit to Ross Byrne and Ciaran Frawley especially.

It'll be a good appointment for both the new coach and the province. Contepomi gets to learn from Stuart Lancaster and the Irish system while it also eases the workload on the former England coach

 

[Leonormous Boozer]

Academy 2019: https://www.leinsterrugby.ie/leinster-rugby-academy-2018-19-confirmed/


Confirmed Departures:
Ian Fitzpatrick
Oisin Heffernan (to Nottingham Rugby)
Terry Kennedy
Jeremy Loughman (to Munster Rugby)
Sean McNulty
Charlie Rock

Leinster Rugby Academy – Year Three:
Hugo Keenan
Jack Kelly
Conor O'Brien
Jimmy O'Brien

Leinster Rugby Academy – Year Two:
Jack Aungier
Oisín Dowling
Ciarán Frawley
Rónan Kelleher
Gavin Mullin
Tommy O'Brien
Hugh O'Sullivan

Leinster Rugby Academy – Year One:
Ryan Baird
Harry Byrne
Jack Dunne
Aaron O'Sullivan
Michael Milne
Patrick Patterson
Scott Penney
Michael Silvester


Delighted to have Dr. Phil back. My idol as a kid.

 

[snoopy snoopy dog dog]

Decent academy intake. Ryan Baird, Michael Milne and Scott Penney were three of the schools prospects I've been alluding to. Slightly surprised David Hawkshaw isn't joining them.

 

[Amiga500]

https://www.irishtimes.com/sport/ru...lansdowne-to-ail-final-win-1.3486186?mode=amp

Peter Dooley and Ed Byrne are wasted here. Both are talented enough to be considered future internationals but are stuck behind Healy and McGrath for club and country. The fact that they both have to contend with each other for whatever scraps get thrown their way doesn't help. One or the other should go to Ulster (who are seriously short at LH) where they'd be able to potentially challenge to get into the Ireland squad.

https://twitter.com/rugbyvacancies/status/1014787622529654784?s=12


How on earth have neither of them been persuaded to head up the M1 for a year or two I don't know...

 

[Leinster Fan]

Depth chart cause I'm bored. (Astrixes mean that it isn't their main position, or that there's another reason they're unlikely to play.

1, Healy, McGrath, Byrne, Dooley
Very strong but the last 2 are too good, one of them should move.
2. Cronin, Tracy, Byrne, Kelleher
Not our best position by a long shot and none of them are consistent throwers but it's hardly a crippling weakness.
3. Furlong, Porter, Bent, Akbaladze
Very strong, you'd hope Akbaladze could overtake Bent though.
4/5. Ryan, Fardy, Toner, Molony, Nagle, Kearney. The first 3 are awesome after that meh but you'd hope Ross Molony improves. Could still see Fardy playing 6 to
accommodate Toner.
6. Fardy*, SOB*, Ruddock, Murphy, Doris*
7. Leavy, SOB*, Josh Vdf, Connors
8. SOB*, Conan, Deegan, Doris.
We've got a great backrow, hopefully we see a bit more of Doris and Deegan next year, they're special talents. Depth across the board is a bit hit by Murphy going.s

9. McGrath, JGP*, McCarthy, O'Sullivan
Probably our weakest position if I'm honest. Hopefully McCarthy can step up and end the Lowe v JGP debate for good.
10. Sexton*, Byrne, Frawley, Byrne
Big season for Ross Byrne now. Frawley as well has a golden opportunity and given his versatility he'll be a key player in the Pro14.
12. Henshaw, Tomane*, Reid, Frawley*
13. Ringrose, Henshaw*, Tomane*, O'Loughlin, Larmour*
Tomane gives the decent backup to Ringshaw that we missed last year. Not perfect here but in an acceptable state.
11/14 Lowe*, Larmour,McFadden, O'Loughlin*, Daly, Byrne, etc.
15. Kearney, Larmour, Frawley*?
There are an awful lot of fringe wingers but it's hard to look past Lowe and Larmour as starters IMO. Adam Byrne had a nightmare season after he got capped last year and hopefully he gets back to his best.

Please please please let the season start soon it's been way to long.

 

[Leonormous Boozer]

Sexton captain, Ruddock vc.

New jerseys are rotten in my opinion, I'd almost sooner buy the Munster European tribute jersey to us with the blue and yellow dots all over it!

 

[Leinster Fan]

Sexton captain, Ruddock vc.

New jerseys are rotten in my opinion, I'd almost sooner buy the Munster European tribute jersey to us with the blue and yellow dots all over it!

The jerseys are very disappointing. I was looking forward to the fourth star but I probably won't get one now.

Making Sexton captain is probably the right decision even if he's unlikely to okay more than 10-15 games this season

 

[Amiga500]

New jerseys are rotten in my opinion,

What, did you not listen to the press release?

It channels 9632654 year of tradition of hurling... erm... spears - forget about ancient Laighean - we're back to the time of Pangaea.
With a shade of blue not seen by man since adidas last did a chelsea top, its sure to provide utter inspiration to the Laigheanmen as they aspire to do their jersey's justice and provide real synergy to the adidas brand.

How did the PR gumf not win you over?

 

[snoopy snoopy dog dog]

Team for tomorrow night is up:
Leinster Rugby

15. James Lowe
14. Adam Byrne
13. Rory O'Loughlin
12. Joe Tomane
11. Barry Daly
10. Noel Reid
9. Nick McCarthy
1. Peter Dooley
2. Bryan Byrne
3. Michael Bent
4. Ross Molony
5. Ian Nagle
6. Josh Murphy
7. Rhys Ruddock CAPTAIN
8. Max Deegan

16. James Tracy
17. Ed Byrne
18. Vakh Abdaladze
19. Mick Kearney
20. Will Connors
21. Jamison Gibson-Park
22. Jimmy O'Brien
23. Dave Kearney
24. Oisín Dowling
25. Conor O'Brien
26. Tom Daly
27. Jack Kelly
28. Gavin Mullin

A couple of things worth looking out for are James Lowe starting at 15 and Noel Reid at 10.