Toulon v Leinster

[Blue not red blood]

So here it is
What are we expecting
Nothing to fear but fear itself
The lads have to believe in themselves and give it a go
Cmon Leinster

[Dave Cahill]

Toulon don't frighten me - our team not really performing again frightens me. We lost to Toulon last year to the equivalent of an own goal and I believe we have a stronger team now. Being able to put that team on the pitch though, that may well be the biggest problem.

[Toulon fan]

We lost to Toulon last year to the equivalent of an own goal

Maybe you could... try playing Rugby, instead, then see what happen?

[neiliog93]

We're basically out of the competition already so we have nothing to lose. Swing from the hip and have a go I say. If we get hammered so be it. But we might just win if we play without fear, as our situation allows.

[neiliog93]

They still have a lot more quality than us. If you were to make a composite team based on available players (and based on form), it would look something like this:

1.McGrath 2.Guirado 3.Moore (16.Cronin, 17.Chioci, 18.Chilachava)

4.Manoa 5.Toner (19.Mikautadze)

6.Gorgodze 8.Vermeulen 7.Armitage (20.Fernandez-Lobbe/J.Smith...sorry SOB)


9.Tillous-Borde 10.Sexton 12.Giteau 13.Nonu 14.Mitchell

11.Habana 15.D.Armitage

(21.Escande, 22.Cooper 23.Bastareaud/Fitzgerald/Turner).

[LeRouxIsPHat]

Can't say that I care if we win or not. I just want to see an improvement in the set piece and the accuracy of our handing which should give us more of a cutting edge. I hope there are combinations put in place that we can keep developing and hopefully put in a big performance at home and have solid foundations in place for the rest of the season so that we can compete in the league and then just need a couple of tweaks to have us as real contenders in a year's time.

So in the greatest Irish tradition I'm just hoping for a moral victory with one eye on the future really. I don't mean anything drastic when I say that, just Moore for Ross, Molony in the bench, VDF getting a good chunk of game time etc.

[riocard911]

If in the course of the two legs we do enough to prevent Toulon getting out of the group and getting a fourth star (thereby overtaking us) I'll be more than happy!!!!

[RoboProp]

We lost to Toulon last year to the equivalent of an own goal

Maybe you could... try playing Rugby, instead, then see what happen?

That's about as likely as you fielding a team of locally produced talent!

[Logorrhea]

I believe we have a stronger team now.

So have they ....................... and they have seen brief glimpses of form while we've been different levels of sh*te.

We'll need a fairly spectacular performance for it to be even close.

Edit: Toulon Cant Be Stopped ......... its official: http://www.planetrugby.com/news/five-re ... e-stopped/

[olaf the fat]

Toulon!! sure after 2 rounds of playing shite we are still ahead of them on the table!

seriously though, after all these years of wondering "which" french team will turn up I dont know which Leinster team will - as good as we can be, or as bad as we have been.

[molloyjh]

Toulon!! sure after 2 rounds of playing shite we are still ahead of them on the table!

seriously though, after all these years of wondering "which" french team will turn up I dont know which Leinster team will - as good as we can be, or as bad as we have been.

If I'm honest I think how bad we have been has been overblown a little. Sure that result against Wasps was awful, but we were doing a certain amount right to have dominated possession and territory the way we did. Especially given the injuries before and during the game. We followed that up with a LBP in Bath where had our scrum (which was awful) turned up we could well have won. Again losses to the pack didn't help that (albeit it didn't excuse it either). Then against Ulster we were totally dominant and just through a few unforced errors we let a few chances escape us. Prior to the Wasps game the internationals had only just been back for a single game each (for the most part) and were still getting used to the new systems. We've had some reshuffling of combinations due to injuries too. But we've definitely improved week on week which is exactly what we needed to see. And the Ulster game suggested to me that we really weren't that far off. If we can fix that last couple of percent and get that confidence boost that will inevitably come with it then I think we'll be a pretty tough side to beat.

The question is can we do that this weekend against the most expensively assembled squad in the history of the game (I've no idea if that's true, but it's a safe bet surely) using predominantly local lads? With Healy off form we lose that level of impact from the bench. SOB will almost certainly miss the game. Luke McGrath too, which is terrible news given the form of our other 2 scrummies. Johnny has been getting better each week and hopefully the 2 week break will do him the world of good and get him back fresh and ready to go. But behind him we don't have a decent option if he gets injured. We don't have a settled centre partnership which is also a worry. We've started 6 different combinations there so far this season. I'm hopeful that we'll see Mads at 12 and Fitz at 11, but we may not. And we don't know just how fit Rob and Isa are. It's hard to see us win when you look at all that. But Wasps showed us, not just a few weeks ago but also in the QF last season, that if you run these guys around you can cause them problems. If we are to click, now is the time.

[simonokeeffe]

40k tickets sold for the return leg according to the branch

[Xanthippe]

I Believe

[curates_egg]

40k tickets sold for the return leg according to the branch

I have a few and will be using them...will all those who have purchased still go though? Much will depend on this weekend I guess.

Watched some of their game vs Agen and they looked very good in parts. Nonu (in his first game) looked very committed, which is a worry.
The only silver lining was the injury to Lobbe (out until after Christmas)...but it is not like his replacement (Armitage) is a major step down.

[simonokeeffe]

40k tickets sold for the return leg according to the branch

I have a few and will be using them...will all those who have purchased still go though? Much will depend on this weekend I guess.

Watched some of their game vs Agen and they looked very good in parts. Nonu (in his first game) looked very committed, which is a worry.
The only silver lining was the injury to Lobbe (out until after Christmas)...but it is not like his replacement (Armitage) is a major step down.

I reckon most will, after all 30k of them werent season ticket holders so they bought those just for this match

[Peg Leg]

I Believe

The children are the future

[Xanthippe]

I Believe

The children are the future

Interesting choice - I thought it might have been 'for every drop of rain that falls'

[Oldschoolsocks]

I Believe

The children are the future

Interesting choice - I thought it might have been 'for every drop of rain that falls'

Me thinks this is the true Peg Leg showing his colours, not so long ago he was sneering at the much maligned Bilky Joel, now he's humming away to Whitney Houston.

Cmon man, let's get some consistency in here.

[Peg Leg]

The children are the future

Interesting choice - I thought it might have been 'for every drop of rain that falls'

Me thinks this is the true Peg Leg showing his colours, not so long ago he was sneering at the much maligned Bilky Joel, now he's humming away to Whitney Houston.

Cmon man, let's get some consistency in here.

More a reference to the younger contingent in the squad.

[Oldschoolsocks]

More a reference to the younger contingent in the squad.

The greattttttest looooove of alllllll

Everybody now