Leinster V Bath Sat 15th Dec 17.30 BT Sport

[outcast eddie]

We need to really cut loose against Bath so how about this:

15. Hugo Keenan (3)
14. Adam Byrne (42)
13. Jimmy O’Brien (1)
12. Conor O’Brien (6)
11. Dave Kearney (126)
10. Ross Byrne (56)
9. Jamison Gibson-Park (58)
1. Ed Byrne (29)
2. James Tracy (76)
3. Michael Bent (111)
4. Ross Molony (70)
5. Scott Fardy (30) CAPTAIN
6. Josh Murphy (13)
7. Scott Penny (1)
8. Caelan Doris (5)

16. Bryan Byrne (31)
17. Peter Dooley (53)
18. Andrew Porter (38)
19. Mick Kearney (41)
20. Max Deegan (28)
21. Paddy Patterson (0)
22. Ciarán Frawley (5)
23. Tom Daly (11)

Also, we need to get back to our pen stealing best so some flag ban payback is due.

[Oldschool]

We need to really cut loose against Bath so how about this:

15. Hugo Keenan (3)
14. Adam Byrne (42)
13. Jimmy O’Brien (1)
12. Conor O’Brien (6)
11. Dave Kearney (126)
10. Ross Byrne (56)
9. Jamison Gibson-Park (58)
1. Ed Byrne (29)
2. James Tracy (76)
3. Michael Bent (111)
4. Ross Molony (70)
5. Scott Fardy (30) CAPTAIN
6. Josh Murphy (13)
7. Scott Penny (1)
8. Caelan Doris (5)

16. Bryan Byrne (31)
17. Peter Dooley (53)
18. Andrew Porter (38)
19. Mick Kearney (41)
20. Max Deegan (28)
21. Paddy Patterson (0)
22. Ciarán Frawley (5)
23. Tom Daly (11)

Also, we need to get back to our pen stealing best so some flag ban payback is due.

Have Bath joined the Pro14?

[curates_egg]

We need to really cut loose against Bath so how about this:

15. Hugo Keenan (3)
14. Adam Byrne (42)
13. Jimmy O’Brien (1)
12. Conor O’Brien (6)
11. Dave Kearney (126)
10. Ross Byrne (56)
9. Jamison Gibson-Park (58)
1. Ed Byrne (29)
2. James Tracy (76)
3. Michael Bent (111)
4. Ross Molony (70)
5. Scott Fardy (30) CAPTAIN
6. Josh Murphy (13)
7. Scott Penny (1)
8. Caelan Doris (5)

16. Bryan Byrne (31)
17. Peter Dooley (53)
18. Andrew Porter (38)
19. Mick Kearney (41)
20. Max Deegan (28)
21. Paddy Patterson (0)
22. Ciarán Frawley (5)
23. Tom Daly (11)

Also, we need to get back to our pen stealing best so some flag ban payback is due.

Swap Fardy for Dunne, and I'd say you've got it spot on.
Bonus point should be tied up by halftime.

[Blueberry]

Looks good to me !! Game over

[COYBIB]

Seriously though..

1. Healy 2. Cronin 3. Furlong 4. Toner 5. Ryan 6. Fardy 7. Leavy 8. Conan
9. McGrath 10. Sexton 11. Lowe 12. Reid 13. Ringrose 14. Larmour 15. Kearney
16. Tracy 17. Bent 18. Porter 19. Ruddock 20. Van Der Flier 21. McCarthy 22. Byrne 23. O'Loughlin

Back-row needs greater ballast, Fardy brings the line out option from 6 as well as the physicality around the ruck, Conan brings the go forward ball and power required from the back of the scrum, Leavy can focus on what he's best at, ruining opposition lives. That was the biggest problematic area that stifled much else of what we do.

Before the game I would have had O'Brien in the centre ahead of Reid, but given his performance he deserves to hold the jersey.

