Leinster A 2016-17

[johng]

Bent was replaced at the same time as TH lock Mick Kearney. Also.... Rhys Gill and Mathew Rees came on and made the difference.

To hang all this on Bent is a loada mebollix. Sure he was part of it but....

He basically won us the game from TH along with Madser's boot the last time we went down to Castres.

The guy gets sh1t upon more often than a statue in Trafalgar square. Very happy to have him. Would I like to see him start at TH v Montpellier? No. But the guy is well able in the pro 12.

[Gearzbox2]

If anything this new info strengthens my argument as the scrum actually weakened when Cronin came on for Tracy.

At this stage Cronin seems to have slipped into the supporters most berated player after Bent
Bizarre really, guy was players player of the year 18 months ago, I seem to have missed how he's gotten to this level of abuse

[molloyjh]

Bent was replaced at the same time as TH lock Mick Kearney. Also.... Rhys Gill and Mathew Rees came on and made the difference.

To hang all this on Bent is a loada mebollix. Sure he was part of it but....

He basically won us the game from TH along with Madser's boot the last time we went down to Castres.

The guy gets sh1t upon more often than a statue in Trafalgar square. Very happy to have him. Would I like to see him start at TH v Montpellier? No. But the guy is well able in the pro 12.

+ 1,000

There were 2 changes to the Cardiff tight 5 and 4 to the Leinster tight 5 all around the same time. Yet it seems only 1 of those changes was the cause of our scrum issues? Bent has been a solid squad player for us and if there's a better 3rd/4th string prop out there I'm not sure who that is.

[goreyguy]

Loughman is clearly ahead of Heffernan, Bent is a good player to have while we try to develop them both.

Can't see Porter moving across, he isn't a very technical scrummager on LH side.. relies too much on his overwhelming power, so not sure he'd be suitable for TH.

[cormac]

I'm no expert on the area but it's always seems to me that Bent is quite good on the engage but doesn't have the core strength once the power comes on from the opposition. Mike Ross is the opposite.

[Flash Gordon]

Larmour is obviously on the fast track!!!

not surprising, he is in the top 3 prospects in Leinster at u20 level, even if he is small.

Loved seeing him play schools, such a dangerous runner.

It would be great to have a potent try scorer on the wing again.

And he scored on his debut......if that lad gets a yard of space he's usually gone, he has gas and though he's small his centre of gravity and pace off the step is hard to stop. My lads played with him and said they'd never seen anything like him and that he was impossible to stop in training - and though he's small in height he's incredibly strong - I know David Jones takes a lot of credit for that at Andrew's (saw him at the game surveying his work!).

[goreyguy]

And he scored on his debut......if that lad gets a yard of space he's usually gone, he has gas and though he's small his centre of gravity and pace off the step is hard to stop. My lads played with him and said they'd never seen anything like him and that he was impossible to stop in training - and though he's small in height he's incredibly strong - I know David Jones takes a lot of credit for that at Andrew's (saw him at the game surveying his work!).

Hopefully his size won't be a barrier at pro level.

Anyone else to watch coming through in Andrews?

[leinsterforever]

I think there's still a place for the small guys. Larmour will just have to be elusive like Jason Robinson in attack, and technically sound like Stringer in in the tackle

[riocard911]

I think there's still a place for the small guys. Larmour will just have to be elusive like Jason Robinson in attack, and technically sound like Stringer in in the tackle

On that point with reference to the match v Munster but not just, I reckon Luke McGrath must be pound for pound the best tackler we have!!!!

[wixfjord]

I'm no expert on the area but it's always seems to me that Bent is quite good on the engage but doesn't have the core strength once the power comes on from the opposition. Mike Ross is the opposite.

He's git a very long back for a TH. Completely different body shape than Ross and Moore for eg, and looks leaner than Tadhg.

[johng]

I'm no expert on the area but it's always seems to me that Bent is quite good on the engage but doesn't have the core strength once the power comes on from the opposition. Mike Ross is the opposite.

He's git a very long back for a TH. Completely different body shape than Ross and Moore for eg, and looks leaner than Tadhg.

Long back = better leverage/lower to the ground. There was a south African lad who played for London Irish a while back that had a very long back..... Fan Rautenbach or something like that. Played against us a few times. Good scrumager

[FLIP]

I'm no expert on the area but it's always seems to me that Bent is quite good on the engage but doesn't have the core strength once the power comes on from the opposition. Mike Ross is the opposite.

He's git a very long back for a TH. Completely different body shape than Ross and Moore for eg, and looks leaner than Tadhg.

Long back = better leverage/lower to the ground. There was a south African lad who played for London Irish a while back that had a very long back..... Fan Rautenbach or something like that. Played against us a few times. Good scrumager

A long back does make for more of a leverage affect from a loosehead driving at any angle other than straight.

[leinsterforever]

Based on the Cardiff match, it seems to me that Bent struggles with anything other than the opposition driving completely square. It must be hard for him, cos he doesn't usually get much of a run of games to get into a groove.

[simonokeeffe]

I think there's still a place for the small guys. Larmour will just have to be elusive like Jason Robinson in attack, and technically sound like Stringer in in the tackle

On that point with reference to the match v Munster but not just, I reckon Luke McGrath must be pound for pound the best tackler we have!!!!

In the words of Full Metal Jacket "hes got gots, and sometimes guts is enough"

As an aside, Leo used the phrase full metal jacket in the build up to Munster game and couldnt say it with a straight face, me thinks was a dig at Eddie O'Sullivan

[macboomba]

I think there's still a place for the small guys. Larmour will just have to be elusive like Jason Robinson in attack, and technically sound like Stringer in in the tackle

On that point with reference to the match v Munster but not just, I reckon Luke McGrath must be pound for pound the best tackler we have!!!!

+1 Agree with that. He is a super cover tackler and gets nice and low to wrap the legs. Always been impressed with his tackling and bravery.

[macboomba]

Did anyone see the match? Who played well?

I know Larmour scored on debut but how was the rest of his game?

Couldn't believe when I heard Triggs played and scored. Fair dues to the guy. Wish him and the family well.

[wwed]

Did anyone see the match? Who played well?

I know Larmour scored on debut but how was the rest of his game?

Couldn't believe when I heard Triggs played and scored. Fair dues to the guy. Wish him and the family well.

Very strong start by Leinster, then Ulster came back into it. Second half Leinster ran away with it, a few very good tries scored.

Triggs came on at half time (for Regan) and really drove things on for us upfront. Tom Daly, Jimmy O'Brien and Jeremy Loughman other standouts for me.

Lamour came on quite late but showed his pace to run in from about 15m.

TBH Ulster fell apart in second half so hard to know how much to read into result.

[macboomba]

Cheers.

[erskinechilders]

Any highlights of the game?

[Ruckedtobits]

Really strong rumours from lots of the usual suspects that A team back-row will be SOB, Dom Ryan and Jack Conan. That should cause serious heartache to Richmond.

Assume McCarthy and Marsh at half-back, possibly Daly and O'Loughlin in the centre with Byrne and Keenan on the wings.

Upfront, possibly Porter, Byrne and Bent with Triggs and AN Other makes for a very strong pack.