Hippo wrote:Looked to me like Leavy dropped the ball for the final try
I thought so too but it makes up for the fact that, in there among the very dramatic and extremely painful face plant and forward somersault, I think Mike Allen may have lost control of the ball for Edinburgh's first.
Also, why was Allen allowed to play on for about 8 minutes before he was taken off to be assessed or did he take a second knock?
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I'm a Book Mark and damn proud of it. Storm 1:08 forever
I wouldn't be too hard on the team. There was a mixture of young players and internationals playing their first game of the season as well as everyone getting to grips with a new attacking style and new defence coach. They scored 5 tries which is 5 more than they scored in this fixture last season.
This Edinburgh team played 25-30 mins of possession rugby against a team who fought for their try line. Agree that fast aggressive defensive line resulted in guys falling off tackles, but that's about timing and technique and will improve in time.
Edinburgh were decent, especially at 2nd row, back-row and centre.
Leinster must:
a) Never play without a tighthead lock;
b) Attack opposition lineouts at No 2 with Molony or Toner;
c) Send Brian Byrne back for a throwing Semester - he has the throwing Yips;
d) Keep the pace of defensive line high but back to basics on tackling;
e) Keep JGP and Carbery together!
f) Decide how to exit in 22m when we have turned over posession.
Much better than Glasgow performance and great result in Cardiff
It's really pleasing to see Leinster playing potent attacking rugby again. The shape with players staying square and offering angles back against the grain has got to be down to Henry. Hugely positive signs anyway.
Is it just me or do the players not bind tightly enough together in the scrum? It's all a bit loose and lacking in cohesion. People can talk about tighthead locks but Healy was coming under big pressure as well. With the personnel available Leinster shouldn't really be struggling in this area
jezzer wrote:Yeah the ref was quite por, but we were just shocking in the second half. Some awful decisions (kicking the ball away in particular) and some awful execution of pretty basic stuff. In the first half we probably weren't as good as the scoreline suggested, but we're a way better team than the rabble that served up dross for most of the second 40. Very flat and almost liek they didn't want to be out there at times. No appetite to take the game on once we had 4 tries.
Set piece was a mess. Byrne made Cronin look like Eric Bristow. Furlong and Healy arsing around too much instead of just propping. Molony clearly doesn't have the push that Mike Mc had. Carbery just firing the ball indiscriminiately off his boot whenever we finally did get possession. Hollywood offloads and knockons when we needed to get a foothold. Oxymoron (who was very quick to the breakdown and sharp with his passing/decisions) had the chance of a chip over the top for a 3 on 1 and probable try and he booted it away. Ringrose (who cleaned up a lot fo other guys' messes) shooting up and giving runners a dogleg, Marsh looking like a 12-year-old in the tackle with and without the ball, Kirchner launching imposible garryowens..... we were a rabble and I'm disappointed in Isa and Heaslip for not pulling them in and knocking a few heads.
But it's a 5-pointer and that's all the stat sheet will say. We got no points for a talented loss last week so we'll take the 5 for a messy victory.
There is absolutely NOTHING in the history of rugby to support the deliberate knock-on decision. That was a panto decision.
Glass half full man( or woman) clearly from that post....we had 4 tries scored in 2nd gear and actually played some good stuff....ringrose had some fantastic hits in D and carried well throughout
Funny how you can still manage to rip the piss out of Cronin even though he had 100% in the lineout and won a crucial scrum against the head under our posts
Granted marsh shouldn't be anywhere near a pro12 but 5 points in Edinburgh is a great return
Cheer up!!!!
I hear what you're saying. But what keeps us at the top of the European game will be holding ourselves to a higher standard. Not making really basic execution errors. Recognising when we need to retake control. When you're almost beaten by an inferior side, you have to ask a few questions. When you're beaten by a better side, you can afford to be more philosophical.
Leinster don't look that well coached at the moment but they do look like a team that knows what it's trying to do.
In other words the plan is there but the bits that make up successful execution are a work in progress.
The biggest single issue seems to be an inability to maintain concentration for 80 minutes or even close to 80 minutes.
Two games in a row now and Leinster have gone to sleep for up to 30 minutes and totally lost our momentum.
It cost us the game against Glasgow and lets be honest we could have lost the game to Edinburgh but for their foot in touch disallowed try.
As an aside, comments about Ringrose re defence.
When a good defender, which Ringrose is, makes mistakes or errors of judgement in defence, it's well worth looking elsewhere for the reason.
Mirror, Mirror on the Wall who's the greatest player of them all? It is Drico your majesty.
simonokeeffe wrote:swicthing off more an issue for players especially leadership group, unless you want to be macro and say everything falls/reverts to coaches/coaching
The players were switchedoff at the start of both halfs I think that's definitely at the coaches feet.
Don't get me wrong I think the players are at fault too.
A great kick off after half time was ruined by our player selling himself instead of shepherding the receiver.
Coming unto the pitch still in the dressing room is whose fault?
Mirror, Mirror on the Wall who's the greatest player of them all? It is Drico your majesty.
simonokeeffe wrote:swicthing off more an issue for players especially leadership gro up, unless you want to be macro and say everything falls/reverts to coaches/coaching
The players were switchedoff at the start of both halfs I think that's definitely at the coaches feet.
Don't get me wrong I think the players are at fault too.
A great kick off after half time was ruined by our player selling himself instead of shepherding the receiver.
Coming unto the pitch still in the dressing room is whose fault?
Disagree on this. When players have demonstrated that the game plan works and opponents slightly change the pattern, its up to the guys on the park to react and re-assert the things which were working. Leinster players did not "treasure the ball" for 25 mins at start of second half, nor did they adapt to where Edinburgh back-row were running at our 10/12 channel and creating linebreaks.
If they're not good enough to do that aaainst Edinburgh, they can expect to be washed away in European group, and possibly by Ospreys.
simonokeeffe wrote:swicthing off more an issue for players especially leadership group, unless you want to be macro and say everything falls/reverts to coaches/coaching
The players were switchedoff at the start of both halfs I think that's definitely at the coaches feet.
Don't get me wrong I think the players are at fault too.
A great kick off after half time was ruined by our player selling himself instead of shepherding the receiver.
Coming unto the pitch still in the dressing room is whose fault?
I think at best its mutual/it fits whatever narrative you want; if the players need to be told to concentrate (on kick offs) they deserve the hair dryer treatment
Retired from babbling. Can be found on twittter @okeeffesimon
I didn't see the game last Friday but I am intrigued by the deliberate knock on decision. Roughly what time of the game did this happen? I'll have a peak at TG4 player and look at it.
Never mind - found it. Farcical decision. "No attempt to catch the Ball"!!?? Of course he wasn't trying to catch the ball he was trying to block a kick!!!
