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

[Jackie Brown]

You can keep Byrne and Carbery

Sent from my Pixel 2 using Tapatalk

[RoboProp]

Let’s forget Bilbao, and let’s forget about topping the Conference, today’s performance was unacceptable.
It comes on the back of the Treviso performance and before that a shameful display at the Ospreys.

At the moment only 3 of our pack plus a rehabilitating Conan are up to that standard. And I would suggest Lowe is the only back who looked of the required standard.

If the players are happy to produce at that level more than once a season then they shouldn’t be professional rugby players. All this shite talk about players going to other provinces. We should hold onto what we develop because based on the last 4 Pro 14 matches we don’t have enough quality players.

Some of these games have seen us back as bad as in the MOC days and that is saying something

Not happy with what was served up today

Players coasting on club rep; which they didn't even contribute to us earning

[Blueberry]

Calm down time all round.

Lads were taking it handy from the off, anyone with half a chance of making the Bilbao 23 was minding themselves, Jack McGrath, Conan, Porter etc all took it handy and even Lowe was quite adverse to contact in some parts of the game.....still smiling mind you. Interestingly Healy and Cronin ducked into it a bit towards the end as I winced on the sofa.....

Yes Connacht played well but it's impossible to judge.

Positives are Doris looks very good, strong in contact and nice hands, JGP does look in good form and we came through without any of the big guns getting a knock.

My only real concern is Carbery seems to be struggling to a degree, perhaps trying too hard but I fear he's becoming a Madigan.......shuffled about and messed around.

Wouldn't worry about Lowe, defensive system was a total mess in the backline today, rudderless.

For Bilbao a lot will come down to whether Ferg is fit and of course Luke MCG - if Luke is fit and Ferg out then it's a straight Lowe v Larmour for the wing berth with ISA on the other wing. Personally I think Lowe nudges it with Larmour to come on when Racing are tiring. If Ferg is fit it's a tough call as he was outstanding v Scarlets and fits our system well. Can see an argument on both sides, glad I'm not a coach. And of course there must be some concern over leaving JGP out totally as despite the naysayers he is in good form. Would be a big ask for Nick to come on in a final if Luke got an early knock.

I can see the argument for Luke starting, JGP on the bench and Ferg and ISA on the wings or Larmour and ISA on the wings (if Ferg is out) - might be the safest route !! But leaving Lowe out......dilemma's.

Anyway injuries may force the issue.

Quite honestly if we win in Bilbao is anyone gonna remember this game.....from a Leinster Perspective......Of course a lovely send off for Muldoon, good luck with the coaching and some campaigner for the Westies.

On a useful note it is probably a game which does highlight again some more of the quality issues in some areas of our squad. Our pack does struggle with our reserve second rows in every aspect - Kearney, Nagle and Molony all struggle in contact and offer little go forward, they do struggle and we do have issues in the backline in the midfield area. Papering over cracks there ATM when Ringrose, ISA and Robbie ain't there. Huge drop off.

Areas we could do with plugging in a couple of 'solid operators' would be second row and 12 - two good bodies here would be good. Not sure though how we can go about this as Fardy probably excludes any IRFU approval for another NIQ 2nd row - perhaps 12 (ISA replacement) is an easier one to sneak past.

[Dave Cahill]

Calm down time all round.

Lads were taking it handy from the off, anyone with half a chance of making the Bilbao 23 was minding themselves

Oh well, if they weren't trying their best then thats okay.

[Angelsea Angst]

Following the performances against Connacht, Treviso and Ospreys, I am beginning to wonder whether the coaching team has been focusing totally on the top team over the last few weeks with little or no attention being given to the second string side. Anyway, despite today's disappointment, this is not the time for negative thinking. We are the threshold of our most important game since May 2012 and best for everybody to keep focused on it.

[Blueberry]

Calm down time all round.

Lads were taking it handy from the off, anyone with half a chance of making the Bilbao 23 was minding themselves

Oh well, if they weren't trying their best then thats okay.

