Did Leinster throw the game on Friday vs Connacht?

Well did they?

I believe they didn't care whether they won or not.

IMO it needs to be looked at by the Rabo league and action taken if they feel they threw the game away.

Oh dear - you just had to.

FWIW pretty sure Joe Schmidt had his hands tied by the IRFU - so no Leinster did not throw the game.

HERSH wrote:Well did they?

I believe they didn't care whether they won or not.

IMO it needs to be looked at by the Rabo league and action taken if they feel they threw the game away.

Well, they can't be blamed for not fielding international players - the IRFU pays those players' wages, and didn't make them available.

As pointed out on another thread:

by Portnoy Today at 11:02 am


Schmidt quite clearly subbed off more-or-less all of his experienced players during the game (especially in the 2nd half) http://www.espnscrum.com/rabodirect-pro12-2012-13/rugby/match/166984.html

Leaving his academy kids to take a battering. He clearly virtually threw the game instead of taking it seriously. It was 14-6 at half time.

Why would you do this if you already knew you were weak?

It makes no sense and it needs to be looked at.

Leinster picked teams to maximize there results through an entire season - given their record they are the best in Europe at doing this.

They were missing a lot of players at the weekend and as it turned out too many to achieve a positive result - it happens.

You really are a pathetic WUM

People need to realise that we also have a lot of players out injured. Guys like EOM and dave kearney would have really improved our backline.

Why is this a wum?

People paid good money to watch the Champions of Europe and what they got was a shower of Poopie.

That wasn't a real game in the 2nd half, it was a run through for some youth players.

You wouldn't get away with it in Football.

Tell me this if a team rests players for say 3 games a year and ends up with a record of 17 wins 5 defeats and another team players their best team all year and end up with 15 wins 7 defeats who is the better team.

I know who is the smarter

This in no one accepts Leinster played a weakened team as I do not know why certain players were missing.

HERSH wrote:You wouldn't get away with it in Football.

Actually yes you would. A couple of seasons back a team did it against Man U because they had an FA Cup game a few days later.

HERSH wrote:You wouldn't get away with it in Football.

Wrong - did you see the League Cup teams most Premership sides put out last week.

Also Ferguson does it al lthe time an Man Utd

Hmmm, London Irish didn't turn up mentally at Twickenham on Saturday. Is that match fixing too.

For that matter, Bath didn't turn up mentally most of last season
And they signed Stephen Donald.

Wolves didn't

At the end of the day Leinster cheated the Scarlets fans out of a real game.

Which IMO is a real problem and it needs to be looked at by the Rabo.

Yes Leinster did throw the game. But there's nothing to stop them doing it and from what I can tell they really had no other options.

It's a shame but that's how these things go sometimes.

Unless someone is going to invest in them buying in prime international class players to replace every international and injured player they have out of the match day squad then you'll get a very weak side from time to time.

geoff998rugby wrote:

HERSH wrote:You wouldn't get away with it in Football.

Wrong - did you see the League Cup teams most Premership sides put out last week.

So, would you put the Rabo up there with the League Cup in terms of importance?

Sorry, I'm getting dragged in now

HERSH wrote:Wolves didn't

.

Wolves didn't what ??

Carefully avoiding the fact that most Premership soccer teams do rest players when it suits

I also have news for you so do some of the stronger Aviva teams e.g. Leicester rest players when it suits

HERSH wrote:Wolves didn't

At the end of the day Leinster cheated the Scarlets fans out of a real game.

Which IMO is a real problem and it needs to be looked at by the Rabo.

The scarlets fans didnt look to angry! They seemed delighted to have gotten the win and to have performed as well as they did.

yappysnap wrote:Yes Leinster did throw the game. But there's nothing to stop them doing it and from what I can tell they really had no other options.

It's a shame but that's how these things go sometimes.

Unless someone is going to invest in them buying in prime international class players to replace every international and injured player they have out of the match day squad then you'll get a very weak side from time to time.

Leinster didnt throw the game. The scarlets just played really well.

sugarNspikes wrote:

geoff998rugby wrote:

HERSH wrote:You wouldn't get away with it in Football.

Wrong - did you see the League Cup teams most Premership sides put out last week.

So, would you put the Rabo up there with the League Cup in terms of importance?

Sorry, I'm getting dragged in now

Nope just showing the falsehood of Hersh's posts

HERSH wrote:Wolves didn't
At the end of the day Leinster cheated the Scarlets fans out of a real game.

Which IMO is a real problem and it needs to be looked at by the Rabo.

Actually, they were broadly criticised, but no action was taken. And from memory poetic justice was served in the FA Cup

The IRFU gave them no other option unfortunately and ripped off Scarlets supporters who bothered to show up.

