Leinster v Llanelli European semi

[blockhead]

A pleasure to be at.
Well done boys.
And well done JGP

[OTT]

We were so good, so efficient. There was a lot of talk about the semi last year. We thought we would never be that bad again, Scarlets thought they made us be that bad by the way they played. We put them through hugo’s Meat grinder, just unbelievable to watch a team as good as Scarlets getting schooled so effectively.

Can’t talk about individuals because it was a collective but Ferg is the man, that guy plays like a fan, all f’ing heart, hope he is okand JGP I was so worried before the game he was a champion, Well done Jamie (copyright artaneboy).

Can’t wait to watch the game again!

[Dave Cahill]

I hate to put a dampner on things, but let's not get carried away here. Scarlets were pretty poor. They would have been beaten by any quarter finalist other than La Rochelle away. We blew them away. We played well, but whoever we play in the final will be far, far better than that.

I would be more concerned meeting Munster than Racing. Leinster / Munster games exist in their own bubble and are sometimes won by the weaker side on paper.

Also, if we met Racing and won then we'd have beaten the Champions of England, France, Pro14land and Europe en route to the title.

[RoboProp]

We were so good, so efficient. There was a lot of talk about the semi last year. We thought we would never be that bad again, Scarlets thought they made us be that bad by the way they played. We put them through hugo’s Meat grinder, just unbelievable to watch a team as good as Scarlets getting schooled so effectively.

Can’t talk about individuals because it was a collective but Ferg is the man, that guy plays like a fan, all f’ing heart, hope he is okand JGP I was so worried before the game he was a champion, Well done Jamie (copyright artaneboy).

Can’t wait to watch the game again!

So many great performances yesterday, they almost looked to be coasting at times. Sign of a great team is they make it look easy. Ferg may not be the fastest, or most skilful but Crikey on a cracker does that boy bleed blue

[artaneboy]

A pleasure to be at.
Well done boys.
And well done JGP

Yes, JGP was excellent. His crisp accurate passing made those hole-punching lines from ball carriers profitable.

But as ever there are those for whom he is always a disappointment to some mythical standard. For instance, just reading some eye-rolling “analysis” in The 42: ridiculous stuff.

Now I hope Luke recovers quickly and we can have a selection decision to make in the remaining big games. And with the ‘two-from-three’ rule, there’s a real rationale to getting our native boy into the team, if he’s fit and in reasonable form. With Fergus potentially injured, we will need the option of playing Lowe.

But let’s stop this tedious pretence there’s a gap in standard between Jamison and Luke. They are both very good- but far from perfect SHs. We’re lucky to have them.


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[Peg Leg]

The following threads can be locked based on the evidence provided yesterday:
Ronk: Possible golden generation.
Mildlyinterested: Does Leinster have a Lineout Problem

[Shackalula]

Well done from a Scarlets supporter and no Scarlets supporter can deny you deserved the win. We’re all praising you. Great place and great supporters.

See you in the PRO14 Final.

[hugonaut]

Jesus but that was a ferocious performance. One of the best Leinster performances I've ever seen – up there with the 30-0 of Munster back in October 2009, but on a much bigger stage. That was just a league match, this was a European semi-final against the league champions.

It was a complete team performance with everybody putting in a massive shift, so there's no point in singling anybody out. A staggeringly high level of intensity, commitment and physicality when it came to the breakdown, carrying and latching ... from everybody. Scrum-halves and wingers putting in huge clear-outs on forwards, lads putting Scarlets players out of contention by any means necessary. So impressive.

I'd say Leo & Lancs were very sore from last year's semi-final: turned over at home, well beaten and out-coached. Well, they turned that around and slaughtered the Scarlets and Pivac yesterday. What an effort from the lads.

[Ruckedtobits]

We were so good, so efficient. There was a lot of talk about the semi last year. We thought we would never be that bad again, Scarlets thought they made us be that bad by the way they played. We put them through hugo’s Meat grinder, just unbelievable to watch a team as good as Scarlets getting schooled so effectively.

Can’t talk about individuals because it was a collective but Ferg is the man, that guy plays like a fan, all f’ing heart, hope he is okand JGP I was so worried before the game he was a champion, Well done Jamie (copyright artaneboy).

Can’t wait to watch the game again!

I have and you're absolutely right. Ferg is the man. Like an Exocet, in possession or without it. He hits breakdowns and cleans out. He hit soft shoulders and presents on a plate. He hits contact (Dan Evans x3) and drives them backwards. He hits tackles and they drop like a stone. Yes, he knocked on a restart but that only proved he's human, not an Exocet with a human body form.

Ferg and JGP came in for plenty of 'snobby' rugby comment prior to the game, even on this forum. But both are competitors giving it everything for their team. Delighted for both yesterday.

[artaneboy]

We were so good, so efficient. There was a lot of talk about the semi last year. We thought we would never be that bad again, Scarlets thought they made us be that bad by the way they played. We put them through hugo’s Meat grinder, just unbelievable to watch a team as good as Scarlets getting schooled so effectively.

Can’t talk about individuals because it was a collective but Ferg is the man, that guy plays like a fan, all f’ing heart, hope he is okand JGP I was so worried before the game he was a champion, Well done Jamie (copyright artaneboy).

Can’t wait to watch the game again!

Jamie he is now for sure. Every successful Leinster team needs one..


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[wixfjord]

Ferg and JGP came in for plenty of 'snobby' rugby comment prior to the game, even on this forum. But both are competitors giving it everything for their team. Delighted for both yesterday.

What a ridiculous post.

