Connacht v Leinster Sat 7:35pm 15.04.17 - TG4

[paddyor]

Cullen said Conan took a bang on the neck and was taken off as a precaution.

Wonder what type of team we'll see next week.

Think Henshaw, Furlong, McGrath will definitely be rested. Could also see both Toner and Conan being rested ahead of the SF with SOB and Sexton coming back into start or the bench. Think Carbery will be given another run at 10. Something like

Dooley
Cronin
Bent
Molony
Triggs
Leavy
Ruddock
Vdf
McGrath
Carbery
McFadden
Reid
Ringrose
ROL / Kearney
Nasewa

Tracy / Strauss
Healy
Ross
Nagle
SOB
JGP
Sexton
ROL / Kearney

Out injured
R Kearney, J Heaslip, A Byrne.

Any others?

[simonokeeffe]

think we'll see definitely Healy but also Sexton and SOB starting

[wise7]

Don't think Joey will be run at 10 next week as surely he needs to get back into the 15 mode again ahead of Clermont. Also he was not very impressive today at 10 in terms of stamping any authority on the game, apart from one really good kick into the corner and a nice little dink through that ended up yielding us a penalty.

[paddyor]

Don't think Joey will be run at 10 next week as surely he needs to get back into the 15 mode again ahead of Clermont. Also he was not very impressive today at 10 in terms of stamping any authority on the game, apart from one really good kick into the corner and a nice little dink through that ended up yielding us a penalty.

But, even if he starts at 15 in the SF, he'll be the replacement 10. So if anything happens to Sexton it'll be him to step in. Think today proved he needs more game time there.

[LeRouxIsPHat]

I thought Joey was pretty good, especially considering that JGP was poor inside him. We kept turning the ball over but none of that was his fault, he was doing his part.

[desperado]

I thought Joey was pretty good, especially considering that JGP was poor inside him. We kept turning the ball over but none of that was his fault, he was doing his part.

+ 1. Thought he was good; and in the main his decision making on options was good. His tactical kicking has improved I would think.

[wixfjord]

I'd go
Healy, Strauss, Bent, Molony, Triggs, Leavy, SOB, Ruddock, McGrath, Sexton, A Byrne/Ferg, Reid, Ringrose, DK, Carbery
Dooley, Cronin, Ross, Nagle, VDF, JGP, Byrne, Isa,

[wise7]

I don't agree Joey has to be the automatic stand-in for JS should the need arise in the SF with Clermont. We've had a pretty good replacement 10 involved in every match since Early November (except for the Wasps game) providing multiple try assists and scoring with his boot. RB showed again today the value he brings to the squad and should not be overlooked as the stand-in 10 just because Joey is at 15.

[ronk]

Think fullback is a bigger decision than 22 at the moment. Assuming Kearney is still out we have plenty of options, but we should give one time practise. Kirchner, Nacewa and Carbery is a super pool.

Picking Isa on the wing might be the way to go with Adam Byrne injured, but Ferg is getting sharper all the time and Dave Kearney might be too if we give him a few runs.

[wixfjord]

I don't agree Joey has to be the automatic stand-in for JS should the need arise in the SF with Clermont. We've had a pretty good replacement 10 involved in every match since Early November (except for the Wasps game) providing multiple try assists and scoring with his boot. RB showed again today the value he brings to the squad and should not be overlooked as the stand-in 10 just because Joey is at 15.

But of course, you might have a *slight* bias towards Ross Byrne eh?

[curates_egg]

I wouldn't start Molony as I don't think he should be in the squad next week. He looks to have gone backwards this season and I think we need to start whoever will be sub next week alongside Triggs.
Nagle hasn't let us down and seemed to be the best on show yesterday; I'd go with him. If not, Kearney.
We need someone a bit more robust and reliable than Molony for a Euro semi in France.

I'm not by any means writing Molony off - he still looks like a good prospect- but we are at the business end of the season and the selections need to reflect that.

[Raydollard]

Carbery must be the option at 10. Let 's not have another Madigan fcuk up.

