Leinster Rugby

I suppose that's a fair point, it just really rubbed me the wrong way to see the persistent claims that he was a super rugby standard prop when he was patently an ITM player with very patchy super rugby experience. He was also leapfrogged by a kid (a bit of a freak, but a kid nonetheless) at his super club before he left. That in particular should have been a cause for concern for the scouts/coaches.

connachtexile wrote:

SH players are bad the first season before coming good the next.

what about players who dont come good in the 2nd season, will they in the third season? still hope in rodney

i seen some place that leinster have used 52 players this season. that really backs up sea point's statement that yes its hard for TH to get used to playing when its different players all the time.

dont think ive ever seen, healy, croinin/strauss hagan cullen and browne together

Rodney is the answer to our back up centre options!!!

phatguerilla wrote: Rodney is the answer to our back up centre options!!!

Still think there is a back row in there somewhere a la Nick williams or Leo A'uva

LEINSTER:
15: Rob Kearney
14: Fergus McFadden
13: Brian O'Driscoll
12: Ian Madigan
11: Isa Nacewa
10: Jonathan Sexton
9: Isaac Boss

1: Cian Healy
2: Richardt Strauss
3: Mike Ross
4: Leo Cullen CAPTAIN
5: Devin Toner
6: Kevin McLaughlin
7: Shane Jennings
8: Jamie Heaslip

REPLACEMENTS:
16: Sean Cronin
17: Jack McGrath
18: Jamie Hagan
19: Quinn Roux
20: Rhys Ruddock
21: John Cooney
22: Andrew Goodman
23: Andrew Conway

BIARRITZ OLYMPIQUE: 15: Bosch, 14: Ngwenya, 13: Baby, 12: Traille, 11: Brew, 10: Barraque, 9: Yachvili;
1: Synaeghel 2: Heguy, 3: Broster, 4: E Lund, 5: Taele, 6: Dubarry, 7: Lakafia, 8: Harinordoquy CAPTAIN
REPLACEMENTS: 16: August, 17: Van Staden, 18: Gomez Kodela, 19: Marie, 20: Lauret, 21: Lesgourgues, 22: Burotu, 23: Thomas

REFEREE: Wayne Barnes (RFU), ASSISTANT REFEREES: Greg Garner, Paul Dix (both RFU), 4th OFFICIAL: Tim Wigglesworth (RFU), 5th OFFICIAL: Robin Goodliffe (RFU), TMO: Graham Hughes (RFU)

thats a strong enough leinster team, they should win this, i watched biarritz vs glaws and they werent good. be bet them at home so leinster win for me, could be an arm wrestle up front but leinsters backs are very good. they'll spread it wide quick

Will be interested to see Madigan at 12.

My only concern might be Leinster's bench and really only if a couple of them are called into duty early on.

I have faith in Dawson he got the last two appointments right and apparently they've being monitoring O'Connor for a while as it was touch and go anyway if Schmidt would have stayed on past his current contract as Leinster coach.

connachtexile wrote: I have faith in Dawson he got the last two appointments right and apparently they've being monitoring O'Connor for a while as it was touch and go anyway if Schmidt would have stayed on past his current contract as Leinster coach.

And they have kept Feek and Gibbs, so they maintain continuity. Dawson was clear on radio last night that if BOD stays it will be a National Contract not a provincial one, so I guess he has made his call, I would expect him to commit for 2 years for WC

Dawson was clear on radio last night that if BOD stays it will be a National Contract not a provincial one, so I guess he has made his call, I would expect him to commit for 2 years for WC

Apparently its a one year contract at BOD's request. He didn't want to commit for two more years.

RDS 20%-25% empty. pro12 semi final, at home, no travel for the amlin final.
What the deal here, are they all gone to Beyonce or out on the bay in the yacht this sunny day?

20mins, BOD off injured, 3-7 and glasgow were held up for another try.

What a finish to the Rabo SF game tonight.

Hope and pray that tonight has not taken too much out of Leinster at the end of a tough season.

Leinster will need to be at full strength to beat Stade, and get us back into the HC

Joe Schmidt said in the post match interview that it was a back spasm that forced BOD off. Hope that is all.

After tonight game and the effort of the Amlin final next week, I think I will put a few notes on Ulster to take the RABO.

Leinster get there in the end. Always knew this would be an extremely tricky game for them. Even last year Glasgow weren't going as well and Leinster were flying it and they had them worried in the semi-final. Glasgow also outplayed them at the RDS a few weeks back but Leinster nicked the win. Glasgow have been playing a great brand of rugby and don't fear anyone.

Leinster got a couple of fortuitous decisions to help them along and Glasgow played some excellent stuff, they really are dangerous from anywhere on the pitch and if they can hold on to Townsend and add a couple of players up front should be able to make a better fist of the Heineken and continue to push for silverware in the Rabo in the next few seasons which is excellent news for the league given the degree to which the Welsh teams and others are struggling.

However, Leinster got the deal done and that's a major step towards the double. In terms of the crowd, Leinster fans were making excuses about exams and so forth but I don't think any institution has exams on a Saturday evening. Don't know what the pricing was like and whether that kept some people away. They generally have a good supporter base in recent years so its strange especially with so many looking for Amlin tickets. Tonight was a bigger & tougher game than next Friday will be for Leinster imo.

I think leinster fans probably hedged their bets on being through to the final tbh. I think glasgow were a bit unlucky they are a quality side. At the same time maybe things wouldn't have been as tight if bod and darce hadn't been injured. Great game for the neutral though, Matawalu in particular is a fantastic player, he didn't look out of place on the wing at all. That's the benefit of sevens experiences I guess.

A great game! Feel sorry for Glasgow but they'll be back next year. The Italian ref to had a good game. Agree that the crowd was very small. Shame when it was such a great match.