HCup Rd1 (Pool 5): Leinster (9) v (6) Exeter Chiefs @ RDS (15:40, Saturday 13 October 2012)

First topic message reminder :

Exeter get welcomed into the Heineken Cup with a fabulous opening fixture. Definitely a case of being thrown in at the deep end.

Leinster have been slow to kick into gear so far this season. We have been leaking points in all our games and have a good few injury doubts with names like Healy, Quinn Roux, SOB, McLaughlin, Ruddock, Dom Ryan, Boss, BOD, Darcy, O'Malley, Conway, Nacewa, Fitzgerald, Kearney all injuried to some degree or other.

That said, Leinster at home in the HCup I'm going for a Leinster win, Exeter not to get a LBP, and Leinster not to get a TBP!

Jenifer McLadyboy wrote:Don't forget......afterwards....

Leinster will kick off their British & Irish Cup campaign in Donnybrook on Saturday evening when they welcome Leeds Carnegie (KO: 7pm)...FREE Entry for Leinster Season Ticket Holders...

V/D Merwe looks nasty. Lots of blood

6-6 now. Excellent stuff from Exeter

crikey, Leinster going for far out drop goals. Never thought i'd see the day!

2 clearly in at the side!!!"!

nathan wrote:2 clearly in at the side!!!"!

And straight off his feet.

nathan wrote:crikey, Leinster going for far out drop goals. Never thought i'd see the day!

Did you not see kearney against clermont?

Wasn't the first score against Tigers in 09 final a long range drop goal?

That will be the penalty there. Stupidity from Exerter...

Just turned over from the Scarlets game

What has happened to Leinster? Still, now they have a chance for the lead.

What was he thinking? How did he think he wouldn't get penalised there?

Young lad showing his inexperience giving that one away.

Sexton and Kearney are both quite good at the long range drop goal.

That was a dumb penalty to give away by Exeter by the way.

Why did the ref give going off the feet there when both teams have been doing it ALL match. Wheres the consistancy?

Exeter really showing some inexperience in big matches here.

eirebilly wrote:Exeter really showing some inexperience in big matches here.

feel sorry for them though, they've had some decisions not go there way.

Last chance for Exeter with 4 too go.

wheres the advantage for knock on?????

surely 13 was off side!!

BOD was a mile offside then!

They have not had the rub of the green with the ref thats for sure. They have put in a very spirited effort though.

Still not over. DG time?

Man on the ground kicks the ball out of the ruck and touch judge misses it

Brian O'Driscoll saves Leinster again, brilliant defence.

how many times are leinster allowed to seal the ball off!!

Now this is a pressure kick.


Feck me!!!!!

Penalty on the clock

Reddan has just been awful.

don't think it will reach

This has to go over if theres any justice, the ref has got progresivly worse and worse and let Leisnetr get away with murder

heart thumping.

Mieres steps back.

Can it, will it?

No.

Such an effort by Exeter though.

Such a shame but well played Exeter

honestly I think Exeter would of won that if they got some of the ref decisions they deserved.

Leinster can thank their lucky stars that they got away with that. they really got the rub of the green out there.

They would've taken a LBP easy.

Lucky escape there.. Much deserved bonus point loss for chiefs.

Leinster will be hoping for the return of a few players and a bit of form soon.

Im not Exeter fan but they have been robbed today. Every big decision went against them, they deserved the win

Scarlets, despite just getting thrashed will target next weeks game. And hopefully have 15 men on the field for the full 80. Any injured Leinstermen returning to your team next week?

Full marks to Exeter. They should have won that. Except for a dodgy ref.

Think that result along with Munster's capitulation puts paid to any gripes about Pro 12 clubs getting an advantage over resting players before European games.

The English and French teams have smartened up this season and are reaping the benefits.

Pot Hale wrote:Full marks to Exeter. They should have won that. Except for a dodgy ref.

Think that result along with Munster's capitulation puts paid to any gripes about Pro 12 clubs getting an advantage over resting players before European games.

