Champions Cup Final - Leinster v Racing

[wixfjord]

Huge shame for Ferg. Hopefully Isa has enough in him to play three big games on the wing.

Big change for Lowe and Larmour too.

[hugonaut]

Gutted for Ferg. Put out of the final by a cheapshot.

The leeway extended to Stef Evans in that incident was bizarre. You can't knee or kick the ball out of a player's hands. You obviously have to attempt to wrap with the arms when tackling. So nothing in what he did approximated a tackle. We all give him the benefit of the doubt in terms of labelling him [or not] as a dirty player, but that wasn't a tackle attempt, it was extremely reckless and he has now ended a fellow pro's season. And not even a penalty. As if it was completely legit!

When you consider some of the negligible offences that got penalised in that match, you've got to wonder about the general laissez faire attitude to that incident in the game. If Evans wants to make that tackle, he should have to put his body on the line ... get low, get head first and try and make a proper tackle with a finishing wrap.

[cormac]

Gutted for Ferg. Put out of the final by a cheapshot.

The leeway extended to Stef Evans in that incident was bizarre. You can't knee or kick the ball out of a player's hands. You obviously have to attempt to wrap with the arms when tackling. So nothing in what he did approximated a tackle. We all give him the benefit of the doubt in terms of labelling him [or not] as a dirty player, but that wasn't a tackle attempt, it was extremely reckless and he has now ended a fellow pro's season. And not even a penalty. As if it was completely legit!

When you consider some of the negligible offences that got penalised in that match, you've got to wonder about the general laissez faire attitude to that incident in the game. If Evans wants to make that tackle, he should have to put his body on the line ... get low, get head first and try and make a proper tackle with a finishing wrap.

While I agree 100% that it was a cheap shot by Evans and the game should have restarted with a penalty to Leinster on halfway, McFadden was reported to have suffered a hamstring injury. McFadden was clutching at the back of the leg just above the knee while Evans makes impact with McFadden's hip/higher leg area. Now I'm no scientician but I'm not 100% convinced the cheap shot was the cause of the injury. I could be very wrong though. He does seem to run a little awkwardly just before he dives, but that could just be his running style.

[wixfjord]

Yeah it wasn't the Evans shot that did it I think (although that was dirty). His hammer went just before that on the run in it looks like.

[LeRouxIsPHat]

Yeah there's an angle from behind the goal line where you can see it happen a couple of metres before the line.

Agree about it being a cheap shot though and players get away with it far too often. It's basically the same as not being in a position to catch a ball in the air.

Gutted for Ferg, he really deserved his place this weekend.

[wixfjord]

Interesting interview on the Joe.ie podcast with Mike Prendergast.

He is of the opinion that Racing's fitness will be an issue so again they'll target 20 minute periods to blow us away.
Also says Vakatawa can be gotten at defensively and that Racing will go after our lineout.
Says Leinster will want to speed up the game and that Racing's defensive system is all about linespeed but if you keep the ball past 5-6 phases they become vulnerable out wide. Should augur well for us.

[riocard911]

Interesting interview on the Joe.ie podcast with Mike Prendergast.

He is of the opinion that Racing's fitness will be an issue so again they'll target 20 minute periods to blow us away.
Also says Vakatawa can be gotten at defensively and that Racing will go after our lineout.
Says Leinster will want to speed up the game and that Racing's defensive system is all about linespeed but if you keep the ball past 5-6 phases they become vulnerable out wide. Should augur well for us.

Hopefully our pack will target and nullify Donncha Ryan and Leone Nakarawa like they did Tadgh Beirne and James Davies in the semi. Step up James Ryan and Dan Leavy!!!!

p.s. I think The Hard Yards podcast is very good - second only of course to our own Blues Talk TV!!!!!

[Andrew097]

Feel for Fergal being out and I think his influence will be missed. You just know his bloody minded desire in all things blue rubs off on everyone.

[LeRouxIsPHat]

Interesting interview on the Joe.ie podcast with Mike Prendergast.

He is of the opinion that Racing's fitness will be an issue so again they'll target 20 minute periods to blow us away.
Also says Vakatawa can be gotten at defensively and that Racing will go after our lineout.
Says Leinster will want to speed up the game and that Racing's defensive system is all about linespeed but if you keep the ball past 5-6 phases they become vulnerable out wide. Should augur well for us.

I didn't notice this myself but BOD kept saying how Racing covered the backfield really poorly against Munster. If we could exploit that early on then that could cause Vakatawa more problems worrying about losing touch with his wingers or needing to watch behind him. Then the loop could reap serious dividends after that.

[curates_egg]

Interesting interview on the Joe.ie podcast with Mike Prendergast.

He is of the opinion that Racing's fitness will be an issue so again they'll target 20 minute periods to blow us away.
Also says Vakatawa can be gotten at defensively and that Racing will go after our lineout.
Says Leinster will want to speed up the game and that Racing's defensive system is all about linespeed but if you keep the ball past 5-6 phases they become vulnerable out wide. Should augur well for us.

That's all pretty obvious to anyone who has watched them this year. The problem is that they can be pretty damn good in their power periods.
If we can survive the first twenty minutes and be within about ten points, without too many injuries, we will be in a good place.

[wixfjord]

I'd expect to see the loop a few times this weekend alright. Clermont used a similar move to good effect.

