Glasgow v Leinster, Sat, 1pm, Sky.

[Oldschool]

I won't be blinded by faux analysis or cowed by vitriol into ignoring his still present flaws.

That's a bit much. In fact it's a bit ridiculous.

Where's the faux analysis?

And who is 'ignoring his flaws'?!

Surely there's a balance here between two polarised arguments, and it's that he was poor on Sat but has played well in previous two games and is a more rounded 9 than JGP so should start on Sat.

That's it.

Not enough vitriol methinks!

[Oldschool]

I always think it funny listening to Irish people talking about scrumhalves, its like germans discussing stand-up comedy - if we actually knew anything about it we might have produced more than two or three decent ones in the last 40 years!

Dave Cahill comes out and admits he knows nothing about scrumhalves - You read it here first.

[Logorrhea]

I always think it funny listening to Irish people talking about scrumhalves, its like germans discussing stand-up comedy - if we actually knew anything about it we might have produced more than two or three decent ones in the last 40 years!

Eh? We don't know what were talking about because we're Irish?

[hugonaut]

Boring people for a while...

We’re overly tough on scrum halves here. If Cooney were here now we’d see exactly the same stuff.

We have decent scrumhalves who are playing reasonably well in a system that asks a lot from them. With the amount that we needed to move around the big Montpellier players they had to take a few risks.

They stood up against two of the best scrumhalves in the world in the last 2 weeks.

Overly tough on scrum-halves and hookers. Once you get into discussions on these positions, everything gets very heated ... and mental.

[BoscoBoy]

In all this discussion, has anyone given any consideration as to who should start at scrumhalf this weekend? Luke or JGP? Any thoughts?

[El Diablo]

In all this discussion, has anyone given any consideration as to who should start at scrumhalf this weekend? Luke or JGP? Any thoughts?

dont start that again Scroll back and you might notice 1 or 2 comments!

[mildlyinterested]

Leavy & Strauss back in full training, doubt we see either this weekend.

Nacewa/SOB/Sexton are doubts.

How does SOB replace? Jordi?

[the spoofer]

Leavy & Strauss back in full training, doubt we see either this weekend.

Nacewa/SOB/Sexton are doubts.

How does SOB replace? Jordi?

Was Strauss not on the bench for the A's at the weekend.

[LeinsterLeader]

This sounds more positive from Girv:

“Isa, I don’t know if you saw at the weekend in a tackle, he just rolled his ankle. Thankfully the scan came back and he was fine, a little fluid. Fine. I don’t think he’ll be training today but he’ll be fine,” said Dempsey.

“Sean O’Brien, yeah it’s good. He got that stamp on that calf and that was the thing that held him back. We’ll see how he goes through the week but we hope that he will be available for selection and the two dead legs, Rory [O’Loughlin] and Johnny [Sexton]...Johnny has progressed a lot quicker than Rory has...just a bit slower so Johnny will be training with us.

“There are a good few bodies that aren’t training but everyone is back on the field tomorrow [Tuesday]. He [Johnny] will be training tomorrow.”

But playing at the weekend in Glasgow?
“I would be hopeful. I would be a lot more hopeful than 50-50,” added Dempsey.

[mildlyinterested]

Leavy & Strauss back in full training, doubt we see either this weekend.

Nacewa/SOB/Sexton are doubts.

How does SOB replace? Jordi?

Was Strauss not on the bench for the A's at the weekend.

yes? no reason to suggest that means he will make the 23.

[cormac]

Leavy & Strauss back in full training, doubt we see either this weekend.

Nacewa/SOB/Sexton are doubts.

How does SOB replace? Jordi?

Was Strauss not on the bench for the A's at the weekend.

Yeah, he played the second half.

[mildlyinterested]

Sexton trained today.

[LeRouxIsPHat]

I think the spoofer's point was that he would have been back in full training already.

I'm assuming Johnny, Isa, and Fardy will all come back in. I think I'd start Healy too, just think he deserves a start.

[mildlyinterested]

1. McGrath
2. Tracy
3. Furlong
4. Fardy
5. Toner
6. Ruddock
7. JVDF
8. Conan
9. McGrath
10. Sexton
11. Daly
12. Nacewa
13. Henshaw
14. Byrne
15. Carbery
16. Cronin
17. Healy
18. Bent
19. Ryan
20. SOB
21. JGP
22. Byrne
23. Reid

[the spoofer]

I think the spoofer's point was that he would have been back in full training already.

I'm assuming Johnny, Isa, and Fardy will all come back in. I think I'd start Healy too, just think he deserves a start.

I know I'm stating the obvious but scrummaging is a unit skill. Leinster deviated slightly from the usual plan on Saturday in that we didn't replace the full front row on 50 minutes. I'm comfortable with the tactic of letting the starters (McG/Tracey/Furlong) deal with the opposition starters and that we will have the superior subs to finish off the game.

