Leinster v Salarysins

[Ruckedtobits]

I hadn't noticed until reading Jim's review that George Clancy & Joy Neville are the ARs and there is also an Irish TMO, Olly Hodges. IMO, this is a benefit as they will view breakdown rulings like Pro14 Refs, rather than Premiership. However, other than tryline incidents, there will be very few referrals to TMO or ARs by this referee.

On the tactical side, I find it difficult to think that Goode will kick tactically for them. They will largely want to keep possession to control the pace of the game. When Wigglesworth kicks, it will be to regain possession rather than target Larmour or Keenan per set I hope that McGrath's kicking is very limited and kept away from Daley and Maitland.

I expect to see Sarries carrying ball hard on the short-side of breakdowns as this can be an area in which the tactic of not contesting the breakdown can make it hard to close down blindside carriers. On our side, I hope to see runners targeting the pocket behind their breakdown and midfield using grubber kicks rather than just giving them targets to tackle. Looking at that Sarries pack & midfield you would have to believe they weren't selected for the speed at which they turn.

I want to see Conan pick from No 8 and stretch Rhodes & Billy wide; I want to see Larmour get passes outside Hugo Keenan and, occasionally, James Lowe. I'd love to see Ringrose switch with Robbie H, once or twice, and have a cut on the outside of Brad Barritt.

Confident we have better teamwork than them and probably have a very layered Game Plan which has been worked on for a couple of months. We may feel we deserve this more than Sarries, but we know that pro sport doesn't work based on ethical outcomes.

Am surprised at the omission of Fardy. Having a player of his experience of big days and choosing not to use him on the bench at least is a risk.

[MylesNaGapoleen]

you maybe right about targeting the short side. I think they might use wigglesworths box-kicking more than keep-ball and target our line-out.

it is a big gamble for them to start with him at SH...he's 37 with lots of experience but hasn't played in quite a while, because of injury. their lineup is more power than pace...a few huge power carrying players in there...not so fleet on foot. I expect them to target keenan/larmour early on with high kicks to test their mettle. based on the last few games and itojes talent of spoiling lineouts..I can see them really going for our lineouts to the point that kicking out to touch rather than kicking to keep it in play might pay dividends for them.

strange choice of ARs and TMO all being irish. that said..george clancy couldn't be called a friend of leinster. Joy is from limerick I think.

[Lar]

strange choice of ARs and TMO all being irish. that said..george clancy couldn't be called a friend of leinster. Joy is from limerick I think.

Not so strange in these times. Less travel involved from outside Ireland. And both ARs will be deliberately not want to be seen to favour the Irish side in any way. Not that I would ever expect that from Clancy one way or another.

[MylesNaGapoleen]

strange choice of ARs and TMO all being irish. that said..george clancy couldn't be called a friend of leinster. Joy is from limerick I think.

Not so strange in these times. Less travel involved from outside Ireland. And both ARs will be deliberately not want to be seen to favour the Irish side in any way. Not that I would ever expect that from Clancy one way or another.

fair point. hope they're not shy on flagging up offsides....they like to defend very (very) high. not in a farrell way...but in an offside way...

[LeRouxIsPHat]

strange choice of ARs and TMO all being irish. that said..george clancy couldn't be called a friend of leinster. Joy is from limerick I think.

Not so strange in these times. Less travel involved from outside Ireland. And both ARs will be deliberately not want to be seen to favour the Irish side in any way. Not that I would ever expect that from Clancy one way or another.

fair point. hope they're not shy on flagging up offsides....they like to defend very (very) high. not in a farrell way...but in an offside way...

I've been watching this quite closely over the last few weeks and we've been as guilty as any other team tbf. Same goes for closing the gap at the lineout because I was so annoyed at others not being pinged, but we're not the angels I thought we were

[Cianostays]

Not so strange in these times. Less travel involved from outside Ireland. And both ARs will be deliberately not want to be seen to favour the Irish side in any way. Not that I would ever expect that from Clancy one way or another.

fair point. hope they're not shy on flagging up offsides....they like to defend very (very) high. not in a farrell way...but in an offside way...

I've been watching this quite closely over the last few weeks and we've been as guilty as any other team tbf. Same goes for closing the gap at the lineout because I was so annoyed at others not being pinged, but we're not the angels I thought we were

Take That back Sir! An outrageous slur on our character!

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[LeinsterLeader]

I'm so nervous it's just not funny!

[MylesNaGapoleen]

fair point. hope they're not shy on flagging up offsides....they like to defend very (very) high. not in a farrell way...but in an offside way...

I've been watching this quite closely over the last few weeks and we've been as guilty as any other team tbf. Same goes for closing the gap at the lineout because I was so annoyed at others not being pinged, but we're not the angels I thought we were

we are breaking the law in limited and specific ways

[Theleinsterlad]

I'm so nervous it's just not funny!

+1

[blaker]

This is probably as close to an era / team defining game as one could get i think.

