Leinster v Connacht, Sat 29 Oct @ 17.15 in the RDS

[curates_egg]

A very important league game for us and our first opportunity to get atonement for crumpling in the final last year.
However, it is not clear what squad we will have available. If I understand correctly, a lot of internationals will already be in Ireland camp. I hope the IRFU doesn't take the total Mickey and we still have a decent squad for this game.
Dave and McFadden could be back for this one; McCarthy will hopefully be back fit (no way Mick Kearney will/should be able to play). Conan and Leavy likely to feature somehow.
Will we have any of Healy, McGrath, Cronin, Ross? Will Furlong be fit and available? Will Carberry get sucked into the national camp? Who will play at 13?
I hope there is some continuity but I feel we could have a significantly different starting squad, whereas Connacht won't.

[Oldschool]

A very important league game for us and our first opportunity to get atonement for crumpling in the final last year.
However, it is not clear what squad we will have available. If I understand correctly, a lot of internationals will already be in Ireland camp. I hope the IRFU doesn't take the total Mickey and we still have a decent squad for this game.
Dave and McFadden could be back for this one; McCarthy will hopefully be back fit (no way Mick Kearney will/should be able to play). Conan and Leavy likely to feature somehow.
Will we have any of Healy, McGrath, Cronin, Ross? Will Furlong be fit and available? Will Carberry get sucked into the national camp? Who will play at 13?
I hope there is some continuity but I feel we could have a significantly different starting squad, whereas Connacht won't.

15 Kirchner
14 Isa

12 Reid
11
10 Marsh
9 GP
8 Conan
7 Leavy hopefully
6 Ryan
Nagle
McCarty - Needs the game time
Bent
Tracey

Bench
Over to you.

[cormac]

A very important league game for us and our first opportunity to get atonement for crumpling in the final last year.
However, it is not clear what squad we will have available. If I understand correctly, a lot of internationals will already be in Ireland camp. I hope the IRFU doesn't take the total Mickey and we still have a decent squad for this game.
Dave and McFadden could be back for this one; McCarthy will hopefully be back fit (no way Mick Kearney will/should be able to play). Conan and Leavy likely to feature somehow.
Will we have any of Healy, McGrath, Cronin, Ross? Will Furlong be fit and available? Will Carberry get sucked into the national camp? Who will play at 13?
I hope there is some continuity but I feel we could have a significantly different starting squad, whereas Connacht won't.

McFadden won't be available for quite a while. Suspect we'll get a few released for this. Sean O'Brien will certainly need the game time and it's hard to see him getting thrown in against the All Blacks for the game in Chicago.

Kirchner, Nacewa, O'Loughlin, Reid, Byrne/Daly, Carbery, McGrath/Gibson-Park; Dooley, Tracy, Bent, McCarthy, Nagle, Leavy, O'Brien, Conan

Dave Kearney and Rhys Ruddock will come into the frame if they're fit. Am hoping we'll get the players who won't feature in the matchday 23 for Chicago. I assume they'll be training in Ireland this week at least.

[simonokeeffe]

A very important league game for us and our first opportunity to get atonement for crumpling in the final last year.
However, it is not clear what squad we will have available. If I understand correctly, a lot of internationals will already be in Ireland camp. I hope the IRFU doesn't take the total Mickey and we still have a decent squad for this game.
Dave and McFadden could be back for this one; McCarthy will hopefully be back fit (no way Mick Kearney will/should be able to play). Conan and Leavy likely to feature somehow.
Will we have any of Healy, McGrath, Cronin, Ross? Will Furlong be fit and available? Will Carberry get sucked into the national camp? Who will play at 13?
I hope there is some continuity but I feel we could have a significantly different starting squad, whereas Connacht won't.

McFadden won't be available for quite a while. Suspect we'll get a few released for this. Sean O'Brien will certainly need the game time and it's hard to see him getting thrown in against the All Blacks for the game in Chicago.

Kirchner, Nacewa, O'Loughlin, Reid, Byrne/Daly, Carbery, McGrath/Gibson-Park; Dooley, Tracy, Bent, McCarthy, Nagle, Leavy, O'Brien, Conan

Dave Kearney and Rhys Ruddock will come into the frame if they're fit. Am hoping we'll get the players who won't feature in the matchday 23 for Chicago. I assume they'll be training in Ireland this week at least.