Do you seriously expect any of the lads to 'fully go at it' two weeks out from the big one ? Porter, McGrath and Conan I could clearly see were 'staying out of it' and even Dev when he was on for his cameo was taking it handy. Today was a dead rubber and bigger fish to fry. If we win in Bilbao and possibly even then go onto win the double who cares ? I couldn't care less. Trophies are what it's all about. Not the result v Treviso or Connacht in minor league games with a mixed up squad and lads watching every bit of contact.

Lads we are in the European Final, Top of our Pool in the PRO 14 and playing the best rugby I've seen us play since 2012 and arguably a better and more rounded team than 2012. We have seen the likes of James Ryan, Larmour, Leavy and Porter come through this year to very high standards and personally I'm as excited by hell with this team. And we've weathered no Heaslip, little or no O'Brien, VDF and Ruddock MIA lately and no problems.

Yes we have issues with some of our reserves and yes work is to be done but some of the reactions on here today are a little OTT - we are in a great place.

A little bit of squad juggling and we could be in an even better place next year.

[ronk]

That was rough. There was enough talent there, but the contrast was scary with the level of accuracy we’ve seen in some matches.

We weren’t at the races physically, not committed not accurate. It wasn’t one area going wrong, they pretty much all sucked.

Leo has been building a reputation for the work rate and standards. That took a hit today.

[Oldschool]

You can keep Byrne and Carbery

Sent from my Pixel 2 using Tapatalk

Mission impossible achieved.

[Blueberry]

That was rough. There was enough talent there, but the contrast was scary with the level of accuracy we’ve seen in some matches.

We weren’t at the races physically, not committed not accurate. It wasn’t one area going wrong, they pretty much all sucked.

Leo has been building a reputation for the work rate and standards. That took a hit today.

Didn't enjoy watching it but to be frank the result doesn't surprise me one little bit............sat down with a cup of coffee to watch it knowing it was gonna be a horror show.

Now we move on, time to focus on Star 4 and if we secure it Leocaster are heroes and no one will remember this or Treviso or the Ospreys.

[Gearzbox2]

Id agree with a lot of the comments re: we need to take stock to whats on the horizon but the other half of me cant get take in how bad we were today

From Dalys opening howler to cronin/healy messing up for their scrummies try it was utter shite
Jack mc looks like hes 5kgs too heavy
Tracys form has gone backwards at a rate of knots
Porter wasn't up to much
Mick K threw himself about...Ross M im sorry to say again was poor
Didnt realise Max Deegan was playing
Thought Peadar did well

Backs were so so bad....rudderless
Joey looks lost, its so bizarre to see
Thought Reid actually fronted up well

Subs tried, cronin and healy did ok
Doris did very well, who ill call it now will play for ireland in the next 3 years

[Blueberry]

Id agree with a lot of the comments re: we need to take stock to whats on the horizon but the other half of me cant get take in how bad we were today

From Dalys opening howler to cronin/healy messing up for their scrummies try it was utter shite
Jack mc looks like hes 5kgs too heavy
Tracys form has gone backwards at a rate of knots
Porter wasn't up to much
Mick K threw himself about...Ross M im sorry to say again was poor
Didnt realise Max Deegan was playing
Thought Peadar did well

Backs were so so bad....rudderless
Joey looks lost, its so bizarre to see
Thought Reid actually fronted up well

Subs tried, cronin and healy did ok
Doris did very well, who ill call it now will play for ireland in the next 3 years

Joey is a concern as the talent is there, he has had a bad season with injuries and messing about over his slot. It needs sorting.

Really wouldn't be too worried otherwise - we know we have issues with our 2nd line 2nd Row (Fardy, Toner and Ryan and Worldclass operators so the drop is huge) and the drop from a worldclass Sexton, Henshaw, Ringrose to anything else is gonna be massive.

The reality is our 'A Team has moved on so much this year that the drop is more noticeable than under the dark days of MOC for example and mixed in with guys playing with an eye on 'bigger prizes' can lead to a sub par performance like today.

