Babbling 'brook

I don't believe there's any way that Leinster aren't reviewing missed tackles on Monday morning. That missed tackle from Conan lead to both a try and what could have been a game changing moment when Luke got yellow which could have been red. My sense in the matches is that we are slipping off tackl...

I would love to see Connors given the start this weekend, but I'd be very surprised if it happened. He hasn't played in a couple of weeks, and left his last game with an injury (after being repeatedly targeted). Hope I'm wrong but can't see it. But that's what Connors is, no? - a player who can be ...

Just looking at the stats, I felt at the time that we missed a few tackles (including a crucial one that lead to a try and yellow card by Jack Conan). Tackle success rate vs the Bulls was 86% which is the same as our URC seasonal average in which we are ranked 13th in the league. That's not good en...

Dave Cahill wrote: ↑February 17th, 2024, 3:48 pm Tommy O'Brien is turning into Gary Brown

Is that a good thing or a bad thing?

I'm responding to posts replying to me. It's an interesting discussion. If you don't want to read it no bother, just don't! In an ideal world we'd keep adding numbers to our senior squad (until we had 100 players), allowing us to hang on to Ngatai till he's 40 .... but that's not possible and so we...

What is it about Osborne that makes you think he's not good enough to bench when the strongest possible selection is fielded? Are you taking the piss? You don't think Osborne's good enough for a place in the strongest 23? Osborne is already good enough for a place in the 23. It's not him that's rep...

You were the one who connected Brownlee and Ngatai. yes Brownlee would be taking his place in the senior squad. Yes exactly. And to make my original point again, I think expecting Brownlee to take the place of a capped all black who has had some huge moments in blue is short sighted and unrealistic...

Brownlee for Ngatai is a fair old drop down in depth chart though in reality. Ngatai was one of our best players in a Euro SF last year and had a big impact against LAR away too, along with lots of other big moments in blue. Brownlee is highly talented but it's a big ask to get him up to near that ...

I would be surprised if it pans out like that, but it's possible, I suppose. A lot will depend on whether or not Ngatai and Osborne are available. I haven't heard any projections of how long they're expected to be out. I think it's likely Henshaw and/or Frawley will be available to play 12 for that ...

Brownlee for Ngatai is a fair old drop down in depth chart though in reality. Ngatai was one of our best players in a Euro SF last year and had a big impact against LAR away too, along with lots of other big moments in blue. Brownlee is highly talented but it's a big ask to get him up to near that ...

Somebody who springs to mind is Jared Payne. He's coached attack and defence, so there'd be some flexibility with him if he had to switch role if whoever comes after Nienaber as Senior Coach is an attack coach. Only in his first season at the Scarlets, but it's probably fair to say his is a more jun...

I don’t see the overlap. Nienaber is considered a defense coach and McNamara an attack coach? I mean they would both be the 'Senior Coach' like Lancaster was. Assistants could take on different roles. Under Nienaber there's an assistant attack coach. Under McNamara you could have an assistant defen...

Is Nienaber's contract for 2 seasons or 3? Maybe he will head back to SA to try to win another RWC with the boks around the same time McNamara's Bordeaux contract lasts until. McNamara looks like the obvious successor to Nienaber to me, but I think Leinster will probably have to look elsewhere for ...

Is Nienaber's contract for 2 seasons or 3? Maybe he will head back to SA to try to win another RWC with the boks around the same time McNamara's Bordeaux contract lasts until. McNamara looks like the obvious successor to Nienaber to me, but I think Leinster will probably have to look elsewhere for a...

McPhillips? But Connacht's attack declined enormously when he replaced Andre Bell. And Bristol have been pretty underwhelming, haven't they? I don't see much of them.

I'm glad it's Harry Byrne in. He has a lot of ability. I didn't see too much acclaim for his involvement in the try against La Rochelle, but I thought it was a very sharp piece of play.

Wow. What a bitter diatribe. He missed out on the scoop, so he has gone on a mission to destroy his reputation as a journalist and, presumably, his relationship with Leinster. A real shame as I actually thought he was one of the few half-decent rugby correspondents out there. He's not a journalist ...

A lot of his development has to be put down to Farrell bringing him in for Ireland. Farrell played him in a RWC QF but Leinster gave him a few minutes off the bench in one European Cup Final and left him out of the matchday squad completely for another. Where would he be in his development without ...

Brilliant to have Snyman for a year, but I can’t see a renewal so will be interesting to see what happens after that. Eoin Toolan on the 42 podcast (who is generally a very good analyst imo) is talking about this deal blocking the development of Leinster locks and wondering who we pick out of Ryan,...

"Nor is Nienaber’s influence on the make-up of Leinster’s squad next season likely to end with the signing of Snyman, for the province have still to recruit a replacement for the Clermont-bound Michael Ala’alatoa." "To put it another way, don’t be surprised if Leinster’s next acquisit...