[wixfjord]

Looks like Rhys was running around with little strapping yesterday, as was Jordi. Hard to see if both trained fully, but signs look good.

[Ruckedtobits]

And so, the speculation about tickets, travel, accomodation is done with and player availability is becoming clearer and now we await selection and game plan.

The Squad will know both by now and we will learn about the team fairly soon and Racing 92 will discover our game plan on Saturday afternoon. But what can we surmise about how the Leinster think-tank has planned to play against the Parisian aristocrats?

In retrospect, the tactical plan against the Scarlets was so fundamental and fitted the Squad's skill-set, that every player and all the Coaches were convinced it would work, so that confidence was very high taking the pitch and that was evident from the outset. Pivac and Jones are an excellent coaching team, but their team's playing style is very straight forward and if you can defeat them at the breakdown and ensure they don't disrupt your set-pieces, you've gone a good way down the road to victory.
Easier said that done for most teams but the Leinster players had learned enough lessons in the last 12 months to understand clearly the precision in execution that was required.

Racing 92 are a very different challenge. Their Squad is older, more experienced, more cynical and more diverse in their range of skills.

They have been beaten eight times this season, but they have beaten every team they have played against at least once. They haven't won the Champion's Cup, but they have won a major competition in Spain, beating Toulon in Camp Nou in Barcelona, in front of more than 90,000 spectators in the June 2016 Top 14 Final and with 14 players for three-quarters of the game.

Tactically, it cannot be said that they have a particular style. They can, and do, play high-tempo rugby, just not for prolonged periods. Throughout this season, in almost every key game, they have scored their points in bursts - a couple of tries and converts in a 7-10 minute spell would be a typical contribution. They had two huge collisions this Season in their Top 14 encounters with Lyon. On both occasions, the away team took the spoils. But on both occasion the two packs locked horns from the first minute and neither defence missed many tackles. The margin both times was less than one score.

When Munster played them in Thomand Park in October, conditions were windy, wet and miserable and only a 76th minute try allowed Racing to trouble the scoreboard. Only Montpellier and La Rochelle have kept the Racing team to a lower score and nobody has held them at bay for longer.

The Racing 92 coaches are two very smart, old-school French coaches. Not for them the single tactical stroke of genius. Their signature is the sight of the opposition Head Coach scratching his head wondering how his team has conceded 10 or 14 points, within five or 7 minutes, whilst never appearing to be under pressure.

Yes, they have real pace out wide. Thomas had shown Munster and Ireland a clean pair of heels this season and Imhoff & Rocokocou can still turn on the afterburners. But it is the ability of the players inside, backrows, half-backs and mid-field to create the opportunities that is the most striking feature of their attacking skill-set.

Their scrum is strong, but not impervious to pressure. Ask Montpellier and Lyon. Their line-out, particularly defensively, can be brilliant. But Chat is not always perfect on his own throw and can be pressurised. He will miss the support of Club captain Szarzewski as they face the final quarter.

So, how can Leinster beat this Racing 92 team and can we win our fourth European trophy for the first time on the European mainland?

If we can keep the tempo high throughout the game, win the breakdown battle for possession, keep the penalty count low against us and use Toner, Ryan and Fardy to retain our possession out of touch, we will have the opportunity to win. But If we do get ahead of Racing by 10 or more points, they will never concede the contest is over and these are the circumstances in which we must continue to control the ball and play the same way as how we got ahead.

I believe it will be a dog-fight, not a spectacle. Very few of this Racing team can believe they will have the opportunity to win a European Cup in the future (just have a look at how many dates of birth fall between 1981 & 1986). They know from their Saracens experience how hard it is to win this competition. For Leinster, there are only a few who know what it takes to get across the line for this trophy and none of them have failed to take every opportunity when they've reached this point.

The young men is this Leinster team may feel that this is their destiny. But Kearney, Nacewa, Healy and Sexton will convince them it requires a lot more than just turning up. A dog-fight, but a Leinster win.

[Oldschool]

Jaysus RTB your post is enough to give any Leinster fan the heebee geebees.
I wonder what a similarly minded Racing fan would have to say about us.

[mildlyinterested]

think team is traveling over to Bilbao today.

[BlockB]

think team is traveling over to Bilbao today.

Just saw on the OLSC facebook page that they travel tomorrow. Finding it hard to hold in the excitement now! Saturday can't come soon enough!

[Raydollard]

Jaysus if you believe all that has been written about Racing there’s no point in turning up. I believe that we have a better squad than they have and I believe that we will win well - by more than a score. We have the best pack in the business and our backs are not shabby. We have the team to win any contest that we set our mind to.

[mildlyinterested]

Likely team:

1. Healy
2. Cronin
3. Furlong
4. Toner
5. Ryan
6. Fardy
7. Leavy
8. Murphy
9. McGrath
10. Sexton
11. Lowe
12. Henshaw
13. Ringrose
14. Nacewa
15. Kearney
16. Tracy
17. McGrath
18. Porter
19. Ruddock
20. Conan
21. McCarthy
22. Carbery
23. Larmour

[Homer]

I think I would start Conan at 8 for this instead of Jordi. Nothing against Jordi, but think he would have more impact off the bench later in the game.

[Lar]

Kind of agree. Jordi covers more positions off the bench. Will Ruddock be fit enough for even a bench spot? Heard he was very much touch and go.