Connacht vs Leinster 26th March K/O @ 17:15

[Oldschool]

Given all the negative criticisms of McGrath and Madigan, I'm surprised Isa hasn't come in for a good doing as well.
Let's face he was as cr@p as anyone else out there and very lucky not to get a YC to boot, something neither McGrath nor Madigan looked likely to achieve.
Balance gentlemen, balance please. That's my last dig out Ray so make the most of it.
I won't mention Kirchner in the negative as to be fair he too has been mentioned in dispatches.

[artaneboy]

Given all the negative criticisms of McGrath and Madigan, I'm surprised Isa hasn't come in for a good doing as well.
Let's face he was as cr@p as anyone else out there and very lucky not to get a YC to boot, something neither McGrath nor Madigan looked likely to achieve.
Balance gentlemen, balance please. That's my last dig out Ray so make the most of it.
I won't mention Kirchner in the negative as to be fair he too has been mentioned in dispatches.

Fair enough on the YC in the second half- his tackle in the first was fine. And it's true, Isa also made a few errors- but I suppose I give him a bit of leeway based on his commitment and even in the YC moment there was a eh... "pragmatism" evident. Not condoning him- and if he walked I won't grumble- but his actions had thoughts about them- even if cynical- that was absent from the play of others.

[the spoofer]

I know many on this forum have a soft spot for Madigan, I have too. It's a bog just outside Lanesborough. Leinster should release him early from his contract rather than have him around with that sort of attitude.

[Fred Funk]

Whatever about all the Madigan bashing, he is off to Bordeaux. We are stuck with Nacewa (a great servant in the past) and Kirchner who blows cold more often than hot.
We should have cashed them both in and got a quality outside back.

[sunshiner1]

Ah You at Connacht has had the same type of attitude since it was announced that he was off to Ulster. He played 20 something minutes against Edinburgh and was so god awful they took him off and haven't played him since. That said with White's injury they might have too now. Think Madigan needs a shoe in the rear to remind him that no one is undroppable.

[Dave Cahill]

Lets not go completely over the top - just as Ian wasn't the blessed son of Jah when he played well, he isn't the spawn of the unholy one when he has a 'mare. Hes just a guy who had a mare.

[paddyor]

Lets not go completely over the top - just as Ian wasn't the blessed son of Jah when he played well, he isn't the spawn of the unholy one when he has a 'mare. Hes just a guy who had a mare.

It wasn't just a mare though. If a guy doesn't play well or makes a mistake that's one thing. Madigan has made mistakes or missed tackles (or made bad ones) in the past. But he looked at times like he wasn't interested. Some of his attempts looked like half arsed airport security frisk. It didn't just happen once either and that's what has everyone so angry at him. Maybe he's carrying an injury or maybe he's just low on confidence. But i hate to think of him as skulking out the door not giving a damn.

I hope he gets a chance to redeem himself before the end of the season. Whatever his failings, up until last weekend no one would ever have accused him of not trying his best.

[Flash Gordon]

Lets not go completely over the top - just as Ian wasn't the blessed son of Jah when he played well, he isn't the spawn of the unholy one when he has a 'mare. Hes just a guy who had a mare.

Agree with that. If the game was played tomorrow and Sexton wasn't available I'd probably still pick Mad Dog.

At the end of the day, the game was won by excellent ball retention by Connacht and poor retention from us. They ran nearly 200 meters more than us, made twice as many passes and we kicked the ball 3 times more than they did.

Connacht had a clear and effective way to beat a team with superior players whereas we did not so you have to look at the coaching. The box kicking tactic was crazy. As Donny said you do it once and you see what happens - alternately just look at the fockin flags!! We had enough possession but we just didn't use it (again) despite the presence of a squad full of internationals. Not many lads emerge positively from that game on our side but we badly need a top notch attack coach for next season.

[Logorrhea]

One thing questioning his performance quite another to question his professionalism. That is some stretch.

[the spoofer]

One thing questioning his performance quite another to question his professionalism. That is some stretch.

No it's not. His attitude stunk on Friday. He has always been a decent defender, he didn't try a bit last weekend. Completely unprofessional.

[Logorrhea]

he didn't try a bit last weekend. Completely unprofessional.

Ahhh right well I spose if he didn't even try then that would make him fair game.

