Glasgow v Leinster Saturday September 10th 3pm (Sky)

[simonokeeffe]

Eep

Dont think we'll have more backs available, if so the big selection calls are 9 and 14(/13), we'd like 12 to be in there too but I doubt it. May be a curveball of O'Loughlin starting

Forwards we'll have a few more which will give us balance and setpiece solidity. I would guess Heaslip and Toner back on account of their wolverine blood despite gametime. Not so for Johnny

Pack should be starightforward:

Healy, Tracey, Ross, Molony, McCarthy, Leavy, JVDF, Murphy
Cronin, Dooley/Porter, Bent, Toner, Heaslip


For Connacht Glasgow were missing Adam Ashe (foot), Fraser Brown, Scott Cummings, Chris Fusaro, Lee Jones, Nemia Kenatale, Fraser Lyle (hamstring), Finn Russell (face), Josh Strauss (ankle) and Richie Vernon (achilles)
Mark Bennet still probably resting after Olympics so other than Hugh Blake dont think theyve anyone else liable to come into the panel

[cormac]

For Connacht Glasgow were missing Adam Ashe (foot), Fraser Brown, Scott Cummings, Chris Fusaro, Lee Jones, Nemia Kenatale, Fraser Lyle (hamstring), Finn Russell (face), Josh Strauss (ankle) and Richie Vernon (achilles)
Mark Bennet still probably resting after Olympics so other than Hugh Blake dont think theyve anyone else liable to come into the panel

Has he got a broken face? Must be a Pixies fan.

[Cianostays]

Glasgow looked very impressive alright . A very tough game coming up. Absolutely no point in playing a wide game against a team as skilled as them so perhaps this is the type of game where we keep the ball in the tight and play close to the ruck. Getting anything more than a losing bonus point out of this game would be a very, very good result.

[simonokeeffe]

Glasgow looked very impressive alright . A very tough game coming up. Absolutely no point in playing a wide game against a team as skilled as them so perhaps this is the type of game where we keep the ball in the tight and play close to the ruck. Getting anything more than a losing bonus point out of this game would be a very, very good result.

Counter attacking (off turnovers) could be where we have the most chance of hurting them with our backs and its a traditional weakness of them

Speaking of, and credit to my bro for this, but one advantage of Ringrose on the wing is we get him returning kicks

Would like to see a lot more mauling this week too

[LeRouxIsPHat]

Very worried about our midfield defence. I would have been anyway but Glasgow destroyed Connacht there. Admittedly Connacht were awful in that regard but Noel and Zane are just a terrible combo defensively.

If we keep turning over the ball like we did on Friday then Glasgow will tear us apart.

Set piece worries me as well although if Mike and Jordi start then we might be slightly better. I think Jordi Is quite underrated in the lineout. Not that he's a specialist there but he seems very solid in the air and gets quite a lot of ball.

I'd love Mick Kearmey for this one. Anyone know when he's back? Can't remember reading anything about him. Think I saw him outside the ground on Friday but he wasn't wearing any Leinster gear which was odd given that everyone else was.

I don't have a whole lot of hope for this one. My biggest hope is probably that Glasgow are complacent and that we're such big underdogs that we can take them by surprise. Hard to know who we'll have back though so that might change things.

[simonokeeffe]

Very worried about our midfield defence. I would have been anyway but Glasgow destroyed Connacht there. Admittedly Connacht were awful in that regard but Noel and Zane are just a terrible combo defensively.

[LeRouxIsPHat]

[kermischocolate]

Don't forget we have a nice shiny new pitch which may almost be as good as a new signing .

Should be a nice fast game.

I was away at the weekend so have seen very little of the first round of games- season starts on saturday for me.

For anyone travelling don't forget it's the first Old Firm game in a few years on saturday so just be wary of where you are/ where you go especially if you're in town on the saturday night.

[simonokeeffe]

Don't forget we have a nice shiny new pitch which may almost be as good as a new signing .

Should be a nice fast game.

I was away at the weekend so have seen very little of the first round of games- season starts on saturday for me.

For anyone travelling don't forget it's the first Old Firm game in a few years on saturday so just be wary of where you are/ where you go especially if you're in town on the saturday night.

Irish people wearing blue, either the best or worst of both worlds

[riocard911]

Don't forget we have a nice shiny new pitch which may almost be as good as a new signing .

Should be a nice fast game.

I was away at the weekend so have seen very little of the first round of games- season starts on saturday for me.