I think we could have Ross too as hes played so little and Murphy
Add on Porter maybe Strauss, Moloney its a pretty decent side
but...Connacht will be missing at most Bealham, Dillane, Marmion and maybe Adeoloken, Buckley and McCartney still injured

[curates_egg]

A very important league game for us and our first opportunity to get atonement for crumpling in the final last year.
However, it is not clear what squad we will have available. If I understand correctly, a lot of internationals will already be in Ireland camp. I hope the IRFU doesn't take the total Mickey and we still have a decent squad for this game.
Dave and McFadden could be back for this one; McCarthy will hopefully be back fit (no way Mick Kearney will/should be able to play). Conan and Leavy likely to feature somehow.
Will we have any of Healy, McGrath, Cronin, Ross? Will Furlong be fit and available? Will Carberry get sucked into the national camp? Who will play at 13?
I hope there is some continuity but I feel we could have a significantly different starting squad, whereas Connacht won't.

McFadden won't be available for quite a while. Suspect we'll get a few released for this. Sean O'Brien will certainly need the game time and it's hard to see him getting thrown in against the All Blacks for the game in Chicago.

Kirchner, Nacewa, O'Loughlin, Reid, Byrne/Daly, Carbery, McGrath/Gibson-Park; Dooley, Tracy, Bent, McCarthy, Nagle, Leavy, O'Brien, Conan

Dave Kearney and Rhys Ruddock will come into the frame if they're fit. Am hoping we'll get the players who won't feature in the matchday 23 for Chicago. I assume they'll be training in Ireland this week at least.

I think we could have Ross too as hes played so little and Murphy
Add on Porter maybe Strauss, Moloney its a pretty decent side
but...Connacht will be missing at most Bealham, Dillane, Marmion and maybe Adeoloken, Buckley and McCartney still injured

Just read that about Ferg: bummer for him; starting to become one of those players who is more injured than fit.
Another player I had forgotten is Triggs. Even without Toner (Ireland) and Kearney (concussed) we are now well stocked there.

Our next 4 games are Connacht (h), Zebre (a), Scarlets (a) and Dragons (h). We should ideally be getting 13/14 points out of this window - home wins, an away win and a try bonus in Zebre (who will be without some of their internationals) and/or losing bonus in Scarlets.
We need to try and manage the depleted squad to ensure that. Of that points target, the toughest to achieve looks to be this weekend's game, so I hope the IRFU allows us some leeway this weekend.
When are they flying to Chicago? That will surely partially determine who we get. Presumably, they will only pay for 26/7 players to travel, so that means McGrath, Healy, Cronin, Ross, Toner, JVDF, Heaslip, McGrath, Sexton, Henshaw, Ringrose and Kearney could be off limits?

I reckon Cormac's XV is not too far off but would it be good enough to beat Connacht?

[Dave Cahill]

Kearney is concussed? Where did you see that? According to Leo he passed his HIA but by the time it was finished he'd be coming off anyway.

[curates_egg]

Kearney is concussed? Where did you see that? According to Leo he passed his HIA but by the time it was finished he'd be coming off anyway.

Well I saw on the telly, with my eyes, that he was knocked out and dopey after he came round. If Leo said he passed his HIA, then it must be true, but I have no confidence in the HIAs (which have been criticised by medical professionals and players alike). In my day, if you got your lights turned off, it was 2-4 weeks before you returned to training. For a player like Kearney, who has had his lights turned off a few times in past few years, I would hope and imagine that due diligence will be applied.

As an aside, I found that Du Plessis total KO and his subsequent attempts to try to keep playing to be really unsettling. He was totally gone and got a fright when he came round.

[riocard911]

Kearney is concussed? Where did you see that? According to Leo he passed his HIA but by the time it was finished he'd be coming off anyway.

Well I saw on the telly, with my eyes, that he was knocked out and dopey after he came round. If Leo said he passed his HIA, then it must be true, but I have no confidence in the HIAs (which have been criticised by medical professionals and players alike). In my day, if you got your lights turned off, it was 2-4 weeks before you returned to training. For a player like Kearney, who has had his lights turned off a few times in past few years, I would hope and imagine that due diligence will be applied.

