Leinster v Ospreys 05/03/2016 @ 15.00

erskinechilders · Post by **erskinechilders** » February 28th, 2016, 5:26 pm

Nice efficient win against Zebre, 5 points in the bag is all we need. Looking ahead now to Ospreys next weekend I would be hopeful of getting a good few players back off Ireland which would help massively! Hopefully the team looks a big like this;

15. Zane Kirchner
14. Adam Byrne
13. Garry Ringrose
12. Ben Te'o
11. Isa Nacewa
10. Ian Madigan
9. Luke McGrath
8. Jack Conan
7. Jordi Murphy
6. Rhys Ruddock
5. Hayden Triggs
4. Mick Kearney
3. Tadhg Furlong
2. Sean Cronin
1. Cian Healy

16. James Tracy
17. Peter Dooley
18. Michael Bent
19. Ross Molony
20. Dan Leavy
21. Eoin Reddan
22. Cathal Marsh
23. Cian Kelleher

enby · Post by **enby** » February 28th, 2016, 5:47 pm

For once our friends down South will be hoping for a Leinster victory. I wonder if we will be told to play Reddan and/or Strauss?

cormac · Post by **cormac** » February 28th, 2016, 5:53 pm

Would expect Strauss and McFadden to be involved. Reid too.

neiliog93 · Post by **neiliog93** » February 28th, 2016, 6:55 pm

I'd imagine we'll get both Cronin and Strauss, and possibly Ruddock too. Healy needs the game time and will be released. Mike Ross needs the game time too but he's also creaking at his age, so may or may not get released. He's previously said he needs continual game time to stay match fit so I'd be optimistic. If Joe isn't planning on selecting JVDF the weekend after this for Ireland we may even get him. It's a very possible scenario with TOD and Ruddock sniffing around, and Chris Henry recovering fitness.

We might also get Reddan who hasn't had much game time of late, ditto Madigan (especially if Joe picks Jackson ahead of him on the bench).

1.Healy 2.Strauss 3.Furlong

4.Molony 5.Triggs

6.Ryan 7.Jordi 8.Conan

9.Reddan 10.Madigan 12.Te'o 13.Ringrose 14.McFadden

11.Nacewa 15.Kirchner

16.Cronin 17.Dooley 18.Bent 19.M.Kearney 20.Leavy 21.L.McGrath 22.Reid 23.Kelleher

Ruckedtobits · Post by **Ruckedtobits** » February 29th, 2016, 9:14 am

Agree that Reddan / Madigan half-back combination is more likely. McGrath put in a great performance yesterday but Reds has to have game time as does Madigan at 10. Moloney to be rested but Kearney not yet capable of 80. Back-row is a challenge but Jordi at 7 is not logical with Leavy playing so well and the possibility of JVDF being available. Conan, if right, at No 8 also needs game time and plenty of integration into that pack. Healy on his way back to form, despite Saturday's shambles and Furlong needs lots of top level scrumming to bring him to his full potential.

Centre combination still not fluent but Ringrose needs some ball from first phase and not just in broken play. Leo, Girv and Kurt are getting them there and its great to see.

Leoslovechild · Post by **Leoslovechild** » February 29th, 2016, 9:40 am

neiliog93 wrote:I'd imagine we'll get both Cronin and Strauss, and possibly Ruddock too. Healy needs the game time and will be released. Mike Ross needs the game time too but he's also creaking at his age, so may or may not get released. He's previously said he needs continual game time to stay match fit so I'd be optimistic. If Joe isn't planning on selecting JVDF the weekend after this for Ireland we may even get him. It's a very possible scenario with TOD and Ruddock sniffing around, and Chris Henry recovering fitness.

We might also get Reddan who hasn't had much game time of late, ditto Madigan (especially if Joe picks Jackson ahead of him on the bench).

1.Healy 2.Strauss 3.Furlong

4.Molony 5.Triggs

6.Ryan 7.Jordi 8.Conan

9.Reddan 10.Madigan 12.Te'o 13.Ringrose 14.McFadden

11.Nacewa 15.Kirchner

16.Cronin 17.Dooley 18.Bent 19.M.Kearney 20.Leavy 21.L.McGrath 22.Reid 23.Kelleher

Kelleher ahead of A Byrne in the 23?

wixfjord · Post by **wixfjord** » February 29th, 2016, 10:26 am

Ospreys will likely have Underhill back at 7.
If so, starting Jordi there would be suicide. He was excellent at the weekend at 8, but his game really suffers at openside as he's not remotely a 7.
Give Leavy a crack and stick Rhys and Conan in beside him to carry.

molloyjh · Post by **molloyjh** » February 29th, 2016, 10:58 am

A win this weekend would put us in a great position with Connacht away to Edinburgh. If Edinburgh can manage a win there then a Leinster win would put us 2 points clear at the top with a game in hand. And I'd take a LBP in Glasgow at this stage to give us that 3 point advantage, especially as we'd have the most wins in the league at that stage anyway.

Thing is that Ospreys are starting to find some form and looked pretty good from what I saw of them against Connacht. This one will be tough. We'll probably see something like:

Healy Strauss Ross
Molony Triggs
Ruddock Conan Murphy

McGrath Madigan
Te'o Ringrose
Nacewa Kirchner Byrne

Cronin, Dooley, Furlong, Kearney, Leavy, McGrath, Marsh, McFadden

We might get VDF back depending on who Joe wants to go with against Italy, TOD or VDF. If we get VDF back he'll start with Murphy moving to the bench. If I'm honest I'd rather Marsh started ahead of Mads at this stage and Tracy was in the 23 somewhere. I've selected Byrne ahead of McFadden because the back 3 with Ferg would be a pretty slow unit. Byrne has been doing well enough all things considered, although he could be caught out defensively against Ospreys.

