Leinster v Gloucester Sat 20th August

[cormac]

Leinster XV:

15. Niall Morris
14. Adam Byrne
13. Garry Ringrose
12. Tom Daly
11. Barry Daly
10. Cathal Marsh
9. Nick McCarthy
1. Peter Dooley
2. Bryan Byrne
3. Michael Bent
4. Ian Nagle
5. Hayden Triggs
6. Josh Murphy
7. Josh van der Flier
8. Jack Conan CAPTAIN

Replacements From:

James Tracy
Sean McNulty
Andrew Porter
Jeremy Loughman
Vakh Abdaladze
Ross Molony
Dominic Ryan
Dan Leavy
Peadar Timmins
Charlie Rock
Joey Carbery
Ross Byrne
Fergus McFadden
Zane Kirchner
Rory O'Loughlin

[simonokeeffe]

a pretty exciting team all round

[LeRouxIsPHat]

Bit worried about it myself. The team for the first league game should be stronger but it won't be by much. We have far too many players that we're rolling the dice on IMO.

[Armchair]

like the team and the younger guys have to be given a chance and that is what pre-season is for in saying that not the 9 & 10 I would have selected

[cormac]

Bit worried about it myself. The team for the first league game should be stronger but it won't be by much. We have far too many players that we're rolling the dice on IMO.

Would expect a backline of McGrath, Marsh, Nacewa, Reid, Ringrose, McFadden and Kirchner to start the first game. Not brilliant but not rubbish either.

Front row might be an issue as we'll be shy on props if McGrath, Healy, Ross and Furlong are all unavailable. McCarthy is due to play next week so reckon second row and back row should be decent enough. At least decent enough to beat Treviso at home.

[goreyguy]

Bit worried about it myself. The team for the first league game should be stronger but it won't be by much. We have far too many players that we're rolling the dice on IMO.

Would expect a backline of McGrath, Marsh, Nacewa, Reid, Ringrose, McFadden and Kirchner to start the first game. Not brilliant but not rubbish either.

Front row might be an issue as we'll be shy on props if McGrath, Healy, Ross and Furlong are all unavailable. McCarthy is due to play next week so reckon second row and back row should be decent enough. At least decent enough to beat Treviso at home.

If we can't do that..what are we at at all.

[cormac]

Sure think of all the moaning you could do if we lost to Treviso. #glasshalffull

[riocard911]

Sure think of all the moaning you could do if we lost to Treviso. #glasshalffull

LMFAO!!!

[Dave Cahill]

Bit worried about it myself. The team for the first league game should be stronger but it won't be by much. We have far too many players that we're rolling the dice on IMO.

We have and we are, but I think the talent is there alright, we just have to have the courage to use it!

[curates_egg]

Any news on Mick Kearney? Haven't heard his name in the injury updates, yet he's again not in this squad.

[simonokeeffe]

Bit worried about it myself. The team for the first league game should be stronger but it won't be by much. We have far too many players that we're rolling the dice on IMO.

we've another preseason game to come, easy opening game, and the big boys are always eased in (later)

[riocard911]

Bit worried about it myself. The team for the first league game should be stronger but it won't be by much. We have far too many players that we're rolling the dice on IMO.

we've another preseason game to come, easy opening game, and the big boys are always eased in (later)

Agree. These games are an opportunity for the young guns to state their cases and for the coaches to evaluate what strength in depth we have. Think Leo's right to give Marsh a start, as he didn't get a look in at all last week. As someone else on another tread said today, we have the talent, it's just a question of using it well. These warm-up games are important less for winning or losing and more for the information, which the coaching staff can glean from them.

[LeRouxIsPHat]

Bit worried about it myself. The team for the first league game should be stronger but it won't be by much. We have far too many players that we're rolling the dice on IMO.

Would expect a backline of McGrath, Marsh, Nacewa, Reid, Ringrose, McFadden and Kirchner to start the first game. Not brilliant but not rubbish either.