Win and we are 2/1 with Sarries in this Leinster team’s life. There’ll always be asterixes against any win in UK press but LOSE and they can reasonably Say they were the better team between us in this era. Win and we can push on for 3 finals in 3 years, lose and Sarries can push on for 4 wins in 5 and be clearly the dominant team of the era. Lose and Sarries will be lauded as the greatest example of togetherness ever and the Pro14 derided as tinpot - unbeaten there but we couldn’t even beat a rag tag bunch.

This is gonna be epic

[munster#1]

There can be no argument that Sarries have been the best team in Europe over the last number of years.

Leinster should win this game by at least 3 scores, but the same would not be said if you were up against the Sarries which dominated Europe.
This is like diet Sarries, or Sarries light. Sure it is still Sarries, but without the sugar.

That will not detract from Leinster’s likely HC success. Leinster will win the cup on merit, as the current best team in Europe.
A team can only beat what is put in front of them, and can not control how other teams perform on or off the field.

Best of luck today.

[Cianostays]

There can be no argument that Sarries have been the best team in Europe over the last number of years.

Leinster should win this game by at least 3 scores, but the same would not be said if you were up against the Sarries which dominated Europe.
This is like diet Sarries, or Sarries light. Sure it is still Sarries, but without the sugar.

That will not detract from Leinster’s likely HC success. Leinster will win the cup on merit, as the current best team in Europe.
A team can only beat what is put in front of them, and can not control how other teams perform on or off the field.

Best of luck today.

The reason they are diet Sarries is entirely down to Sarries. They had coke and Nigel came up with new coke. A disaster entirely of their own making.

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[blaker]

Three scores is mad.

Itoje alone, alongside the Vunipolas and their front five in general regardless of who is in the backs makes this a pretty even contest. Put that alongside their focus and our below par form and neutered home advantage makes this 50/50 for me.

You’d be intensely annoyed to lose but no way we are 3 score favourites man

[Angelsea Angst]

In fact the biggest weakness Saracens have today, compared with last year, is the absence of Owen Farrell which has nothing to do with the Salary Cap punishments etc. If Leinster do win today, which is by no means a certainty, then it is two wins from three over the last three years and we can rightfully claim to have been the better side. In fact the unavailability of a few key players such as Dan Leavy was a major factor in our loss last year. If Munster had managed to qualify for the QFs there would have been no talk about it being partly due to Saracens sending a second string team to Thomond Park.

[Avenger]

There seems to be this narrative that if Leinster win today it’ll be a coastwalk to another title.
Where the fock is that coming from?
The semi should they get there is Clermont or Racing - both strong outfits and the final would probably be Exeter or Toulouse.

Can we beat all of those sides? For sure we can, but it won’t be easy and is the toughest run of fixtures we’ve had in a long time.

[LeRouxIsPHat]

fair point. hope they're not shy on flagging up offsides....they like to defend very (very) high. not in a farrell way...but in an offside way...

I've been watching this quite closely over the last few weeks and we've been as guilty as any other team tbf. Same goes for closing the gap at the lineout because I was so annoyed at others not being pinged, but we're not the angels I thought we were

we are breaking the law in limited and specific ways

[LeRouxIsPHat]

There seems to be this narrative that if Leinster win today it’ll be a coastwalk to another title.
Where the fock is that coming from?
The semi should they get there is Clermont or Racing - both strong outfits and the final would probably be Exeter or Toulouse.

Can we beat all of those sides? For sure we can, but it won’t be easy and is the toughest run of fixtures we’ve had in a long time.

I think that’s partly because people have been waiting for this for so long that it feels like a final.

We just need to keep our heads and we’ll be fine...which should be easier without Farrell playing hi

[munster#1]

Three scores is mad.

Itoje alone, alongside the Vunipolas and their front five in general regardless of who is in the backs makes this a pretty even contest. Put that alongside their focus and our below par form and neutered home advantage makes this 50/50 for me.

You’d be intensely annoyed to lose but no way we are 3 score favourites man

Along with the few front line players that have left Saracens, they have also lost squad depth.
Throw in the additional loss of Farrell, and I think that Saracens will be in the game up to the 60 min mark, but the lack of a quality bench, will be their undoing in my opinion.

Leinster will empty their bench and increase the tempo.
Saracens will not be able to live with this.

If Leinster lose it will be down to their own errors rather than Saracens being a better team.

[munster#1]

There can be no argument that Sarries have been the best team in Europe over the last number of years.

Leinster should win this game by at least 3 scores, but the same would not be said if you were up against the Sarries which dominated Europe.
This is like diet Sarries, or Sarries light. Sure it is still Sarries, but without the sugar.

That will not detract from Leinster’s likely HC success. Leinster will win the cup on merit, as the current best team in Europe.
A team can only beat what is put in front of them, and can not control how other teams perform on or off the field.

Best of luck today.

The reason they are diet Sarries is entirely down to Sarries. They had coke and Nigel came up with new coke. A disaster entirely of their own making.

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100% agree.

[ronk]

There seems to be this narrative that if Leinster win today it’ll be a coastwalk to another title.
Where the fock is that coming from?
The semi should they get there is Clermont or Racing - both strong outfits and the final would probably be Exeter or Toulouse.

Can we beat all of those sides? For sure we can, but it won’t be easy and is the toughest run of fixtures we’ve had in a long time.

At this point the focus has to be on today.