Leinster v Biarritz

First topic message reminder :

OK. The great Sexton v Madigan debate begins.

Shared starts for me with Sexton starting this week and Madigan next, then all bets are off.


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Match Preview by Editor
Leinster team to face Biarritz Olympique...
The Leinster team to face Biarritz Olympique Pays Basque in Saturday afternoon's sold out Amlin Challenge Cup semi-final in the RDS (KO: 2.30pm) has been named...
Leo Cullen, who passed the 200 cap mark in the recent victory over Munster, will lead an experienced line up in a side which shows a number of changes from the one selected for the bonus point victory away to Zebre last weekend.

Ian Madigan forms an all Blackrock College midfield pairing with Brian O'Driscoll who will make his 83rd European appearance and now lies just four appearances behind second placed Shane Horgan on the all-time provincial list. Gordon D'Arcy is ruled out due to a calf strain but it is hoped that the Wexford man will fully recover in time for the visit of Ospreys next weekend.

The back-row unit sees Jamie Heaslip partnering fellow Ireland internationals Shane Jennings and Kevin McLaughlin with Heaslip set to make his 163rd appearance (and his 60th in Europe) for the province. Cian Healy and Mike Ross form an all-Ireland front row alongside hooker Richardt Strauss.

Five of the Leinster replacements have come through the province's Academy.

Saturday's game is a sell out and there will be no tickets on sale on the day.

In addition to Sky Sports 1 who will show the game live on Saturday, the Official Leinster Supporters Club (OLSC) can confirm the following international broadcast arrangements for supporters around the world.

UK & Ireland - Live on Sky Sports 1 from 2.30pm Saturday
Italy - Live on Sky Sports Italia 2 from 3.30pm CET Saturday
Asia - Live on Setanta Asia from 9.30pm HKT Saturday
New Zealand - Live on The Rugby Channel from 1.30am Sunday
USA - Delayed on Fox Soccer Plus from 6.30pm ET Saturday
USA - (Subscription) - Live on Fox Soccer 2 Go from 9.20am ET Saturday
Australia, Africa and Canada - No coverage
Radio - Newstalk, RTE Radio 1, on radio, online at www.rte.ie and via smart phone app

Our bases in London (Porterhouse Covent Garden), Birmingham (Oh Velvet), Dubai (McGettigans) and Christchurch (Monza Sports Bar) will all be showing the game live. In New York (Madhatter Saloon) the game will be shown delayed at 6.30pm on Saturday.

Further information from the OLSC for supporters abroad can be found HERE

LEINSTER:

15: Rob Kearney
14: Fergus McFadden
13: Brian O'Driscoll
12: Ian Madigan
11: Isa Nacewa
10: Jonathan Sexton
9: Isaac Boss

1: Cian Healy
2: Richardt Strauss
3: Mike Ross
4: Leo Cullen CAPTAIN
5: Devin Toner
6: Kevin McLaughlin
7: Shane Jennings
8: Jamie Heaslip

REPLACEMENTS:

16: Sean Cronin
17: Jack McGrath
18: Jamie Hagan
19: Quinn Roux
20: Rhys Ruddock
21: John Cooney
22: Andrew Goodman
23: Andrew Conway

BIARRITZ OLYMPIQUE: 15: Bosch, 14: Ngwenya, 13: Baby, 12: Traille, 11: Brew, 10: Barraque, 9: Yachvili; 1: Synaeghel
2: Heguy, 3: Broster, 4: E Lund, 5: Taele, 6: Dubarry, 7: Lakafia, 8: Harinordoquy CAPTAIN

REPLACEMENTS: 16: August, 17: Van Staden, 18: Gomez Kodela, 19: Marie, 20: Lauret, 21: Lesgourgues, 22: Burotu, 23: Thomas

REFEREE: Wayne Barnes (RFU), ASSISTANT REFEREES: Greg Garner, Paul Dix (both RFU), 4th OFFICIAL: Tim Wigglesworth (RFU), 5th OFFICIAL: Robin Goodliffe (RFU), TMO: Graham Hughes (RFU)

Locky needs a big game or he could find himself behind Ruddock in the pecking order!

pete (buachaill on eirne) wrote:Slightly nervous about this game due to Sean not playing. Think we are lacking ball carriers to an extent. Could do with some more of them. Also our bench has obviously weakened.

