Leinster V Bath (return fixture)

[Stuka]

My team for next week......


Isa
Rob K
McFadden
O'Malley
Darcy
Sexton
Redden
Jamie
SoB
Jennings
Browne
Cullen
Ross
Strauss
Healy


Van D Mer
Cronin
Toner
Locky
Carr
Fitz
Boss


What do you think?

I'd love to start Carr, he could be great for us but Baths wingers are monsters!!

[johng]

Rob and Darce on the wings? Only 1 prop on the bench?

[simonokeeffe]

Reddan, Healy, Toner and maybe Jennings will start the home leg
Kearney and O'Brien should be benched for butchering tries, they played well otherwise but it's the scoreboard that counts and you have to be ruthless. Plus imagine an angry SOB coming off the bench!

[tackle-bag]

Kearney; Nacewa, O'Malley, McFadden, Carr; Sexton, Reddan; Healy, Strauss, Ross, Cullen, Browne; McLaughlin, O'Brien, Heaslip

Subs:- Cronin, van der Merwe, White, Toner, Jennings, Boss, Madigan, D'Arcy

[RoboProp]

Jennings and Too Tall have to start. We've been playing better this season with them and worse without them. Reddan has earned the start. McFadden is not an OC IMO. I'd really love to see Isa in FB and move Rob to the wing. Hopefully Joe tears them a new one this week and they go out there next Sat ready to in Church's words "snap necks and cash cheques"

[Laura F]

I personally don't see Joe putting Rob on the wing, I think where he's concerned it's 15 or bench. I agree with Simon I'd like to see SOB benched for his greediness and they come tear off ready to bring it, I'd personally like to see Baby Kearney on the bench, I think he has earned it

[wixfjord]

Team should be

Healy, Strauss, Ross, Cullen, Toner, SOB, Jennings, Heaslip, Reddan, Sexton, Luuke, Darce, EOM, Isa, Rob.

Can't see how you'd start Browne or Boss. Both poor today imo.
Also a case for moving Isa to FB and starting McFadden at 14.

No way I'd drop Darce either, I thought he was good today actually, and adds a lot of experience to our backline.

Toner was good when he came on too.

[tate]

EOM has to start at 13. Not that Ferg played badly but he just isn't a 13. Reddan looked sharp when he came on too, but Boss was built with heavy pitches like the Rec in mind.

I think Dev made a great impression while he was on the park, in keeping with a good season, so has earned a start. SOB had the proverbial mixed bag, jenno did his thing as usual. With toner starting we can afford to drop kev, which is harsh considering he put in a good shift (leading tackler in the first half if i heard sky correctly). Ciano has to start, he tore Bath a new one when he came on. Didn't see anything from Cronin to suggest he get the nod over Strauss.

Other than that, as you were. Remember to pass the ball lads, there will be some red faces tomorrow when they do the video analysis.

[ronk]

The plan was right. We nearly cut loose, we still had the nous to take control when we needed to.

Bath were tough opposition. Clearly there's work needed in a few areas. I think not having a natural winger hurt. When you have a finisher and you know he's always there.

[Aussiedub]

We actually miss someone with size/power in the backline which is where Shaggy comes in very useful. With any bit of luck/using our brains we'd likely have had a bonus point win.....Sexton unlucky with his pass to Boss, Rob picking wrong option, SOB taking wrong option also...couple of early tries and Bath would have folded.

[suisse]

I thought Fergus McF had a pretty good game yesterday, but his style is too easy to defend against. He might feel he is the rightful successor (well, the papers say so anyway) but he, nor anyone else, has no God-given right to that 13 jersey. Putting your head down and bullocking hard up the middle is not as effective anymore. Defensively he was solid, but EOM has a cutting edge about him. Looking at the selections for yesterday again, it was a hourses-for-courses one. The more physical players - namely VDM, Browne, McL, Boss and McF - will make way for Healy, Toner, Jennings, Reddan and EOM I think.

As much as SOB's error pissed me off, dropping him is not an option, even to put a boot us his ass. I tthink he'll come out firing next week.

Leinster, in some ways, needed that. It's not often teams are loucky enough to kick up the ass/wake up call and still win on English soil. I'd be fearful if I was a Bath fan.

