Leinster v Connacht

Might as well kick this off here. This is the team I'd like to see based on recent injury reports and who needs a rest.

McGrath - Cronin - Moore
Toner - Roux
Ruddock - O'Brien - Jennings
Reddan - Madigan
Fitzgerald - McFadden - Macken - Tiquri
Kirchener

Dundon - Healy - Bent - McCarthy - Ryan - Cooney - Gopperth - D.Kearney

What about this thread that Mick kicked off earlier?

Team is better too.  (For better read far closer to what I would pick)

Jennings will indeed start. O'Brien is the logical choice for 8 as Murphy's out for a while and Seanie has played feck all this season.

I didn't realise there was one up Jen, MODS - can you please merge these? Thanks.

Mickado wrote:I didn't realise there was one up Jen, MODS - can you please merge these? Thanks.

There wasn't. Yours was first.

Pete couldn't even get his in the right forum.  

LEINSTER:

15: Rob Kearney
14: Fergus McFadden
13: Luke Fitzgerald
12: Noel Reid
11: Dave Kearney
10: Ian Madigan
9: Eoin Reddan

1: Jack McGrath
2: Sean Cronin
3: Michael Bent
4: Devin Toner
5: Quinn Roux
6: Kevin McLaughlin
7: Sean O'Brien
8: Jamie Heaslip CAPTAIN

REPLACEMENTS:

16: Aaron Dundon
17: Jack O'Connell
18: Martin Moore
19: Mike McCarthy
20: Shane Jennings
21: Isaac Boss
22: Jimmy Gopperth
23: Zane Kirchner

Another bloody scrap offered up by those ungrateful Westerners!
Stop mauling our lads and just be happy to be in the final HC - okay?!

Happy with that team.

Reid at 12. Can be exciting going forward. Him and Madigan if they can get on each other's wavelength could lead to some serious sex.

Not to much of a liability in defence either as Luke and Mads either side of Reid are good defenders.

Luke hasn't played 13 in ages though.

Jeno is back!!!!! Can't wait to see Fitz at 13 although I don't think Macken has done anything to be dropped.

Il Madjo given nothing outside him for this game. Also set up with the backs orientated half back partner when this game will be a highly attritional forward battle in wet conditions.  MOC is setting Madigan up for a fall big time here, no support at all.

This also isn't a way to re-introduce Fitz to the 13 jersey having no settled 12 inside and coming up against a vastly improving Connacht centre partnership.

I also think he is over-using some of that pack for this fixture when he should have rested Cronin-Toner-SOB-McL at least.  He seems to want to split his forwards and backs into two distinct parts and alternate one or the other, but not a proper mixing of either.  With Joe, you could argue we were never at 100% at any time, but we were alternating the rests having 90% strength more often than not, this feels like we click straight to 60% and savagely over-rotate forwards/backs when we do.  I'm worried.

According to the Indo Schmidt insisted Madigan started at OH...

ME-109 wrote:According to the Indo Schmidt insisted Madigan started at OH...

Saw that.  Don't know how to read that.  
It is something that didn't need to be explained and yet it seems pointed that it got into the public domain.  
It seems to point to two things.  

One:  O'Connor was going to go around Madigan again even for a match against Connacht.  Which is no reflection on what Connacht can do to Leinster - plenty on a good day! - but League position suggests they'd be considered a side that you could let some of the 'lesser' players have.

Two: if the news that it was Schmidt's call is coming from Leinster camp itself then there's a slight idea that O'Connor is covering himself - out of my hands kinda thing.  Which again, doesn't seem to imbue the idea that he has too much confidence in Madigan. Which is always puzzling.

Or.................. maybe I'm just over-analysing!!  Blame the ERC debates for that.

Interesting one alright. It does seem that MOC prefers Gopperth...maybe its just that they can understand each other?

It will also be interesting to see if Madigan lasts the full 80....

thebandwagonsociety wrote:Il Madjo given nothing outside him for this game. Also set up with the backs orientated half back partner when this game will be a highly attritional forward battle in wet conditions.  MOC is setting Madigan up for a fall big time here, no support at all.

This also isn't a way to re-introduce Fitz to the 13 jersey having no settled 12 inside and coming up against a vastly improving Connacht centre partnership.

I also think he is over-using some of that pack for this fixture when he should have rested Cronin-Toner-SOB-McL at least.  He seems to want to split his forwards and backs into two distinct parts and alternate one or the other, but not a proper mixing of either.  With Joe, you could argue we were never at 100% at any time, but we were alternating the rests having 90% strength more often than not, this feels like we click straight to 60% and savagely over-rotate forwards/backs when we do.  I'm worried.

None to very few of the Ireland squad will play next week. They are all getting a run this week. Our pack should be well up for a good scrap I wouldn't worry there.

The 9, 10, 12, 13 axis is set up for quick ball OK and may not get the weather for it. The arrival of Jeno at some point could make ball even quicker.

Good game for a bit of experimenting despite possible conditions. Though I would share some of your concerns there.

Of the 4 players you mention needing rest. 3 of them will be subs at best for Ireland (giving them 3 to 4 weeks off, or as subs) and the other (SOB) has played 3 games this season.

ME-109 wrote:Interesting one alright. It does seem that MOC prefers Gopperth...maybe its just that they can understand each other?

