The Official Irish Rugby Thread

Duff Paddy · Post by **Duff Paddy** » Sat Sep 19, 2020 5:15 pm

I take solace from the emergence of the new lads and the Larmour try. But at the end of the day we lost at home to a greatly depleted Sarries team. Not a good day.

Floppykid · Post by **Floppykid** » Sat Sep 19, 2020 5:16 pm

Well done Sarries. Ground Leinster out and got big moments when it mattered in the second.

Healy isn't able to do the tight stuff/fundamentals as well as he used to at European level.
Sexton isn't doing a Brady and there are other obvious older players who aren't doing it.

It was encouraging how good Baird et. All were.

Henshaw should come under pressure for his place hopefully.

Conservative Eddie · Post by **Conservative Eddie** » Sat Sep 19, 2020 5:16 pm

MunsterMan!!!!! wrote: ↑Sat Sep 19, 2020 5:11 pm
Duff Paddy wrote: ↑Sat Sep 19, 2020 5:04 pm
Flametop wrote: ↑Sat Sep 19, 2020 5:03 pm Kelleher should be the Ireland hooker.
Made a big difference when he came on.
Baird looked to the manor born.
Big questions to be answered as to why they didn’t start. JGP, Kelleher and Baird looked twice the players they replaced
Kelleher - the lineout had been an issue for the previous few match, leo obviously thought it was down to him.

JGP - not sure, mcgrath probably looked good against munster/ulster sides that are many many levels below sarries, he reverted to type with the pressure they applied.

Baird - he looks good

McGrath was poor. I thought JGP sped things up and they got over the gainline much more as a result.

Larmour was very poor. I like him, and because he's still young, I'd persist with him, but they really need to work on his aerial skills because he shows very little conviction or confidence on high balls. He also didn't need to try the offload near the end. They had made good ground and just needed to retain it. Relatively conservative phase play would have been the better option as Saracens were out on their feet - they obviously were reluctant to use their bench even with their front liners gassing hard.

Duff Paddy · Post by **Duff Paddy** » Sat Sep 19, 2020 5:16 pm

MunsterMan!!!!! wrote: ↑Sat Sep 19, 2020 5:14 pm Are BT trying to change MOM to the "star of the match" ?

They gave it to the wrong man

Flametop · Post by **Flametop** » Sat Sep 19, 2020 5:17 pm

Have to say I thought that the ref just didn’t want to punish Saracens with a deserved cards every time Leinster got into their 22. Cynical play went unpunished.

Floppykid · Post by **Floppykid** » Sat Sep 19, 2020 5:17 pm

Duff Paddy wrote: ↑Sat Sep 19, 2020 5:15 pm I take solace from the emergence of the new lads and the Larmour try. But at the end of the day we lost at home to a greatly depleted Sarries team. Not a good day.

The old guard aren't doing it anymore at all.
Hopefully central contracts don't impede things with getting new players in, want to see H Byrne and R Byrne move past an aged Sexton.

MunsterMan!!!!! · Post by **MunsterMan!!!!!** » Sat Sep 19, 2020 5:18 pm

Conservative Eddie wrote: ↑Sat Sep 19, 2020 5:11 pm
Leinsterbloke wrote: ↑Sat Sep 19, 2020 5:06 pm
franch fan wrote: ↑Sat Sep 19, 2020 4:59 pm
Leinsterbloke wrote: ↑Sat Sep 19, 2020 4:56 pm Why was McCall not talked about for Irish coach?
I don't think him becoming the Irish coach will make players like Itoje or the Vunipola brothers naturalizing Irish.
But maybe he would coach the players he has to win, like he does at his current job. It's not a new idea to get the best coach in
Actually the most impressive thing about Saracens is the way the entire squad is so well drilled. Even guys that they pick up from championship sides are coached to fit in to their system and deliver. Whether it's McCall or the rest of his staff, they clearly know their stuff.

Agree 100%, they just do the basics with power and aggression

Duff Paddy · Post by **Duff Paddy** » Sat Sep 19, 2020 5:18 pm

Flametop wrote: ↑Sat Sep 19, 2020 5:17 pm Have to say I thought that the ref just didn’t want to punish Saracens with a deserved cards every time Leinster got into their 22. Cynical play went unpunished.

Ah stop that will ya we’re better than that

Flametop · Post by **Flametop** » Sat Sep 19, 2020 5:18 pm

Frawley deserves a shot at 10.

Jumper · Post by **Jumper** » Sat Sep 19, 2020 5:18 pm

Mullet 2 wrote: ↑Sat Sep 19, 2020 5:13 pm We need a 9.

