Pro14 R3: Leinster v Edinburgh Fri 11th Oct KO 19:35

[neiliog93]

Sorry for contributing to the foreign player discussion on this thread (an off-topic segue if ever there was one) but we could do with a world class, big, mean, tight-head second row. Either as number 19 or starting. I think the way Sarries comprehensively outmuscled us showed that.

I love Fardy but he's a clever grafter of a 5/6, not a Brad Thorn or a Hines.

Superman doesn't play rugby.
A SR of that quality is playing for his country.
We sign NIQs, partially because they are available during international windows.
Leinster by and large have got the number of NiQs in the squad right.
Occasionally, like Tomani, they've got it wrong as in not required.
You could argue and it has been mentioned that we didn't need to sign Cian Kelleher either.
Hindsight is 20/20 vision of course.
Pilot's remark about wanting a large (excessive) number of NZers is, in fairness, fair comment.
However when we signed JCB we needed a dig out at SH and he was and still is a good signing.
It would be mad, having invested in him, to then just ditch him. He may well, probably will, play for Ireland.

I mean a Will Skelton, Etzebeth (going to Toulon), de Jager (going to Sale), Lavanini (in physique not discipline, and going to Leicester), etc. Guys in the same league as enforcers as Hines and Thorn. The reality is we're underpowered up front against the top club team in Europe and we don't have anyone powerful enough to counteract that.

[blockhead]

Southern Hemisphere rejects
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gCXSEh6XcMY

[leinster23]

Sorry for contributing to the foreign player discussion on this thread (an off-topic segue if ever there was one) but we could do with a world class, big, mean, tight-head second row. Either as number 19 or starting. I think the way Sarries comprehensively outmuscled us showed that.

I love Fardy but he's a clever grafter of a 5/6, not a Brad Thorn or a Hines.

Superman doesn't play rugby.
A SR of that quality is playing for his country.
We sign NIQs, partially because they are available during international windows.
Leinster by and large have got the number of NiQs in the squad right.
Occasionally, like Tomani, they've got it wrong as in not required.
You could argue and it has been mentioned that we didn't need to sign Cian Kelleher either.
Hindsight is 20/20 vision of course.
Pilot's remark about wanting a large (excessive) number of NZers is, in fairness, fair comment.
However when we signed JCB we needed a dig out at SH and he was and still is a good signing.
It would be mad, having invested in him, to then just ditch him. He may well, probably will, play for Ireland.

I mean a Will Skelton, Etzebeth (going to Toulon), de Jager (going to Sale), Lavanini (in physique not discipline, and going to Leicester), etc. Guys in the same league as enforcers as Hines and Thorn. The reality is we're underpowered up front against the top club team in Europe and we don't have anyone powerful enough to counteract that.

We already have a tighthead lock comfortably better than all those mentioned (and much younger). Would be a bit pointless to splash our limited cash on a downgrade.

I'm surprised by this forum's ongoing obsession with signing physical freaks from abroad, in the last decade we've had Cian Healy, Tadhg Furlong, James Ryan, Sean O'Brien and Jamie Heaslip among others, which is more than our fair share given the Irish genetic makeup.

[riocard911]

f we were to put together a rugby team of Irish revolutionaries, Connolly, DeValera, Béaslaí, Constance Markievicz (thankfully, what with her being quite mad) and Erskine Childers couldn't play for Ireland under "Fat c**t"s rules!

Being dead probably rules them out too, although if EOS was the coach then he'd probably still pick them.

All Munster qualified then?

Now that you mention it, Dev played full back for Munster in 1905:

https://www.balls.ie/rugby/story-eamon- ... and-134458

[ronk]

Leinster Rugby (caps in brackets):

15. Hugo Keenan (7)
14. Dave Kearney (137)
13. Rory O’Loughlin (63)
12. Joe Tomane (15)
11. James Lowe (31)
10. Ross Byrne (73)
9. Jamison Gibson-Park (72)
1. Peter Dooley (63)
2. Rónan Kelleher (4)
3. Michael Bent (126)
4. Devin Toner (233)
5. Scott Fardy (45) CAPTAIN
6. Max Deegan (48)
7. Scott Penny (6)
8. Caelan Doris (18)

16. James Tracy (94)
17. Michael Milne (2)
18. Vakh Abdaladze (9)
19. Ross Molony (84)
20. Josh Murphy (23)
21. Rowan Osborne (1)
22. Harry Byrne (2)
23. Jimmy O’Brien (8)

Referee: Ben Whitehouse (WRU)

[paddyor]

This defeats the whole purpose of an academy if you’re going to bring in foreign players , we have four players who aren’t Irish starting this weekend..

I assume this is a piss take?!