[CiaranIrl]

Pack: McGrath, Cronin, Furlong, Fardy, Toner, O'Brien, VDF, Conan:

Van Der Flier & Conan were immense on Saturday. 19 & 21 tackles respectively is exceptional. Ruddock was good, but I think that if O'Brien is fit, he simply has to play. I think there is a bit of resentment towards him because he rarely plays for us. Frankly, that's not his fault. The IRFU dictate based on his fitness, and the guy basically operates with plastic hips for f&*k's sake. You don't start O'Brien on the bench even if you have every flanker in the world to choose from. He is a freak. Probably the only player the All Blacks would construct a game plan around.

Halfbacks: McGrath, Sexton

McGrath made a sh!t load of mistakes and was poor overall, but I have even less faith in JGP behind him. JGP was no better when he came on on Saturday, and he was downright awful in his last start. This sounds like being 'an apologist' in some quarters, which is bizarre. I really hope Nick McCarthy gets gametime soon in the Pro 14, because there's an opening here.

Centre: Isa, Henshaw or Henshaw, ROL if Isa isn't fit.
O'Loughlin was relatively solid vs Munster a week previously. Hopefully one of Isa/ROL two are fit, because I fear for us if we have to start Noel Reid. He needs to sort his defense out. 6 missed tackles in something like 50 Minutes on Saturday just isn't good enough.

Back Three: Daly, O'Loughlin or McFadden, Carbery

Adam Byrne has to get locked away in defending school for the next few weeks. Rennie will have watched the last two games and devised various plays just to exploit his appalling defending. If he starts, he'll be targeted, and a bad day out will kill his confidence. It doesn't matter how good he has looked with ball in hand, he isn't ready for this level from a defensive point of view. He's only 23. He'll get there, but he needs to get a message.

Bench: Healy, Tracy, Bent, Ryan, SOB, JGP, Byrne, McFadden or Dave Kearney

[riocard911]

Pack: McGrath, Cronin, Furlong, Fardy, Toner, O'Brien, VDF, Conan:

Van Der Flier & Conan were immense on Saturday. 19 & 21 tackles respectively is exceptional. Ruddock was good, but I think that if O'Brien is fit, he simply has to play. I think there is a bit of resentment towards him because he rarely plays for us. Frankly, that's not his fault. The IRFU dictate based on his fitness, and the guy basically operates with plastic hips for f&*k's sake. You don't start O'Brien on the bench even if you have every flanker in the world to choose from. He is a freak. Probably the only player the All Blacks would construct a game plan around.

Halfbacks: McGrath, Sexton

McGrath made a sh!t load of mistakes and was poor overall, but I have even less faith in JGP behind him. JGP was no better when he came on on Saturday, and he was downright awful in his last start. This sounds like being 'an apologist' in some quarters, which is bizarre. I really hope Nick McCarthy gets gametime soon in the Pro 14, because there's an opening here.

Centre: Isa, Henshaw or Henshaw, ROL if Isa isn't fit.
O'Loughlin was relatively solid vs Munster a week previously. Hopefully one of Isa/ROL two are fit, because I fear for us if we have to start Noel Reid. He needs to sort his defense out. 6 missed tackles in something like 50 Minutes on Saturday just isn't good enough.

Back Three: Daly, O'Loughlin or McFadden, Carbery

Adam Byrne has to get locked away in defending school for the next few weeks. Rennie will have watched the last two games and devised various plays just to exploit his appalling defending. If he starts, he'll be targeted, and a bad day out will kill his confidence. It doesn't matter how good he has looked with ball in hand, he isn't ready for this level from a defensive point of view. He's only 23. He'll get there, but he needs to get a message.

Bench: Healy, Tracy, Bent, Ryan, SOB, JGP, Byrne, McFadden or Dave Kearney

Adam Byrne, should he be picked, will really have to have his wits about him, if he doesn't want to get taken to the cleaners by Tommy Seymour.

[CiaranIrl]

Adam Byrne, should he be picked, will really have to have his wits about him, if he doesn't want to get taken to the cleaners by Tommy Seymour.

Definitely. He was given the benefit of the doubt after the munster game, and after (i) missing something like 6 of his 7 tackles, and (ii) being caught out positionally again (this time at that scrum), he should be pulled out of the starting line up this time around.

[mildlyinterested]

He probably won't though IMO.

[curates_egg]

You don't start O'Brien on the bench even if you have every flanker in the world to choose from. He is a freak. Probably the only player the All Blacks would construct a game plan around.

...

Bench: Healy, Tracy, Bent, Ryan, SOB, JGP, Byrne, McFadden or Dave Kearney

Your secretary didn't get the memo