Outhalf crisis

[curates_egg]

We are at the beginning of a tunnel of crucial games for our season and we have one out half left, who is supposedly fit and able to play.

Ross Byrne is de facto an academy player (he was added to the squad last week but isn't even added on our website http://www.leinsterrugby.ie/teams/senior-squad/) and a bright prospect.
Carbery - a 21 year old, who is an outstanding prospect but is also a de facto academy player (see above URL) - looks like being out until this tunnel of games is over.
Cathal Marsh - who probably doesn't have what it takes at the top level but is, at least, an out half in the senior squad - is also injured for the next few weeks at least.
And then there's Sexton. We need to talk about Johnny...but, no, we can't because it is taboo. You cannot question this situation. You must accept it. Regardless, we now know that, again, he will not be available to us this weekend. The last time he was fully fit to play for Leinster was against Munster over two months ago.

Ross Byrne may be good enough enough to see us through every minute of the next 5 or 6 crucial games for our season; I honestly can't judge yet if he is. But 480 minutes of rugby (or 400 if you put a cardboard cut-out of Sexton in against Zebre) is a lot of time to stay fit, firing and not exhausted...and he already shipped a knock last weekend.

Why is there no talk of us signing a medical joker? This situation is ridiculous, yet even people here are putting their heads in the sand and discussing things like which of Reid or Nacewa should play for us at 10. Why?
There has to be some quid pro quo from the IRFU. If Leinster is going to be a platform for Sexton to train and recover, which everyone seems ok with, we have to be allowed to sign someone to deal with the consequences, which are now out of hand.

[goreyguy]

Personally i'm cautiously excited. I wonder if one of the sub academy outhalves will get pushed up.

At least both are playing AIL rugby and doing well.

an AIL option could be Scott Deasy? But he is working so mightnot be feasilble.

Jimmy O'Brien played 10 for the A team so you'd assume he is an option aswell.

Noel Reid is an injury doubt to remember.

Nacewa as 10 cover will probably be what we have to settle on.

[curates_egg]

Personally i'm cautiously excited. I wonder if one of the sub academy outhalves will get pushed up.

At least both are playing AIL rugby and doing well.

an AIL option could be Scott Deasy? But he is working so mightnot be feasilble.

Jimmy O'Brien played 10 for the A team so you'd assume he is an option aswell.

I see. I was more thinking Beauden Barrett but each to his own I guess.
On a more serious note, would any of those players have the conditioning or physical strength to go toe-to-toe with, say, Montpellier? Byrne, at least, looks to be more or less physically ready.
Deasy - I guess - has played Pro12 but would he just be able to come and play with Leinster?

Nacewa as 10 cover will probably be what we have to settle on.

Why should we have to settle?

[goreyguy]

Personally i'm cautiously excited. I wonder if one of the sub academy outhalves will get pushed up.

At least both are playing AIL rugby and doing well.

an AIL option could be Scott Deasy? But he is working so mightnot be feasilble.

Jimmy O'Brien played 10 for the A team so you'd assume he is an option aswell.

I see. I was more thinking Beauden Barrett but each to his own I guess.
On a more serious note, would any of those players have the conditioning or physical strength to go toe-to-toe with, say, Montpellier? Byrne, at least, looks to be more or less physically ready.
Deasy - I guess - has played Pro12 but would he just be able to come and play with Leinster?

Nacewa as 10 cover will probably be what we have to settle on.

Why should we have to settle?

there is your problem to begin with.

we will more than likely have to settle because thats the way of the world.

[Oldschool]

C_A; Agree with a lot of what you say, however.
MOC left such a sour taste with his treatment of Madigan and over use of Gopperth that a signing of someone like Barret is never going to happen.
That then leaves us in a "what are our other options" situation?
A few suggestions have already been made and another alternative is a lower level joker, someone from the ITM? for example or even the Super 1oh 5 unlikely I think.

[Dave Cahill]

Nucifora says no.

[wixfjord]

Do we really need a joker? If Carbery doesn't need surgery he'll be back in 6 weeks.
According to Leo, Sexton will be back for Munster.
That would mean getting a joker for one game, which is on Saturday.
Plus we have Isa and Reid I.C.E.

I don't think a joker is needed. And giving Byrne as much game time as possible will be both palatable to the IRFU and good for his future.

[Dave Cahill]

We have no senior outhalves available for a European Champions Cup game. Of course a joker is needed - and needed today.