Fardy to cover second row with two back-rows on the bench. Could have Ruddock start with Fardy at 19, but I'd start him, if McCarthy is injured (not sure) I'd even have O'Sullivan or Patterson on the bench, I think the importance of Lowe and Fardy justify the drop in bench quality leaving JGP out.

Bent (or Dooley) in for Ed Byrne. If you're going to make a prop play 80 minutes it means you have zero faith in your bench option. They have to be pretty bad if their freshness over the last 20 minutes isn't incentive enough to take off a 60 minute prop in a game that attritional and draining / heavy under foot.

[Dundalk 1]

Seriously though..

1. Healy 2. Cronin 3. Furlong 4. Toner 5. Ryan 6. Fardy 7. Leavy 8. Conan
9. McGrath 10. Sexton 11. Lowe 12. Reid 13. Ringrose 14. Larmour 15. Kearney
16. Tracy 17. Bent 18. Porter 19. Ruddock 20. Van Der Flier 21. McCarthy 22. Byrne 23. O'Loughlin

Back-row needs greater ballast, Fardy brings the line out option from 6 as well as the physicality around the ruck, Conan brings the go forward ball and power required from the back of the scrum, Leavy can focus on what he's best at, ruining opposition lives. That was the biggest problematic area that stifled much else of what we do.

Before the game I would have had O'Brien in the centre ahead of Reid, but given his performance he deserves to hold the jersey.

Fardy to cover second row with two back-rows on the bench. Could have Ruddock start with Fardy at 19, but I'd start him, if McCarthy is injured (not sure) I'd even have O'Sullivan or Patterson on the bench, I think the importance of Lowe and Fardy justify the drop in bench quality leaving JGP out.

Bent (or Dooley) in for Ed Byrne. If you're going to make a prop play 80 minutes it means you have zero faith in your bench option. They have to be pretty bad if their freshness over the last 20 minutes isn't incentive enough to take off a 60 minute prop in a game that attritional and draining / heavy under foot.

The entire front row were replaced at the same time
Ed Byrne was fine when he came on

[Cianostays]

Conan will undoubtedly come back in and I'd be happy to see JCB starting with Lowe missing out. Happy to go with Reid after his performance yesterday.

[Serb]

1. Healy 2. Cronin 3. Furlong 4. Toner 5. Ryan 6. Fardy 7. Leavy 8. Conan
9. McGrath 10. Sexton 11. Lowe 12. Reid 13. Ringrose 14. Larmour 15. Kearney
16. Tracy 17. Bent 18. Porter 19. Ruddock 20. Van Der Flier 21. McCarthy 22. Byrne 23. O'Loughlin

Ed Byrne got 15 minutes. Think he was fine, not sure I’d be replacing him as third choice just yet.

Only other issue is like you mention, Nick McCarthy is injured and I don’t think he’s due back for this one. I agree with playing Fardy, but you’re putting O’Sullivan on the bench if you’re picking Lowe (Patterson isn’t in the Euro squad).

It’s a tricky one as with Lowe in the team, we’re a better 15, but with JGP on the bench and D. Kearney or A. Byrne starting, we’re a better 23 imo.

I think it’s more likely JGP will make the bench as, even if he’s only playing 20 minutes, he’ll touch the ball a couple of dozen times, vs having to play someone like Adam Byrne out wide who might have 10 involvements all evening (Lowe made 3 tackles and 6 carries this weekend in Bath).

... but then again, can we really do without the finishing ability of Lowe? Could be the difference between 4 and 5 points (or even 1 and 4 points). Also seems harsh to drop both vdF and Ruddock. Tricky selection this week.

[blockhead]

Lowe has got to start this game.

[leinsterforever]

Think I'd bring in Tracy for Cronin and have Bryan Byrne alongside his brother on the bench to come on and do his usual dynamo act

Reid did well but if ROL is fully fit I think he's a better bet

[Blueberry]

Tough calls this week. For me we need to target 5 pts as Toulouse will probably pick up 5 and with the two point advantage they have already a 4 PT win v Bath leaves us three points back and that makes topping the group tougher.

