Leinster mind games begin? - Champions Cup (A) - Saturday 06th April 2024 - KO:8:00pm

[tigerburnie]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-union/68708573

[Scott1]

Leinster would still beat us with 5/6 players out,no need for mind games in an almost guaranteed win

[tigerburnie]

They did exactly the same thing last time we played them, it's getting boring now.

[Ian Cant]

Yes they did then everyone was miraculously fit.
Makes no difference what side they put out we just need to get everything to click for 80 minutes or maybe 97 minutes!

[JohnB]

Think that is a bit harsh. Luke McGrath knocked himself out via his attempted tackle on Kurt Lee Arendse. I was surprised that he was only yellow carded, should have been red. Luke will hopefully live a long life beyond rugby which he’d wish to be a healthy one. I’ll be very disappointed in the medical oversight processes at Leinster if he’s named for Saturday’s match. James Ryan is definitively unavailable and is a big loss for us. Ciaran Frawley and Jimmy O’Brien are unlikely to be available. The scuttlebut is that Keenan and Ringrose will be available.

[loretta]

Think that is a bit harsh. Luke McGrath knocked himself out via his attempted tackle on Kurt Lee Arendse. I was surprised that he was only yellow carded, should have been red. Luke will hopefully live a long life beyond rugby which he’d wish to be a healthy one. I’ll be very disappointed in the medical oversight processes at Leinster if he’s named for Saturday’s match. James Ryan is definitively unavailable and is a big loss for us. Ciaran Frawley and Jimmy O’Brien are unlikely to be available. The scuttlebut is that Keenan and Ringrose will be available.

Can’t blame people for being skeptical. As stated above, Leinster have history in this respect. They cry “wolf”…

[Jimmy Skitz]

so is this the match thread then? I'll buy these players will miss the game when the match starts and they aren't listed

[JohnB]

so is this the match thread then? I'll buy these players will miss the game when the match starts and they aren't listed

Per the photos from training on Monday on the Babbling brook Forum, Henshaw and McGrath didn’t train. Garry Ringrose and Charlie Ngatai trained under physio supervision. Porter, Keenan and Frawley took part in team drills.

[Jimmy Skitz]

for us to have any hope we need Reffell, Chessum and Martin fit

15. Shillcock
14. Steward
13. Scott
12. Kelly
11. Hassell-Collins
10. Pollard
9. JVP
1. Cronin
2. Montoya
3. Cole
4. Martin
5. Chessum
6. Hanro
7. Reffell
8. Wiese

16. Clare
17. Whitcombe
18. Hurd
19. Wells
20. Hatherall
21. Illione
22. Youngs
23. Kata

I think we need the second playmaker but with the defensive shield of Scott and Kelly in the centres, hopefully we're still in the game with 20 to go and we can unleash Kata on tiring backline from Leinster, Also think we'll need a 6-2 split to keep the power up with with Steward and Shillcock both starting we have 10 and 15 covered in the starting side

[CormacReyn]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-union/68708573

Leinster always couch their weekly injury reports like that. This week is no different.

You can usually tell who'll feature by looking at the training photos that get released on the Monday or Tuesday of a match week.

https://www.sportsfile.com/more-images/776127009/

Of the players who's participation is "up in the air", Porter, Keenan, Frawley and Jimmy O'Brien all look to be taking a full part in training. On the other hand Garry Ringrose was doing some exercises separately with a physio (and Charlie Ngatai who definitely won't feature) and so I'd say Ringrose is probably the least likely to be included.

Luke McGrath took a hefty blow to the head (all his own fault mind you) and looked a bit shook going off. Didn't quite see what happened to Henshaw but he didn't look particularly dazed leaving the field. I'd say he's the more likely of those two to play (neither feature in the training photos from yesterday) but you can't always be sure with head injuries.

Josh vd Flier had a hefty collision with the posts in the first half and had an ice pack on his knee at the end of the game but he looked to be taking a full part in training yesterday.

My guess at the Leinster team at this stage of the week.

15 Hugo Keenan
14 Jordan Larmour
13 Robbie Henshaw
12 Jamie Osborne
11 James Lowe
10 Harry Byrne
9 Jamison Gibson-Park

1 Andrew Porter
2 Dan Sheehan
3 Tadhg Furlong
4 Joe McCarthy
5 Jason Jenkins
6 Ryan Baird
7 Josh vd Flier
8 Caelan Doris (c)

Bench: Ronan Kelleher, Cian Healy, Michael Ala'alatoa, two from Ross Molony, Jack Conan, Max Deegan or Will Connors; Ben Murphy, Ross Byrne, one of Jimmy O'Brien/Ciaran Frawley or Liam Turner.