For anyone travelling don't forget it's the first Old Firm game in a few years on saturday so just be wary of where you are/ where you go especially if you're in town on the saturday night.

Irish people wearing blue, either the best or worst of both worlds

Jaysus, sure if you're not cúramach, you could end up in a piss-up with the UVF lads from the Lower Newtownards Road! Sláinte!!!

[molloyjh]

We've simply got to make some changes from the squad that started on Friday if we're to stand any chance. Our set piece was in all sorts of trouble until the replacements came on. It's hard to know exactly who made the difference. Thought both Bent and Healy looked good at time when I was looking at them in the scrum. Wonder was Byrne the issue? Or maybe Maccer in the engine room? Anyone know when Rhys is due back? Some solidity at 12 defensively wouldn't go amiss either, even if we are seriously lacking in that department right now.

Healy Tracy Bent
Molony Triggs
Ryan Murphy VDF

JGP Carbery
Daly Ringrose
Nacewa Kearney McFadden

Cronin, Porter, Ross, McCarthy, Leavy, McGrath, Byrne, O'Loughlin

[simonokeeffe]

We've simply got to make some changes from the squad that started on Friday if we're to stand any chance. Our set piece was in all sorts of trouble until the replacements came on. It's hard to know exactly who made the difference. Thought both Bent and Healy looked good at time when I was looking at them in the scrum. Wonder was Byrne the issue? Or maybe Maccer in the engine room? Anyone know when Rhys is due back? Some solidity at 12 defensively wouldn't go amiss either, even if we are seriously lacking in that department right now.

Healy Tracy Bent
Molony Triggs
Ryan Murphy VDF

JGP Carbery
Daly Ringrose
Nacewa Kearney McFadden

Cronin, Porter, Ross, McCarthy, Leavy, McGrath, Byrne, O'Loughlin

why would you go with Bent over Ross? agree with you on Tracy unless Cronin can start

Can see the argument on Triggs v Mike and Ryan v Leavy

[johng]

Might have Furlong back for this also?

[molloyjh]

We've simply got to make some changes from the squad that started on Friday if we're to stand any chance. Our set piece was in all sorts of trouble until the replacements came on. It's hard to know exactly who made the difference. Thought both Bent and Healy looked good at time when I was looking at them in the scrum. Wonder was Byrne the issue? Or maybe Maccer in the engine room? Anyone know when Rhys is due back? Some solidity at 12 defensively wouldn't go amiss either, even if we are seriously lacking in that department right now.

Healy Tracy Bent
Molony Triggs
Ryan Murphy VDF

JGP Carbery
Daly Ringrose
Nacewa Kearney McFadden

Cronin, Porter, Ross, McCarthy, Leavy, McGrath, Byrne, O'Loughlin

why would you go with Bent over Ross? agree with you on Tracy unless Cronin can start

Can see the argument on Triggs v Mike and Ryan v Leavy

I'm just assuming that Ross won't be allowed to start tbh. Although johng may have a point re Furlong.

The only reason I have Triggs over Maccer is because our scrum looked noticeably better when the replacements came on. And if I'm honest I'm taking a huge shot in the dark as to why that was. In fairness to Triggs though he got through huge amounts of work in pre-season and was better on the ball than Maccer (understandably) was so there could well be a case for him outside the scrum as well.

[simonokeeffe]

I saw that too but attributed it to Ross, he has his famous need to tick over and plays more than the other Ireland starters

[molloyjh]

I saw that too but attributed it to Ross, he has his famous need to tick over and plays more than the other Ireland starters

If Ross is available to start then happy days. Would be good to see Furlong on the bench then too, but that's probably too much to ask for.

[LeRouxIsPHat]

Mike was knackered on Friday, that might have had something to do with it. At one stage he looked so wrecked that I thought he'd taken a head knock or something but it was just tiredness. He'd manage to get a burst of energy now and then but the scrums must have been pretty tough.

[simonokeeffe]

I saw that too but attributed it to Ross, he has his famous need to tick over and plays more than the other Ireland starters

If Ross is available to start then happy days. Would be good to see Furlong on the bench then too, but that's probably too much to ask for.

Bigtime. Maybe we will, his gametime was relatively low last season

@lrip yeah in fairness it was McCarthy's first game in 9 months

[cormac]

May be worth noting that Scotstoun is now an artificial surface. Likely to be a fast-paced game.

[LeRouxIsPHat]

So maybe pick Leavy and Josh on the flanks and Jordi at 8?