As an aside, I found that Du Plessis total KO and his subsequent attempts to try to keep playing to be really unsettling. He was totally gone and got a fright when he came round.

Not to take anything from your point re concussion (which I agree with), but the way Jannie Du Plessis stopped Leavy scoring a try at the end was phenomenal. He flew at him low to the ground like an exocet missile and knocked him - no handed tackle - back to the pitch side of the tryline. Amazing!!! If Rob had a technique like that, he could've maybe clattered Nadolo into touch.

[macboomba]

I was delighted the medics stuck to there guns and got Du Plessis off. Would have been a awful thing for him to be allowed to stay on and it would send the wrong message about concussion in the professional game.

Watched it the my local club and everyone was saying he couldn't continue and to take him off for his own sake. Good to see the things changing. Remember Florian Fritz being allowed back on for Toulouse in 2014.

[molloyjh]

We need a few guys back. Strauss didn't look very comfortable at all on the sidelines on Saturday after his 40 mins. He was limping a fair bit. Not sure if we'll see him involved. Conan looked to hurt his knee too but played on. Fingers crossed he's ok. Dave back would be a big boost at this stage. Reckon we could be looking at something like:

Dooley Tracy Bent
Molony Nagle
Leavy Conan SOB

JGP Carbery
Reid Ringrose
Kearney Kirchner Nacewa

Strauss, Porter, Ross, Triggs, Timmins, McCarthy, Marsh, ROL

[Ruckedtobits]

Doubt we'll see Ringrose or possibly Carberry. Backs something like:
JGP; Marsh / Bryne
Reid; Kirchner;
Daly; Isa; Dave K

Very surprised if we getboth Ross and SO'B, but he definitely needs gametime. Mike McC will start if he is recovered with Molony on bench.

[Dave Cahill]

Isn't it great all the same to be going into such a flagship fixture, an inter-pro between last years Pro12 finalists, with such strong squads available to each side.

[Ruckedtobits]

Possible Connacht absences for Sat could include:
O'Halloran, Adeolucan, Healy, Kelleher, Marmion, Bealham, Dillane, Roux, Muldoon and Heenan - just about 50% of Leinster's walk-up numbers. Tough to field a team when you lose such numbers................don't worry, you get used to it after the first two seasons

[riocard911]

Sure isn't it a great chance for young fellas to step to the ... wicket? Good thing we've a "senior coach", who's an expert on bring through "yoof".

[Peg Leg]

Could see a teamheet with 4 Byrne's for this one.

[paddyor]

Doubt we'll see Ringrose or possibly Carberry. Backs something like:
JGP; Marsh / Bryne
Reid; Kirchner;
Daly; Isa; Dave K

Very surprised if we getboth Ross and SO'B, but he definitely needs gametime. Mike McC will start if he is recovered with Molony on bench.

Why not Carberry? Cant see Schmidt punting on someone so young and inexp. For any of these games bar maybe canada. Hes not even a trusted kicker. Hell get more from the connachr game than holding tackle bags in carton.

[paddyor]

Ringrose could probably use a rest tbh. Hes played every big game so far this season and we do need to give ROL a run IMO.

[wixfjord]

Possible Connacht absences for Sat could include:
O'Halloran, Adeolucan, Healy, Kelleher, Marmion, Bealham, Dillane, Roux, Muldoon and Heenan - just about 50% of Leinster's walk-up numbers. Tough to field a team when you lose such numbers................don't worry, you get used to it after the first two seasons

Are Kelleher, Ade, Roux and Heenan injured?

[simonokeeffe]

Isn't it great all the same to be going into such a flagship fixture, an inter-pro between last years Pro12 finalists, with such strong squads available to each side.

it was done in conjucntion with the Welsh who have an early AI instead of a late one this year so we're not peeing off other unions, just our own (fans)

[neiliog93]

The try-saving tackle was by big Willemse, 136 kg second-row.

Looking to Connacht, I think we'll get a few of the Irish squad lads to for the sake of game time (unless they're flying off to the US in advance).