Leinster v Dragons Sat 3rd Dec at 19.35 pm

[Ruckedtobits]

How will Leo, Girv and Bomber deal with re-integrating almost 20 internationals in preparation for two back-to-back games against Saints?

Possibly something like this:
Front-row: Healy, Cronin and Bent
Second-row: McCarthy and Nagle
Back-row: Ruddock, Leavy & Conan
Half-backs: JGP, Carbery
Centres: Daly, O'Loughlin
Wings: A Byrne, Daly / Kearney / Kirchner
Full-back: Isa

Bench: Treacy, Dooley, Loughman, Molony, SO'B, McGrath, Byrne, Kirchner / D Kearney / B Daly.

McGrath, Furlong, Toner, JVdF, Jamie, JS, Robbie H, Ringrose & Robert get R&R. Mike Ross, Ferg McFadden, Jordi Murphy, Ed Byrne, Billy Dardis all assumed injured.

R Strauss, M Kearney, Dom Ryan, Noel Reid may miss out

[neiliog93]

SOB might be line to get game time, remember how little he's had and a tight hip flexor is a 'condition' that affects 90% of the population from sitting town too much, so I expect he'll be fine.

I would say Kirchner is more likely to be at fullback, with Isa and A.Byrne on the wings. Daly may well be suspended.

[leinsterforever]

It's crucial that the reintegration of internationals is done as well as possible in advance of the European back-to-backs. I don't think it was done especially well post-World Cup last season.

Why hasn't Kirchner been involved/starting lately? Was it injury/personal issues, or have the IRFU said Nacewa and Kirchner can't start together? If it's the latter, and Daly picks up a ban, Keenan might get in on the wing. Or I suppose Reid or O'Loughlin could be shifted to the wing with Tom Daly coming in.

SOB is supposed to only have a niggle, is he? That's what they always say and then he's out for months

Ed Byrne is fit as far as I know

[wixfjord]

Is either of Rhys or DK expected back?

[simonokeeffe]

B Daly has to be suspended, DK is still out going by last injury update, Byrne and Kirchner will probably both start then

Pretty handy fixture to have between AIs and Europe

[Cianostays]

Not really ideal that we can't play any of the Ireland Players before Northampton. I presume we can't anyway?

[paddyor]

How will Leo, Girv and Bomber deal with re-integrating almost 20 internationals in preparation for two back-to-back games against Saints?

Possibly something like this:
Front-row: Healy, Cronin and Bent
Second-row: McCarthy and Nagle
Back-row: Ruddock, Leavy & Conan
Half-backs: JGP, Carbery
Centres: Daly, O'Loughlin
Wings: A Byrne, Daly / Kearney / Kirchner
Full-back: Isa

Bench: Treacy, Dooley, Loughman, Molony, SO'B, McGrath, Byrne, Kirchner / D Kearney / B Daly.

McGrath, Furlong, Toner, JVdF, Jamie, JS, Robbie H, Ringrose & Robert get R&R. Mike Ross, Ferg McFadden, Jordi Murphy, Ed Byrne, Billy Dardis all assumed injured.

R Strauss, M Kearney, Dom Ryan, Noel Reid may miss out

Why would you drop Reid? If Henshaw misses 3 weeks for the concussion he could miss the Saints game. Better to get him on the pitch and keep him playing? Ringrose has had 3 games in 3 weeks so could probably do with a break,

[cormac]

Not really ideal that we can't play any of the Ireland Players before Northampton. I presume we can't anyway?

We'll probably get the bench players, and possibly SOB depending on his fitness.

[curates_egg]

Looks like we are now relying on Carbery for Northamption, so he needs to play with whichever scrumhalf will start that game. I think JGP should but McGrath will. Either way, let the partnership work together.