Front row might be an issue as we'll be shy on props if McGrath, Healy, Ross and Furlong are all unavailable. McCarthy is due to play next week so reckon second row and back row should be decent enough. At least decent enough to beat Treviso at home.

Seeing that team written out is a bit stronger than I had in mind actually. Outhalf still really worries me and so does the depth up front, but yeah we're strong enough in other areas to cover for most of the positions we're concerned about.

I really hope we have someone lined up for a short term contract at outhalf if we need one though. I know I keep saying it but for all the concerns people have about the coaches, I don't think enough is being made of the fact that we're probably a Sexton injury away from Marsh starting big European games. That's a shambles IMO.

[goreyguy]

Any news on Mick Kearney? Haven't heard his name in the injury updates, yet he's again not in this squad.

he is out injured.

[goreyguy]

Bit worried about it myself. The team for the first league game should be stronger but it won't be by much. We have far too many players that we're rolling the dice on IMO.

we've another preseason game to come, easy opening game, and the big boys are always eased in (later)

Agree. These games are an opportunity for the young guns to state their cases and for the coaches to evaluate what strength in depth we have. Think Leo's right to give Marsh a start, as he didn't get a look in at all last week. As someone else on another tread said today, we have the talent, it's just a question of using it well. These warm-up games are important less for winning or losing and more for the information, which the coaching staff can glean from them.

we have the raw talent.. we just don't have the coaches to use it right or develop it to its potential.

[wise7]

Marsh got plenty of opportunity last season and I feel he reached a plateau that comes up short. The other two potentially have a lot more to offer with Byrne being an absolute out and out 10 but needs to be given game time as he lost so much opportunity last season through injury. Carberry is a very good rugby player with capability to play strongly at 15 as a credible option to being seen only as a 10.

[riocard911]

Marsh got plenty of opportunity last season and I feel he reached a plateau that comes up short. The other two potentially have a lot more to offer with Byrne being an absolute out and out 10 but needs to be given game time as he lost so much opportunity last season through injury. Carberry is a very good rugby player with capability to play strongly at 15 as a credible option to being seen only as a 10.

I agree with all of that. It being a new season, I think Leo, in order to be fair to everyone and to maintain squad harmony, has to be seen to be giving everybody a chance. That's why I think starting Marsh tomorrow is a good idea. I too imagine however, that in the course of the season the other pair, Byrne and Carberry, will pass him out.

[Pendragon]

Marsh is better than both of them at this present moment in time. Bryne needs to build up his confidence after some horrors last season which can't be blamed on injury. Only being a 10 and nothing else could actually count against him in the long run. Carbery has lots of pace and ability, showed up well in some great performances for Tarf last year, he might pass them both out in time. Marsh deserves it for now, he has not had that much game time.

[simonokeeffe]

Marsh is better than both of them at this present moment in time. Bryne needs to build up his confidence after some horrors last season which can't be blamed on injury. Only being a 10 and nothing else could actually count against him in the long run. Carbery has lots of pace and ability, showed up well in some great performances for Tarf last year, he might pass them both out in time. Marsh deserves it for now, he has not had that much game time.

His passing got a lot better at the end of last season

[wise7]

According to the Leinster web site Byrne has 64 minutes of game time with the seniors in Pro 12 last season. So not much time to get categorised as ''having some horrors'' last season! His only start (away against Scarlets) wasn't great but that wasn't exactly a night the whole team covered themselves very well either. Prior to that he was impressive in his cameo off the bench in Edinburgh and also against Ulster pre-season. He has been excellent for Leinster 'A' over two seasons in the B&I and he has played some class games for UCD subsequently until he broke his ankle in January. He was consistently good for Ireland U-20's for two seasons with 15 caps and a hatful of points scored and showed huge potential until he missed the 2015 JWC through a back injury. You need game time not just to build confidence but to have any chance of staking your claim. We know what Marsh can do so it makes sense to see what the others can deliver if the management have faith in the pedigree they have displayed in getting themselves to this point.