For me Lowe playing becomes important as he is a proven finisher but Fardy is needed to combat the Bath groundhogs and it's bloody risky leaving out LPG ...glad I don't have to make the call.....and can just sit back and analyse it....when it's made.

Otherwise suspect Conan comes in, Reid will stay I suspect too.

[Blueberry]

Think I'd bring in Tracy for Cronin and have Bryan Byrne alongside his brother on the bench to come on and do his usual dynamo act

Reid did well but if ROL is fully fit I think he's a better bet

Cronin was excellent v Bath.....on a drier track in better weather if we get it, he will be better again, would leave him there.

[curates_egg]

Think I'd bring in Tracy for Cronin and have Bryan Byrne alongside his brother on the bench to come on and do his usual dynamo act

Reid did well but if ROL is fully fit I think he's a better bet

Cronin was excellent v Bath.....on a drier track in better weather if we get it, he will be better again, would leave him there.

+1 - one of our best performers. I haven't watched back, but did we not lose two lineouts after Tracy came on?

[wixfjord]

Bent (or Dooley) in for Ed Byrne. If you're going to make a prop play 80 minutes it means you have zero faith in your bench option. They have to be pretty bad if their freshness over the last 20 minutes isn't incentive enough to take off a 60 minute prop in a game that attritional and draining / heavy under foot.

What is this in relation to? Am I missing something here?

[the spoofer]

It's going to be a massive washout on Saturday if YR.NO are accurate. 26mm of rain from morning to evening.

[Blueberry]

Think I'd bring in Tracy for Cronin and have Bryan Byrne alongside his brother on the bench to come on and do his usual dynamo act

Reid did well but if ROL is fully fit I think he's a better bet

Cronin was excellent v Bath.....on a drier track in better weather if we get it, he will be better again, would leave him there.

+1 - one of our best performers. I haven't watched back, but did we not lose two lineouts after Tracy came on?

Yes we did lose a couple towards the end, Cronin threw well in the conditions and offered lots of go forward as he always does. Even his one throw that got blown off course by the wind ended up in the Larmour try so positive contribution all round !!

[carlow man]

Even with the rain forecast the pitch at the aviva is miles better than the bog they call a pitch at the rec. It's always bad, the grass is long and it never dries out. Leinster will be able to play a more open expansive game and the size of the pitch will make it hard for bath to shut leinster down for 80 mins. Bath had to win last Saturday and blew it so I'd expect us to start fast and get ahead early. Bath haven't got the squad to go full bore for back to back matches against Leinster. The pitch and conditions made it more competitive rather than bath playing out of their skins!

[cormac]

Bent (or Dooley) in for Ed Byrne. If you're going to make a prop play 80 minutes it means you have zero faith in your bench option. They have to be pretty bad if their freshness over the last 20 minutes isn't incentive enough to take off a 60 minute prop in a game that attritional and draining / heavy under foot.

What is this in relation to? Am I missing something here?

My guess is that COYBIB failed to realise that our entire front row was subbed off in the 62nd minute.

[ribs]

Agree. Bigger pitch will yield more tries for both sides so I’d prefer Lowe with less box kicking to their back three (the mistake we made when wasps beat us at home)

[arsebiscuits1]

Reid had a very industrious 13 tackles at the weekend and was generally quite good.

I also note he has only 1 pass in his time on the pitch so he was clearly there to carry.

Problem is we got no front foot ball off him. And of the rest of our fit backline, the only ones that will offer real front foot ball in tight channels is COB - who I don't think is at European level. Or Lowe - who I was surprised wasn't called to truck it up more.

With some tidier ball from the breakdown and a stricter offside line, hopefully we can make better inroads. But I wouldn't mind see Lowe pop up on Sextons shoulder from some good yards