Pro 14 final vs Ulster, Sept 12th. Live on TG4 & EirSport

[limecat]

Match Preview

Leinster take on Ulster tomorrow looking to become the first team in tournament history to win it three times on the bounce.

It would be a fitting reward for a team who've been unbeaten throughout the whole season and they're twelve point favourites with the bookies. However it's fair to say next week's Heineken Cup quarter-final against Saracens is taking precedence in Leinster's minds as they've opted to leave skipper Johnny Sexton plus Luke McGrath and Will Connors on the bench this week. So they could be open to accusations of disrespecting the tournament and you can be damn sure Ulster will be using it for motivation.

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[riocard911]

I hope we're planning to give Lowe as much ball in space as possible. Really want to see him running at Lyttle.

Also a few bombs on Lowry/Lyttle has the potential to cause a bit of havoc.

For sure - in both directions however. Lowry is the Nordies' Larmour; he can make something out of nothing and suddenly Ulster have 5 more points on the board...

[ronk]

2 cracking teams.
I had considered not even watching the game, but now i will be watching with interest.

Ulster did really well bringing in Alby, he is a real game changer, and will make life hell for Leinster.

What is most shocking for me, is seeing McGrath on the Ulster bench.
A capped Lion, 56 Irish caps, still only 30, and now unable to make the starting team for Leinster or Ulster.
I would love to know where it all went wrong.

He looked like a player who would go on to have well over 100 Irish caps, and now it’s hard to see him add even one more to is current haul.

He got hurt, played through it for a while and form suffered. Had an op, hasn’t hit the old heights.

[OTT]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rG2fJmVo-0I

Leo, pre match presser.

[mildlyinterested]

I find the talk about VdF needing a big game etc a bit odd. He had a cracker against Munster, with most singling him, Ringrose and Sexton out for special praise.
Not sure he could have done much more, just Connors has also been playing great and they have different styles.
I expect more of the same from VdF tomorrow and will be very happy if he delivers that.

needs a big game to unseat Connors for sarries game IMO.

[Blue not red blood]

Was listening to Eddie Gray during the week and he was saying looking around the Leeds dressing room he thought " We are going to be hard to beat today "

Have to say thats the way I feel about Leinster at the moment, so much talent and above all desire.

Its going to take an exceptional team or performance to beat us anytime soon.

This is not smugness but cold reality

COYBIB

[cormac]

I hope we're planning to give Lowe as much ball in space as possible. Really want to see him running at Lyttle.

Also a few bombs on Lowry/Lyttle has the potential to cause a bit of havoc.

Surprisingly this is James Lowe's first appearance against Ulster.

[hugonaut]

needs a big game to unseat Connors for sarries game IMO.

I think Connors did the job he was supposed to do against Munster, so he'll get the nod for the Saracens game. I saw his selection in that game as both a horses-for-courses selection and a dress rehearsal for Saracens.

Stander's ball-carrying is always a very big factor in Munster's game-plan, and with no Kilcoyne [or Snyman], sending out Connors on a mission to shut him down would effectively shut Munster's ball-carrying game down. And it worked: Stander had 11 carries for 5m.

The reason I'd look at it as a dress rehearsal is that we obviously have to specifically gameplan for Billy Vunipola. Billy V is a different beast to Stander, but I think the tactic will be the same, i.e. Connors to try and chop him at every opportunity, with somebody else coming in to try and hit him high and tie up his arms.

[wixfjord]

No injury for Cronin seemingly, just not picked.

I wonder is it partly to counteract McGrath/Moore's scrummaging.

He had been playing well pre-lockdown, but to me Cronin is by far the better bench option.

[Peg Leg]

needs a big game to unseat Connors for sarries game IMO.

I think Connors did the job he was supposed to do against Munster, so he'll get the nod for the Saracens game. I saw his selection in that game as both a horses-for-courses selection and a dress rehearsal for Saracens.

Stander's ball-carrying is always a very big factor in Munster's game-plan, and with no Kilcoyne [or Snyman], sending out Connors on a mission to shut him down would effectively shut Munster's ball-carrying game down. And it worked: Stander had 11 carries for 5m.

The reason I'd look at it as a dress rehearsal is that we obviously have to specifically gameplan for Billy Vunipola. Billy V is a different beast to Stander, but I think the tactic will be the same, i.e. Connors to try and chop him at every opportunity, with somebody else coming in to try and hit him high and tie up his arms.

This all day and twice on Sunday's. Leinster's Twopricks

[Oldschoolsocks]

needs a big game to unseat Connors for sarries game IMO.

I think Connors did the job he was supposed to do against Munster, so he'll get the nod for the Saracens game. I saw his selection in that game as both a horses-for-courses selection and a dress rehearsal for Saracens.

Stander's ball-carrying is always a very big factor in Munster's game-plan, and with no Kilcoyne [or Snyman], sending out Connors on a mission to shut him down would effectively shut Munster's ball-carrying game down. And it worked: Stander had 11 carries for 5m.

The reason I'd look at it as a dress rehearsal is that we obviously have to specifically gameplan for Billy Vunipola. Billy V is a different beast to Stander, but I think the tactic will be the same, i.e. Connors to try and chop him at every opportunity, with somebody else coming in to try and hit him high and tie up his arms.

This all day and twice on Sunday's. Leinster's Twopricks

Freudian slip or autocorrect?

[Peg Leg]

Anyone else here concerned about our scrum? I really expected us to have Munster on toast last week and don't think we imposed ourselves there at all.
Porter can lock a scrum, but rarely dominates.

[Peg Leg]

I think Connors did the job he was supposed to do against Munster, so he'll get the nod for the Saracens game. I saw his selection in that game as both a horses-for-courses selection and a dress rehearsal for Saracens.

Stander's ball-carrying is always a very big factor in Munster's game-plan, and with no Kilcoyne [or Snyman], sending out Connors on a mission to shut him down would effectively shut Munster's ball-carrying game down. And it worked: Stander had 11 carries for 5m.

The reason I'd look at it as a dress rehearsal is that we obviously have to specifically gameplan for Billy Vunipola. Billy V is a different beast to Stander, but I think the tactic will be the same, i.e. Connors to try and chop him at every opportunity, with somebody else coming in to try and hit him high and tie up his arms.

This all day and twice on Sunday's. Leinster's Twopricks

Freudian slip or autocorrect?

A JohnGism

[Oldschoolsocks]

[Peg Leg]

Tupiric btw

[Oldschoolsocks]

Tupiric btw

I got that

[johng]

One of my dad's favourite phrases. "As happy as a dog with two mickeys"

[wixfjord]

It’s finally finals day!

Let’s ate these Nordie feckers without salt.

Expecting our 1-8 to dominate at scrum and lineout and Ross to use quite a bit of tactical kicking to put their back three under pressure.

A robocop style display from JVDF would be most welcome too.

[LeinsterLeader]

It’s finally finals day!

Let’s ate these Nordie feckers without salt.

Expecting our 1-8 to dominate at scrum and lineout and Ross to use quite a bit of tactical kicking to put their back three under pressure.

A robocop style display from JVDF would be most welcome too.

+1. Excited but nervous .........I'm always nervous

[Oldschoolsocks]

One of my dad's favourite phrases. "As happy as a dog with two mickeys"

Ranks right up there with “whoever takes two sniffs of that is greedy”