Leinster v Cardiff Sat 3PM TG4/Sky Sports

[ronk]

Best performance I've seen from Cardiff in a while. They defended well and lived with whatever platforms they could get.

We weren't the same when we were frustrated by their defence and couldn't find easy holes. They took their breakaway tries very well. Had 3 and almost got a 4th only for great cover by Nacewa. We adapted to fold better but it was worrying that we didn't spot the danger early in turnover positions.

Some solid performances. Liked Leavy, was really impressed with Ruddock. Great to see him in form, same with Healy. Molony is a better player than his overall performance. Hope it starts working for him.

Daly punched through the line well when he came on. Carbery looked less impressive in this type of contest, especially at scramble.

[simonokeeffe]

Only Isa and Cian deserve to be selected next week on merit.

Triggs, any of the backrow, McGrath?

[ronk]

Only Isa and Cian deserve to be selected next week on merit.

Triggs, any of the backrow, McGrath?

Yes, Leavy and Ruddock, yes, Byrne, Reid

[simonokeeffe]

Only Isa and Cian deserve to be selected next week on merit.

Triggs, any of the backrow, McGrath?

Yes, Leavy and Ruddock, yes, Byrne, Reid

Reid's fighting for no23

Byrne displayed some defensive naivitee but ah would keep him in situ

[Cor. Ind.]

Impressed by Fad. Surprised he wasn't picked by Joe last week. Adam Byrne is some player. Ruddock really impressed too.

[Laighin Break]

Thought Tracy made a good impact

[Hippo]

Frustratingly sloppy performance, there would surely have been a different result had Cardiff had any kind of scrum.

Nice piece of Jamie-style obstruction from Leavy for McGrath's try. A rather more aggressive effort from Schingler just before HT - he nearly took VdF's head off running a, eh, dummy line off the ball.

[hugonaut]

That was a decent performance from Cardiff today. They had a good side out there and their ability to strike from deep was really impressive.

Felt sorry for Ross Molony, who had a couple of long chases back looking like a 2013 vintage Leo Cullen! Not a great game from him, but lineout work was very impressive. He still has a lot of room for improvement, but he's a 22 year old lock closing in on 40 caps. He has laid a strong foundation and it's important to take the long view with him.

We were quite poor after a good start. It's been quite a long break for a lot of our players [three weeks since the last league game] and it looked it. We were quite sloppy and disjointed compared to how we had been playing while the Six Nations was on.

Great to see Isa back – he really is such a great player. Thought that Joey had a bad game at No15 and if Cullen and Lancaster were thinking of starting him there against Wasps, they will be thinking again on the back of the comparative performances between himself and Isa. Think that Ferg has showed well since his comeback and would be confident of him stepping up against the Wasps as a starter.

Scrum was nothing short of great. We made mincemeat of them with both front rows, no drop off at all. Cian was a bull. Triggs played really well in the row, certainly would be locked in with Dev in my selection for next week. Rhys did well at No8 - big, strong, forgotten man.

We have a lot of important players who have been playing well and playing together for the last two months – McGrath, Furlong, Toner, O'Brien, Sexton, Henshaw and Ringrose to name the most prominent seven.

[Oldschool]

Strange game. 3 very similar tries for Cardiff

Adam Byrne is not going to like the video analysis.
He kept coming in off his wing and giving his opposite no. a few pass.

[RoboProp]

Strange game. 3 very similar tries for Cardiff

Adam Byrne is not going to like the video analysis.
He kept coming in off his wing and giving his opposite no. a few pass.

Not many are gonna like the video analysis on Monday

[munster#1]

Fair play Leinster. That was a very valuable victory, and one snatch out of the jaws of defeat.

Imo that victory has to be credited to the scrum.
Leinster did not allow Cardiff any decent ball from the scrum, and managed to earn a lot of penalties.

The Leinster defense was very passive, giving up a lot of yards in the tackle.

Leinster look likely to finish top of the league, and rightly so.

[johng]

Leinster look likely to finish top of the league, and rightly so.

Bwahahaha.

Are you setting that one up to make Munster topping the league look more impressive in a few weeks?

[fourthirtythree]

Are you setting that up so that when Leinster defy the odds and top the league it will look more impressive?















yyes I know all either of us care about is top two and both of us would take it like a shot right now. And yes, Munster's run in makes them favourite to top the league. A five pointer would be indicated today were we to threaten that.

[Ruckedtobits]

Thought Tracy made a good impact

Certainly not with his tackling. Missed at least three by my count. None easy, and he wasn't the only one, but if you rush up hard, you've got to make them.

[munster#1]

Leinster look likely to finish top of the league, and rightly so.

Bwahahaha.

Are you setting that one up to make Munster topping the league look more impressive in a few weeks?

Is that how things work in your mind?

Leinster have went through a phase where most of their first choice players were unavailable without losing a match. Those internationals are now back.

[neiliog93]

Lol, we'll still probably be third, or second at best. Hope this performance doesn't seem A.Byrne dropped for McFadden.

[Laighin Break]

Thought Tracy made a good impact

Certainly not with his tackling. Missed at least three by my count. None easy, and he wasn't the only one, but if you rush up hard, you've got to make them.

Oh must have missed that. Had one great turnover and some very good carries too.

[Oldschoolsocks]

Thought Tracy made a good impact

Certainly not with his tackling. Missed at least three by my count. None easy, and he wasn't the only one, but if you rush up hard, you've got to make them.

+1 on that, big and awkward and experienced as Cuthbert is, he needed to be taken down - that was a huge turning point. From a ruck in their 22 to a defensive 5m line out is a massive swing - a court would definitely have been convened for that one in my day

[Xanthippe]

Thought Noel Reid had a good game today and unlike A. Byrne and Carbery he made his tackles. Interesting to see how much of the game he and Ross Byrne swapped positions.

R. Byrne's kicks are simply unbelievable - one fantastic one to Isa today that was so precise it was like he took out a ruler to measure the distance before he kicked. One small piece of Byrne trivia - his penalty kick in second half was the first points he scored that didn't come from a conversion.

[johng]

Leinster look likely to finish top of the league, and rightly so.

Bwahahaha.

Are you setting that one up to make Munster topping the league look more impressive in a few weeks?

Is that how things work in your mind?

Leinster have went through a phase where most of their first choice players were unavailable without losing a match. Those internationals are now back.

No. Just trying to guess how yours works. It obviously doesn't include looking at the remaining fixtures for each team.