[Oldschool]

Nucifora says no.

Dave no's best!

[LeRouxIsPHat]

Pure fantasy stuff but...Handré Pollard has been out since February but should be fit now. Could be great for all concerned to get him on board for a couple of months.

[cormac]

Whatever happened to that Ian Madigan fella?

[wixfjord]

We have no senior outhalves available for a European Champions Cup game. Of course a joker is needed - and needed today.

So you'd essentially be getting in an injury joker three days before a huge game to possibly put on the bench (possibly) who might not play again at all if Sexton comes back for Munster, and who might be relegated to fourth choice 10 in January if Carbery is only out for 6 weeks?

I don't think that's a smart usage of time or resource personally.

[Dave Cahill]

We have no senior outhalves available for a European Champions Cup game. Of course a joker is needed - and needed today.

So you'd essentially be getting in an injury joker three days before a huge game to possibly put on the bench (possibly) who might not play again at all if Sexton comes back for Munster, and who might be relegated to fourth choice 10 in January if Carbery is only out for 6 weeks?

I don't think that's a smart usage of time or resource personally.

possibly...might...if...might...if. Those go both ways.

In the next six weeks, we play three European fixtures and two interpros. Ifs, mights and maybes aren't going to cover outhalf.

[LeRouxIsPHat]

Suppose we have to wait to hear about Carbery too, all just rumours at the moment.

[Oldschool]

Suppose we have to wait to hear about Carbery too, all just rumours at the moment.

Contrary to all the rumours he'll probably start on Saturday.

[wixfjord]

We have no senior outhalves available for a European Champions Cup game. Of course a joker is needed - and needed today.

So you'd essentially be getting in an injury joker three days before a huge game to possibly put on the bench (possibly) who might not play again at all if Sexton comes back for Munster, and who might be relegated to fourth choice 10 in January if Carbery is only out for 6 weeks?

I don't think that's a smart usage of time or resource personally.

possibly...might...if...might...if. Those go both ways.

In the next six weeks, we play three European fixtures and two interpros. Ifs, mights and maybes aren't going to cover outhalf.

From an outside fan perspective yes. But as you rightly said last week, the coaching team know exactly what the scenario is, we're working with imperfect information. And if the scenario is that Sexton returns over Xmas, then we don't need a joker, particularly with Isa & Reid around too.

[CiaranIrl]

And then there's Sexton. We need to talk about Johnny...but, no, we can't because it is taboo. You cannot question this situation. You must accept it. Regardless, we now know that, again, he will not be available to us this weekend. The last time he was fully fit to play for Leinster was against Munster over two months ago.

(Ignoring the rest for now)

You know, you have an incredibly defensive reaction to people disagreeing with you. Nobody said you can't talk about Sexton. Say what you want about whatever you want, but suck it up if people don't agree.

[leinsterforever]

How quickly could a joker be lined up? There wouldn't be much point if Marsh was fit by the time he arrived. Any potential short-term signing would have to be a better 10 than Nacewa to make it worthwhile as well

[Ruckedtobits]

Suppose we have to wait to hear about Carbery too, all just rumours at the moment.

Contrary to all the rumours he'll probably start on Saturday.

No chance, but I'd be less surprised if Jonno did.

Getting somebody in as a medical joker at out-half is a 3/4 week project at least, even if it was Barrett or Pollard. The entire ship runs to patterns, in every aspect of the game. Its not just a question of the playbook, there's the familiarity with every other player in the match-day squad - what they can or can't do, where they're likely to be and not be, whether they like contact or space, and a thousand other details.

We trained as a Squad when Sexton and Carbery were in National Camp. In their absense we would still have run two backlines against each other and, all things being equal, Ross Byrne and Jimmy O'Brien would have fitted the 10 jerseys. Having watched JO'B closely last Sat for the A Team and previously as a Centre for the successful Irish Under 20s against teams like NZ and Argentina, I would have few concerns and a lot of confidence that either of them would give our backline lots of opportunities and wouldn't suffer any damage doing so.

Confidence is the key and at present they both have it in spades. Opportunity comes to pass, not to pause. It must be grabbed and these guys could do just that.

[LeRouxIsPHat]

How many more changes can we make to the Euro squad? We've already switched Marsh and Ross Byrne so maybe we'd be reluctant to make another change (if we were allowed of course) that would only get us through to January in that regard.