Glasgow v Leinster, Sat, 1pm, Sky.

[the spoofer]

We should change our name back to the Lions, it will improve our chances of getting SOB on the pitch.

[mildlyinterested]

We should change our name back to the Lions, it will improve our chances of getting SOB on the pitch.

Sad but true, these days anything we get from him, Heaslip and Kearney have to be viewed as a bonus.

Sexton not quite in that territory, yet...

[LeRouxIsPHat]

Yeah and the Cooney call is looking like a good one from Nucifora's POV.

According to a piece in the indo a couple of weeks ago it was Cooney who got the move to Ulster - he saw on SSN that Pienaar wasn't been renewed and rang his agent straight away to get him in there

I know you're loathe to give Nucifora any credit but I can't imagine that Cooney wasn't in their thinking. His contract was up and my point was more that he freed up an IQ spot for someone (although granted that's not exactly what I said but I was just referring to the whole situation).

[LeRouxIsPHat]

Good news about Johnny, but it's a bit unsettling that Leinster may not have lied about his injury for once.

I don't even remember SOB being injured, not sure how a stamp on a calf keeps someone out for so long.

The above sentences may be linked...

[simonokeeffe]

Good news about Johnny, but it's a bit unsettling that Leinster may not have lied about his injury for once.

I don't even remember SOB being injured, not sure how a stamp on a calf keeps someone out for so long.

The above sentences may be linked...

I concur

[Dave Cahill]

Yeah and the Cooney call is looking like a good one from Nucifora's POV.

According to a piece in the indo a couple of weeks ago it was Cooney who got the move to Ulster - he saw on SSN that Pienaar wasn't been renewed and rang his agent straight away to get him in there

I know you're loathe to give Nucifora any credit but I can't imagine that Cooney wasn't in their thinking. His contract was up and my point was more that he freed up an IQ spot for someone (although granted that's not exactly what I said but I was just referring to the whole situation).

I actually think that Cooney wasn't in their thinking, or at least wasn't any more in their thinking than the other 120 or so professional players in ireland outside of the Irish coaches immediate plans.

[El Diablo]

The good news is that so long as he avoids a knock in training this week, Johnny will be fine for Saturday. I'm afraid that is all the good news I have. It is not looking good for SOB & Isa. Noel Reid to start at 12.
Adam Byrne might pay the price for all those missed tackles.
Dan Leavy fit and back in contention but unlikely to start.

Who comes in for Byrne? Kearney or McFadden?

Would be extremely harsh on Murphy to lose the 20 shirt to Leavy, think he has been pushing Ruddock for a start

McFadden to start is what I am hearing on the grapevine.

[jezzer]

The good news is that so long as he avoids a knock in training this week, Johnny will be fine for Saturday. I'm afraid that is all the good news I have. It is not looking good for SOB & Isa. Noel Reid to start at 12.
Adam Byrne might pay the price for all those missed tackles.
Dan Leavy fit and back in contention but unlikely to start.

Who comes in for Byrne? Kearney or McFadden?

Would be extremely harsh on Murphy to lose the 20 shirt to Leavy, think he has been pushing Ruddock for a start

McFadden to start is what I am hearing on the grapevine.

Dear sweet Jeebus, no.

[arsebiscuits1]

Good news about Johnny, but it's a bit unsettling that Leinster may not have lied about his injury for once.

I don't even remember SOB being injured, not sure how a stamp on a calf keeps someone out for so long.

The above sentences may be linked...

Same calf that gave him so much trouble toward the end of last season I wonder?

Also didn't Sexton miss a rake of time at the start of the year trying to run through some bad bruising on his calf?

[LeRouxIsPHat]

Ferg could be exposed as much as Adam for entirely different reasons. There's no perfect solution though and whilst I would probably still pick Adam, what CiaranIRL said about Rennie targeting him is very true. Have a feeling the coaches see him as a player they'll back at home but not so much away, like we saw in the quarter and semi finals last season.

[curates_egg]

Would ROL on the wing not be the answer? Or does he still have a "dead leg"?

[mildlyinterested]

Would ROL on the wing not be the answer? Or does he still have a "dead leg"?

the paranoia about injuries is hilarious

[Logorrhea]

McFadden to start is what I am hearing on the grapevine.

Dear sweet Jeebus, no.

Much prefer Ferg over Byrne. Byrne simply cant / wont defend at the moment.

[riocard911]

Hoping to see Seymour get bundled into touch by Ferg so!!!

[wixfjord]

Not surprised to see someone come in for Byrne, put more surprised to see Ferg instead of DK and ROL.

[outcast eddie]

I can see how Ferg's game has deteriorated over the past 18 months or so but I reckon he is still our hardest tackler (I say this without any proof or statistics). Maybe it just seems so because we tend to be nearby when he does it and he is sometimes a fraction late (and high) but he definitely leaves an impression on opposing players who come down his channel. This ability to sow a seed of doubt in the attacking player's mind is a worthy addition to the team and adds a different dimension. To have someone with Ferg's grit and commitment on the team-sheet should be cause for joy, the flaws in his game notwithstanding, as with many other players on in the squad.

[Dave Cahill]

Perhaps Glasgow should be worried about Byrne going forward instead of us worrying about his defense.

I don't think the Leinster coaching team would be overly exercised about his defensive performance last saturday - in fact I'd say that it pretty much went to plan.

[wixfjord]

Perhaps Glasgow should be worried about Byrne going forward instead of us worrying about his defense.

I don't think the Leinster coaching team would be overly exercised about his defensive performance last saturday - in fact I'd say that it pretty much went to plan.

Some plan eh! Missing 90% of his tackles, getting stepped multiple times, giving away a yellow and a try.
Can't go much better than that!

[simonokeeffe]

If memory serves we have a decent enough record away to Glasgow when we've sent our strongest available team over

[Dave Cahill]

Perhaps Glasgow should be worried about Byrne going forward instead of us worrying about his defense.

I don't think the Leinster coaching team would be overly exercised about his defensive performance last saturday - in fact I'd say that it pretty much went to plan.

Some plan eh! Missing 90% of his tackles, getting stepped multiple times, giving away a yellow and a try.
Can't go much better than that!

The plan was to force Nadolo backwards with kicks before preventing him building up any momentuum on the return, garnering Leinster big territorial gains. Byrne's job wasn't to stop him, it was to stop his momentuum - there was no expectation of a back to stop Nadolo completely, even the by now ubiquitous Henshaw clip shows Henshaw - a superb defender - getting bounced backwards on his arse. Byrne missed a lot of tackles, doesn't mean they weren't successful within the greater scheme though.