We'll need to get 65 plus out of Furlong in both Northampton games, so let him get whatever preparation he needs for that.
Would have been nice to have Henshaw back for this one but I doubt it will happen.
Our starting props, back row and centres could all be playing their first games for Leinster in 6 weeks when they start in Northampton. Will be interesting to see how Leavy and VdF are used.
Leavy, who has been consistently very good, will need a big game this weekend if he wants to make the XV.

[wixfjord]

Not really ideal that we can't play any of the Ireland Players before Northampton. I presume we can't anyway?

Presumably not.
The other side of that coin though is that NH's England players will all be facing the ABs this weekend, so they'll be both more tired than our lads, and also won't have had game time with their club side.
As far as I remember, that's Hartley, Lawes, Wood, Harrisson, so spine of the pack.


As an aside, they'll potentially have Kieran Brookes suspended for at least the first game, got red carded for this at the weekend: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UZKh_MxGYPU

That's alongside Clark who is out for first game.

[FLIP]

As an aside, they'll potentially have Kieran Brookes suspended for at least the first game, got red carded for this at the weekend: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UZKh_MxGYPU

That's alongside Clark who is out for first game.

I'm wincing looking at the 9 twisting his knee. Ligament damage for sure, very similar to how I did my ACL in.

It's a really dumb move. First a shoulder charge, and then to the neck shoulder area.

[molloyjh]

You have to think we'll get limited enough access to internationals. Something like:

Dooley Tracy Bent
Nagle McCarthy
Ryan Conan Leavy

McGrath Carbery
Reid ROL
Nacewa Kirchner Byrne

Cronin, Healy, Loughman, Molony, SOB, JGP, Byrne, R Kearney

A lot of that will hang on who we actually have fit. Is Ruddock still out? Will SOB and Rob be available? Neither played a huge amount of international minutes so if they are fit they should be there. If neither Ruddock or SOB are available then Timmins will likely be on the bench again. If Rob isn't fit then Tom Daly goes to 23 in all likelihood.

[Laighin Break]

You have to think we'll get limited enough access to internationals. Something like:

Dooley Tracy Bent
Nagle McCarthy
Ryan Conan Leavy

McGrath Carbery
Reid ROL
Nacewa Kirchner Byrne

Cronin, Healy, Loughman, Molony, SOB, JGP, Byrne, R Kearney

A lot of that will hang on who we actually have fit. Is Ruddock still out? Will SOB and Rob be available? Neither played a huge amount of international minutes so if they are fit they should be there. If neither Ruddock or SOB are available then Timmins will likely be on the bench again. If Rob isn't fit then Tom Daly goes to 23 in all likelihood.

Even if Rob is available I hope they don't play him. 2 concussions in 2 weeks? He could do with sitting this one out.

[molloyjh]

Even if Rob is available I hope they don't play him. 2 concussions in 2 weeks? He could do with sitting this one out.

Well apparently he wasn't concussed on Saturday, and having been cleared to play a week after NZ you'd imagine it wasn't actually a concussion there either. Or at least a very minor one.

[cormac]

Henshaw may be available. The others don't return to camp Leinster until Thursday

[Laighin Break]

Even if Rob is available I hope they don't play him. 2 concussions in 2 weeks? He could do with sitting this one out.

Well apparently he wasn't concussed on Saturday, and having been cleared to play a week after NZ you'd imagine it wasn't actually a concussion there either. Or at least a very minor one.

I thought it looked like a concussion at the time, but didn't hear what they said it was after the match. Don't know what they said after the NZ match either for that matter (?)

[the spoofer]

Richie Murphy was in front of me and he called it a HIA to the ref.

[ChrisUppy]

Wrong thread

[Ruckedtobits]

Richie Murphy was in front of me and he called it a HIA to the ref.

Sure he did, but the A stands for Assessment and Irish Management said after the game that there was no additional injury but they held him out as a precaution.

[Xanthippe]

So it appears Leo and Lancaster do actually talk to each other





Someone is nearly bound to say that Leo has lightened up now that Lancaster is being linked with a move to Bristol