Leinster vs Southern Kings - Friday 23/2 19.35 TG4

[Ruckedtobits]

Damian Duff was seen at training.

Duffer to start at out-half Friday?

You heard it here first

He's in for James Lowe - he always wore No 11!

[curates_egg]

Noel Reid to start at Out half

That would leave us with literally no fit centres!
Finally, the Cronin to centre movement could have its day.

[paddyor]

What about that kid Conor O'Brien we had against Glasgow?

[curates_egg]

What about that kid Conor O'Brien we had against Glasgow?

Thought he was injured too? If not, lump him in.

[alanair]

SOB is supposed to be back in 2 weeks. Targeting Scarlet's away. That's through unofficial channels.

I confirm that rumor.... heard from horses mouth...

[Oldschool]

SOB is supposed to be back in 2 weeks. Targeting Scarlet's away. That's through unofficial channels.

I confirm that rumor.... heard from horses mouth...

Didn't realise The Tullow Tank was actually a horse's name.

[alanair]

SOB is supposed to be back in 2 weeks. Targeting Scarlet's away. That's through unofficial channels.

I confirm that rumor.... heard from horses mouth...

Didn't realise The Tullow Tank was actually a horse's name.

Actually , strangely it is
https://www.irishracing.com/horse?prt=445629

[Blue not red blood]

SOB is supposed to be back in 2 weeks. Targeting Scarlet's away. That's through unofficial channels.

I confirm that rumor.... heard from horses mouth...

Didn't realise The Tullow Tank was actually a horse's name.

The Tullow Tank was an outstanding novice hurdler a few years back. He won a big race at Leopardstown at the Christmas meeting but was injured and then missed Cheltenham.
Made a reappearance as a chaser but broke down I believe.
If ever there was an aptly named horse

[desperado]

Luke McGrath out for rest of 6N, but Leinster confident of him being back for April 1st (read from that what you will)

Cooney called up to Ireland camp, good for him, bad, very bad for Ulster.

No word on ROL, no word on Tom Daly.

any word on Conor O'Brien or has he fallen off the face of the earth.?

[hugonaut]

Luke McGrath out for rest of 6N, but Leinster confident of him being back for April 1st (read from that what you will)

Cooney called up to Ireland camp, good for him, bad, very bad for Ulster.

No word on ROL, no word on Tom Daly.

any word on Conor O'Brien or has he fallen off the face of the earth.?

Conor came off the bench for Gavin Mullin [who scored a try] at outside centre in the A's last match in the B&I Cup, the weird 28-37 home loss to the Doncaster Knights on 20 Jan. The week previous to that he had started at No12 inside Mullin in the 47-21 win away to the Cardiff Blues Premiership Select XV. Both he and Mullin scored tries in that match.

From what I have heard Gavin Mullin is really playing some good rugby and impressing the Academy staff. Seems to have come under the radar a bit, which is surprising for a guy with his background.

Personally speaking, I think that Conor O'Brien is a real talent and we should be pushing him harder than we are. The fact that he is such a like-for-like with Robbie Henshaw is a real positive in my book – it means that we can play a similar style of rugby whether or not Henshaw is in the team, rather than going with Reider at 12 and completely losing the physical go-forward option. On the other hand, O'Brien didn't take his chance as well as Frawley did, so kudos to the lad from Skerries.

We're so short on midfield options that it's not f*cking funny. Sexton, Carbery and Ringer with Ireland, Henshaw injured, Isa injured/rested, Locko injured, Marsh injured, Tom Daly injured, Ross Byrne injured – down to our fifth choice outhalf, our third choice No12 and our fourth choice No13.

For the Kings game, I'd be confident enough to go with Frawley at No10, and then Reider and O'Brien nominally at No12 and No13 outside him. The Kings are pretty tragic.

[mildlyinterested]

COB is physically similar to Henshaw, although IMO not as good an athlete. Hopefully he takes his chance better in his next appearance. Which could be this weekend, although I haven't seen him pictured at training recently..

[the spoofer]

COB is physically similar to Henshaw, although IMO not as good an athlete. Hopefully he takes his chance better in his next appearance. Which could be this weekend, although I haven't seen him pictured at training recently..

