Castres v. Leinster

[wixfjord]

On to the next one.

Difficult to say what we can expect here. Castres looked a lot better than they have done in the Top 14 on Friday. Played with a bit of freedom.

They've quite a few injuries, but with Kockott and Tales pulling strings will still be dangerous.

Team I would love to start with:

RK/ZK
ZK/Fanning
Darcy
Reid
Fitz
Madigan
Reddan
Heaslip
Ryan
Ruddock
Douglas
Toner
Ross/Bent
Strauss
McGrath

[LeRouxIsPHat]

I'd definitely bring Rob and Ross back in if they're fit. Then Kane and Strauss for rotation purposes after what was a very tough game. Kane should really be ahead of McCarthy anyway but that's not solely the thinking for this selection. Cronin is much better off the bench than Strauss too.

So with four changes I'd be reluctant to change much else. If Jennings is fit then I'd have him on the bench. Been out too long to start IMO and would work well with the impact from the other subs. I've no doubt this wont happen but think McGrath has to replace Boss in the bench. Boss really offers no impact off the bench and I reckon we'd have got a bonus point if we'd have been able to bring McGrath on. We finally had Wasps on the ropes but Boss slowed everything down, and not in the good "controlling" type way.

We're conceding too many yards in defence, so if we kick I'd rather it just be off the field and stop Castres getting any momentum. We need to do some work on stopping mauls this week too. Kane did brilliantly to get through one but in general we struggled. Too much running sideways out wide yet again, cost a couple of tries at least.

[RoboProp]

Te'o to the bench or do we reckon that it will be P12 game that will first see him in blue?

[ichabodscrane]

Te'o to the bench or do we reckon that it will be P12 game that will first see him in blue?

P12 I'd imagine. At least if there's a mistake to be mad it won't be highlighted as much as one would be in Europe.

[COYBIB]

I'll be pleasantly surprised if we don't lose this one. We're a patently awful team.

[neiliog93]

Castres really aren't great shakes either, as they've shown this year in the Top 14, bar a match or two. Thank God we have a relatively easy pool or we'd be out by the end of the first two game rounds.

This one's winnable for sure, even with our problems.

[domhnallj]

Thought I read somewhere MOC saying we would definitely see Teo play in the next couple of games. I think he'll be on the bench for this one.

[Degz]

15. RK
14. ZK
13. D'arcy
12. Madigan
11. Fanning
10. Gopperth
9. Reddan

1. Jack
2. Strauss
3. Ross
4. Kane
5. Toner
6. Ruddock
8. Jamie
7. Jenno

16. Cronin
17. Byrne
18. Furlong
19. Mike Mc
20. Ryan
21. McGrath
22. Te'o
23. Luke

Hoping Jennings is back, think we'll need to move them around, and Dom just ain't a seven for me. A fabled 6.5. IT on September 23rd had Jenno as three to four weeks, so fingers crossed. I'd stick Te'o on the bench, MOC ain't gonna bring on Mick Mac in a European away game, and Reid was fairly shite yesterday so why not chance your arm? If Luke was actually fit, I'd be tempted to go Madigan, Flash and Luke in the midfield, but that'd be quite the gamble.

EDIT: Same IT article had Dave K 'a few weeks away from joining the rest of the squad'. Could come into contention?

[bedlam9999]

I'll be pleasantly surprised if we don't lose this one. We're a patently awful team.

jaysus, who sh!t in your cornflakes

[wixfjord]

I'll be pleasantly surprised if we don't lose this one. We're a patently awful team.

Load of nonsense.

[Oldschool]

What we can expect from Castres initially is 30 mins of ball carrying thru the middle - ie Jimmy's defense will be targeted.
We got out of jail last season.
On a once off basis I would move D'Arcy back to inside centre to shore up that defense.
I'd move Kirchner to FB and Madigan to 13. That's a lot of changes.
Tactically we are still trying to move the ball wide too often and too soon. If we continue in this vein we can expect more intercept tries.
We didn't tested the Wasps fringe defense in the first half. Against Castres this is a must.
Against Castres and particularly early on we need to hold onto the ball for longer and forget about the 50/50 passes etc.
Our scrum will struggle again but the problem was more on the LH side.
For one scrum against the Wasp I had a birds eye view on our TH side. Their LH just turned at a right angle and pushed across with his 7 swinging around behind him ready to grab Jamie as he was forced to pick. The touch judge was even nearer and said nothing to the ref who was on the other side.
That touch judge is being paid a wage and he's taking the money on false pretenses.

As an aside, does anyone think that refs in general are more reluctant to give penalties (in kickable positions in particular) for scrum dominance this season.
An attempt perhaps to reduce even further the influence of the scrum by reducing the number of resets.
On the flip side based on the Wasps game there is no such thing as a forward pass anymore and again the touch judges are not earning their corn.

[molloyjh]

I'll be pleasantly surprised if we don't lose this one. We're a patently awful team.

May I ask, who goes to the trouble of setting up a COYBIB website, twitter account and facebook page only to post this kind of thing?

[olaf the fat]

RK if fit
ZK
Darcy
Reid
Fanj - would he be as under rated if he had a kiwi/SA/Auz accent?
Madperth - at this stage does it matter which one?
Boss 50 min / ER then to speed it up when Castres get bored
Heaslip
Ryan
Ruddock
Douglas
Toner
Ross
Cronin
McGrath.

Expecting a tough game.

[desperado]

I honestly though COYBIBs comment was a pisstake. Is it not?

[glenageary]

I'll be pleasantly surprised if we don't lose this one. We're a patently awful team.

May I ask, who goes to the trouble of setting up a COYBIB website, twitter account and facebook page only to post this kind of thing?

A WUMer

[bluemagic]

Castres have a big few weeks in the Top 14 head with brive away who are beatable (2nd from bottom) and then toloun and racing at home...Castres are currently 3rd from bottom so they need some wins. Hopefully, with those matches on their mind and 0 points in the HC they might send out a weakened disinterested team against us.

Backline needs to be shaken up because its just not working. Id rather throw teo in then have a repeat of yesterday

[johng]

Castres have a big few weeks in the Top 14 head with brive away who are beatable (2nd from bottom) and then toloun and racing at home...Castres are currently 3rd from bottom so they need some wins. Hopefully, with those matches on their mind and 0 points in the HC they might send out a weakened disinterested team against us.

Backline needs to be shaken up because its just not working. Id rather throw teo in then have a repeat of yesterday

You want to throw Te'o in and have a repeat of yesterday afterwards?

Kearney in. Madigan to 12. Te'o on the bench and as you were is my bet. If Luke is "actually" fit and was not just there for show then 22 Te'o 23 Fitz. Otherwise CUS phenomenon Mickey Mac at 23.

If Fanning and Madigan play 80 next week then they will have clocked up 737 and 679 minutes respectively. Unlikely to see much of Madser in the autumn on that basis. Perhaps bench v Georgia.

[wixfjord]

Will Jenno be back for this does anyone know?

Would be a HUGE boost I think, considering how they took us apart at the ruck last year away. Diarra needs a lot of policing.

[goreyguy]

Fanning, underrated? no, he is a one dimensional player.. great that he got two scores yesterday though

[All Blacks nil]

Fanning, underrated? no, he is a one dimensional player.. great that he got two scores yesterday though