toulon again!

[Hippo]

So sorry lads.

I didn't seen the match, back from Ireland then driving home.
Really wanted a Leinster-ASM final, even if I had to stop posting during two weeks.

Can we stop Toulon? I'm not really sure, but I know how focused on the European Cup our players are. Toulon will have to be great if they want a third star.


Au revoir.

Beat them!

[Taz]

So sorry lads.

I didn't seen the match, back from Ireland then driving home.
Really wanted a Leinster-ASM final, even if I had to stop posting during two weeks.

Can we stop Toulon? I'm not really sure, but I know how focused on the European Cup our players are. Toulon will have to be great if they want a third star.


Au revoir.

I hope you get your first .

Slan.

[Donny B.]

Unbelievably tense. Convinced Gopperth would get that drop goal. And then also convinced Armitage would get the penalty at the end (he hit one from further out against us last year)..

You've obviously never seen Gopperth attempt a last minute drop goal. He always misses with last-minute drop goals, always! I was hoping they'd get Madigan, Kearney or even Sean O'Brien in the pocket instead cause they'd have a better chance.

[Dexter]

Really proud of the effort and heart from Leinster today, so disappointed with the outcome. Feel sorry for poor Mads, he'll blame himself and forget how he made a great kick to bring us level near the end.

My opinions on the whole Toulon thing have been re-inforced, hope ASM do the job in the final.

Edit: also, probably the worst possible result for the tournament organisers with the final in Twickenham. The place will be half empty.

[Riptide]

The thing about Madigan's pass is that if Te'o had kept his running line straight it was a definite try for Leinster.

It was both a poor decisions and poor execution. The ball needed to be put through the hands and not floated in the direction of Habana. It's not the first time Madigan has thrown a bad interception. Te'o is not at fault here; Madigan is.

[ceemec]

Pretty sure it was forward too. Nothing good about it.

He had a day to forget in all respects of play aside from off the tee.

[Riptide]

Apparently, the game plan was to keep it tight and drive at Toulon upfront according to MOC post-game. The conditions played no part in it. Certainly such limited ambition reflects the limitations of Leinster under MOC. When required, and when there was space, Leinster could not play the game at pace, or move the ball through the hands in the face of Toulon pressure because that game is no longer within us. Under MOC, it has faded away. So kudos for the great effort, and it was a great effort, but we need an upgrade in several positions and most especially in the coaches box. We will not draw an easy group next year and will continue to struggle against the likes of the Dragons unless we make changes.

[Bogger]

Apparently, the game plan was to keep it tight and drive at Toulon upfront according to MOC post-game. The conditions played no part in it. Certainly such limited ambition reflects the limitations of Leinster under MOC. When required, and when there was space, Leinster could not play the game at pace, or move the ball through the hands in the face of Toulon pressure because that game is no longer within us. Under MOC, it has faded away. So kudos for the great effort, and it was a great effort, but we need an upgrade in several positions and most especially in the coaches box. We will not draw an easy group next year and will continue to struggle against the likes of the Dragons unless we make changes.

+1 its all about how we are coached a Joe Smidth team would have played rugby and if we lose we lose....but we lost not just because we executed a poor plan to begin with we lost because we don't believe it...our players lacked confidence and I think it showed.....we can do better than this we already have the players.

[leinster4life13]

We died on MOC's decision to go with Gops at ten, the chap cant run a bath, let alone a backline, we have been abject with him at ten all season, today was no different, forwards matched and almost bettered Toulons, 9/10 axis let us down badly.

[leinster4life13]

Also, Te'o's bosh on Basteraud..... why if the game plan was keeping it tight did he not play at twelve, he is an awesome carrier, yet we rarely get the ball in his hands(partly due to Gops being utter shite, but I digress), hopefully, now that the season is over, we can move Madigan to ten and Teo'o to twelve for the rest of the games.

[ceemec]

We died on MOC's decision to go with Gops at ten, the chap cant run a bath, let alone a backline, we have been abject with him at ten all season, today was no different, forwards matched and almost bettered Toulons, 9/10 axis let us down badly.

Madigan took on a large part of the responsibilities of the outhalf today and had a complete stinker. Intercept try, kicked out on the full trying a crossfield kick that wasn't on and also gave away possession in the first half on turnover poorly executing one, stuck two dead from restarts and was charged down in his own half.

Not sure how him actually playing 10 for the full game would have improved us at all.

Gopperth wasn't anything special but defended solidly, put up some good, contestable kicks, made a chargedown on Giteau that nearly came off and was generally ok.