LeinsterFan4life wrote:

HERSH wrote:Wolves didn't

At the end of the day Leinster cheated the Scarlets fans out of a real game.

Which IMO is a real problem and it needs to be looked at by the Rabo.

The scarlets fans didnt look to angry! They seemed delighted to have gotten the win and to have performed as well as they did.

Thats alright then is it?

I suspect the teams/fans playing Pakistan were happy when they kept bowling No balls too!

HERSH wrote:

LeinsterFan4life wrote:

HERSH wrote:Wolves didn't

At the end of the day Leinster cheated the Scarlets fans out of a real game.

Which IMO is a real problem and it needs to be looked at by the Rabo.

The scarlets fans didnt look to angry! They seemed delighted to have gotten the win and to have performed as well as they did.

Thats alright then is it?

I suspect the teams/fans playing Pakistan were happy when they kept bowling No balls too!

You should go on the scarlets v leinster thread and see how happy they were about the win.

LeinsterFan4life wrote:

HERSH wrote:

LeinsterFan4life wrote:

HERSH wrote:Wolves didn't

At the end of the day Leinster cheated the Scarlets fans out of a real game.

Which IMO is a real problem and it needs to be looked at by the Rabo.

The scarlets fans didnt look to angry! They seemed delighted to have gotten the win and to have performed as well as they did.

Thats alright then is it?

I suspect the teams/fans playing Pakistan were happy when they kept bowling No balls too!

You should go on the scarlets v leinster thread and see how happy they were about the win.

Of course they were happy with the win, most of the them are die hard Scarlets fans.

However for the floating supporter looking at that Leinster side would have turned them off and it showed on the weekend.

They played well, but it doesn't hide the fact that they were playing a weakened team made even weaker as the game went on by the suspect subs.

gowales wrote:The IRFU gave them no other option unfortunately and ripped off Scarlets supporters, who bothered to show up.

I doubt if the IRFU prevented Leinster fielding anyone. I'd say its more down to the fact that Leinster had a longer domestic season than most other teams as they were in the HC final & the Rabbo final. Leinster may have given those players & those who travelled to NZ extra time off in preparation for a similar situation at the end of this season.

The team that Leinster put out was still a very strong team and would probably have beaten alot of other teams in the comp. To me it highlights Leinsters strength in depth to be able to do that.

This time they just met an inspired Scarlets side who beat them. Nothing to see here.

If you were to put EOM and dave kearney (who would have played if they werent injured) into that team it would beat most AP sides.

Sin é wrote:

gowales wrote:The IRFU gave them no other option unfortunately and ripped off Scarlets supporters, who bothered to show up.

I doubt if the IRFU prevented Leinster fielding anyone. I'd say its more down to the fact that Leinster had a longer domestic season than most other teams as they were in the HC final & the Rabbo final. Leinster may have given those players & those who travelled to NZ extra time off in preparation for a similar situation at the end of this season.

I'd doubt if that's true. Actually, doubt? of course it's not true.

Rubbish eirebilly

It was treated as another pre season friendly by Leinster.

eirebilly wrote:The team that Leinster put out was still a very strong team and would probably have beaten alot of other teams in the comp. To me it highlights Leinsters strength in depth to be able to do that.

This time they just met an inspired Scarlets side who beat them. Nothing to see here.

What like Connacht? Dragons? Zebre? Treviso on a bad day? Not saying much is it

That team wouldn't have beaten many of the other teams

LeinsterFan4life wrote:If you were to put EOM and dave kearney (who would have played if they werent injured) into that team it would beat most AP sides.

That's a very strong statement to make.

Of course they didnt throw the game. If they had won with their so called "second string" would that also be considered throwing the match because they won quite a few matches last year without their best players. Its called rotation. The more players that have game time and experience the greater momentun a team will build as the season progresses.

In the last five years Leinster have never once won the opening game of the season. It has always been when they are most vunerable. Why is this?

1.International players obviously have a more demanding summer schedule and are more likely to be rested early on in the season.
2.A good manager will use the early part of the season to try out different combinations and players and traditionally Schmidt will not be sure of his core group until a few games in.
3. Scarlets are a damn good team and will probably be one to watch this year. Plus it was away from home.

LeinsterFan4life wrote:If you were to put EOM and dave kearney (who would have played if they werent injured) into that team it would beat most AP sides.

Bit of an arrogant assumption to make. Neither of those guys are that well known outside Rabo circles.

gowales wrote:

LeinsterFan4life wrote:If you were to put EOM and dave kearney (who would have played if they werent injured) into that team it would beat most AP sides.