Now we have someone to blame for the loss (which is important) but we can really go after him now at a personal level too. Man these internets are a fantastic place.

[artaneboy]

Whatever about all the Madigan bashing, he is off to Bordeaux. We are stuck with Nacewa (a great servant in the past) and Kirchner who blows cold more often than hot.
We should have cashed them both in and got a quality outside back.

Hold on! Kirchner may be an issue, but Isa has one poorish game- in common with most of the back line and you're offloading him!!! C'mon- that's not only over the top, it's over the rainbow. If he comes back with a stunner this week- which is probable, will you want to canonise him on that same logic?

[Flash Gordon]

Whatever about all the Madigan bashing, he is off to Bordeaux. We are stuck with Nacewa (a great servant in the past) and Kirchner who blows cold more often than hot.
We should have cashed them both in and got a quality outside back.

Hold on! Kirchner may be an issue, but Isa has one poorish game- in common with most of the back line and you're offloading him!!! C'mon- that's not only over the top, it's over the rainbow. If he comes back with a stunner this week- which is probable, will you want to canonise him on that same logic?

In fairness, Isa did make a lot of tackles. Some of them legal.

[the spoofer]

he didn't try a bit last weekend. Completely unprofessional.

Ahhh right well I spose if he didn't even try then that would make him fair game.

Now we have someone to blame for the loss (which is important) but we can really go after him now at a personal level too. Man these internets are a fantastic place.

A player who obviously didn't give a sh!t gets criticised for not giving a sh!t. If he doesn't want to put an effort in then fair enough, do so with another team but an effort is the least that should be demanded from Leinster players.

[jezzer]

Mads absolutely phoning it in, from an internet cafe on the banks of the Garonne presumably.

Donny got it spot on. That was a Darwin Award level performance from the team and coaches. Girve needs to have a serious rethink. Our alignment and lack of penetration was appalling. Unrecognisable to me as a Leinster back line. No cohesion, terrible lines, terrible passing.

Some amazing defence from both sides kept it interesting in a masochistic kinda way. Set piece good. That's the lipstick on the pig and Madigan was the pigs ear.

[neiliog93]

One thing questioning his performance quite another to question his professionalism. That is some stretch.

No it's not. His attitude stunk on Friday. He has always been a decent defender, he didn't try a bit last weekend. Completely unprofessional.

He clearly shirked a tackle on Bundee Aki. Now, ROG may have had poor tackle technique, a lack of upper body strength and positioned himself strategically to avoid having to tackle....but if someone did come down his channel, at least he always tried, and put the body on the line (often unsuccessfully).

[WarPoodle]

Whatever about all the Madigan bashing, he is off to Bordeaux. We are stuck with Nacewa (a great servant in the past) and Kirchner who blows cold more often than hot.
We should have cashed them both in and got a quality outside back.

Hold on! Kirchner may be an issue, but Isa has one poorish game- in common with most of the back line and you're offloading him!!! C'mon- that's not only over the top, it's over the rainbow. If he comes back with a stunner this week- which is probable, will you want to canonise him on that same logic?

Couldn't agree more. Kirchner has not being our best import. Not our worst mind you, but far from our best. Isa (ISA ISA ISA), has not only been our best import (up for debate obviously), but also steadies the ship and captains when all our regulars our away in International camps. To say to offload him after a bad game is ludicrous.

[Oldschool]

Whatever about all the Madigan bashing, he is off to Bordeaux. We are stuck with Nacewa (a great servant in the past) and Kirchner who blows cold more often than hot.
We should have cashed them both in and got a quality outside back.

Hold on! Kirchner may be an issue, but Isa has one poorish game- in common with most of the back line and you're offloading him!!! C'mon- that's not only over the top, it's over the rainbow. If he comes back with a stunner this week- which is probable, will you want to canonise him on that same logic?

Couldn't agree more. Kirchner has not being our best import. Not our worst mind you, but far from our best. Isa (ISA ISA ISA), has not only been our best import (up for debate obviously), but also steadies the ship and captains when all our regulars our away in International camps. To say to offload him after a bad game is ludicrous.

-1 It's time to offload the pair of them.

[neiliog93]

We should never have renewed Kirchner's contract, and we shouldn't renew Isa's for next season. Better to pool those two salaries together to bring in someone world class or close to it in the back 3.

[Dave Cahill]

I've heard Nacewas renewal is a done deal, another year.