I didn't realise he is such a big unit. Nearly 6' 3'' and over 16 stone.

What's the story with Ian Fitzpatrick? I see him listed on the Academy page but he's 23 and has yet to see any senior action.

[wixfjord]

I thought COB showed some nice touches when he played earlier in the season. Made one awful howler iirc but looks a lot more rounded as a player than Daly for eg.

[mildlyinterested]

COB is physically similar to Henshaw, although IMO not as good an athlete. Hopefully he takes his chance better in his next appearance. Which could be this weekend, although I haven't seen him pictured at training recently..

I didn't realise he is such a big unit. Nearly 6' 3'' and over 16 stone.

What's the story with Ian Fitzpatrick? I see him listed on the Academy page but he's 23 and has yet to see any senior action.

has been playing 7's mostly this season.

[Leinsterlunatic]

I thought COB showed some nice touches when he played earlier in the season. Made one awful howler iirc but looks a lot more rounded as a player than Daly for eg.

In the same boat, I'd like to see COB a little more.

Tom Daly has the size, but IMO not the skill for this level.

[BlueBlue]

Luke McGrath out for rest of 6N, but Leinster confident of him being back for April 1st (read from that what you will)

Cooney called up to Ireland camp, good for him, bad, very bad for Ulster.

No word on ROL, no word on Tom Daly.

Not overly bad. Ulster will get Cooney back for their matches. Decent player but I can't see him displacing Marmion now.

Can't see him displacing Marmion either, but Ulster would like him to be training with whatever new 10 he's going to be running with, also its not a given that he will be released back to them.

[BlueBlue]

Frawley at 10

[desperado]

Luke McGrath out for rest of 6N, but Leinster confident of him being back for April 1st (read from that what you will)

Cooney called up to Ireland camp, good for him, bad, very bad for Ulster.

No word on ROL, no word on Tom Daly.

any word on Conor O'Brien or has he fallen off the face of the earth.?

Conor came off the bench for Gavin Mullin [who scored a try] at outside centre in the A's last match in the B&I Cup, the weird 28-37 home loss to the Doncaster Knights on 20 Jan. The week previous to that he had started at No12 inside Mullin in the 47-21 win away to the Cardiff Blues Premiership Select XV. Both he and Mullin scored tries in that match.

From what I have heard Gavin Mullin is really playing some good rugby and impressing the Academy staff. Seems to have come under the radar a bit, which is surprising for a guy with his background.

Personally speaking, I think that Conor O'Brien is a real talent and we should be pushing him harder than we are. The fact that he is such a like-for-like with Robbie Henshaw is a real positive in my book – it means that we can play a similar style of rugby whether or not Henshaw is in the team, rather than going with Reider at 12 and completely losing the physical go-forward option. On the other hand, O'Brien didn't take his chance as well as Frawley did, so kudos to the lad from Skerries.

We're so short on midfield options that it's not f*cking funny. Sexton, Carbery and Ringer with Ireland, Henshaw injured, Isa injured/rested, Locko injured, Marsh injured, Tom Daly injured, Ross Byrne injured – down to our fifth choice outhalf, our third choice No12 and our fourth choice No13.

For the Kings game, I'd be confident enough to go with Frawley at No10, and then Reider and O'Brien nominally at No12 and No13 outside him. The Kings are pretty tragic.

Thanks Hugo for the info on COB; and although I might be a little biased (he's a Mullingar man) I think he's a real talent back form u20's days. He was on that team (along with JR, Max, Porter et al who beat the baby blacks. Ironically both Henshaw and COB played minor football for Westmeath - and they are v similar.

[curates_egg]

Furlong still injured, so Porter to start for Ireland against Wales.
Looks like we're down to just Bent and Heffernan until the end of the 6 Nations.

James Ryan also starting, which means I doubt we'll see him until Sarries either...assuming he doesn't pick up another injury.

[LeRouxIsPHat]

Had forgotten that Adam Byrne can play 13, maybe he could step in there? We could conceivably have a midfield of Frawley, Reid, and Adam.