Connacht vs. Leinster, 28/04/2018, 15.05 IST

[neiliog93]

Thought it was time to start a match thread for this one. With a home semi-final virtually already secured, it's tempting to field a weakened team here. On the other hand, if we were to rest our entire first team here, they would have a three week break before the Champions' Cup final. As we discovered last year against Scarlets, excessively long breaks are not good from a point of view of being adequately physically ready/technically on song for big matches.

With that in mind, I'd give a few of the older guys with high mileage from this season a rest, but I think a lot of our bench from the Scarlets game need more game time here so that they're sharp for the final. Some of the starters from the Scarlets game are on the bench so as to give them a bit more time two weeks out from a final, but not too much. This match also affords us the chance to match our achievement under Schmidt, which is namely to win 6/6 interprovincial games in a season (no other province has ever done it).


1.J.McGrath 2.Tracy 3.Porter

4.Molony 5.Fardy

6.Jos.Murphy 8.Conan 7.Jor.Murphy

9.McCarthy 10.Carbery 12.Henshaw 13.ROL 14.B.Daly

11.Lowe 15.Larmour

16.B.Byrne 17.E.Byrne 18.Bent 19.Toner 20.Leavy 21.Rock 22.R.Byrne 23.A.Byrne/T.Daly

Henshaw features at 12 to get him more game time after his injury, while Carbery gets more game time at 10. McCarthy comes in to afford Lowe game time, and Larmour could probably do with another game after his return from injury. I don't like the idea of Toner or Fardy having a full three week break between matches, but I would replace Fardy with Dev early in the second half to keep the mileage low and minimise injury risk. Josh Murphy's presence at 6 can help to shore up our line-out, which may be weaker with Tracy in the team and without Toner jumping.

[Blueberry]

Tough call this one with the old Rusty v Safe from Injury debate.

Personally wouldn't have Fardy or Henshaw anywhere near this one and would leave Toner and Leavy out too.

Totally understand the logic in giving Henshaw more game time but he was so sharp v Scarlets and he'd been out for ages and I thought he was outstanding, close for MOM. He is a monster in our backfield for carries and defensive work. Critical he starts.

Love Isa to bits but Henshaw is at a different level ATM @ 12 and if Ferg is out even with Lowe starting we need ISA on the other wing and Larmour on the bench.

Fardy is hugely important to us ATM for the final with our backrow injury list so don't see how we can risk him.

Toner perhaps as his injury record is excellent but Leavy is in the same mix as Fardy, we can't afford to lose another backrow to a stupid injury.

For Bilbao starting with Fardy, Nordi and Leavy in the backrow and Conan on the bench is the way to go. Worst case if Conan got injured in Connacht, Deegan deserves a shot.

Would have no problem in Leo the Lion and a couple of waterboys lining out to be honest v the westies........focus has to 100% on Bilbao now

[wixfjord]

This is a pretty tough call between giving guys game time and not wanting to leave others with three weeks to the final. Given the experience of last year, it’s, one that I’d back Leo and Stu to get right though.

Personally I’d be going with a shadow side on the off chance someone got hurt. Lads might be consciously or unconsciously minding themselves too which would make them even more susceptible to getting a knock.

McGrath, Tracy, Porter, Molony, Nagle, Conan, Timmins, Deegan, JGP, Carbery, Lowe, Henshaw, ROL, Daly, Larmour
Dooley, Byrne, Bent, Kearney, Jordi, Nick M, Byrne, Byrne

[LeRouxIsPHat]

I think I'd start most of the subs from the weekend, but start Luke (assuming he's fit, heard he was genuinely close to being okay last week) and Lowe as well.

Fardy and Leavy are the only players I would be particularly worried about wrapping up in cotton wool.

Conan, Luke, and Joey are all fairly desperate for game time, not too concerned outside of them. As much as I don't like Joey shifting around, I think I'd pencil him in for time at ten and 15, with Larmour moving from 15 to the wing as the game goes on. Assuming Lowe starts, it'd be good to test out those changes in this game and get them all used to it in case it's needed in Bilbao or beyond. It could turn into a disaster, but I'd rather it happened this weekend and then we could work to avoid it happening again.

[Peg Leg]

I think I'd start most of the subs from the weekend, but start Luke (assuming he's fit, heard he was genuinely close to being okay last week) and Lowe as well.

Fardy and Leavy are the only players I would be particularly worried about wrapping up in cotton wool.

Conan, Luke, and Joey are all fairly desperate for game time, not too concerned outside of them. As much as I don't like Joey shifting around, I think I'd pencil him in for time at ten and 15, with Larmour moving from 15 to the wing as the game goes on. Assuming Lowe starts, it'd be good to test out those changes in this game and get them all used to it in case it's needed in Bilbao or beyond. It could turn into a disaster, but I'd rather it happened this weekend and then we could work to avoid it happening again.

Yeah would agree with this. I'd have Mick Kearney start too, I'd say he feels he has something to prove and the track is the best place to let him do it.