That's a very strong statement to make.

1.vdm
2.strauss
3.hagan
4.toner
5.denton
6.ryan
7.jenno
8.auva'a
9.boss
10.madigan
11.carr
12.macken
13.EOM
14.kearney
15.isa
Ye i think that team would do well in the AP.

beshocked wrote:

LeinsterFan4life wrote:If you were to put EOM and dave kearney (who would have played if they werent injured) into that team it would beat most AP sides.

Bit of an arrogant assumption to make. Neither of those guys are that well known outside Rabo circles.

Ye maybe. But i think they would do quiet well though imo.

It wouldn't be relegated but it wouldn't do "very well"

gowales wrote:It wouldn't be relegated but it wouldn't do "very well"

Ye i didnt mean to say very well. I think it would do well

Eoin O'Malley did play the entire of the 52-27 Bath drubbing. I'm sure HERSH remembers him He played 5 Heineken Cup matches last year including the two Leinster had against European opposition.

No they didnt throw the game

Its called SQUAD rotation

That wasnt too bad a starting 15 for Leinster, and the subs bench had full of potential. You have to realise that the Scarlets 15 was deffo not their first choice either and many of them have only a season or two experience themselves

Lots of injuries for Leinster currently Hersh, and yes in football they often put out weakened teams

Its a marathon not a sprint.... strewth!!

Well done both Scarlets and Leinster for an entertaining match

The old green eyed monsters are up and roaring and its only one game into the season..............

HERSH wrote:Why is this a wum?

People paid good money to watch the Champions of Europe and what they got was a shower of Poopie.

That wasn't a real game in the 2nd half, it was a run through for some youth players.

I didn't hear too many people complaining about the lack of quality or rugy on display at the end of the match. If anything I heard people saying things like 'We picked the right match to come up and see' etc.

LeinsterFan4life wrote:

gowales wrote:

LeinsterFan4life wrote:If you were to put EOM and dave kearney (who would have played if they werent injured) into that team it would beat most AP sides.

That's a very strong statement to make.

1.vdm
2.strauss
3.hagan
4.toner
5.denton
6.ryan
7.jenno
8.auva'a
9.boss
10.madigan
11.carr
12.macken
13.EOM
14.kearney
15.isa
Ye i think that team would do very well in the AP.

So do I, when I first saw the line-ups I thought it would be a close game, but it looks as though the Scarlets have at last got some decent forwards that can set a platform for the very tallented backs they have, it is no secret that this was the problem in previous seasons, you do not have players of the caliber of North, John Davies, Scott Williams, Liam Davies, Tavis Knoyle, Andy Fenby and wonder how they are not winning as much as they should, we all know the Scarlets back division is one of the best around, they just needed some decent forwards to help out, and now it looks as though they have.

Is the issue here that unless Leinster field their strongest 15 in every match they are guilty of throwing matches?

Obviously that is ridiculous but not withstanding the stupidity of this article how can anyone say with any certainty what Leinsters best team this year is going to be if all squad members arent given a run out?

I remember Portnoy giving out about a preseason friendly a few years ago where Leinster fielded an inexperienced side v Leicester. Portnoy complained that there were no stars in the Leinster side. A relatively unknown, outside of Leinster, Sean O'Brien played that day and later that year went on to be crowned European player of the year.

What do you call well? I think it might make top 6 but in my opinion wouldn't worry the top 4 at all.

Then again I think Exeter would fancy their chances too.

beshocked wrote:What do you call well? I think it might make top 6 but in my opinion wouldn't worry the top 4 at all.

Then again I think Exeter would fancy their chances too.

Ye thats what i mean. Top 6.

Not sure about top 6. Not enough grunt in the pack, they would smashed to pieces against a raging Northampton, Leicester or Saracens.

It's all hypothetical. All sides in the AP bar Worcester and London Welsh might make the Top 6. It's competitive because sides play their full strength teams most of the time.

I think a lot of people seem to be forgetting that the Scarlets feilded a backline that only had two non-internationals, and we had two internationals on the bench. If we were given good service by our forwards that backline should have ran riot against pretty much any NH backline.

beshocked wrote:It's all hypothetical. All sides in the AP bar Worcester and London Welsh might make the Top 6. It's competitive because sides play their full strength teams most of the time.

Well the AP is a pretty flawed model in all fairness. Scrap relegation. All teams are so scared of it that they end up playing their best 15 every week and the the quality of rugby is fairly turgid as a result.

Well we all have to find a middle ground because i find most of the Pro 12 games to be lacking intensity and will, while the Aviva can sometimes be too much of a slog fest.