Leinster v Cardiff Fri 8 Sep 19:35 TG4, BBC Wales

[LeRouxIsPHat]

I genuinely believe that people see Luke make an error and double the number of times its happened in their head because of his previous issues. To say that Luke's passing was poor for 50 minutes simply isn't true, he made some errors in those 50 minutes, but you've ignored 90% of the good stuff, so yeah I think it's fair to say he played well apart from a few errors. Not everything is black and white.

Didn't say anything about you being biased, just thought you were overly harsh, that's all.

[hugonaut]

That was as forgettable a match as you could imagine a bonus-point win turning out to be! Cardiff were fresh and their linespeed was good [as were their halfbacks during the first half], but they were blunt throughout.

I'm a frequent defender of Ross Byrne, but most of the criticisms that I've read here are quite fair. He didn't play as well as he can ... it happens. His inside-pass gambit was the most frustrating aspect of his performance, because he has been doing the same thing for a number of years – giving that big telegraphed "I'm going to pop it inside" body-shape and then doing just that.

Strong performances from Jack Conan, Scott Fardy and Cian Healy up front, with some good work from Dev, Cro, JVDF and Dan Leavy.

Rory O'Loughlin is taking a while to warm up to the pace of the season, ditto AB+. Feel very sorry for Rob Kearney, who looked lost when he pulled up injured in an innocuous situation. He had looked sharp on the ball and it seemed to me that he was disconsolate at his body letting him down so early in the season. With his recent history of injuries you could imagine him looking at it from a wider perspective and getting very frustrated.

We're still missing a lot of quality backs in Sexton, Henshaw, Ringrose, Lowe and Carberry [not to mention DK, Ferg and Noel Reid – all internationals – from a second-string/depth perspective]. We're a bit skinny at fullback with Robert's continuing injuries and Zane Kirchner moving on; Zane played loads of matches for us, averaging 16+6 over his four seasons. I think we could see DK playing some rugby at No15 this season, especially if he's available for the upcoming mini-tour to South Africa.

[Gearzbox2]

Score line flattered us beyond belief
First half was the most pedestrian stuff I've witnessed in a long time
Healy mixed the good with his usual 2/3 knock ons
Pack largely ineffective in first half bar Conan

2nd half or maybe I should say last 25 mins were enjoyable
Conan and Ruddock to the fore along with ROl and Larmour
Don't think people on here realise how lucky we are to have Cronin, his try was a game changer and brought great pace into the game, hugely underrated

Overall I'm not overly confident on a huge test we will face in SA

[blockhead]

Full game, in a language we all can understand.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tQMGw-WHRY0

[ronk]

Thought we were dominating for most of the early game but unable to score. Cardiff lived with us through a few soft penalties and handling errors, and good defending.

Pressure took its toll over time and once we got clear we kicked up a gear to score and they couldn't live with us.

Watching back I was really impressed with Bent. Very active in the loose and winning the tight exchanges.

Toner shedding weight has made him faster, might help his overall game.

You can see that we're becoming more of an offloading team and there will be a few more handling errors as we develop.

Oh and I hate that new law about kicking the ball out of the ruck. It's taken away a critical way to compete for possession.

[Ruckedtobits]

It it systemicallly impossible to play a high tempo, off-loading, game unless both half-backs are excellent fast passers. Discuss.

[Dave Cahill]

It it systemicallly impossible to play a high tempo, off-loading, game unless both half-backs are excellent fast passers. Discuss.

It is systemically impossible to play a high tempo, off-loading game if every play has to go through the half backs. To play a high tempo off-loading game you need every player to be a competent passer from the hand or the ground. Look at Connacht two years ago - their most important phase starter was a lock, not a half back.

Having said that, passing skills are not a major part of an offloading game, counter intuitive as that may sound. Everyone could offload all the time if they wanted to but you'd end up with a lot of ball on the deck. Its far more important that there is somebody there to catch the offload, so having players with the wit to trail ball carriers on the right line, having those guys fit enough so that even if they run that line 5 times without getting the ball they're still able to make run 6 or 7. The ball carrier too has to have the game intelligence to know when its right to offload and when its not right, and that is informed by the ball carrier's peripheral awareness.

[LeRouxIsPHat]

Oh and I hate that new law about kicking the ball out of the ruck. It's taken away a critical way to compete for possession.

Plus one, and I don't see the point of it.

[riocard911]

Thought we were dominating for most of the early game but unable to score. Cardiff lived with us through a few soft penalties and handling errors, and good defending.