Oh so you’re telling me you’d be fine if Leinster turned into a Man City having loads of foreign players winning trophies with no players in the team being from Leinster? It’s not like we have a bad academy, we have the best academy in the world with fantastic players we don’t need any foreign players who aren’t Irish. All you care about is the winning but you couldn’t care less if our whole team was from New Zealand as long as Leinster are winning....shame on you

He was signed 3 years ago when 2 senior SHs retired simultaneously and with a 3rd having headed to Connacht a year before. We were short at SH at the time. HOS and Patterson have emerged in that time and that along with some prodding from Nucifora sent Mick McCarthy south

[Oldschoolsocks]

O'Sullivan and Patterson don't deserve to play for leinster just because they dreamed of doing it when they were young... plus they are also behind an irish player in Osborne.

They need to improve, simple as.

I don’t mind Osborne being there so much it’s JGP and other non Irish players, surely you guys understand why I feel like this

Because you don’t understand the long tradition of players crossing borders and playing in the community where they live and work??

You should have a chat with BR8, he’s a real rugby guy, he’ll be able to explain it to you.

[joooooe]

So, Edinburgh at home. Any thoughts on the match since page 2 of this thread?

(Mods might consider moving the bulk of this stuff to another thread?)

[The Doc]

I don’t mind Osborne being there so much it’s JGP and other non Irish players, surely you guys understand why I feel like this

No - I literally cannot understand your point of view or why you would come to that conclusion. Even the best team in the world needs to bring outside experience and influences. Many of the non Irish players in Leinster have been instrumental to the academy and the culture

[LeRouxIsPHat]

I don’t mind Osborne being there so much it’s JGP and other non Irish players, surely you guys understand why I feel like this

No - I literally cannot understand your point of view or why you would come to that conclusion. Even the best team in the world needs to bring outside experience and influences. Many of the non Irish players in Leinster have been instrumental to the academy and the culture

Plus we can't just kick a guy out when he's served us well for a few years but isn't needed quite as much as he used to be.

[hugonaut]

So, Edinburgh at home. Any thoughts on the match since page 2 of this thread?

(Mods might consider moving the bulk of this stuff to another thread?)

I'm interested in keeping an eye on how Max Deegan plays No6. The only element of the game where No8 has to be a fundamentally different position to No6 is at the scrum; neither have fixed roles at lineout or any restarts [taking/receiving kickoffs or 22s]. There were 17 scrums in our last game against the Ospreys [source: http://en.espn.co.uk/scrum/rugby/match/302740.html ] so it is not inconsequential, but I'm interested as to where he stations himself in general play when we have the ball, off short lineouts, in counter-attack or kick return etc. in comparison to Doris.

[backrower8]

So, Edinburgh at home. Any thoughts on the match since page 2 of this thread?

(Mods might consider moving the bulk of this stuff to another thread?)

I'm interested in keeping an eye on how Max Deegan plays No6. The only element of the game where No8 has to be a fundamentally different position to No6 is at the scrum; neither have fixed roles at lineout or any restarts [taking/receiving kickoffs or 22s]. There were 17 scrums in our last game against the Ospreys [source: http://en.espn.co.uk/scrum/rugby/match/302740.html ] so it is not inconsequential, but I'm interested as to where he stations himself in general play when we have the ball, off short lineouts, in counter-attack or kick return etc. in comparison to Doris.

What do you yourself expect from both of them?

I appreciate that he will play what’s in front of him to a fair extent but I presume he will largely be told what is required of him as one third of the back row. None of them have free reign.

[wixfjord]

Really really good from Tomane so far. Has had some lovely touches and big hits too.

Keenan looking impressive from 15 also.

[wixfjord]

Hmmm scrum under huge pressure. All three of our front row look under in difficulty. Kelleher popped up there and both Bent/Dooley going down in scrum before.

[wixfjord]

That's an absolutely ridiculous decision. Tomane had pulled out because try had been scored and momentum took him into the player.

Ben Shitehouse.

[wixfjord]

Kelleher having a bit of a mare.

Big second half for him, a test now to dig himself out of it.

Might sound a bit harsh based on his age, but I do wonder whether Penny has the size to play at the top level. Really looks undersized out there and I can't think he's too effective in the scrum either.

[RoboProp]

Another Taff ref killing the game by making it the look at me show

[nc6000]

That's an absolutely ridiculous decision. Tomane had pulled out because try had been scored and momentum took him into the player.

Ben Shitehouse.

I couldn't tell you the last time I've seen a penalty given for foul play while a try was being scored. Is that even still a rule?

[wixfjord]

That's an absolutely ridiculous decision. Tomane had pulled out because try had been scored and momentum took him into the player.

Ben Shitehouse.

I couldn't tell you the last time I've seen a penalty given for foul play while a try was being scored. Is that even still a rule?

Ah it's definitely a rule and rightly so. It can be very dangerous.
Clumsy from Tomane but no malice at all, he was actually trying to pull out and momentum took him into the player.

[ChurchtownRFC]

Kelleher having a bit of a mare.

Big second half for him, a test now to dig himself out of it.

Might sound a bit harsh based on his age, but I do wonder whether Penny has the size to play at the top level. Really looks undersized out there and I can't think he's too effective in the scrum either.

Michael hooper doing alright for himself