There were legitimate concerns about JGP going into the game because he has been in poor form and because of the type of game he plays. That's not 'snobbish'.

[wixfjord]

What a performance. Most complete Leinster side I think I've ever seen. The forwards really took them apart. Was James Davies even playing?

Leavy's ability to make yards from the base of the ruck is brilliant, and Fardy could turn out to be another Rocky.

JGP was fantastic. Kept things simple, kicked well and put speed on the game when it was needed. He almost seems to play better in bigger games (this, Munster at Xmas, Montpellier).

Hope Ferg is alright, bar the drop he had a brilliant game.

[wixfjord]

On this form, there's a good case for Cronin to be our hooker going into the RWC. His tight game has been excellent in the second half of the season.

[neilinboston]

We were so good, so efficient. There was a lot of talk about the semi last year. We thought we would never be that bad again, Scarlets thought they made us be that bad by the way they played. We put them through hugo’s Meat grinder, just unbelievable to watch a team as good as Scarlets getting schooled so effectively.

Can’t talk about individuals because it was a collective but Ferg is the man, that guy plays like a fan, all f’ing heart, hope he is okand JGP I was so worried before the game he was a champion, Well done Jamie (copyright artaneboy).

Can’t wait to watch the game again!

I have and you're absolutely right. Ferg is the man. Like an Exocet, in possession or without it. He hits breakdowns and cleans out. He hit soft shoulders and presents on a plate. He hits contact (Dan Evans x3) and drives them backwards. He hits tackles and they drop like a stone. Yes, he knocked on a restart but that only proved he's human, not an Exocet with a human body form.

Ferg and JGP came in for plenty of 'snobby' rugby comment prior to the game, even on this forum. But both are competitors giving it everything for their team. Delighted for both yesterday.

His reaction to that drop was to work his socks off and have a big part in creating a seven pointer straight after.
Could have gone into a shell for ten minutes chastising himself but instead made immediate impact.

[Oldschool]

I hate to put a dampner on things, but let's not get carried away here. Scarlets were pretty poor. They would have been beaten by any quarter finalist other than La Rochelle away. We blew them away. We played well, but whoever we play in the final will be far, far better than that.

No- let’s get carried away. As in the cliche Scarlets looked/ were poor because we made them so. They are a hyper-dangerous team- (Toulon remember?) and we neutralised that threat by doing something we made clear we were going to do- and it made no difference; they couldn’t stop it.

I can’t see either Munster or Paris doing so either. This was an iconic, standard setting performance and template. I’m expecting Stephen Jones (the hack) and Nigel Wray to launch a coordinated campaign for the EPRC to restrict the number of own academy players that clubs can play. Must be bad for the game!


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Reckon they'll go for a simpler solution.
Np SR under the age of 23.
No props under the age of 23.
Etc etc

[Oldschool]

What a performance. Most complete Leinster side I think I've ever seen. The forwards really took them apart. Was James Davies even playing?

Leavy's ability to make yards from the base of the ruck is brilliant, and Fardy could turn out to be another Rocky.

JGP was fantastic. Kept things simple, kicked well and put speed on the game when it was needed. He almost seems to play better in bigger games (this, Munster at Xmas, Montpellier).

Hope Ferg is alright, bar the drop he had a brilliant game.

Fardy is a more valuable player than Rocky.
Rocky was a great man for the big plays but played in bursts.
He just didn't have the stamina for the 80 mins.
Fardy keeps it at high level for 80 mins and comes up with the big plays also.

[LeRouxIsPHat]

I hate to put a dampner on things, but let's not get carried away here. Scarlets were pretty poor. They would have been beaten by any quarter finalist other than La Rochelle away. We blew them away. We played well, but whoever we play in the final will be far, far better than that.

Agreed. I don't think the Scarlets put up enough of a fight for it to be considered one of our best ever performances, although I do think it's one of our best breakdown performances. Beirne and Barclay did get over the ball quite often but we blew them away with some unbelievable clearouts, and as many have said, the workrate with those latch ons was phenomenal.

I've often said that Brad Thorn was the player I've seen at clearing out and securing ball, and pretty much our entire team played like him yesterday.

We executed the game plan perfectly. Secured set piece, won the collisions, and were relentless. Not the most complicated game plan, but incredibly impressive to implement like we did.

Everyone played really well so don't really want to single anyone out, but for Robbie to play like that after his injury is unbelievable. Seeing his reaction to JGP chasing up on Evans (I think) and then Kearney following up and knocking him into touch was great, you could see how much it meant to him and how his hard work was worth it. I was worried he might not be sharp

[artaneboy]

Watching it again now (last night’s TV viewing was a little- eh... fuzzy)- so third time of watching. I’m really struck not by any original insight but again by the sheer intensity of the carrying and tackling. Fergus and Robbie in the backs particularly. Fardy, Ryan and Leavy- whole pack really, were ferocious. Scarlets were not terrible; just totally overpowered. Relentless is the only word.


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[wixfjord]

Watch Henshaw's decoy run for the first try. Fantastic.

No idea how a guy who looked in so much pain 6 weeks ago can come back sharper than ever. He's a machine.

[suisse]

The Leinster players were almost celebrating tackles like they were tries. The penalty after 17 seconds, Kearney making a huge tackle on the left flank. Every one of them was right up for it.

The try before half time. We've seen Ireland doing this aswell. As the players slowly marched to the line out, 2 mins from the break, there was an inevitably about it. They were gonna score. It is almost like they can pick the moments they will score in now. It was beautiful stuff.