Leinster vs Zebre - 12 Feb - McKinley's return?

[goreyguy]

there's a sentence I never expected to hear, but am happy to have heard it

All-code schoolboy legend:
http://www.sportsfile.com/id/1081311/
http://www.sportsfile.com/id/1056769/

back off Toulon

need to beat off the AFL first.

[Dave Cahill]

Oooer matron

[simonokeeffe]

Oooer matron

[Fireworks]

Serious wheels - it's been a while since we've seen that type of gas. As someone else posted, it was Hickie-esque.

What was particularly good was his style of running. He is not just quick he is quick the right way. The ball was tucked high on the right and the left arm moved in a full sprinter range. He has a good high knee lift and a clean stride. It looks like someone is coaching them on how to run quick.

As someone heavily involved in athletics, I cannot emphasise enough how quickly a youngster's speed will increase when their sprinting technique is addressed.
As the schools season finishes I would recommend any kid to sign up with their local athletics club. It keeps their fitness ticking over and will only benefit their rugby. Outdoor competitions commence in April and as such dovetail well with the rugby season. Some schools have decent athletics programmes but in the main it is the clubs that provide the coaching.
As GG implies above, the younger you start the better.

I coach sprinters so that run sticks out for me. I was just looking at a run by Bowe a few days ago and thinking about how his size and style are badly effecting his speed. Bowe does not get his knees through far enough to fully extend on each stride.

[erskinechilders]

I know our academy is the envy of all of Ireland and probably the majority of the Northern Hemisphere but the quality thats coming through now may just be the best yet. When you think of the standard of player all within maybe 5 years of each other, its simply the most exciting time to be a Leinster fan.

I know it was a weak Zebre side but it would have given the likes of Byrne and Kelleher a lot of confidence.

Very, very encouraging alright. There's a lot of potential in that b.1993-95 group – Luke McGrath, Ringrose, Adam Byrne, Cian Kelleher – footballing ability, leadership, size, physicality and speed. If we add Henshaw [b.1993] into the mix [fingers crossed], it gets significantly stronger again. I'd also be a fan of Tom Daly [b.1993], who has yet to make his senior debut but has been captaining Ireland in the 7s, scoring tries and kicking goals for them and playing well in the B&I Cup at No12. Add Conor Nash, Navan's answer to Israel Folau, at fullback and it's an extremely exciting group.

You have Furlong, Conan ( 1992 ), McGrath, Henshaw, the Byrne twins ( 1993 ), Molony, Dooley, Kelleher, Byrne, Leavy ( 1994 ), Ringrose, Byrne, McCarthy, Rock, Carbery, Dardis, McNulty, Loughman, Heffernan, Josh Murphy ( 1995 ), Ryan, Deegan, Porter, Connors, Kennedy, Conor & Jimmy O'Brien, Power ( 1996 ), and then also Larmour, Jack kelly and Conor Nash!

Golden Era? What Golden Era?

[cormac]

Was chatting at the match about whether this was the worst ever side to visit the RDS. We agreed that they were contenders but from memory the Cardiff blues side, a number of years ago, while virtually at full strenght, who conceeded 40 points in the first half to us , still retain that honour

The positives from last night. Hugely physical performance from back row, strong scrum and line out. Plenty of positives in the backs too. Luke McG looking the real deal, ZK with another acomplished perfor mance at Full back (at least he is contributing now). Pace from Kelliher. Nice finish from Adam Byrne.

Negatives were the problems going forward from line out maul, Cathal Marsh still has a tendency to run across the pitch, making it far easier to defend against, and ben T'eo needs to learn to pass the ball. Yes he is direct and physical but it becomes a bit too one dimensional.

All in all a nice night out !

`

Think the Treviso team we put 60+ points on during MOC's reign of terror still hold the crown of worst team ever to visit the RDS. Seem to recall a few pitiable Edinburgh performances here too.

[blockhead]

Was chatting at the match about whether this was the worst ever side to visit the RDS. We agreed that they were contenders but from memory the Cardiff blues side, a number of years ago, while virtually at full strenght, who conceeded 40 points in the first half to us , still retain that honour

The positives from last night. Hugely physical performance from back row, strong scrum and line out. Plenty of positives in the backs too. Luke McG looking the real deal, ZK with another acomplished perfor mance at Full back (at least he is contributing now). Pace from Kelliher. Nice finish from Adam Byrne.

Negatives were the problems going forward from line out maul, Cathal Marsh still has a tendency to run across the pitch, making it far easier to defend against, and ben T'eo needs to learn to pass the ball. Yes he is direct and physical but it becomes a bit too one dimensional.

All in all a nice night out !

`

Think the Treviso team we put 60+ points on during MOC's reign of terror still hold the crown of worst team ever to visit the RDS. Seem to recall a few pitiable Edinburgh performances here too.

Don't forget the 30-SFA victory over the liginnddss back in 2009. The game in which they were going to put us ladies back in our place.

[molloyjh]

Was chatting at the match about whether this was the worst ever side to visit the RDS. We agreed that they were contenders but from memory the Cardiff blues side, a number of years ago, while virtually at full strenght, who conceeded 40 points in the first half to us , still retain that honour

The positives from last night. Hugely physical performance from back row, strong scrum and line out. Plenty of positives in the backs too. Luke McG looking the real deal, ZK with another acomplished perfor mance at Full back (at least he is contributing now). Pace from Kelliher. Nice finish from Adam Byrne.

Negatives were the problems going forward from line out maul, Cathal Marsh still has a tendency to run across the pitch, making it far easier to defend against, and ben T'eo needs to learn to pass the ball. Yes he is direct and physical but it becomes a bit too one dimensional.

All in all a nice night out !

`

Think the Treviso team we put 60+ points on during MOC's reign of terror still hold the crown of worst team ever to visit the RDS. Seem to recall a few pitiable Edinburgh performances here too.

I suppose it depends on how you look at it. Treviso were gutted of all their best by French and English teams (primarily Leicester). So in many ways maybe they were technically the worst. But we put 59 points on a Cardiff side that had guys like Bradley Davies, Warburton, Roberts, Cuthbert and Halfpenney in the starting XV. And we did that having lost Drico early on and with Macken at 13 in his place. As pitiful performances go in the RDS there's nothing that's ever going to top that one IMO. Cardiff were a much better side than they let on that day and Tremenjus Lenihan hit the nail on the head when he called them an embarrassment to the league that day.