[hugonaut]

I wouldn't start Molony as I don't think he should be in the squad next week. He looks to have gone backwards this season and I think we need to start whoever will be sub next week alongside Triggs.
Nagle hasn't let us down and seemed to be the best on show yesterday; I'd go with him. If not, Kearney.
We need someone a bit more robust and reliable than Molony for a Euro semi in France.

I'm not by any means writing Molony off - he still looks like a good prospect- but we are at the business end of the season and the selections need to reflect that.

I'm with you on that one CE.

I think Molony has been up and down this season, moreso than he was last season. Like you, I wouldn't write him off, but I'm not confident in his form at all. To my eyes, he has missed a lot of tackles this season [109 tackles made/20 missed] and his recent performance against Cardiff was, despite his try, very patchy.

For me, and if he's not in the starting lineup somewhere, Rhys is the man to cover secondrow on the bench. He's played the role before, he's a guy who thrives in physical games [think of his performances for Ireland against South Africa] and has given us a couple of really good 80 minute performances recently. To be frank he's obviously a better all round player than either Mick Kearney or Ian Nagle and I think that outweighs their experience as locks.

[simonokeeffe]

is McCarthy fit?
if so Ive a penchant for playing guys against their old teams
plus theres a guaranteed tete a tete with Aki

[Cianostays]

I'd go
Healy, Strauss, Bent, Molony, Triggs, Leavy, SOB, Ruddock, McGrath, Sexton, A Byrne/Ferg, Reid, Ringrose, DK, Carbery
Dooley, Cronin, Ross, Nagle, VDF, JGP, Byrne, Isa,

Yup, I'd go with that. I really think Carberry should play @ 15 as he could do with a little more experience there in an atmosphere a little less rosy than vs Wasps.

[curates_egg]

I wouldn't start Molony as I don't think he should be in the squad next week. He looks to have gone backwards this season and I think we need to start whoever will be sub next week alongside Triggs.
Nagle hasn't let us down and seemed to be the best on show yesterday; I'd go with him. If not, Kearney.
We need someone a bit more robust and reliable than Molony for a Euro semi in France.

I'm not by any means writing Molony off - he still looks like a good prospect- but we are at the business end of the season and the selections need to reflect that.

I'm with you on that one CE.

I think Molony has been up and down this season, moreso than he was last season. Like you, I wouldn't write him off, but I'm not confident in his form at all. To my eyes, he has missed a lot of tackles this season [109 tackles made/20 missed] and his recent performance against Cardiff was, despite his try, very patchy.

For me, and if he's not in the starting lineup somewhere, Rhys is the man to cover secondrow on the bench. He's played the role before, he's a guy who thrives in physical games [think of his performances for Ireland against South Africa] and has given us a couple of really good 80 minute performances recently. To be frank he's obviously a better all round player than either Mick Kearney or Ian Nagle and I think that outweighs their experience as locks.

I was thinking about Ruddock alright. He is obviously in a different class to Nagle or Kearney.
I'm still not sure how I feel about him in the row. Initially, it looked like a great idea but it doesn't seem to get the best out of him: you lose a bit of what he brings around the pitch at 6 and he is not the best technical second row.
I'd have no problem with him playing second row against Connacht but I'm not sure about Clermont.
From what I have seen of Clermont, they have a very good scrum and a decent lineout.
Is Ruddock really good enough to scrum down in the row at Euro semi level? He certainly is not as good a lineout option as the other 3.

As for McCarthy, Clermont (and Connacht away) has his name written all over it. The problem is that he seems to be really struggling fitness-wise this season.

[goreyguy]

1. Healy
2. Strauss
3. Bent
4. Molony
5. Triggs
6. Ryan
7. SOB
8. Ruddock
9. McGrath
10. Byrne
11. Kearney
12. Reid
13. Ringrose
14. ROL
15. Carbery
16. Cronin
17. Dooley
18. Ross
19. Nagle
20. Timmins
21. McCarthy
22. Kirchner
23. Daly

[johng]

Is Ryan not injured?

[goreyguy]

Is Ryan not injured?

think he is back but I could be wrong.

[erskinechilders]

Anyone know what the latest with Heaslip is? His powers of recovery are well documented so any chance of him being back for Clermont?