Tell Nucifora to give us Casey.

Only fair like.

Leo already tried, but he didn't want to move to Dublin.

Floppykid · Post by **Floppykid** » Sat Sep 19, 2020 5:18 pm

Flametop wrote: ↑Sat Sep 19, 2020 5:17 pm Have to say I thought that the ref just didn’t want to punish Saracens with a deserved cards every time Leinster got into their 22. Cynical play went unpunished.

That happens with winners.

Flametop · Post by **Flametop** » Sat Sep 19, 2020 5:19 pm

Duff Paddy wrote: ↑Sat Sep 19, 2020 5:18 pm
Flametop wrote: ↑Sat Sep 19, 2020 5:17 pm Have to say I thought that the ref just didn’t want to punish Saracens with a deserved cards every time Leinster got into their 22. Cynical play went unpunished.
Ah stop that will ya we’re better than that

Look, we got dicked in the scrums bit the point stands.

iarmhiman · Post by **iarmhiman** » Sat Sep 19, 2020 5:19 pm

Duff Paddy wrote: ↑Sat Sep 19, 2020 5:15 pm I take solace from the emergence of the new lads and the Larmour try. But at the end of the day we lost at home to a greatly depleted Sarries team. Not a good day.

It was the main Sarries pack though.

Duff Paddy · Post by **Duff Paddy** » Sat Sep 19, 2020 5:19 pm

Jumper wrote: ↑Sat Sep 19, 2020 5:18 pm
Mullet 2 wrote: ↑Sat Sep 19, 2020 5:13 pm We need a 9.

Tell Nucifora to give us Casey.

Only fair like.
Leo already tried, but he didn't want to move to Dublin.

Of course not. He’ll take Murray this season.

Jumper · Post by **Jumper** » Sat Sep 19, 2020 5:19 pm

Flametop wrote: ↑Sat Sep 19, 2020 5:17 pm Have to say I thought that the ref just didn’t want to punish Saracens with a deserved cards every time Leinster got into their 22. Cynical play went unpunished.

It''s a lot harder to win when Brace isn't handing you the win every week alright.

Flametop · Post by **Flametop** » Sat Sep 19, 2020 5:19 pm

Floppykid wrote: ↑Sat Sep 19, 2020 5:18 pm
Flametop wrote: ↑Sat Sep 19, 2020 5:17 pm Have to say I thought that the ref just didn’t want to punish Saracens with a deserved cards every time Leinster got into their 22. Cynical play went unpunished.
That happens with winners.

It’s a self fulfilling prophecy then.

Duff Paddy · Post by **Duff Paddy** » Sat Sep 19, 2020 5:20 pm

Warburton says it like it is

Flametop · Post by **Flametop** » Sat Sep 19, 2020 5:20 pm

Jumper wrote: ↑Sat Sep 19, 2020 5:19 pm
Flametop wrote: ↑Sat Sep 19, 2020 5:17 pm Have to say I thought that the ref just didn’t want to punish Saracens with a deserved cards every time Leinster got into their 22. Cynical play went unpunished.
It''s a lot harder to win when Brace isn't handing you the win every week alright.

Just make sure you’re cheering Leinster on in next year’s 6 Nations.

Conservative Eddie · Post by **Conservative Eddie** » Sat Sep 19, 2020 5:20 pm

Floppykid wrote: ↑Sat Sep 19, 2020 5:16 pm Well done Sarries. Ground Leinster out and got big moments when it mattered in the second.

Healy isn't able to do the tight stuff/fundamentals as well as he used to at European level.
Sexton isn't doing a Brady and there are other obvious older players who aren't doing it.

It was encouraging how good Baird et. All were.

Henshaw should come under pressure for his place hopefully.

Frawley looks more and more like the better option at 12. Whatever about the older players, which Irish rugby is notoriously bad at giving the heave ho, Henshaw ought to be under serious pressure. But then we get back to central contracts and reputation and the role it plays in selection even when players are second best to an alternative.

Salanya · Post by **Salanya** » Sat Sep 19, 2020 5:20 pm

EverReady wrote: ↑Sat Sep 19, 2020 5:13 pm JGP is criminally underrated. It's inexplicable

He's not perfect, but he's been better than McGrath this year.

Also feel ROL is underrated.

And there has to be an honest conversation about Jonny soon.