Leocaster have mixed things around really well this year to secure our results to date - top of the league pool and UNBEATEN in the champions cup.

Move on and park it..........

[Dave Cahill]

Do you seriously expect any of the lads to 'fully go at it' two weeks out from the big one ? Porter, McGrath and Conan I could clearly see were 'staying out of it' and even Dev when he was on for his cameo was taking it handy. Today was a dead rubber and bigger fish to fry. If we win in Bilbao and possibly even then go onto win the double who cares ? I couldn't care less. Trophies are what it's all about. Not the result v Treviso or Connacht in minor league games with a mixed up squad and lads watching every bit of contact.

Lads we are in the European Final, Top of our Pool in the PRO 14 and playing the best rugby I've seen us play since 2012 and arguably a better and more rounded team than 2012. We have seen the likes of James Ryan, Larmour, Leavy and Porter come through this year to very high standards and personally I'm as excited by hell with this team. And we've weathered no Heaslip, little or no O'Brien, VDF and Ruddock MIA lately and no problems.

Yes we have issues with some of our reserves and yes work is to be done but some of the reactions on here today are a little OTT - we are in a great place.

A little bit of squad juggling and we could be in an even better place next year.

Yeah I do, because they're professional players who know you can't just turn it on and off like a tap. It simply doesn't work that way. Any of the players who were 'staying out of it' are more than welcome to stay out of the rest of the season. Any trophies we win this season won't be because of performances like this, or Treviso, or Ospreys, it'll be despite them.

[Gearzbox2]

Id agree with a lot of the comments re: we need to take stock to whats on the horizon but the other half of me cant get take in how bad we were today

From Dalys opening howler to cronin/healy messing up for their scrummies try it was utter shite
Jack mc looks like hes 5kgs too heavy
Tracys form has gone backwards at a rate of knots
Porter wasn't up to much
Mick K threw himself about...Ross M im sorry to say again was poor
Didnt realise Max Deegan was playing
Thought Peadar did well

Backs were so so bad....rudderless
Joey looks lost, its so bizarre to see
Thought Reid actually fronted up well

Subs tried, cronin and healy did ok
Doris did very well, who ill call it now will play for ireland in the next 3 years

Joey is a concern as the talent is there, he has had a bad season with injuries and messing about over his slot. It needs sorting.

Really wouldn't be too worried otherwise - we know we have issues with our 2nd line 2nd Row (Fardy, Toner and Ryan and Worldclass operators so the drop is huge) and the drop from a worldclass Sexton, Henshaw, Ringrose to anything else is gonna be massive.

The reality is our 'A Team has moved on so much this year that the drop is more noticeable than under the dark days of MOC for example and mixed in with guys playing with an eye on 'bigger prizes' can lead to a sub par performance like today.

Leocaster have mixed things around really well this year to secure our results to date - top of the league pool and UNBEATEN in the champions cup.

Move on and park it..........

Fully agree....the performances by the "A" side have been so good that maybe there is that gulf now that the drop off performances have been so noticeable

Its still worrying that there is that lack of cohesion that was there today but like you said park it, learn from it and move on to these huge weeks

[Blueberry]

Do you seriously expect any of the lads to 'fully go at it' two weeks out from the big one ? Porter, McGrath and Conan I could clearly see were 'staying out of it' and even Dev when he was on for his cameo was taking it handy. Today was a dead rubber and bigger fish to fry. If we win in Bilbao and possibly even then go onto win the double who cares ? I couldn't care less. Trophies are what it's all about. Not the result v Treviso or Connacht in minor league games with a mixed up squad and lads watching every bit of contact.

Lads we are in the European Final, Top of our Pool in the PRO 14 and playing the best rugby I've seen us play since 2012 and arguably a better and more rounded team than 2012. We have seen the likes of James Ryan, Larmour, Leavy and Porter come through this year to very high standards and personally I'm as excited by hell with this team. And we've weathered no Heaslip, little or no O'Brien, VDF and Ruddock MIA lately and no problems.

