Glas vs Lein: Fri 3/11 19.35(BBC Alba / TG4 Youtube Channel)

[paddyor]

So the big sides should only play the weaker sides near intl windows to ensure stronger sides at other times?

I think part of the problem is that the unions and clubs like to prioritize derby games. I'd imagine that really squeezes the calendar. All told about 7/ 8 weeks of the season are subject to international restrictions. Throw in the interpos and there's and you've basically 4/5 weeks to get this game in. There really isn't that much room. We had this 2 seasons gone by as a 1st or 2nd game. It should move a round.

[molloyjh]

So the big sides should only play the weaker sides near intl windows to ensure stronger sides at other times?

To a degree yes, absolutely. If you ignore the derbies the big games in the league would be:

Leinster vs Glasgow & Scarlets (all 3 in the internationals windows)
Munster vs Glasgow & Scarlets (2 of the 3 in the international windows)
Ulster vs Glasgow & Scarlets (2 of the 3 in the international windows)
Glasgow vs Scarlets (not in the international windows)

So outside the derbies 7 of the 10 biggest games are during the international windows. That's ridiculous. If the league wants to push its strengths then it isn't doing so with that kind of scheduling.

[paddyor]

So the big sides should only play the weaker sides near intl windows to ensure stronger sides at other times?

To a degree yes, absolutely. If you ignore the derbies the big games in the league would be:

Leinster vs Glasgow & Scarlets (all 3 in the internationals windows)
Munster vs Glasgow & Scarlets (2 of the 3 in the international windows)
Ulster vs Glasgow & Scarlets (2 of the 3 in the international windows)
Glasgow vs Scarlets (not in the international windows)

So outside the derbies 7 of the 10 biggest games are during the international windows. That's ridiculous. If the league wants to push its strengths then it isn't doing so with that kind of scheduling.

Glasgow finished 6th last year. Ospreys were ahead of them. Since the start of the year, they've had connacht away, ospreys at home, Munster at home and Cheetahs away. Already a pretty big workload.

[curates_egg]

Still not entirely convinced by Grigg's first try-it looked short but not sure if he slid onto the line etc. Ref was right on top of it though hence didn't even go to TMO.

He was short. There was no camera angle showing him getting the ball over but, if he did, it was by a double-movement (based on the available camera angle). Not the ref's fault per se: TMO should have called him or our captain should have asked him to check.
Two tacklers clearly taken out for your third try - a classic Glasgow play - but the ref never checked it, nor did the TMO.

I thought the ref generally was consistently inconsistent for both sides.

We didn't lose because of the ref. If you were to pick "key moments" we lost because of, it would be:
- whoever tackled Matawalu and then didn't hold him, allowing to break free for your second try;
- Murphy's yellow;
- the failure to check the third try, which was clearly a penalty to us;
- the total lack of a defensive line (and tackling) when he broke for your 4th;
- our malfunctioning lineout;
- our inability to score any points for about 15 minutes when you were a man down.

[fourthirtythree]

I think it's simpler than that: while both defences showed Keyston Kops level of organisation in the first half, Glasgow's attack was better than ours.

That's why we lost.

[curates_egg]

I think it's simpler than that: while both defences showed Keyston Kops level of organisation in the first half, Glasgow's attack was better than ours.

That's why we lost.

Call me a glass half empty guy, but I would argue the opposite: we lost because our defense was worse.
Two of their tries came from us basically not tackling Matawalu, rather than general tactical attacking superiority.
I guess you could also argue Matawalu was the difference between the sides...but I'm not sure that equates to them having a better attack per se.

[LeRouxIsPHat]

I watched it again yesterday and Fardy and Kearney did not come out of it well. Fardy was pretty much anonymous in the first half although better in the second (based mainly on one good run and a stolen lineout). He was constantly very wide in the first half and just not involved. Obviously that can be a tactic, and it's the kind of thing I stick up for POM over, but when our defence was being shredded I'd have expected him to be closer to the action to put in some big hits and attack the breakdown like he usually does.

Kearney just offered very little too, in a game that was made for back three players. I think his lack of confidence was summed up after a couple of minutes when he caught a kick and had nobody near him to pass to but still looked inside instead of just running it back. Then when he realised he could/had to run he just ran into traffic and was stuffed.

I thought Molony played well and I'd stand by that. Very hungry for work on both sides of the ball and was aggressive off the line.

Adam Byrne also very good. He did something positive pretty much every time he got the ball, was good in the air, and considering the mental nature of the game he never actually looked exposed. Great that he backed up the performance in Belfast, particularly after a disrupted week with Ireland training.

[Ruckedtobits]

I think it's simpler than that: while both defences showed Keyston Kops level of organisation in the first half, Glasgow's attack was better than ours.

That's why we lost.

Beg to differ. We lost because our defence was 'keystone cops', with dominance in possession and position in each quarter of the game. A contributory factor was the referee's laxity in the face of some of their defensive tactics - notably multiple penalty offenses at various attacking mauls.

Our attack may not have been as good as we hoped but two and possibly three of their tries started with our basic defensive faults behind their 10m line.

[ronk]

We were immature, especially defensively in situations where the danger wasn’t obvious, i.e. where you could fall asleep.

We played an especially inexperienced team for a particularly difficult away trip so it’s not an entirely unexpected risk.

We locked down if we’d been defending for a few phases. We got in trouble when we weren’t concentrating.

The guys coming in are talented enough, fairly hard-working and a little too confident if anything.

Glasgow are tailor made for exploiting the scraps of free momentum, we need to play with a more focused discipline.

Every guy out there was good enough, but not good enough to turn their backs and allow tap penalties.

[olaf the fat]

I think this was a ok result for us. If you look at the bigger picture we may have taken away something more valuable than if we got a lbp. To get something out of the game may have lead to complacency from us and left Glasgow with a point to prove.

Glasgow are in the other conference anyway, in the league we can leave them for the play offs - more importantly we have them at home in the Euro Cup. They got us back for a home defeat now the ball is back in our court.

Leinster (and the ref) have plenty of room to improve, Glasgow's spoiling and being called cheats by BBCAlba pundits will rankle enough to ensure that there is no complacency in our next meeting. A winning bonus point then will be worth much more than a losing bonus point in the league now.

So, coming back with no points from Glasgow in November while far from prefect, may not be the of the world.

[molloyjh]

I think this was a ok result for us. If you look at the bigger picture we may have taken away something more valuable than if we got a lbp. To get something out of the game may have lead to complacency from us and left Glasgow with a point to prove.

Glasgow are in the other conference anyway, in the league we can leave them for the play offs - more importantly we have them at home in the Euro Cup. They got us back for a home defeat now the ball is back in our court.

Leinster (and the ref) have plenty of room to improve, Glasgow's spoiling and being called cheats by BBCAlba pundits will rankle enough to ensure that there is no complacency in our next meeting. A winning bonus point then will be worth much more than a losing bonus point in the league now.

So, coming back with no points from Glasgow in November while far from prefect, may not be the of the world.

It has opened a bit of a gap between ourselves and Scarlets though. I know they've had an easier run of games but we really need to be getting that top spot. We can't afford a league QF if we also want to be competing in the Euro knock outs too. A rest week there would be a pretty big deal. So the more daylight between them and us the worse it is for us.