Fruit and Nutt · Post by **Fruit and Nutt** » Sat Sep 19, 2020 5:23 pm

iarmhiman wrote: ↑Sat Sep 19, 2020 5:19 pm
Duff Paddy wrote: ↑Sat Sep 19, 2020 5:15 pm I take solace from the emergence of the new lads and the Larmour try. But at the end of the day we lost at home to a greatly depleted Sarries team. Not a good day.
It was the main Sarries pack though.

Kruis, Earl, Lamositele, Isiekwe all missing from either the starting XV or the bench.

shabadoo · Post by **shabadoo** » Sat Sep 19, 2020 5:23 pm

I like Larmour, but he is just not good enough in the air.

Himself and Keenan should switch position. I think Keenan prefers 15. He was really really good today.

Floppykid · Post by **Floppykid** » Sat Sep 19, 2020 5:24 pm

Salanya wrote: ↑Sat Sep 19, 2020 5:20 pm
EverReady wrote: ↑Sat Sep 19, 2020 5:13 pm JGP is criminally underrated. It's inexplicable
He's not perfect, but he's been better than McGrath this year.

Also feel ROL is underrated.

And there has to be an honest conversation about Jonny soon.

Soon? Long overdue.
I've always been nervy about pundits et all calling Sexton Leinsters big game 10 the past couple of months.
He hasn't been able to play well against great teams in a long time.

iarmhiman · Post by **iarmhiman** » Sat Sep 19, 2020 5:24 pm

Thought Leinster looked stale last few games.

That Larmour try was the only bit of real creativity last 5 games.

History shows after significant defeats Leinster go back and improve their game. Needs to happen again.

We've been MOC like in attack last few games.

If there was one positive it was the hits on Vunipola and Itoje. The tackling was excellent. We were undone by one brilliant offload

shabadoo · Post by **shabadoo** » Sat Sep 19, 2020 5:25 pm

Salanya wrote: ↑Sat Sep 19, 2020 5:20 pm
EverReady wrote: ↑Sat Sep 19, 2020 5:13 pm JGP is criminally underrated. It's inexplicable
He's not perfect, but he's been better than McGrath this year.

Also feel ROL is underrated.

And there has to be an honest conversation about Jonny soon.

Agreed. He was certainly head and shoulders above Henshaw today.

MunsterMan!!!!! · Post by **MunsterMan!!!!!** » Sat Sep 19, 2020 5:26 pm

How is leo escaping criticism ? The whole team was so flat in the first half, he didn't have them dialed in at all.

EverReady · Post by **EverReady** » Sat Sep 19, 2020 5:27 pm

Salanya wrote: ↑Sat Sep 19, 2020 5:20 pm
EverReady wrote: ↑Sat Sep 19, 2020 5:13 pm JGP is criminally underrated. It's inexplicable
He's not perfect, but he's been better than McGrath this year.

Also feel ROL is underrated.

And there has to be an honest conversation about Jonny soon.

We've been having it. From what I've read he played behind a manshamed pack so whadda he going to do. I see Itoje again made pricks of us. Will we ever learn

Porterbelly1 · Post by **Porterbelly1** » Sat Sep 19, 2020 5:28 pm

Fruit and Nutt wrote: ↑Sat Sep 19, 2020 5:23 pm
iarmhiman wrote: ↑Sat Sep 19, 2020 5:19 pm
Duff Paddy wrote: ↑Sat Sep 19, 2020 5:15 pm I take solace from the emergence of the new lads and the Larmour try. But at the end of the day we lost at home to a greatly depleted Sarries team. Not a good day.
It was the main Sarries pack though.

Kruis, Earl, Lamositele, Isiekwe all missing from either the starting XV or the bench.

Skelton, Singleton, Juan Figallo

Nolanator · Post by **Nolanator** » Sat Sep 19, 2020 5:29 pm

shabadoo wrote: ↑Sat Sep 19, 2020 5:25 pm
Salanya wrote: ↑Sat Sep 19, 2020 5:20 pm
EverReady wrote: ↑Sat Sep 19, 2020 5:13 pm JGP is criminally underrated. It's inexplicable
He's not perfect, but he's been better than McGrath this year.

Also feel ROL is underrated.

And there has to be an honest conversation about Jonny soon.
Agreed. He was certainly head and shoulders above Henshaw today.

The way to make progress was through moving the ball around and being lively. The meathead selections didn't work at all.

Floppykid · Post by **Floppykid** » Sat Sep 19, 2020 5:29 pm

EverReady wrote: ↑Sat Sep 19, 2020 5:27 pm
Salanya wrote: ↑Sat Sep 19, 2020 5:20 pm
EverReady wrote: ↑Sat Sep 19, 2020 5:13 pm JGP is criminally underrated. It's inexplicable
He's not perfect, but he's been better than McGrath this year.