Think there is going to need to be some serious focus for this game, hope the lads are freakin' pumped

You mean, if they're not they will be.

A's 9-3 up against Munster with 28 gone

Perpignan 5-3 up against Stad at the 20 minute mark

pete (buachaill on eirne) wrote:A's 9-3 up against Munster with 28 gone

Pete you watching it? Can I've the link if you are?

10-3 Perpignan. Hook over for a try but misses the conversion

Also Connacht 10-3 up to Treviso in Italy. Vainikolo with the try.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=n8A-BH8YrEQ

Lovely pass by Marmion and great feet by Vainikolo

Leinster As win 17-15.

Perpignan and Stad are tied at 19 a piece.

And Connacht 16-16 at Treviso

So Stade will be coming to the RDS: who will be joining them?

Also Connacht drew with Treviso 23-23 in Italy

Sorry golden was living off Leinster updates

Golden wrote:Heres the A team that will play Munster As tonight. Looks a pretty strong pack for this level.


LEINSTER 'A':
15: Fionn Carr
14: Andrew Boyle
13: Adam Byrne
12: Noel Reid
11: Sam Coghlan-Murray
10: Cathal Marsh
9: Luke McGrath
1: Jack O'Connell
2: Aaron Dundon
3: Michael Bent
4: Tom Denton
5: Mark Flanagan
6: Ben Marshall
7: Conor Gilsenan CAPTAIN
8: Leo Auva'a

REPLACEMENTS:
16: James Tracy
17: Martin Moore
18: Tadhg Beirne
19: Daniel Leavy
20: Adam Griggs
21: Tom Daly
22: Mick McGrath


And heres the Munster one

MUNSTER: S Scanlon; C Hircock, D Barnes, I Dineen, R O'Mahony; JJ Hanrahan, D Williams; J Cronin, S Henry CAPTAIN, A Cotter; D Foley, I Nagle; N Ronan, B O'Mahony, CJ Stander
REPLACEMENTS: D Casey, M Horan, B Hayes, S Dougall, J Holland, S Deasy, C Bohane

Great to see Gilsenan back. And as Captain. High hopes for that fella.

Golden wrote:Leinster As win 17-15.

Perpignan and Stad are tied at 19 a piece.

And Connacht 16-16 at Treviso

The Treble is on...

Gibson wrote:

Golden wrote:Leinster As win 17-15.

Perpignan and Stad are tied at 19 a piece.

And Connacht 16-16 at Treviso

The Treble is on...

True story actually, never thought about that!

Leinster to win 27-15

Great tries coming from Ferg after a screen pass from Sexton to Madigan who then skips Isa and Rob with an audascious 20 metre pass to put Ferg in untouched.

Then one from Toner who is going to be just short of the line, collect the ball of Boss dummy to another forward and awkwardly fall through the gap to make the last 2 metres.

Finally one from BOD in around 65 minutes to kill off the game, taking a switch pass off Sexton, he steps back against the grain beating 2 defenders with his low centre of gravity then releasing Isa who breaks straight through the line. Isa gets pulled up by the fullback but offloads off the deck to BOD who runs it in from the 22 yard line.

Madigan to nail all kicks and Sexton to get a dropgoal from 45 metres.

Just reading up about the A game last night, ir sounds like Leavy and Gilsenan; who are only 18 and 20 years old, completely outplayed Ronan and Stander. Ones for the future thats for sure!

I don't think it's quite sunk in yet at leinsterrugby.ie I that we've actually been knocked out of the Heineken Cup this year.

Spoiler:

Best of luck Leinster and Munster! Watching it hung over in bed on my laptop and loving the return of euro rugby!

