Leinster v Racing

Not sure why no thread up. This year reminds me of 2000 (I think) when the mighty Munster who had beaten the big teams to get there played Northampton and everyone expected an easy win. Munster let the situation kill them and they lost.

While Leinster are strong favourites I am worried they will just show up to collect the trophy and get beat all over the place. I don't think anyone has had a harder route when you look at who they played. Will they have the winning mentality or will they lack leaders. While they made up a large portion of the grand slam team they didn't provider either winger, and the leadership of Murray, Mahoney or Best will not be there. But they have shown very little weakness except the first half at home against Exeter. Can this young team with a few old heads hold their nerve for one more game.

Racing are a team all about the start, behind by 7 at half time they might not come back. Losing their scrum half is probably the worse thing that could have happened. Since the days of Napoleon the french army has marched best to the organisation of a grumpy small general. Is the replacement good enough. Teddy will most likely score but will it be the cherry on top or a consolation for one of Europe's top wingers. Their bench is experienced but will they still be in the game.

Leinster: 15 Rob Kearney; 14 Jordan Larmour, 13 Garry Ringrose, 12 Robbie Henshaw, 11 Isa Nacewa; 10 Johnny Sexton, 9 Luke McGrath; 1 Cian Healy, 2 Sean Cronin, 3 Tadhg Furlong, 4 Devin Toner, 5 James Ryan, 6 Scott Fardy, 7 Dan Leavy, 8 Jordi Murphy .

Replacements:16 James Tracy, 17 Jack McGrath, 18 Andrew Porter, 19 Rhys Ruddock, 20 Jack Conan, 21 Jamison Gibson-Park, 22 Joey Carbery, 23 Rory O'Loughlin

Racing 92: 15 Louis Dupichot; 14 Teddy Thomas, 13 Virimi Vakatawa, 12 Henry Chavancy, 11 Marc Andreu; 10 Pat Lambie, 9 Teddy Iribaren; 1 Eddy Ben Arous, 2 Camille Chat, 3 Cedate Gomes Sa, 4 Donnacha Ryan, 5 Leone Nakarawa, 6 Wenceslas Lauret, 7 Bernard Le Roux, 8 Yannick Nyanga.

Replacements: 16 Ole Avei, 17 Vasil Kakovin, 18 Census Johnston, 19 Boris Palu, 20 Baptiste Chouzenoux, 21 Antoine Gibert, 22 Dan Carter, 23 Joe Rokocoko

Strange there was no build up thread for this.. Guess everyone is thinking Leinster is going to win this. The truth is we can't really be so certain.

Where is Lowe? The guy is a try machine and i rate him above both Nacewa and Larmour and yes both Ireland wingers too.

As for Racing, good to see a French side that isn't primarily made of foreign players.

The B&I cup final is live now on Facebook through Leinster rugby if anyone is interested.

Lowe is out due to some rule of the can only have two of Lowe, Fardy and Gibson-Park
Or Cullen just wants a contest

Brendan wrote:Lowe is out due to some rule of the can only have two of Lowe, Fardy and Gibson-Park
Or Cullen just wants a contest

Forgot Gibson-Park on the bench. Thought McGrath starting would allow Lowe back in but apparently not.

VinceWLB wrote:

Where is Lowe? The guy is a try machine and i rate him above both Nacewa and Larmour and yes both Ireland wingers too.

Nacewa is NIE just like Lowe.
Take away the sentimentality of it I would suggest Lowe for Nacewa would, from a pure rugby point of view, be the best call

Isn't it South Africans the PIs don't count

Sure how else could teams like Montpelier even get a team on the pitch.

geoff999rugby wrote:

VinceWLB wrote:

Where is Lowe? The guy is a try machine and i rate him above both Nacewa and Larmour and yes both Ireland wingers too.

Nacewa is NIE just like Lowe.
Take away the sentimentality of it I would suggest Lowe for Nacewa would, from a pure rugby point of view, be the best call

Nacewa has a Fiji passport so isn't counted with the KOLPAK rules.

Carter out. Pulled hamstring

I'm not sure how relevant he was going to be but you would definitely worry if you saw him come on in a tight game as a Leinster fan

And Pat Lambie out as well...Rémi tales who has never been close to 1st team this year and is about to retire is now their only FH left...

Looks like Carter would have had a big say. You have to feel for Racing if the task wasn't hard enough they now have to play with the replacement 9 the 3rd choice 10

Very good start for Leinster. Racing always throw everything at you in the first 20-30mins.

As much as I would like an Irish side to win, I would not be upset to see Donnacha Ryan win with Racing.

Have to say that their replacement SH is doing well so far

Barnes is at least consistent...

whocares wrote:Have to say that their replacement SH is doing  well so far

Looks unflappable, his box kick is massive and accurate as well.