[CiaranIrl]

Henshaw's performance at the weekend is the counterbalance to the 'you need game time' argument. Sexton, Ryan & Henshaw were three of the best performers, and they were on ice for a while. I'm not sure any of the starting 15 from the weekend are needed here at all. Our training regime seems to be well capable of getting people into the right shape.

McGrath, Tracy, Porter, Molony, Nagle, Josh Murphy, Timmins, Conan, McGrath, Carbery, Lowe, Reid, ROL, Daly, Larmour

Rep: Byrne, Byrne, Bent, M. Kearney, Deegan, Nick M, Byrne, Byrne

I also admit that I love having 4 different Byrnes on the bench together.

[Cianostays]

I think I'd go with most of the squad from Sat. It wasn't a particular physical game and I'd rather we kept players sharp. I'd keep Fardy, Leavy, Johnny and Isa in cotton wool and start Lowe. After that, I'd have no worries.

Sent from my SM-G531F using Tapatalk

[LeRouxIsPHat]

I suppose there are guys who played against Treviso who weren't involved this weekend and should really play to keep themselves ticking over in case they're needed in a month's time...ROL, Daly, Deegan etc

[BlueWheels]

TG4 showing the game for those saving their euro's to head to Bilbao

[riocard911]

TG4 showing the game for those saving their euro's to head to Bilbao

Yay!! Is breá liom Rugbaí Beo!!!!!

p.s. on that subject; good thing TG4 weren't the ones covering Munster's horror show in Bordeaux. Can you imagine how PO'M might have reacted to being asked by Reggie to explain his team's disastrous performance? It doesn't bear thinking about....

[fourthirtythree]

Henshaw's performance at the weekend is the counterbalance to the 'you need game time' argument. Sexton, Ryan & Henshaw were three of the best performers, and they were on ice for a while. I'm not sure any of the starting 15 from the weekend are needed here at all. Our training regime seems to be well capable of getting people into the right shape.

McGrath, Tracy, Porter, Molony, Nagle, Josh Murphy, Timmins, Conan, McGrath, Carbery, Lowe, Reid, ROL, Daly, Larmour

Rep: Byrne, Byrne, Bent, M. Kearney, Deegan, Nick M, Byrne, Byrne

I also admit that I love having 4 different Byrnes on the bench together.

Feel the Byrne in that team

[Flash Gordon]

Henshaw's performance at the weekend is the counterbalance to the 'you need game time' argument. Sexton, Ryan & Henshaw were three of the best performers, and they were on ice for a while. I'm not sure any of the starting 15 from the weekend are needed here at all. Our training regime seems to be well capable of getting people into the right shape.

McGrath, Tracy, Porter, Molony, Nagle, Josh Murphy, Timmins, Conan, McGrath, Carbery, Lowe, Reid, ROL, Daly, Larmour

Rep: Byrne, Byrne, Bent, M. Kearney, Deegan, Nick M, Byrne, Byrne

I also admit that I love having 4 different Byrnes on the bench together.

Yeah, Ringrose's comeback was along the same lines as Henshaw, back at exactly the same high level.

[BigL]

If we win this, it will be a domestic grand slam (3 other provinces beaten home and away).

Not sure that this matters too much, when compared to the other targets in our sights, but would be another milestone in a (hopefully) remarkable year.

[maps]

Kickoff time is actually incorrect.
It’s 14.05 GMT (15.05 IST)

[limecat]

Kickoff time is actually incorrect.
It’s 14.05 GMT (15.05 IST)

Fixed

[John23]

Kickoff time is actually incorrect.
It’s 14.05 GMT (15.05 IST)

Fixed

Confusing to me but please bear with me. But what time is kick off in Galway please? By the way decided not to go to Bilboa but going to blow the wad in Galway.

[johng]

3.05pm

GMT is an absolute. It does not change for summertime. So there is a difference between March and October.

PS: I just put 2 x tickets for Galway up in the tickets section in case you have not bought yet.

[limecat]

Kickoff time is actually incorrect.
It’s 14.05 GMT (15.05 IST)

Fixed

Confusing to me but please bear with me. But what time is kick off in Galway please? By the way decided not to go to Bilboa but going to blow the wad in Galway.

The timezone in Ireland is IST (Irish Standard Time, which is GMT+1). During the winter we switch to GMT.

IST is equivalent to BST (albeit the S in BST stands for Summer). Back in the late 60's, Ireland experimented by introducing IST as our standard time zone, in anticipation of entering the EU. See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Time_in_Ireland

So kick-off in Galway will be at 15.05, local time (IST)

[rdsblue]

We still need a point from this game and if we put out a team similar to what played against Treviso, we may not get it. In particular we need some guys to lead against Connacht. Jack McGrath and Ross Moloney failed to do this versus B.Treviso. If Luke McGrath and Jack Conan are in the team we should be OK but personally I'd like to see Fardy in there as well to make sure we have real direction on the park.

[wixfjord]

We still need a point from this game and if we put out a team similar to what played against Treviso, we may not get it.

We don't really I think. Our points diff is over 130 better than Scarlets, so we're guaranteed a home semi.