[Made Of Ale]

My sort of happiness about how we performed has been overcome by how much I'm thinking about how much Toulon were there for the taking.

[hugonaut]

We died on MOC's decision to go with Gops at ten, the chap cant run a bath, let alone a backline, we have been abject with him at ten all season, today was no different, forwards matched and almost bettered Toulons, 9/10 axis let us down badly.

More the 10/12 axis than the 9/10 axis. Mads' placekicking was absolutely first rate, but he had a mare otherwise – just as Ceemec said. Didn't see much to complain about in Isaac Boss' game, thought he went well.

[LeinsterLeader]

We died on MOC's decision to go with Gops at ten, the chap cant run a bath, let alone a backline, we have been abject with him at ten all season, today was no different, forwards matched and almost bettered Toulons, 9/10 axis let us down badly.

Madigan took on a large part of the responsibilities of the outhalf today and had a complete stinker. Intercept try, kicked out on the full trying a crossfield kick that wasn't on and also gave away possession in the first half on turnover poorly executing one, stuck two dead from restarts and was charged down in his own half.

Not sure how him actually playing 10 for the full game would have improved us at all.

Gopperth wasn't anything special but defended solidly, put up some good, contestable kicks, made a chargedown on Giteau that nearly came off and was generally ok.

Agreed. JG wasn't great but there's been very little evidence this season to suggest IM would have been any better.

[leinster4life13]

Madigan is a dire 12, I have said it on numerous occasions, he offers nothing, he never looks comfortable and only really does a job in defence, taking his performance at 12 and inferring he would be equally as cat at ten is false, he is a ten, all of his best games have come at ten. Gopperth did nothing and by extension our backline did nothing. Our pack bullied Toulon and we nearly won, bad decisions by our backs(Teo drfiting off Mads pass was one)cost us. We had no control from ten or any threat or shape in attack, which, again, comes from ten. I have never seen an outhalf as uninvolved in teams game as Gops was today, he was utterly anonymous, a pre MOC confident Madigan with a big unit like Teo inside him would have made hay.

[leinster4life13]

We died on MOC's decision to go with Gops at ten, the chap cant run a bath, let alone a backline, we have been abject with him at ten all season, today was no different, forwards matched and almost bettered Toulons, 9/10 axis let us down badly.

More the 10/12 axis than the 9/10 axis. Mads' placekicking was absolutely first rate, but he had a mare otherwise – just as Ceemec said. Didn't see much to complain about in Isaac Boss' game, thought he went well.

Boss was ok, very slow, kicked a lot of ball away, basically did his best Connor Murray impression. Considering how he has been going all season, it was a surprise, he was so adequate.
Redden looked shot when he came on, did nothing.

[Keith]

How did Toulon get away with pushing early in the scrums? It was a disgrace. Im proud of the way the lads put it upto the Toulon.

[Le Duvet]

Madigan is a dire 12, I have said it on numerous occasions, he offers nothing, he never looks comfortable and only really does a job in defence, taking his performance at 12 and inferring he would be equally as cat at ten is false, he is a ten, all of his best games have come at ten. Gopperth did nothing and by extension our backline did nothing. Our pack bullied Toulon and we nearly won, bad decisions by our backs(Teo drfiting off Mads pass was one)cost us. We had no control from ten or any threat or shape in attack, which, again, comes from ten. I have never seen an outhalf as uninvolved in teams game as Gops was today, he was utterly anonymous, a pre MOC confident Madigan with a big unit like Teo inside him would have made hay.

Forwards won, Backs lost. At least we looked like a Championship team at times which has rescued a dire season. With Sexto back we can learn how to attack again. BELIEVE

[neiliog93]

My sort of happiness about how we performed has been overcome by how much I'm thinking about how much Toulon were there for the taking.

Completely agree. A combination of pride that we beat them up up front, mixed with "...hang on, they were actually very, very vulnerable...". Leinster of 2012 would have won that game by 10+ points.

Also, yes, for the Habana try Madigan should have passed to the man outside, not attempted a miss pass. We probably would have scored a try. Aside from that, if Te'o had ran a straight line rather than drifted it was an almost certain Leinster try. 14 point swing.

[johng]

Small margins. We just took the double champs of Europe and most expensively assembled team in the history of Rugby into extra time. in France. In a euro semi.

All with the worst coach since kidney, no form, missing sexto isa and bod, and and with no settled 10 12 13 combo.

Yes it is galling to lose. But hey, some credit here lads.