Like boxers exchanging jabs and probing for a weakness at the moment.

Nasty head clash. Hope both players are ok after that.

Very silly from Leinster there, should have gone for the three points.

eirebilly wrote:Very silly from Leinster there, should have gone for the three points.

Textbook from Chat, great body position.

Bit of an all or nothing play. Too early in the game for that sort of thing. Three points or rolling maul are both much more reliable options.

Nakarawa, for all the power he brings. He really does drop the ball a lot...

eirebilly wrote:Nakarawa, for all the power he brings. He really does drop the ball a lot...

Very lucky boy. Should have been yellow carded. Sort of levels out because I thought Chavancy was unlucky earlier in the game.

formerly known as Sam wrote:

eirebilly wrote:Nakarawa, for all the power he brings. He really does drop the ball a lot...

Very lucky boy. Should have been yellow carded. Sort of levels out because I thought Chavancy was unlucky earlier in the game.

The hype around him astounds me. When he looks good, he really does but all too often he looks ordinary and hands possession away.

I thought it was a YC as well.

If Sexton's boot goes, Leinster will be in trouble. A Sexton low on confidence is not good...

I think this game will open up as both teams tire. That's going to bring the win to Leinster.

Cant see it opening up that much myself. Both teams cancelling each other out defensively.

Wtf was Iribaren doing looking the other side when ball was out

What a game to finally decide to apply the high tackle rule..

Terrible game of rugby.

The longer it stays like this the more I think Racing will win

VinceWLB wrote:What a game to finally decide to apply the high tackle rule..

Terrible game of rugby.

Really ruining this game I must say. Some very minor incidents to say the least.

Still time for some Sexton magic

eirebilly wrote:Cant see it opening up that much myself. Both teams cancelling each other out defensively.

Yeah, I expected the defences to tire.

If Racing win then Teddy Iribaren has to be MOTM he's been incredible. You don't often see an opposition half back control the game against Leinster. Surely France must be looking at this performance with all the issues they have with game management.

I would personally give motm to Nyanga

What was Teddy Thomas doing there? Won the lineout and then pretty much runs into touch...

That's not a tip tackle. Barnes gives that because the Racing player looks so guilty.

Teddy Thomas going to be getting some choice words from his forwards after that.

formerly known as Sam wrote:

eirebilly wrote:Cant see it opening up that much myself. Both teams cancelling each other out defensively.

Yeah, I expected the defences to tire.

If Racing win then Teddy Iribaren has to be MOTM he's been incredible. You don't often see an opposition half back control the game against Leinster. Surely France must be looking at this performance with all the issues they have with game management.

You may still be right yet...

Yes Thomas giving Leinster what they just needed...

What was Thomas thinking??? That was completely brainless.

Well done Leinster and their fans. That was taken to the death but certainly deserved champions

DC would have nailed that DG ... anyway well done Leinster
About deserved on the back of a faultless season and performances before the final  

Leinster miles offside. What a dire final, glad I wasted 2hrs on that.

Sgt_Pooly wrote:What was Thomas thinking??? That was completely brainless.

That was a gift to Leinster - couldn't believe he did that.

Nice one Leinster. What a season so far for some of those players. Grand slam and now Euro champs, just the Pro14 title to go. COYBIB!

Sgt_Pooly wrote:Leinster miles offside. What a dire final, glad I wasted 2hrs on that.

I must admit there was one phase in the last minutes where they looked well in front of the back foot ... maybe the officials were getting tired and didn't want extra time

Yeeeeeereeeeedeeeedssssssssssss!!

Four star Champions.

Heaf wrote:

Sgt_Pooly wrote:Leinster miles offside. What a dire final, glad I wasted 2hrs on that.

I must admit there was one phase in the last minutes where they looked well in front of the back foot ... maybe the officials were getting tired and didn't want extra time

I think it was the backs further out that were creeping forward. Barnes needed his touch judges to help him out.

I was hoping the drop goal would go over and we'd get some extra time. I like a slugfest when I'm in the mood.

Congrats Leinster.

This was a very poor advert for rugby. Leinster got there in the end but this must have been torture for their fans.

VinceWLB wrote:This was a very poor advert for rugby. Leinster got there in the end but this must have been torture for their fans.

A lot of teams approach Leinster by undermining Leinster's game rather than playing their own. Racing did it exceptionally well, probably better than any other team this season. It wasn't enough to win a turgid game of rugby.

Well done Leinster

Racing did well, well done the halfbacks who were expect to have no part of any importance in the final. The fact they made Leinster look so ordinary says how good they were

VinceWLB wrote:This was a very poor advert for rugby. Leinster got there in the end but this must have been torture for their fans.

Weather conditions didn't help at all, which is a huge shame because apparently there were a lot of locals in the crowd.