Leinster v Scarlets Satuday 7.35 TG4

[wixfjord]

Can we keep an excellent 6 Nations period up?
Scarlets are a settled side coming off a huge away win in Thomond with plenty of firepower in Davies, McNicholl, DTH etc.

Unlikely we'll get anyone back from Ireland other than Leavy. Ciano maybe but wouldn't be hopeful.

Possible side:
Dooley, Strauss/Tracy, Bent, Molony, Triggs, Ruddock, Leavy, Conan, McGrath, Carbery, Byrne, Reid, ROL, MCF, ZK
Byrne, Tracy/Strauss, Ross, Nagle, Ryan, JGP, Byrne, Daly

Not a bad side, with a bit of impact from the bench. Questions over second row and the fitness of ROL and Ryan.

[cormac]

Any chance Nacewa or O'Loughlin will be fit for this game?

[wixfjord]

Any chance Nacewa or O'Loughlin will be fit for this game?

Not 100%, but don't think Isa will be back for a week or two, and I think ROL's knock wasn't too bad.

[Oldschool]

Didn't see their Munster game, why did they win and would we be vulnerable to the same tactics?

[MunsterSugar]

Didn't see their Munster game, why did they win and would we be vulnerable to the same tactics?

Being fair they were superb spoiling Munster mauls and varied play but hard yo say as Munster ran out of gas after 50

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[Oldschoolsocks]

Didn't see their Munster game, why did they win and would we be vulnerable to the same tactics?

Being fair they were superb spoiling Munster mauls and varied play but hard yo say as Munster ran out of gas after 50

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More a case of running out of direction. A symptom of losing your best players to Ireland duty.

It's a double edged sword.

[arsebiscuits1]

Munster were poor enough. They've been lucky not to be found out on more occasions this season. Make their set piece ugly and and their backs don't have an overly good spark. Especially without Murray.

Leinsters game much more suited to beat the Scarlets

[simonokeeffe]

yeah pretty sure we'll only get Leavy back, we're in an odd position this year of so few Leinster players being on the bench for Ireland through injuries and 2019 building, but Leavy v Davies worth the admission price alone

good news though is McNicholl cant defend for toffee

[molloyjh]

So we're looking at something like:

Dooley Tracy Bent
Molony Triggs
Ruddock Conan Leavy

McGrath Byrne
Reid Kirchner
McFadden Carbery Byrne

Strauss, Byrne/Porter, Ross, Kearney/Nagle, Deegan, JGP, Marsh, Daly

That'd be a pretty good pack out have out anyway, even if the back line isn't the most convincing in the world. Decent enough impact off the bench too for the most part. Any win at all will do tbh. One or both of Edinburgh and Cardiff doing us a favour would also be much appreciated, although I don't see either happening.

[wixfjord]

Injury update makes it sound like ROL will be touch and go, could be looking at Zane at 13 again, although I'd much prefer Ferg in there.

Sounds like VDF and Isa will definitely be back for Wasps, which is great news.

[cormac]

Injury update makes it sound like ROL will be touch and go, could be looking at Zane at 13 again, although I'd much prefer Ferg in there.

Sounds like VDF and Isa will definitely be back for Wasps, which is great news.

Sounds like van der Flier and Nacewa will be back for the Cardiff game the week before the qf. Would be good to get a game into them before Europe resumes. No mention of when Cronin might return is a little disappointing, or perhaps I'm reading too much into the article.

[leinsterforever]

I wonder what Joey Carbery would be like at 13

[paddyor]

I wonder what Joey Carbery would be like at 13

A speed bump?

[joooooe]

I wonder what Joey Carbery would be like at 13

A speed bump?

I'd be surprised if there isn't a nudge from Joe to put him in at 10 if at all possible. Hard to see how that works unless we can unearth another back 3 player from the treatment room. Jordan Larmour looks great from the under 20s, but it would be very harsh to drop Byrne and effectively replace him with a man/boy a whole year younger than him (!).

[neiliog93]

Carberry did move from UCD to 'Tarf to get game time at 10, but that's amateur rugby. He might be more content to be moved around at pro level. Who knows? Until he improves his goal kicking, it's a gamble selecting him at 10 in any team without another goal kicker in the backline.

It would be nice if Carberry slotted in at 15 from a Leinster perspective, because it would be a pity to lose Ross Byrne to another province, which might happen if there isn't a clear route of progression at 10 in the coming years.

Looking at Scarlets, I think this is a very losable one when you look at their form this season and our greater loss to international camp. I think we'll pull through but it will be nothing like the routs we've seen recently.

[curates_egg]

I really hope Carbery starts at 10 this weekend. It sounds like Byrne has improved in the 6 weeks I've been away but I really wouldn't like to see us make the same mistake of creating a utility player out of a very talented prospect. Carbery was flying at 10 until the injury. Give Byrne a rest, put Ferg in the centre and put Kirchner back at 15. Would be at least as coherent a selection as last weekend.

Will Rossie not also get a start? 45-50 minutes? It would be nice to have him fully match fit for the Wasps game. I thought he was going very well prior to his injury and he should be given an opportunity to try and get back to where he was. If he can, he is better than the ever-reliable Bent. You also never know what will happen with Furlong the way he is being flogged by Ireland right now.

[simonokeeffe]

Does Carberry or McFadden kick then (with Isa out)?

[Dave Cahill]

Does Carberry or McFadden kick then (with Isa out)?

Ross Byrne?

[Dave Cahill]

Does Carberry or McFadden kick then (with Isa out)?

Ross Byrne?

Ah, sorry, yes

[simonokeeffe]

Does Carberry or McFadden kick then (with Isa out)?

Ross Byrne?

Ah, sorry, yes

no worries
looking at Dragons highlights Carberry was scintilating at fullback