It will also be interesting to see if Madigan lasts the full 80....

I think MOC is just going for the safe option with Gopperth until he gets some proper work in with the team.

I reckon Madigan will have slipped behind Jackson for the time being and could play more Leinster games over the course of the AIs.

He does seem to be going through a sort of second season syndrome. I hope he gets more game time, I think he has the talent to be a great player...

ME-109 wrote:He does seem to be going through a sort of second season syndrome. I hope he gets more game time, I think he has the talent to be a great player...

I agree about his talent, but he has only played 1 game at 10 all season. Munster. He had an iffy game but so did practically the whole team even SOB (although it was his 1st game)

He has played at 12 and 15 the rest of the time. He came on at 12 in both HC games and filled in at 15 in earlier games.

So he has had feck all chance to show off his game at 10

Contrast this with Jackson who has probably played almost every minute of the season at 10.

Fair point...the connacht game is a little like a hiding to nothing for him. I will still be looking to see if MOC takes him off after 60mins...

ME-109 wrote:Fair point...the connacht game is a little like a hiding to nothing for him. I will still be looking to see if MOC takes him off after 60mins...

I hope there is a bit of a break in the rain. (It's lovely at the moment) and Numbers 20, 9, 10, 12, 13 get to show off a bit. Perhaps he will be left on then.

Jenifer McLadyboy wrote:

Mickado wrote:I didn't realise there was one up Jen, MODS - can you please merge these? Thanks.

There wasn't. Yours was first.

Pete couldn't even get his in the right forum.  

Hahaha I'm a disaster

I hope the weather won't be too bad for this match but I suspect it will. Theres heavy rain and strong winds down here in Cork.

profitius wrote:I hope the weather won't be too bad for this match but I suspect it will. Theres heavy rain and strong winds down here in Cork.

Hard to know.
Will be a wet pitch and a slippy ball. But will it rain during the game?

Just cycled past the RDS and it was a bit windy with light rain. in the opposite direction a couple of hours earlier it was dry and fine.

Great to see Luke Fitzgerald back today in what I think is his best position. He is a quality player but never really lived up to his potential on the wing. What he is brilliant at is his footwork in crowded space and his speed over 5 - 10 meters.

Chance for Jack McGrath to dominate today. I'm not convinced by Rodney Ah You.

Fecken pi$$en it down now.

Sunny down here now! Storms expected sunday night so it might be alright for the match.

And now I have the sunglasses on. It's a facking lo'ery mate.

Connacht by 12. Have a good one lads!  

Jenno in. Grand.

Love Connacht, so not a bad word about them from moi.

They always knock the bejayus out of us,  no matter what the score. I pray for no injuries, but I expect them. Always happens in these games.
I always fancied Fitzy at 13. This will be interesting. But Reid? Having Maddser and Reddser in the middle will make things happen.  

Here's to a great game.

What happened to O'Brien?

0-6 to Connacht already

Connacht 6-0. Parks de man.

We really have an inferiority complex with these buckos.

Mon Maddser, lets show MOC what you can do. Outshine the vastly experienced Parks for starters.

Woops. He does take risks tho... I dont mind it, but not in that position.

Marmion over the line, Ref gone to the TMO.

As per usual Connacht up their game immensely when playing leinster

Try given

Man Reddser! Best SH in Ireland.

Wow. Big mistake by Leinster there.

Great start from Connacht

Len 3 - 13 Connacht

Holy Poopie! If Connacht played like this every week there would be very few teams who could compete with them in the PRO12.


Now feic em! Mon Leinster, send these Westerners back to de Wesht with their tails between their legs.

Or summat like that...

They are bullying us up-front.

Madigan down injured?

Gopperth is coming on. looks like Madigan was knocked out to me.

Or not Madigan stays on. Not sure about that

Oh no. Don't need this. He really doesn't need this. Just be ok lad. Just be ok.

Hero!

He needs this game before the AI's.  Soo badly.  That recovery and determination shows BOD-like qualities. He's got the Right Stuff sportzfanz. Oh ja.

Terrific break from mcfadden. Madigan knocks on though. Hes not had a great start

Bemused whenever people underrate McFadden. He is a superb footballer. Should be at 12 for us. He will be. Darcy is still playing well enough to shove him on the wing. But, its just a matter of time. For Leinster and for Ireland.

Mon Jenno, get into them man!

McFadden is on fire. Definite starter in the AI's

Gibson wrote:Bemused whenever people underrate McFadden. He is a superb footballer. Should be at 12 for us. He will be. Darcy is still playing well enough to shove him on the wing. But, its just a matter of time. For Leinster and for Ireland.  

Mon Jenno, get into them man!

The chaps 27 Gibbo and hasnt replaced Darcy yet.  If he does it will be more because of age catching up with Darce then anything else.

Love Ferg btw but lets not kid ourselves.

Think i prefer him on the wing anyway

Forget McFadden, Cronin is the form winger!

Good lad.

Believe.

Watching this on RTE2 - mon Connacht.

rodders wrote:Forget McFadden, Cronin is the form winger!

Him and Tuohy on the wings in the AIs?

Boat has sailed for McFadden as our next 12 the same way it has for Cave as our next 13.

Now the likes of Marshall and Olding are here, with some quality prospects at 10 who can play 12 he won't be in with a shot at it.