Leinster - First choice 23.

[Oldschool]

I think fans are far too concerned about 1st choice players, 1st choice 23. Its irrelevant in the modern pro game. You need 35 players, any 23 out of that number need to do the job. And you need to tack on about 8 more who are on there way to proving they can be counted in that 35. That's why Leinster can pick up 20 points from a possible 20 during the 6N period, that's why any 23 players of that 35 are the best players the province can produce, because the competition brought about by these greater numbers pushes each player, they have to compete for the Jersey, and they have to compete to be in a position to lay claim to a jersey.

The bigger question for Leinster is how to keep all of these players wanting to stay and play for Leinster.

1st 23 irrelevant.

It's a fair bet Clerment would disagree with you.
Pretty sure that what Leo considers to be his 1st choice 23 will be pretty relevant for them.

Not really, Heaslip would be in this so called 1st 23, are Clermont going to do a lot of prep work on him or Jack Conan / Ruddock. I think Clermont will do what all teams do, concentrate on the 23 that will be playing.

Of course there is also a big white elephant in the room, perhaps you should consider. Clermont aren't responsible for the health and competiveness of Club Leinster. Leinster on the other hand are, and every coaching set up is interested in player depth , another words over the course of a season, can they continually put out a competitive 23 players, not my same 23 fav players. If you asked Leo if he would prefer 23 1st choice players, or 40 players that he could rotate while still being competitive over the course of a season, we all know what he and every other coach would say. So that brings me back to the point I made. Only fans worry about 1st choice 23's

Joe Schmidt is absolutely traumatised by the last would cup, where he lost 5 of the players that were in his list of 5 players I can not do without, he's on a mission to have player depth for the next world cup, that goes beyond a 1st choice 23.

So in other words they're very interested in our first choice 23 adjusted for injury.
I'll take that as being very relevant.

[ronk]

Joe Schmidt is absolutely traumatised by the last would cup, where he lost 5 of the players that were in his list of 5 players I can not do without, he's on a mission to have player depth for the next world cup, that goes beyond a 1st choice 23.

I don't think he's shown any sign of that this season.

He's rotating less than he used to at Leinster and he's been fairly conservative. Most changes were injury enforced.

[Cor. Ind.]

Joe Schmidt is absolutely traumatised by the last would cup, where he lost 5 of the players that were in his list of 5 players I can not do without, he's on a mission to have player depth for the next world cup, that goes beyond a 1st choice 23.

I don't think he's shown any sign of that this season.

He's rotating less than he used to at Leinster and he's been fairly conservative. Most changes were injury enforced.

Don't go off message Ronk. Yo's got a masterplan. In Yo(Yahweh) we trust...