[ronk]

I don't think the 13 debate is finished one way or another. I thought that there were a lot of things that McFadden got right. He was our top tackler and he has serious gas. It's a rare player who has that combination of versatility (international standard in 4 positions and a recognised kicker), pace, power, workrate, consistency, defence and the ability to make metres in contact whether from depth or a standing start and to stay on his feet until support arrives. There are a few areas he could develop, but the same can be said about O'Malley. Nice to have the options/depth.

[tate]

I don't think the 13 debate is finished one way or another. I thought that there were a lot of things that McFadden got right. He was our top tackler and he has serious gas. It's a rare player who has that combination of versatility (international standard in 4 positions and a recognised kicker), pace, power, workrate, consistency, defence and the ability to make metres in contact whether from depth or a standing start and to stay on his feet until support arrives. There are a few areas he could develop, but the same can be said about O'Malley. Nice to have the options/depth.

Let's not get carried away. Regardless of your opinions of Uncle Kidders and his selection policies, Ferg has in no way proven himself an international in 4 positions. He's not even a nailed in starter for Leinster assuming all players are available. An excellent player for sure, but not a four position international.

[kendalgerty]

I think the Leinster branch missed a trick in not marketing this one as 'Beaver in the Aviva'.

[Oldschool]

I think the Leinster branch missed a trick in not marketing this one as 'Beavah in the Aviva'.

Rolls off the tongue better, I think!

[Oldschool]

I don't think the 13 debate is finished one way or another. I thought that there were a lot of things that McFadden got right. He was our top tackler and he has serious gas. It's a rare player who has that combination of versatility (international standard in 4 positions and a recognised kicker), pace, power, workrate, consistency, defence and the ability to make metres in contact whether from depth or a standing start and to stay on his feet until support arrives. There are a few areas he could develop, but the same can be said about O'Malley. Nice to have the options/depth.

Let's not get carried away. Regardless of your opinions of Uncle Kidders and his selection policies, Ferg has in no way proven himself an international in 4 positions. He's not even a nailed in starter for Leinster assuming all players are available. An excellent player for sure, but not a four position international.

Your criteria still doesn't stop your Uncle Kidders picking Earls, Murray, DOC and Leamy to name just four.
Looks to me as if your selection policies and your Uncle Kidder's are very similar. Mind you, as you have pointed out he is your uncle, so perhaps it's a genetic thing!

[CiaranIrl]

Would love to see:

Kearney; Nacewa, O'Malley, McFadden, Fitzgerald; Sexton, Reddan; Healy, Strauss, Ross, Cullen, McLaughlin, O'Brien, Jennings, Heaslip

Subs:- Cronin, Van der Merwe, White, Toner, Ruddock, Boss, Madigan, D'Arcy

[tate]

I don't think the 13 debate is finished one way or another. I thought that there were a lot of things that McFadden got right. He was our top tackler and he has serious gas. It's a rare player who has that combination of versatility (international standard in 4 positions and a recognised kicker), pace, power, workrate, consistency, defence and the ability to make metres in contact whether from depth or a standing start and to stay on his feet until support arrives. There are a few areas he could develop, but the same can be said about O'Malley. Nice to have the options/depth.

Let's not get carried away. Regardless of your opinions of Uncle Kidders and his selection policies, Ferg has in no way proven himself an international in 4 positions. He's not even a nailed in starter for Leinster assuming all players are available. An excellent player for sure, but not a four position international.

Your criteria still doesn't stop your Uncle Kidders picking Earls, Murray, DOC and Leamy to name just four.
Looks to me as if your selection policies and your Uncle Kidder's are very similar. Mind you, as you have pointed out he is your uncle, so perhaps it's a genetic thing!

So a player can be international standard across four positions without playing a significant number of internationals in those positions? Fock it, with that fairy thinking I'm a Test player too. Always fancied myself as a counter-attacking fullback in the mould of Blanco. Might even give myself a few tries too.

[sid]

Think we'll win handily this time. Hope so anyway, since they're a right shower.

Sorry.

[baaba maal]

You're plumbing the depths, you are.