Oldschool · Post by **Oldschool** » February 29th, 2016, 3:32 pm

molloyjh wrote:A win this weekend would put us in a great position with Connacht away to Edinburgh. If Edinburgh can manage a win there then a Leinster win would put us 2 points clear at the top with a game in hand. And I'd take a LBP in Glasgow at this stage to give us that 3 point advantage, especially as we'd have the most wins in the league at that stage anyway.

Thing is that Ospreys are starting to find some form and looked pretty good from what I saw of them against Connacht. This one will be tough. We'll probably see something like:

Healy Strauss Ross
Molony Triggs
Ruddock Conan Murphy

McGrath Madigan
Te'o Ringrose
Nacewa Kirchner Byrne

Cronin, Dooley, Furlong, Kearney, Leavy, McGrath, Marsh, McFadden

We might get VDF back depending on who Joe wants to go with against Italy, TOD or VDF. If we get VDF back he'll start with Murphy moving to the bench. If I'm honest I'd rather Marsh started ahead of Mads at this stage and Tracy was in the 23 somewhere. I've selected Byrne ahead of McFadden because the back 3 with Ferg would be a pretty slow unit. Byrne has been doing well enough all things considered, although he could be caught out defensively against Ospreys.

That says as much about Connacht's form as anything else.
With both Scarlets and Ulster slipping up at the weekend, Connacht must be very happy with themselves.
It's makes Ospreys more desperate and therefore more dangerous for their next game. I'd expect to see a committed, verging on dirty Ospreys team next W/E.

wixfjord · Post by **wixfjord** » February 29th, 2016, 5:13 pm

Seemingly, according to Joe, 'Twelve of the squad that were involved in the weekend will turn out, a number of guys from the bench and then we want to get some guys more game-fit.'

That means we'll see the bench guys, but also Ross and hopefully VDF and maybe RK.

Might see
Healy, Strauss, Ross,
Triggs, Mick K,
Ruddock, VDF, Conan,
Reddan, Madigan,
Isa, Te'o, Ringrose, MCF/Kirch,
RK

FWIW I'd start Cronin and Luke McGrath, but likely that they'll want to give guys gametime.
That's a strong team though, and should have enough for Ospreys at home.

erskinechilders · Post by **erskinechilders** » February 29th, 2016, 8:43 pm

Hopefully they keep RK, Kirchner is flying in that position at the moment and is definitely on better form the Kearney! Plus that would mean dropping Adam Byrne who deserves to keep his place.

alanair · Post by **alanair** » February 29th, 2016, 9:34 pm

Agree Totally on RK.... I have no idea how he is being selected for Irish Team at the moment... hasn't played well all Season...He needs to be dropped altogether, by Leinster & Ireland to rediscover his form ( if that is possible at all)

blockhead · Post by **blockhead** » February 29th, 2016, 9:40 pm

alanair wrote:Agree Totally on RK.... I have no idea how he is being selected for Irish Team at the moment... hasn't played well all Season...He needs to be dropped altogether, by Leinster & Ireland to rediscover his form ( if that is possible at all)

He's too damn handsome to be dropped.

alanair · Post by **alanair** » February 29th, 2016, 9:55 pm

mmm ... maybe a career in modelling beckons...

Oldschool · Post by **Oldschool** » February 29th, 2016, 10:58 pm

alanair wrote:Agree Totally on RK.... I have no idea how he is being selected for Irish Team at the moment... hasn't played well all Season...He needs to be dropped altogether, by Leinster & Ireland to rediscover his form ( if that is possible at all)

The problem is that ANOther's cousin Nobody Else hasn't exactly being pulling up trees either.

Kinger83 · Post by **Kinger83** » March 1st, 2016, 4:32 pm

Looking at sportsfile Healy, Mcfadden, Cronin and Madigan are training with Leinster this week.

simonokeeffe · Post by **simonokeeffe** » March 1st, 2016, 9:06 pm

Ospreys have Jarvis and King released from the Welsh camp

wixfjord · Post by **wixfjord** » March 1st, 2016, 9:29 pm

This could be a cracker of a game actually. Webb and Davies against Reddan and Madigan might spell trouble for us.

Angelsea Angst · Post by **Angelsea Angst** » March 1st, 2016, 10:44 pm

Ospreys fans are absolutely furious at the moment due to an error made by George Clancy in disallowing a try scored by them in last weeks game against Connacht. Their fans forum is claiming that all Irish referees are corrupt. I expect a big backlash against us this week.

molloyjh · Post by **molloyjh** » March 2nd, 2016, 8:23 am

Angelsea Angst wrote:Ospreys fans are absolutely furious at the moment due to an error made by George Clancy in disallowing a try scored by them in last weeks game against Connacht. Their fans forum is claiming that all Irish referees are corrupt. I expect a big backlash against us this week.

Welsh fans in whinging about the Irish shocker!

It was a harsh call, but my my understanding of the laws a technically correct one. And it's not as though Irish sides (Connacht in particular) haven't been on the bad side of woeful refereeing decisions in the past. Who can forget the farce that was the Cardiff-Connacht game last season.

My main concern at this stage is that we'll start Mads. He doesn't deserve it and hasn't been playing well at all this season. Marsh might be young, inexperienced and relatively limited but I'd take him over Madigan at this point.

Babbling 'brook

Leinster v Ospreys 05/03/2016 @ 15.00

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