Cardiff v Leinster

[Oldschool]

This is a season defining game.
A Cardiff win puts them into contention for top six finish.
For Leinster it copperfastens a possible top four finish.
This game will be one of the toughest away games of the season to date.

[wixfjord]

Hopefully we get at least a few international guys back for this, a team like the following would be brilliant:
Healy, Cronin, Ross, Moloney, Triggs, Ruddock, VDF, Murphy, McGrath, Madigan, Isa, Te'o, Ringrose, MCF, Kirchner

Madigan the only one that's on the Irish bench, so barring injuries today, should be reasonable enough to expect that level of team.

Very important game alright.

[Dave Cahill]

Cardiff lost to Treviso today. Stick a fork in them, they're done.

[Oldschool]

Cardiff lost to Treviso today. Stick a fork in them, they're done.

Yeah but they can still hurt us.
A win for Munster against Ospreys tomorrow would be handy.

[johng]

Why would we want a Munster win? Ospreys win and they are still 2 points behind Munster. Munster win and they are 4 points closer to us.

[Oldschool]

Why would we want a Munster win? Ospreys win and they are still 2 points behind Munster. Munster win and they are 4 points closer to us.

I just think Ospreys are a bigger threat.

[simonokeeffe]

Why would we want a Munster win? Ospreys win and they are still 2 points behind Munster. Munster win and they are 4 points closer to us.

be patriotic

we want Ospreys out of the top 6 so all 4 Irish teams make Europe
and only one Welsh

[Peg Leg]

If irish teams take the top 4 positions, it will be a very very sad reflection of the quality of the pro12.

[simonokeeffe]

If irish teams take the top 4 positions, it will be a very very sad reflection of the quality of the pro12.

That would be bad but Scarlets will definitely take one of the playoff spots

I think the world cup/call ups have impacted certain teams disproportionately; Glasgow, Ospreys, Zebre all had such huge international contingents they were going to suffer
Glasgow also have their pitch situation
Edinburgh (and Scarlets) have improved

but Cardiff cannot unfuddle themselves for love nor money, Zebre and Dragons improving but from such a low starting point
Treviso were kneecapped by their own chairman

[hugonaut]

We should be able to field a strong team with the international break and a good few players coming back to fitness [Cian, Rossy and hopefully Mick Kearney]. Cardiff are not a particularly strong outfit and hopefully their artificial pitch will mean that we can avoid the slugfest that we got embroiled in over in Rodney Parade against the Dragons. If we can boss them around early with a strong front five, we should have a backline who can do some damage on what will be a fast track.

Forwards [1-8]: Healy, Cronin, Ross, Triggs, Molony, Ruddock, van der Flier, Murphy
Backs [9-15]: McGrath, Madigan, Nacewa, Te'o, Ringrose, Byrne, Kirchner
Bench [16-23]: Tracy, Dooley, Bent, M. Kearney, Leavy/Conan, Reddan, Marsh, McFadden/Kelleher

[molloyjh]

A win in Cardiff on Saturday should in all reality solidify a top 2 finish for us I reckon. With Zebre away the following week as well as home games to Ospreys, Munster, Edinburgh and Treviso we should be well able to pick up over 20 points after the Cardiff game. A win this week should see us collect another 25 minimum through wins plus at least a couple of LBPs in the other 3. That puts us realistically between 70-75 points. More if we can beat Glasgow in a few weeks. I reckon that should be more than enough to see us into the top 2 this season. It's a pretty big game for us from that perspective. With any luck we'll see something like:

Healy Cronin Ross
Molony Triggs
Ruddock Murphy VDF

McGrath Madigan
Te'o Ringrose
Nacewa Kirchner Byrne

Tracy, Dooley, Furlong, Denton, Leavy, Reddan, Marsh, McFadden

Conan was still limping on Friday so I reckon he's a fair bit away. I do wonder if we'll see Furlong given that he has had very little game time with Ireland and will probably be surplus to requirement in London. Strauss too has played very little, but I'd rather Tracy be involved in this one. He has a good deal of pace about him that (along with Cronin) could be very handy on the 4G pitch.

[the spoofer]

Furlong, Madigan, McFadden all at training today.

[cormac]

Furlong, Madigan, McFadden all at training today.

Reddan, Ruddock and Strauss too.

http://www.sportsfile.com/more-images/1602129/

[the spoofer]

So were Moore and Jack Conan.

[neiliog93]

Dare I say we might get a bonus point?

[LeinsterLeader]

Dare I say we might get a bonus point?

Ah that's it. We're f%~ked now! Run three times around the church and spit on a picture of George Hook to break the curse

[jimbobjoe]

Dare I say we might get a bonus point?

Ah that's it. We're f%~ked now! Run three times around the church and spit on a picture of George Hook to break the curse

Done it twice today already. But that's just my morning routine.

[erskinechilders]

I think we will have a fairly strong team out for this. Fingers crossed the majority of the 6N bench guys get a shot. I'd go for ;
15. Kirchner
14. McFadden
13. Ringrose
12. Te'o
11. Nacewa
10.Madigan
9.McGrath
8.Murphy
7.JVDF
6.Rhys Ruddock
5.Hayden Triggs
4. Ross Molony
3. Mike Ross
2.James Tracy
1. Cian Healy

16. Cronin
17. Dooley
18. Furlong
19. Kearney
20. Leavy / Ryan
21. Reddan
22. Marsh
23. Kelleher

[hugonaut]

Dare I say we might get a bonus point?

Well, despite the fact that we should be able to field a strong front five, we haven't shown that we can maul even half effectively this season, so it's hard for us to turn position into points.

Even on an artificial pitch, if the weather is poor and the ball is wet, it's hard to move it through the backs well. Our best hope is for a dry day so that the likes of Isa, Te'o and Ringrose can get the ball in hand often and cause some problems for their backs. Hopefully we can get Rhys into the team and between himself, Cian and Sean Cronin get some go-forward, punch holes through the Cardiff fringe defense and then get the ball into the hands of the aforementioned backs against a less-organised defense.

[leinsterforever]

Should they just go for drop goals every time they get into the 22, and back themselves to score tries from further out? The ability to turn pressure on the line into tries has been so poor that taking three points might be a good option. Having the threat of going for drops might also create more openings to run or for the scum half to break