[TigerFeetSteve]

for us to have any hope we need Reffell, Chessum and Martin fit

15. Shillcock
14. Steward
13. Scott
12. Kelly
11. Hassell-Collins
10. Pollard
9. JVP
1. Cronin
2. Montoya
3. Cole
4. Martin
5. Chessum
6. Hanro
7. Reffell
8. Wiese

16. Clare
17. Whitcombe
18. Hurd
19. Wells
20. Hatherall
21. Illione
22. Youngs
23. Kata

I think we need the second playmaker but with the defensive shield of Scott and Kelly in the centres, hopefully we're still in the game with 20 to go and we can unleash Kata on tiring backline from Leinster, Also think we'll need a 6-2 split to keep the power up with with Steward and Shillcock both starting we have 10 and 15 covered in the starting side

Think that is the same 23 I'd pick, apart from I'd play Heyes if fit...

6-2 probably the way to go. Kelly Scott midfield for the best defensive combination we have there

[Jimmy Skitz]

for us to have any hope we need Reffell, Chessum and Martin fit

15. Shillcock
14. Steward
13. Scott
12. Kelly
11. Hassell-Collins
10. Pollard
9. JVP
1. Cronin
2. Montoya
3. Cole
4. Martin
5. Chessum
6. Hanro
7. Reffell
8. Wiese

16. Clare
17. Whitcombe
18. Hurd
19. Wells
20. Hatherall
21. Illione
22. Youngs
23. Kata

I think we need the second playmaker but with the defensive shield of Scott and Kelly in the centres, hopefully we're still in the game with 20 to go and we can unleash Kata on tiring backline from Leinster, Also think we'll need a 6-2 split to keep the power up with with Steward and Shillcock both starting we have 10 and 15 covered in the starting side

Think that is the same 23 I'd pick, apart from I'd play Heyes if fit...

6-2 probably the way to go. Kelly Scott midfield for the best defensive combination we have there

I've assumed Heyes is out, the Rolling Maul pod boys said they heard he has a calf strain

[jgriffin]

I don't know why many teams bother when you end up playing 90% of the current 2nd in the world squad. Never been a level playing field.

[Not a jock]

I don't know why many teams bother when you end up playing 90% of the current 2nd in the world squad. Never been a level playing field.

According to Wikipedia, England has five times more adult male players than Ireland. All other things being equal (and that's not necessarily true), if Ireland has one super club, two top flight clubs and a development club, with England's player base you'd expect it to have five super clubs, ten top flight clubs and two development clubs. England doesn't appear to have one stand out club (any more) but does have ten Premier Clubs. The development clubs could be two of the Championship teams (Ealing and ANOther?).

If the IRU can support its one super club, why can't the RFU support five? - it might have more revenue than the IRU but I doubt it's five times more. Perhaps the RFU dreads the prospect of a semi-autonomous super club?

Did the Irish refuse to participate before they got their act together? - no - and it was Munster who led the way. Do the Welsh boycott it as they've never won anything and don't look like doing so anytime soon. Same for Scotland and Italy.

[GB72]

I don't know why many teams bother when you end up playing 90% of the current 2nd in the world squad. Never been a level playing field.

According to Wikipedia, England has five times more adult male players than Ireland. All other things being equal (and that's not necessarily true), if Ireland has one super club, two top flight clubs and a development club, with England's player base you'd expect it to have five super clubs, ten top flight clubs and two development clubs. England doesn't appear to have one stand out club (any more) but does have ten Premier Clubs. The development clubs could be two of the Championship teams (Ealing and ANOther?).

If the IRU can support its one super club, why can't the RFU support five? - it might have more revenue than the IRU but I doubt it's five times more. Perhaps the RFU dreads the prospect of a semi-autonomous super club?

Did the Irish refuse to participate before they got their act together? - no - and it was Munster who led the way. Do the Welsh boycott it as they've never won anything and don't look like doing so anytime soon. Same for Scotland and Italy.

Revenue wise, isn't the 6 nations an even split amongst the home nations and as both play similar amounts of summer autumn matches with similar levels of opposition and similar levels of attendance, you can assume that the revenues for England and Ireland are actually pretty similar (could be very wrong as just making an assumption). As such, it would make no difference how many players England had if the RFU could not fund them.

Still have no problem with playing, Ireland have a golden generation at the moment, it will not last forever and then other teams can shine. That said, there is no indication of the French money drying up and that would be the longer term thread.