Toulouse vs Leinster

[wixfjord]

Surprised and not too displeased that Dupont benches.

Their backline is dangerous, but I'd say like last week Robbie is fairly licking his lips at getting a run at Ntamack.

Big forward battle on our hands, but I think if we can break even there and Cronin is ok on the darts we'll have enough.

[Leinster Lout]

Ntamack is class but hopefully might be exposed defensively.

[wixfjord]

Their bench LH is a 19 year old American academy player. Would be interesting to see him against Tadhg...

[curates_egg]

Mermoz a big loss for them. They're starting two non-specialist centres. Henrose could have a field day.
Ntamack is a talent, no doubt, but he's being trained as a ten and Guitone is a convert at 13. You'd have to wonder how they will manage defensively.

The proverbial week too soon for Dupont. It was a bad injury and he's only just back after a long break.

[ChrisUppy]

Ntamack is class but hopefully might be exposed defensively.

Yep. And the 10 inside him it 5'9 and 87kg... There should be big opportunities down that 10 - 12 channel for Robbie and the two lads to come in off the wings.

[wixfjord]

Our 10-14 is a fair bit bigger than theirs. Bar Ringrose/Guitone who are similar sized all our lads are 5-10kg bigger. Even Larmour is 5kg heavier than Ramos.

[cormac]

Ntamack is class but hopefully might be exposed defensively.

It was Ntamack who put in the woeful tackle on Freddie Burns before his early celebration fiasco last weekend.

[riocard911]

I know Franno's an eejit, but the "crater" joke is funny...:

"Toulouse, Leinster's opponents on Sunday, did their best to lose to Bath but somehow showed enough intermittent quality to get back and win. Leinster must do what Bath identified as a way to win but utterly failed to accomplish - move that huge Toulouse pack around the park and open them up in the last quarter.

Toulouse have improved their fitness levels and despite Bath trying to play high tempo and wide, it was the West Country men who ran out of puff and lost their shape. Their plan was correct - they just didn't have the tools, the smarts or the personnel to carry out the game-plan.

Toulouse have a couple of Beefies in their pack who, if pushed a little harder, might just have put the hands up. Ex-All Black tighthead Charlie Faumuina at 130 kilos looks like a hastily-packed sleeping bag. In a comic moment in the Bath match, Faumuina takes the ball up a few metres on the halfway line and is brought down. The ball is transferred left to the wing and Toulouse advance 10 metres - however, they run out of space and ideas out wide and the ball is brought all the way back inside where it is passed to Faumuina again who was only just getting up 15 seconds later out of the crater that he'd left in the ground. If Toulouse outlasted Bath, that is a sad reflection on Bath.

Toulouse looked half-decent in defence. Their line speed was nothing to write home about and their forwards didn't inspire confidence when getting back into position after a line break but this was a determined showing from the former champions and they at least fielded something like their first-choice team unlike Castres in Munster's pool who only fielded three starters last Saturday of their team that won the Top 14 championship.

Toulouse have picked up Romain Ntamack, the son of former French great Emile, and this kid was a sensation for the France side that won the U-20 World Cup. He only got 10 minutes at the Rec but I'm sure he will start against Leinster. He is a real talent and can cause problems.

It has been a chastening time for Toulouse over the last few years. Having to play Siberian side Krasny Yar in the Challenge Cup last season must have hurt and they are still a bit away from being genuine contenders but if they catch fire and play for 80 they could trouble Leinster."

[R-Dog]

Ntamack is class but hopefully might be exposed defensively.

Has he played much in the Centre?

[ceemec]

Has he played much in the Centre?

A decent amount. He has played 12 more than 10 this season for Toulouse and was also at 12 during the JWC when France won the title. He'll be comfortable enough there but his size will be an issue against Henshaw particularly given the lack of experience/physicality either side of him.

[curates_egg]

Has he played much in the Centre?

A decent amount. He has played 12 more than 10 this season for Toulouse and was also at 12 during the JWC when France won the title. He'll be comfortable enough there but his size will be an issue against Henshaw particularly given the lack of experience/physicality either side of him.

He's played at 12 more this season (got on the end of a nice try against Castres two weeks ago) but he seems to be earmarked as a 10. Its a Madigan-Gopperth-esque.
Guitone is a livewire going forward but a convert to centre.
Hay to be made up the middle on the counter, even if the sun don't shine.

[deco]

I'll just leave this here if it hasn't been done before:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tFuVyB0 ... e=youtu.be

[Dave Cahill]

I'll just leave this here if it hasn't been done before:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tFuVyB0 ... e=youtu.be

Watched that match earlier today to get the old juices bubbling!

[fourthirtythree]

I'll just leave this here if it hasn't been done before:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tFuVyB0 ... e=youtu.be

Emotional watching for me.

And welcome beck Ceemac!

[artaneboy]

I'll just leave this here if it hasn't been done before:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tFuVyB0 ... e=youtu.be

Hairs on back of neck standing as I type. Still my favourite Leinster performance...

[LeinsterLeader]

"Injury to Dave Kearney and Fergus McFadden has meant that Larmour will be joined in the back three by ex-Montpellier back Joe Tomane and man of the moment James Lowe — Dan Leavy’s calf keeps him out of the back row again."

[Barry]

I'll just leave this here if it hasn't been done before:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tFuVyB0 ... e=youtu.be

Hairs on back of neck standing as I type. Still my favourite Leinster performance...

Was in the stand directly in line with Dr. Phil when he took the pass about 7m from our line. Couldnt believe that he didn't hoof the ball high into the stand. Some celebrations that night.

Sent from my SM-A520F using Tapatalk

[neiliog93]

Their bench LH is a 19 year old American academy player. Would be interesting to see him against Tadhg...

He's still only 18 believe it or not. A bit like the American kid Salamona we brought into the sub-academy, apparently a bit of a gym freak but I can't imagine he'll have the scrum nous to cope with Tadgh (or Porter or that matter). Their other sub prop is also only 22 and will surely be vulnerable against Healy/a fresh Jack McGrath.

[Keith]

Their bench LH is a 19 year old American academy player. Would be interesting to see him against Tadhg...

He's still only 18 believe it or not. A bit like the American kid Salamona we brought into the sub-academy, apparently a bit of a gym freak but I can't imagine he'll have the scrum nous to cope with Tadgh (or Porter or that matter). Their other sub prop is also only 22 and will surely be vulnerable against Healy/a fresh Jack McGrath.

Any idea what happened to Salamona?

[wixfjord]

I'll just leave this here if it hasn't been done before:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tFuVyB0 ... e=youtu.be

Incredible memories.

What a change around in the next 12 years too.

How far we've come.