Leinster V Cardiff Blues Lansdowne rd

First topic message reminder :

Surprised there's no thread already. Leinster massive favourites at home. Cardiff Blues coming in under the radar.

Could there be an upset?

This time 6 years ago an unfancied Leinster travelled to the home of European Rugby. To a team that would have just won 3 in a row but for the famous Rob Howley try in 04. (They won in 03 and 05 and lost in the dying minutes of the 04 final)

Leinster played the most incredible game against them and took Toulouse out of it. (Sadly blew it on Black Sunday v Munster in the semi, and then lost the Celtic league to a late drop goal by David Humphries in Wales on the last day of the league)

Could Cardiff Blues pull a similar stroke? Will Jamie Roberts play? Is Sam Warburton really out? How fit is Gethin? Henson is defo out anyway.

Leinster have close to a full deck......... Worried about any knockout game, and worried about the low key buildup here and the fact that the Blues could put one big game together and give us a shock.

Feckless Rogue wrote:Leinster play best with O'Brien at 6 and Jennings at 7.

Don't think it's that simple.

Well not long left now. Come on Leinster

Anyone got the teams?

eirebilly wrote:Anyone got the teams?

Look up the comments

Ask a mod to put them in the OP

Leinster: R Kearney; I Nacewa, B O'Driscoll, G D'Arcy, L Fitzgerald; J Sexton, E Reddan; C Healy, R Strauss, M Ross, L Cullen (capt), B Thorn, K McLaughlin, S O'Brien, J Heaslip.

Replacements: S Cronin, H van der Merwe, N White, D Toner, S Jennings, I Boss, I Madigan, F McFadden.

Cardiff Blues: Leigh Halfpenny; Alex Cuthbert; Casey Laulala, Dafydd Hewitt; Tom James; Dan Parks, Lloyd Williams; Gethin Jenkins, Marc Breeze, Scott Andrews, Bradley Davies, James Down, Michael Paterson, Martyn Williams, Xavier Rush (c)

Replacements: Kristian Dacey, John Yapp, Sam Hobbs, Macauley Cook, Maama Molitika, Richie Rees, Ceri Sweeney, Gavin Evans.

not feeling hopeful but, c'mon Blues!

Good man Golden, thanking you kindly. Leinster look to be the stronger team on paper by some way but as we just saw in the Ed match, anything can happen

Hopefully Cardiff can win to make it three Pro12 countries through to the semis.

The cries for changes to qualification will become a roar.

Pink splashed shorts and "Canterbury from New Zealand" emblazoned shirts.

Are Cardiff Blues losing their identity?

Does anyone have a link for this game pls?

BOD has 30 HC tries, second only to Vincent Clerc. Thats impressive. I wonder how many Clerc has.

mankiaow wrote:Does anyone have a link for this game pls?

PM mate

Cant wait to see Kearney vs Halfpenny, Healy vs Jenkins, Fitz vs Cutbert. Few possible Lions match ups here.

I watched Cuthbert last week and i can barely remember him touching the ball. I hope the same happens tonight

Lovely for Shane Horgan

Anyone got a link?

sent you a pm Rory

Thank you

good start for the Blues.

1/2p looks a little shaken up by that knock.

took his kick well though Billy. he'll be okay.

Yeah he did dreamer.

3-3 now

really sloppy there from Heaslop

hahah, Barnes, cracker.

ah Parks if you go for the DG, you have to get it! they had men out there if they passed quick ball.

Good cleaning up by D'Arcy

IIISSSSAAAAAAAA

good try that.

Healy is an immense runner.

Things are going pearshaped for Cardiff

not quite yet Billy, but they are startnig to creak.

really poor miss by Sexton that, that was right in front of the posts.

That was odd from Sexton...

The signs are there dreamer and they are clear.

Andrews and Parks letting the team down as the rest seem to be playing okay.

Leinster mauling the scrum

Gethin Jenkins looks like he's had one too many grand slam celebration meals! Very flabby around the middle.

aye, but I would hardly say pearshaped just yet Billy, that's overexaggerating a tad.

Jeebus, 5 penalties to 1 for Cardiff in the first 20mins

Thats poor

rugbydreamer wrote:aye, but I would hardly say pearshaped just yet Billy, that's overexaggerating a tad.

I am Irish, i never overexaggerate things

13-3 now

better kick by Sexton.

Blues need to score next, just calm down a bit and get themselves a bit of posession, ease the pressure a bit.

Beautiful hands by Leinster

eirebilly wrote:

rugbydreamer wrote:aye, but I would hardly say pearshaped just yet Billy, that's overexaggerating a tad.

I am Irish, i never overexaggerate things

13-3 now

What will annoy me is that B n B just havn't changed anything that is not working.

The same scrum, the same poor defence on the left side, and the same kicking game from Parks!!!

how exactly can they chance the scrum with the players they have fit and available??

The Cardiff scrum is being destroyed.

it is, but that's not a surprise Billy, it's been weak all season, BLues need to aim to get lineouts not scrums if they are to get enough posession to do anything here.

Dreamer you are right or it could be embarrassing.

Leinster are going to push the Blues out of this.

Chilli

I said the Blues be lucky to stay within 20 points, more like 40 at this rate

NOW it's going pearshaped Billy...