Pressure took its toll over time and once we got clear we kicked up a gear to score and they couldn't live with us.

Watching back I was really impressed with Bent. Very active in the loose and winning the tight exchanges.

Toner shedding weight has made him faster, might help his overall game.

You can see that we're becoming more of an offloading team and there will be a few more handling errors as we develop.

Oh and I hate that new law about kicking the ball out of the ruck. It's taken away a critical way to compete for possession.

Having watched the match a second time I'd agree with all of that. Individual errors were made but collectively we were very good. We marshalled Cardiff well. They rarely got over our gainline, but rather we're invariably pushed back and they never really looked like scoring a try. With regards to the point Dave Cahill made about the off-loading game, I think a good example is Nick McCarthy's bonus point try. Sure the kid got lucky, but his excellent tracking meant he was covering all eventualities and when the Conan offload to JvdF went bawways he was there and able to complete the move.

[nc6000]

I think we could see DK playing some rugby at No15 this season, especially if he's available for the upcoming mini-tour to South Africa.

I was in the South Stand on Friday and DK was one of the extra men providing cover for the game and was doing a warm-down in the few minutes before kick-off with Jordi.

Presuming he was fit enough to cover on Friday I guess he'll be fit to travel to South Africa.

[simonokeeffe]

Oh and I hate that new law about kicking the ball out of the ruck. It's taken away a critical way to compete for possession.

Plus one, and I don't see the point of it.

I think they needed to penalise/define reckless use of the boot at the ruck rather than ban forward kicking of the ball in a ruck

Intent was good, which was to stop players blindly flailing boots around peoples heads and using going for the ball as a chickensh!t excuse to try to kick other players

[ronk]

Normal passing and offloading are different skills. Look at Te'o as a canonical example of a non passing offloader.

Our current game need passing at pace more than it does offloading and that's where more of the focus has been.

We're reasonable selective about our offloads and getting better at support lines.

[FLIP]

Unbelievable pace from Cronin for his try but it was funny how it came about. He'd been gassed on the right wing a minute or so before it and was blowing hard, think he went back in the middle so as not to be exposed again but then when the ball presented itself he just took off.

At the time I really just thought Cronin has been stepped. He's quick going forward and can put a good curve on his run but bulk always makes it hard to move sideways, which is why he got stepped, not that he was blowing.

[LeRouxIsPHat]

That's not what I was saying, I meant that he was out of breath after chasing back.

[FLIP]

That's not what I was saying, I meant that he was out of breath after chasing back.

Ah ok, but I don't think he really put a chase on either - just that he got back into the defensive line. Either way it was a good turn around, especially as he looks like he's bulked up a bit in the off season.

[Peg Leg]

That's not what I was saying, I meant that he was out of breath after chasing back.

Ah ok, but I don't think he really put a chase on either - just that he got back into the defensive line. Either way it was a good turn around, especially as he looks like he's bulked up a bit in the off season.

He seems to have even less of a neck than last yr

[johng]

That's not what I was saying, I meant that he was out of breath after chasing back.

Ah ok, but I don't think he really put a chase on either - just that he got back into the defensive line. Either way it was a good turn around, especially as he looks like he's bulked up a bit in the off season.

He seems to have even less of a neck than last yr

Going for the jarred "no neck" payne award.

[Morf]

Oh and I hate that new law about kicking the ball out of the ruck. It's taken away a critical way to compete for possession.

Plus one, and I don't see the point of it.

I think they needed to penalise/define reckless use of the boot at the ruck rather than ban forward kicking of the ball in a ruck

Intent was good, which was to stop players blindly flailing boots around peoples heads and using going for the ball as a chickensh!t excuse to try to kick other players

Seems to be a wider decision in the game that boots from less physically literate players waving around in rucks was just too dangerous.

I was aware of one coach banning it in training/heavily discouraging U17s from doing it as "it was just a matter of time until it was banned anyway".

[LeRouxIsPHat]

He must have watched Footloose and had a eureka moment.

[curates_egg]

Plus one, and I don't see the point of it.

I think they needed to penalise/define reckless use of the boot at the ruck rather than ban forward kicking of the ball in a ruck

Intent was good, which was to stop players blindly flailing boots around peoples heads and using going for the ball as a chickensh!t excuse to try to kick other players

Seems to be a wider decision in the game that boots from less physically literate players waving around in rucks was just too dangerous.

That is a disgraceful insinuation.
Dave Kearney should never have put his head in the path of POC's boot. Should have got a lengthy ban for it.