Leinster vs Connacht

First topic message reminder :

So Christmas is over hope everyone had a good one but the rugby world keeps on spinning (suck on that Mayan's!) and Leinster welcome Connacht to the RDS on Saturday at 7:45.

With the Irish team in training Leinster will be further hit regarding team options and with all the injuries this could be a good chance for Connacht to claim a win on the road.

Who is gonna win?
Who is gonna be in Irish Camp?
What teams are you expecting to see?

Other thoughts?

Whats the story with O Malley? I thought he was pretty much fit about 2 or 3 weeks ago?

Golden wrote:Whats the story with O Malley? I thought he was pretty much fit about 2 or 3 weeks ago?

Jaysus lads. I must have been watching a different game. I was in the grandstand in the rds and saw a very young Leinster side beat the crap out of a vastly more experienced connacht side. I was fearful of a loss when I saw the teams.

I really enjoyed the game bar the 1st 20 minutes. Connacht had the wind in the first half and did not take advantage.
our back row was immense, Marshall too.

O'Malley played an hour of the B&I game 2 weeks ago in Donnybrook and was not injured when he came off. I think he got a knock in training and will be back next week.

People need to remember that last season was the best in our (or most peoples) history. We only lost 4 games out of 33. It was always going to be a hard act to follow.

Add to that the devastation of our backline with injuries.......

Agree we were never going to be able to keep up those standards forever and it is amazing we did for two seasons in a row but this is a large drop.

Injuries definitely have affected us but I remember last year thinking, saying and hearing that no matter what Leinster team went out, they always had a very high skill level and the same identical vision of how to play

That most certainly has not been the case this year

Marshall should start the big games now in the 2nd row. Everytime he plays he impresses everyone. Offers more than Browne around the field and is not afraid of the contact. He's a really good ball carrier. We have found a top player here.

Also thought Byrne had a good cameo. He's a very exciting player.

I like Marshall. He was in my brothers year in school and the stories are kinda funny, think the BFG kinda character!

Not sure he is ready yet, how much of the scrum falling apart was on him and how much was on Bent? Ross came on and it looked better.

He is only 22 or younger so he still has growing to do and more than that, locks don't seem to mature til they are in their late 20's (Henderson is a weirdo) and being of the mobile nature Marshall is suited to the modern game.

Good shout LF4L

Missed the game due to a family dinner,really interested in how Marshall got on in the 2nd row so good to hear positive reports,hope he can kick on.

Does anyone have a reasonable explanation for how Bent is struggling so much.The guy looked really good for Ireland in the Autumn,was that just a blip?

pete (buachaill on eirne) wrote:I like Marshall. He was in my brothers year in school and the stories are kinda funny, think the BFG kinda character!

Not sure he is ready yet, how much of the scrum falling apart was on him and how much was on Bent? Ross came on and it looked better.

He is only 22 or younger so he still has growing to do and more than that, locks don't seem to mature til they are in their late 20's (Henderson is a weirdo) and being of the mobile nature Marshall is suited to the modern game.

Good shout LF4L

At least now we have a real prospect in the 2nd row. It wasn't looking good for a while in terms of us developing Irish 2nd rows. Now we could be looking at all Irish 2nd row next season with McCarty and Marshall.

asoreleftshoulder wrote:Missed the game due to a family dinner,really interested in how Marshall got on in the 2nd row so good to hear positive reports,hope he can kick on.

Does anyone have a reasonable explanation for how Bent is struggling so much.The guy looked really good for Ireland in the Autumn,was that just a blip?

Don't judge a player on cameos. I knew at the time we were getting excited about him way to quick. A lot of people were calling for him to start ahead of Ross, which I thought was crazy.
I wonder what he is like on the LH side because he even struggled against the Zebre scrum.

Edit: I hope he doesn't stop the development of Moore and Furlong. Both have more potentiel than him, imo.

they're both only 6'4" n a bit. lineout would suffer with them on.

I'd say he will be mccarthy's backup at best. I do like him though and agreed with your post bar the first line about him starting the big games.

He is a very good 6. I can see him filling in there too. despite us having about 25 6s in the squad.

LeinsterFan4life wrote:

asoreleftshoulder wrote:Missed the game due to a family dinner,really interested in how Marshall got on in the 2nd row so good to hear positive reports,hope he can kick on.

Does anyone have a reasonable explanation for how Bent is struggling so much.The guy looked really good for Ireland in the Autumn,was that just a blip?

Don't judge a player on cameos. I knew at the time we were getting excited about him way to quick. A lot of people were calling for him to start ahead of Ross, which I thought was crazy.
I wonder what he is like on the LH side because he even struggled against the Zebre scrum.

Edit: I hope he doesn't stop the development of Moore and Furlong. Both have more potentiel than him, imo.

so people can't say he's great after his Ireland games? Fair enough. but you can write him off after a few Leinster games?

the flankers were not pushing after the hit yesterday. toner and Marshall have a 6" height differential and it's all Bent's fault?

I'd give the guy a bit of time to bed in before I wrote him off.

he is in a new country. new team etc. off the back of starting 12 games in 9 weeks in the ITM.

Jenifer McLadyboy wrote:

LeinsterFan4life wrote:

asoreleftshoulder wrote:Missed the game due to a family dinner,really interested in how Marshall got on in the 2nd row so good to hear positive reports,hope he can kick on.

Does anyone have a reasonable explanation for how Bent is struggling so much.The guy looked really good for Ireland in the Autumn,was that just a blip?

Don't judge a player on cameos. I knew at the time we were getting excited about him way to quick. A lot of people were calling for him to start ahead of Ross, which I thought was crazy.
I wonder what he is like on the LH side because he even struggled against the Zebre scrum.

Edit: I hope he doesn't stop the development of Moore and Furlong. Both have more potentiel than him, imo.

so people can't say he's great after his Ireland games? Fair enough. but you can write him off after a few Leinster games?

the flankers were not pushing after the hit yesterday. toner and Marshall have a 6" height differential and it's all Bent's fault?

I'd give the guy a bit of time to bed in before I wrote him off.

he is in a new country. new team etc. off the back of starting 12 games in 9 weeks in the ITM.

I never wanted him at Leinster. I wanted us to develope Moore and Furlong.

LeinsterFan4life wrote:

pete (buachaill on eirne) wrote:I like Marshall. He was in my brothers year in school and the stories are kinda funny, think the BFG kinda character!

Not sure he is ready yet, how much of the scrum falling apart was on him and how much was on Bent? Ross came on and it looked better.

He is only 22 or younger so he still has growing to do and more than that, locks don't seem to mature til they are in their late 20's (Henderson is a weirdo) and being of the mobile nature Marshall is suited to the modern game.

Good shout LF4L

At least now we have a real prospect in the 2nd row. It wasn't looking good for a while in terms of us developing Irish 2nd rows. Now we could be looking at all Irish 2nd row next season with McCarty and Marshall.

I imagine it will be Toner and McCarthy but like I said above he is still very young for a lock and has lots of developing still to do.