Perfect day for it

What a try, brilliant play from the lineout.

Great start Heaslip over for the try!

Fantastic start by Leinster.

There's a youtube video to be made of Leinsters cleverest set plays under Schmidt.

Poor kick from Sexton

Great start by Leinster, providing all the tempo and pace, Biaritz are trying to slow it down with a bit of bullying on the floor but even there are coming off far worse.

Lund just pins a man on the floor, then started in on the face with push's and nudges only to be put on his back and pinned and 2 of his team mates get up with blood running down their faces!!!

Leinster have a team of pretty well temperamented players, but don't half get on top if you try the dirty stuff

DON'T TELL ME SEXTON GOT HELD UP????

How did they not score that?

Ball went to the wrong support player I think

Great covering from Biarritz

Lovely break from Madigan but Sexton gets held up i think

Golden wrote:Lovely break from Madigan but Sexton gets held up i think

From BOD I think

2 set piece errors in a row and it is going to cost Leinster

I haven't seen Heaslip make a break like that in years!

Easy breaks from Leinster - BOD, Heaslip and Kearney all breaking through tackles in midfieild

Heaslip looking very good today, where was this level of intensity and accuracy for Ireland though???

What a try!

Heaslip doing himself some favours with the Lions selectors there.

Summer rugby would make Leinster almost unstoppable, such skill levels - only Clermont can match at the moment.

Heaslips best game in years!

Heaslip is having his best game in a long, long time. Why can't you play like this consistently?

Heaslip playing his way into the lions team?

i wrote that before the try, for the turnover. huge try!

thebluesmancometh wrote:Heaslip looking very good today, where was this level of intensity and accuracy for Ireland though???

You'll see a huge difference when Schmidt takes over,it's hard to do much playing in a team with no direction.

Yachvilli could have put that out as the clock was red, they try and run it and it ends in another Leinster try. Poor decision from Yachvilli.

In fact I can guess why he is playing better. O'Brien is out, and he knows he must take on the carrying duties himself. This will do his confidence wonders.

The dynamic Heaslip is back!

Schmidt in charge of Ireland is scary

Id say that's pretty much game at HT. BO have to try and play rugby now.
Yeah roysh. I think we will blow them away in the 2nd half.

wales606 wrote:Schmidt in charge of Ireland is scary

Exactly!

Only just noticed Aled Brew was playing

wales606 wrote:Schmidt in charge of Ireland is scary

Well I don't expect Ireland to become world beaters overnight if Schmidt gets the job. But I expect a change in attitude. Leinster actually wasted a few chances, made some frustrating errors and then struggled for a while in that half. But unlike Ireland, they never go into their shells and become afraid to play. They keep going for it and never drop the ambition to attack.

Fear has pervaded Ireland's performances for four years. Just kick the ball away and don't risk anything. After the last few years of Irish performances I'd even be happy if we showed the ambition and belief of Schmidt's Leinster and still lost narrowly.

Poor Madigan, thought he was going to make that, pity the fastest player in the world was after him

YC for Biarritz though

Ffs, what a player Ngwenya is.

Feckless Rogue wrote:

wales606 wrote:Schmidt in charge of Ireland is scary

Well I don't expect Ireland to become world beaters overnight if Schmidt gets the job. But I expect a change in attitude. Leinster actually wasted a few chances, made some frustrating errors and then struggled for a while in that half. But unlike Ireland, they never go into their shells and become afraid to play. They keep going for it and never drop the ambition to attack.

Fear has pervaded Ireland's performances for four years. Just kick the ball away and don't risk anything. After the last few years of Irish performances I'd even be happy if we showed the ambition and belief of Schmidt's Leinster and still lost narrowly.

Schmidt's tactical thinking alone will make Ireland a lot better - especially combined with his clever set piece plays and he is obviously teaching good basic skills.

Could madigan have given that to Mcfadden before he was tackled?

What a pass from Healy!!!

That's just showin off now.

Incredible rugby from Leinster here.