Leinster vs Cheetahs 15/2/20 14.30

[artaneboy]

Good man Darce, pointing out the fact that it’s the skills training and mentoring that Leinster offers to OHs and others is not coincidental to the amount of quality we have.


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[FourMasters]

Sean Cronin

It went backwards off his head!

I was laughing too hard to see if the ball actually crossed the line onto the pitch. If it hadn't, would Cronin have been entitiled to "re"-throw it?
He made a big deal about changing the towel for a dry one, I laughed through that too, maybe he should have towelled his head a bit.

[blockhead]

The first half was very good but the 2nd? Salanoa seem to make a difference in the scrum. Sloppy game but what would you expect out there today. Fair play to both teams.

[FourMasters]

When you consider the dross that Scotland/England served up under similar conditions, the standard was quite high today. I think Whitehouse was quite lenient on our scrum, could have given a yellow card earlier and got the game going again.

[Ruckedtobits]

Seven successive penalties against Leinster within 7 mtrs of our line in a 9-minute period of pressure and no PENALTY TRY. Pure madness. Persistent infringement alone should have justified that and probably a YC.

However, after the first 15 minutes, played into a horizontal rain-storm and when we figured out what was possible, this was very good performance for the next 30 minutes of playing time. By that point we had scored 5 times and led 36-0.

Our pack were magnificent and every back was excellent and the team dripped of commitment and teamwork.

Make no mistake, these were appaling weather conditions and Whitehouse might well have abandoned the game after 60 minutes if the temperature had dropped 10C (it was 11-13C). The last quarter was meaningless and dangerous as the amount of casual water, combined with galeforce squalls, made any sort of ball, or foot, control a lottery.

[Ruckedtobits]

We're playing well here, considering the conditions.

10-0 31 mins

Difficult to describe just how bad the conditions were for more than 65 minutes. Until we reached 36-0 and began to intro our bench, this was a superb demonstation of rugby in appalling conditions. Decent surface, but ridiculous rain and scary wind (which caused about 25 rows in Stand to get drenched also).

Leinster were very good and adapted really well to play a game that was possible, rather than one they would have preferred. This meant a lot of really heavy-duty carrying and mauling but nobody shirked the work and Joe Tomane played like a hard-nosed back-row (and putting his hand up for No 12 jersey v Sarries if Ringer is missing).

Kelleher and Deegan put in really hard games but in truth, any of the pack could have been awarded MOTM, or either of the halves. In fact, for 60 minutes nobody in those appaling 'maroon' jerseys disappointed.

[LeRouxIsPHat]

Brilliant performance in the first half. Obviously the scrum struggled at times later on but all of the forwards were superb outside of that and the lineout and maul went really well. I was a bit worried about Deegan when he got shunted back early on but he used his footwork and got lower going into contact after that and was excellent. Hadn't really noticed before but he's obviously quite springy and easy to lift so was a great option at the front in such terrible conditions (bar the one that went through his hands) and I'd like us to use him in the POM role on opposition ball at times.

As much as the pack deserve the bulk of the credit, I thought the halfbacks were brilliant as well. Not easy conditions for a scrumhalf but Luke managed things well and kept us moving forward. I reckon something has happened recently to make him break more and it really does suit his game and is working really well for us. I have to say I didn't think Frawley was up to much when I saw him for the 20's but now it looks like he's got everything. There's a real confidence about how he plays too and it was noticeable that he seemed to really enjoy himself out there. A lot of players seemed to laugh at the conditions actually but were still focused and knuckled down.

Fair play to Whitehouse as well. I actually like him as a ref (has the odd howler though alright) but to keep the game moving in those conditions was great. He's a good communicator and has a good feel for the game. Agree that Cheetahs should have been rewarded for their scrum dominance in the second half though.

[elephantman]

The first half was very good but the 2nd? Salanoa seem to make a difference in the scrum. Sloppy game but what would you expect out there today. Fair play to both teams.

He did very well when he came on. Very powerful athlete. I hope he stays at Leinster next season.

Speaking of which, anybody got any inside info on players being tapped up by other provinces?

[Logorrhea]

He was sent running backwards a few times before he locked one or two down. Good experience for him.

[Ruckedtobits]

Having watched a lot of 'rugby in the wet' over the weekend (both NH & SH) it is hard to exaggerate just how good that Leinster performance was yesterday.
After figuring out just what was possible in the first 15 mins, the next 40 minutes were disciplined, tough and well executed.

Cheetahs are composed of big powerful, experienced S Africans and they did not lie down. But from the quality of our line-out throwing through the tight low-driving maul work and the latching support of driving forwards, this was an exemplary performance of playing the elements.

Well done to players and coaches. This one is for the bank of experience.

[maps]

Bit worried about how well their scrum did against us.
Our season effectively comes down to how we do in the two biggest games left - the qtr final v Saracens and the league game away to Cheetahs

[joooooe]

Turned it off and on again and now it’s working

Surely this is a parody account

[mildlyinterested]

Scrum sort of fell apart when Molony moved to TH lock

[brotheroffrank]

Scrum sort of fell apart when Molony moved to TH lock

and the Cheetahs changed their front row.....

[FLIP]

Bit worried about how well their scrum did against us.
Our season effectively comes down to how we do in the two biggest games left - the qtr final v Saracens and the league game away to Cheetahs

With the Sarries game we will have our first and second choice THs, 1st choice LH, and 2 of our frontline second rows back. Not too worried there.

And the away game for Cheetahs doesn't matter all that much.

[mildlyinterested]

Clarkson could be fast tracked next season at TH given the unconvincingness of the tight heads ahead of him.

[johng]

Bit worried about how well their scrum did against us.
Our season effectively comes down to how we do in the two biggest games left - the qtr final v Saracens and the league game away to Cheetahs

With 52 points already I don't think the Cheetahs away game has much bearing on our season.

Ah.sorry. someone else has made that point already

[blockhead]

7,967 -the lowest attendance in the last 10 years and only the 3rd time under 10K in those 10 years.
Still though, the highest attendance of the weekend.

[LeRouxIsPHat]

It's imperative that Leo allows the video review to be filmed when they get to Cronin's throw.

[ronk]

7,967 -the lowest attendance in the last 10 years and only the 3rd time under 10K in those 10 years.
Still though, the highest attendance of the weekend.

Valentines Day, that weather, middle of 6N. That's big.