Yes we have issues with some of our reserves and yes work is to be done but some of the reactions on here today are a little OTT - we are in a great place.

A little bit of squad juggling and we could be in an even better place next year.

Yeah I do, because they're professional players who know you can't just turn it on and off like a tap. It simply doesn't work that way. Any of the players who were 'staying out of it' are more than welcome to stay out of the rest of the season. Any trophies we win this season won't be because of performances like this, or Treviso, or Ospreys, it'll be despite them.

Well we'll just have to agree to disagree then !! These guys can clearly up their game when they need to and I'd expect them to be watching themselves in a dead rubber like today with the biggest game of their club careers around the corner (Bear in Mind McGrath, Tracey, Porter, Conan, Toner, Lowe and Larmour today are probably all gonna be in the Bilbao 23). If Porter was clearing rucks today like a nut-bag I'd be worried - the guy doesn't have to prove he has it, we know he does and if he has to come on after 5 minutes in Bilbao I won't be worried. He'll deliver.

The 23 for Bilbao is pretty much nailed on and Leocaster ain't gonna be changing anything because of a performance in a dead rubber in Connacht. The players know that even if no one will admit it.

The only thing that surprises me about today is that we risked any of the Bilbao 23 on the pitch at all - personally couldn't have cared less about the score today, spent the last 20 minutes just watching to see did Cronin and Healy get up ok from each contact they hit and breathing a sigh of relief every time they did !! Favourite moment for me today was when Kearney came back on for Toner.............

It really all needs to be about Bilbao and I'm sure underneath the PR spin ' well that was a disappointing performance' Leocaster are thinking exactly the same.

[Hippo]

It was obvious from the opening minutes, lads were ambling around the place with their hands in their pockets. Sure, the 1sts have been superb and there's bigger games coming but that was an unacceptable performance, and as has already been pointed out comes on the back of some other exceptionally poor displays in 'lesser' matches.

[leinsterforever]

Let’s forget Bilbao, and let’s forget about topping the Conference, today’s performance was unacceptable.
It comes on the back of the Treviso performance and before that a shameful display at the Ospreys.

At the moment only 3 of our pack plus a rehabilitating Conan are up to that standard. And I would suggest Lowe is the only back who looked of the required standard.

If the players are happy to produce at that level more than once a season then they shouldn’t be professional rugby players. All this shite talk about players going to other provinces. We should hold onto what we develop because based on the last 4 Pro 14 matches we don’t have enough quality players.

Some of these games have seen us back as bad as in the MOC days and that is saying something

Not happy with what was served up today

There were fault lines running through the team. Deegan isn't a real blindside. Timmins isn't a real openside. The centres aren't great defensively. Most importantly, the second row was lacking grunt. These things were well flagged beforehand

Maybe it was one of these deliberately engineered dips in form that Schmidt is supposed to have rolled out occasionally at Leinster. To keep the players on their toes and keep peak performances for when it really matters, like

[Twist]

A few players have really etched big question marks over themselves in the last couple of Pro14 matches, but you have to take Connacht into account too

They were as up for this as Leinster were for the Scarlets game. Today was huge for them and they produced a savage, accurate performance. If they'd played like that all season then their year wouldn't have ended today


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[paddyor]

You can keep Byrne and Carbery

Sent from my Pixel 2 using Tapatalk

You cab sign Steve Hansen as your head coach, we all know you'll run him out of town within the year and blame the IRFU.

[CiaranIrl]

It's games like this that make me realise just how important Isa was for Leinster. Driving standards and making sure lads never let the province down. We need someone in these second teams to step up as a leader.

[Xanthippe]

For me today’s game was an insult to the supporters. Players all shiteing on last week about how important we are to them but today’s performance tells a different story. If they weren’t going to bother turning up they should have just stayed in Dublin and given Connacht the walkover - would have saved supporters their hard earned cash