The English and French teams have smartened up this season and are reaping the benefits.

I'm not sure how you can come to that conclusion based on two games.

No I wouldn't conclude anything this soon either but I think most fans had a few of the French teams as favourites to make the KO stages. A simple decision to make just by reading their team sheets.

nathan wrote:

Pot Hale wrote:Full marks to Exeter. They should have won that. Except for a dodgy ref.

Think that result along with Munster's capitulation puts paid to any gripes about Pro 12 clubs getting an advantage over resting players before European games.

The English and French teams have smartened up this season and are reaping the benefits.

I'm not sure how you can come to that conclusion based on two games.

You're right. I should have added:

Clermont Auvergene 49-16 Scarlets
Edinburgh 45 - 0 Saracens

Edit: [Whoops - Edinburgh 0- 45 Saracens]

Wow, Saracens really got a thumping ey Hale?

It will be interesting if Rob Baxter's usual phlegmatic approach to the post match interview is tested by that refereeing performance.

It really was poor from the ref.

Draigoch wrote:Wow, Saracens really got a thumping ey Hale?

You're right they did. That was the fantasy result...

I think the English club's objections are that by the time Exeter and Leinster play the return fixture, Exeter will be fighting tooth and nail to get back in to the HC via their league position. Leinster will be guaranteed a place no matter what. We're still fairly early in the season at the moment and the impact of league matches haven't been felt yet.

Hound_of_Harrow wrote:It will be interesting if Rob Baxter's usual phlegmatic approach to the post match interview is tested by that refereeing performance.

It really was poor from the ref.

I agree that the ref had a poor game, but not for just Exeter.

If you watched the first 15-20 minutes of that game and told someone that a try wouldn't be scored in the whole match they would of laughed at you. I think both teams(as I said above) wanted quick ball and to go wide. The ref wouldnt facilitate that in fact by the end of the first half he had awarded something like 25 penalties. It may not of just been the refs fault as both Leinster and Exeter did a lot of sneaky stuff to disrupt each others ball, but the ref set the tempo of the game with the number of penalties he gave early on.

In saying all that, had it been an open game with a lot of quick ball and slick backs moves I think Leinster still would of won.

Artful_Dodger wrote:

Hound_of_Harrow wrote:It will be interesting if Rob Baxter's usual phlegmatic approach to the post match interview is tested by that refereeing performance.

It really was poor from the ref.

I agree that the ref had a poor game, but not for just Exeter.

If you watched the first 15-20 minutes of that game and told someone that a try wouldn't be scored in the whole match they would of laughed at you. I think both teams(as I said above) wanted quick ball and to go wide. The ref wouldnt facilitate that in fact by the end of the first half he had awarded something like 25 penalties. It may not of just been the refs fault as both Leinster and Exeter did a lot of sneaky stuff to disrupt each others ball, but the ref set the tempo of the game with the number of penalties he gave early on.

In saying all that, had it been an open game with a lot of quick ball and slick backs moves I think Leinster still would of won.

are you somehow saying that both teams had bad decisions against them, because i'm sorry but Exeter were far more worse off. Leinster should of had someone binned for 10 minutes.

Which incident do you think someone should of binned for nathan?

I didn't really see anything worth someone being binned for as if the ref hadn't given so many penalties early doors the game would of flowed much better and there would of been much less nonsense at the breakdown.

Cumbrian wrote:I think the English club's objections are that by the time Exeter and Leinster play the return fixture, Exeter will be fighting tooth and nail to get back in to the HC via their league position. Leinster will be guaranteed a place no matter what. We're still fairly early in the season at the moment and the impact of league matches haven't been felt yet.

I think what you meant to say was that "by the time that Exeter and Leinster play the return fixture, Exeter will be fighting tooth and nail to get back into the HC via their league position. Leinster will be fighting tooth and nail to get into the playoffs via their league position."

Artful the Leinster fullback should have been binned in the first 10 minutes for a cynical trip on a Exeter player.