Also feel ROL is underrated.

And there has to be an honest conversation about Jonny soon.
We've been having it. From what I've read he played behind a manshamed pack so whadda he going to do. I see Itoje again made pricks of us. Will we ever learn

Ah no excuses for Sexton really.

shabadoo · Post by **shabadoo** » Sat Sep 19, 2020 5:31 pm

Don't get the Sexton bashing tbh, thought he played pretty well bar the restart.

His pass for the Larmour try was what made it. Made all his kicks.

Felt we did well enough with the ball we had...just had fudge all because our scrum was hammered.

Jim Lahey · Post by **Jim Lahey** » Sat Sep 19, 2020 5:31 pm

Haven’t read the last couple of pages but hard luck ladies.

That shite 1st half left you too much to do in the end.
Think that’s gotta be the end of Dev unfortunately. Baird made a massive difference in the 2nd half.
Scrum is very worrying from an Ireland pov. Absolutely obliterated.
Thought Connors had a decent outing as did Doris. Conan had a game to forget.
McGrath shat the bed big time. Sexton fluffed his lines in the first half and came back into it a bit in the 2nd but he’s not the player he was.

All in all, a great season for ye’s with an unfortunate ending.

Mr. Very Popular · Post by **Mr. Very Popular** » Sat Sep 19, 2020 5:32 pm

iarmhiman wrote: ↑Sat Sep 19, 2020 5:24 pm Thought Leinster looked stale last few games.

That Larmour try was the only bit of real creativity last 5 games.

History shows after significant defeats Leinster go back and improve their game. Needs to happen again.

Sexton was in his prime those years though, will be much harder when he's not able to drive it.

Salanya · Post by **Salanya** » Sat Sep 19, 2020 5:33 pm

MunsterMan!!!!! wrote: ↑Sat Sep 19, 2020 5:26 pm How is leo escaping criticism ? The whole team was so flat in the first half, he didn't have them dialed in at all.

Euhm, he's not?

When we complain about selections, that is criticism towards Leo.
He's a great head coach and has delivered great results and brought a lot of young players through.
But today he went conservative on a few choices, and him and Stuart didn't have the team ready and fired up for the kick off.
The second half showed that the match was there for the taking, but we let Saracens (who played well but were not unplayable) off the hook.

We've got faith that lessons will be learned (fingers crossed). We're now debating what we want to see to get the scrum improved and the attack flowing once more.

Flametop · Post by **Flametop** » Sat Sep 19, 2020 5:35 pm

Sexton was rattled in the first half.

How is McGrath getting paid to play rugby.
A 9 who can’t pass, can’t kick and lets the opposition line up man and ball tackles before firing hospital passes over their heads

YOYO · Post by **YOYO** » Sat Sep 19, 2020 5:39 pm

McGrath is too stiff and rigid. Even Leinster’s midfield is lacking creatively.

hermie · Post by **hermie** » Sat Sep 19, 2020 5:40 pm

Yeah McGrath really let himself down today. Missed Furlong more than we might have thought we would. But had been saying it all the time, Sarries were only underdogs to people who haven't been watching rugby. Everything was in their favour. No crowd, no big game the week before. Thought they might miss Farrell more to get them that field position but Leinster mistakes in the first half just handed that to them on a plate.

Flametop · Post by **Flametop** » Sat Sep 19, 2020 5:41 pm

Leinster played some dumb rugby.
Trying to maul it when the ref is allowing the opposition offside around the back is stupid to keep repeating.
We were making yards by upping the tempo. There was no need to keep it tight.

hermie · Post by **hermie** » Sat Sep 19, 2020 5:48 pm

Flametop wrote: ↑Sat Sep 19, 2020 5:41 pm Leinster played some dumb rugby.
Trying to maul it when the ref is allowing the opposition offside around the back is stupid to keep repeating.
We were making yards by upping the tempo. There was no need to keep it tight.

The ref didn't give us the steam off his piss either. They were offside the whole game, crooked throws, they only needed a fingernail on the ball to win a turnover whereas Porter was a full 3 seconds on the ball and they were still able to blow him away inside the last 10mins. Couple of high shots missed. They probably should have seen yellow in the build up to the Porter try. If he hadn't scored they might have done but it's one of the quirks of these things that a score can often cancel that out.

Flametop · Post by **Flametop** » Sat Sep 19, 2020 5:50 pm

Indeed.
What the Fûck was Joy Neville up to for the whole game?