Leinster v Salarysins

[fourthirtythree]

Wixfjord is obsessed with a semantic point based on a personal definition of a word which he idiosyncratically conflates entirely with betting odds.

[wixfjord]

Wixfjord is obsessed with a semantic point based on a personal definition of a word which he idiosyncratically conflates entirely with betting odds.

Jaysus, it's pretty ridiculous that we're getting this far down this hole.

So you define 'underdog' to me and let me know in what way Sarries weren't for this game please?

[neiliog93]

Trying to distill this...

Negatives:

- Front-row obliterated.
- Toner anonymous.
- Luke McGrath terrible.
- Some frailty under the high ball from back three again.
- Let them build a lead from a simple pressure game, they didn't have to do anything special.


Positives:

- Never gave up, almost pulled off a comeback.
- Refereeing decisions went against us at times (not the reason we lost); especially Barrington boring into the scrum at a 45 degree angle and getting a penalty, and a number a rucks.
- Baird very good other than getting held up due to naivety.
- Connors, VDF good; back row in general stood up reasonably well while tight five were largely blown away (James Ryan excepted).
- JGP made impressive impact off the bench.

[RoboProp]

Wixfjord is obsessed with a semantic point based on a personal definition of a word which he idiosyncratically conflates entirely with betting odds.

Jaysus, it's pretty ridiculous that we're getting this far down this hole.

So you define 'underdog' to me and let me know in what way Sarries weren't for this game please?

Well, for one they didn't have Mickey Rooney in their side

[LeRouxIsPHat]

Trying to distill this...

Negatives:

- Front-row obliterated.
- Toner anonymous.
- Luke McGrath terrible.
- Some frailty under the high ball from back three again.
- Let them build a lead from a simple pressure game, they didn't have to do anything special.


Positives:

- Never gave up, almost pulled off a comeback.
- Refereeing decisions went against us at times (not the reason we lost); especially Barrington boring into the scrum at a 45 degree angle and getting a penalty, and a number a rucks.
- Baird very good other than getting held up due to naivety.
- Connors, VDF good; back row in general stood up reasonably well while tight five were largely blown away (James Ryan excepted).
- JGP made impressive impact off the bench.

Nicely summed up.

I was just thinking the same about Josh, carried a lot of ball.

Maybe it was better to have the half time chat first but I really would have made a sub or two after about half an hour.

Maybe we could have switched Keenan and Larmour too? Larmour got much better but we desperately needed a change or two early on.

[fourthirtythree]

Wixfjord is obsessed with a semantic point based on a personal definition of a word which he idiosyncratically conflates entirely with betting odds.

Jaysus, it's pretty ridiculous that we're getting this far down this hole.

So you define 'underdog' to me and let me know in what way Sarries weren't for this game please?

Before the game, four of their right five are quite obviously well ahead of ours. World cup finalists and winners. As Steve Hansen said, the team who have the strongest tight five tend to win.

f%~k the bookies, they laid their spread anyway.

[riocard911]

Every time Leinster and Ireland have met Saracens and England respectively since the 2019 Six Nations our lads end up getting bossed up front. Faz mór, Leo, Fogs and Robin McBryde have to get this problem sorted out. p.s. Better luck to Ulster tomorrow.

[RoboProp]

Wixfjord is obsessed with a semantic point based on a personal definition of a word which he idiosyncratically conflates entirely with betting odds.

I can always rely on you to make my point for me in a more eloquent fashion

[FLIP]

I don’t remember anyone saying we were brilliant against Munster and Ulster tbh.

Your memory is correct.

Squidge rugby did in his last YouTube post, after watching it, I thought to myself about today's game "I' have a bad feeling about this"

The last time he did one like this we lost the CC final.

The git.

[nc6000]

What was the point of replacing Cronin and Toner after two minutes of the second half - why not replace them at half-time?

[Peg Leg]

Love our team, love our style, love supporting Leinster. Today was hard and have took advice from whoever posted to step back from posting until the utter hurt of this loss started to lessen a bit so I can see through less hated eyes.

We had a bad 1st half and had too much to do in 2nd. Better team won on the day but that doesn’t make us suddenly not good enough to eat at the top table. We start again next season (2 weeks) and boy there were some good parts mainly seeing Hugo Keenan and Ryan Baird really step up in their first champs game. We will survive and will improve

Fingers crossed we lose the first match. Can't be having with that unbeaten lark

[Dave Cahill]

What was the point of replacing Cronin and Toner after two minutes of the second half - why not replace them at half-time?

This isn't very helpful to you, but someone once told me the reason for doing this, and it made sense, but I can't for the life of me remember what it was

[Blueberry]

Every time Leinster and Ireland have met Saracens and England respectively since the 2019 Six Nations our lads end up getting bossed up front. Faz mór, Leo, Fogs and Robin McBryde have to get this problem sorted out. p.s. Better luck to Ulster tomorrow.

+1 England have always put a solid scrum as number one, the rest is a bonus and it can take you miles....work out the yardage and points Sarries got today from their scrum dominace and you don't really need to do much else.

[neiliog93]

Every time Leinster and Ireland have met Saracens and England respectively since the 2019 Six Nations our lads end up getting bossed up front. Faz mór, Leo, Fogs and Robin McBryde have to get this problem sorted out. p.s. Better luck to Ulster tomorrow.

I don't think there is a solution. There is no answer to a concentration of top level Polynesian power, assuming it's also applied skilfully (which it is for Saracens and England). Salanoa might have been part of Leinster's answer in the long-term but he's gone now.

[RoboProp]

What was the point of replacing Cronin and Toner after two minutes of the second half - why not replace them at half-time?

This isn't very helpful to you, but someone once told me the reason for doing this, and it made sense, but I can't for the life of me remember what it was

When I read the original post I thought DC will know the answer to this, way to prove my inner monologue wrong!

[neiliog93]

Granted Sarries didn't have Lamositele today

[Fireworks]

How many points did they get from scrum penalties. For me that and the aerial battles is where we lost it. Played well almost everywhere else.

[Dexter]

Interesting stats from ESPN (which may change, they usually do). But we were ahead on most of the attacking stats (63% position, 66% Territory; 245 metres vs 102). Yet crucially we had no players with tackles in double figures (3 players with eight) while they had 10 (half of that 10 had 15+).

Are we headed towards a game where the best teams let the opposition have the ball and just feed off their mistakes?

Yeah was thinking this before the game. The way the game is being reffed seems to encourage it. Leinster kinda did it in the final last week.

[nc6000]

What was the point of replacing Cronin and Toner after two minutes of the second half - why not replace them at half-time?

This isn't very helpful to you, but someone once told me the reason for doing this, and it made sense, but I can't for the life of me remember what it was

Thanks. I've seen it speculated before than being taken off at half-time is seen as a bit humiliating. Not sure two minutes after that is much better.

[fourthirtythree]

How many points did they get from scrum penalties. For me that and the aerial battles is where we lost it. Played well almost everywhere else.

Our maul too. We had no change from kicks to the corner. Their tight five dominated.

Hats off to Itoje at about 73 minutes, tackles, up, tackles again, up and counter rucks. Astonishing hunger, power, and resilience.