Edinburgh Away, 22/03, 7.35pm

[Ruckedtobits]

Very hard to see the logic of this selection unless it involves keeping the core of next week's team together to train tomorrow and possibly over the weekend. Luke will be proving fitness for selection in Squad as will Leavy. Nugget getting back on the competitive trail.

But there's no single theory which rationalises every selection. Would certainly have preferred CO'L to Tomane as No. 12

[backrower8]

Would certainly have preferred CO'L to Tomane as No. 12

[cormac]

It seems a bit bizarre to start Murphy in the second row and have Dunne and Dowling on the bench.

[paddyor]

Cullen and Lancaster have been celebrating the contracts with some of the sticky icky icky. Doing bong hits in between each name.

[sunshiner1]

by cormac » March 21st, 2019, 10:58 pm

It seems a bit bizarre to start Murphy in the second row and have Dunne and Dowling on the bench.

Agreed I got concerns about that Second Row.

[ronk]

Leinster Rugby (caps in brackets):

15. Ciarán Frawley (10)
14. Fergus McFadden (175)
13. Noel Reid (117)
12. Joe Tomane (9)
11. Barry Daly (33)
10. Ross Byrne (65)
9. Luke McGrath (106)
1. Ed Byrne (38)
2. Seán Cronin (166)
3. Michael Bent (118)
4. Josh Murphy (18)
5. Mick Kearney (48)
6. Rhys Ruddock (156) CAPTAIN
7. Dan Leavy (61)
8. Max Deegan (38)

16. Bryan Byrne (37)
17. Jack McGrath (141)
18. Andrew Porter (48)
19. Jack Dunne (2)
20. Oisín Dowling (2)
21. Nick McCarthy (32)
22. Jimmy O’Brien (5)
23. Conor O’Brien (15)

There are a few areas that could go horribly wrong.

Experimental fullback, midfield and 2nd row. Lots of injury returnees at once.

Great opportunity for Deegan to play in a strong backrow againdt a strong backrow.

[Ruckedtobits]

Edinburgh front-row is very strong as is their back-row. We will certainly have our work cut out up front. On that basis, limited supplies for our backline and likely a losing bonus point type of result.

[Barry]

by cormac » March 21st, 2019, 10:58 pm

It seems a bit bizarre to start Murphy in the second row and have Dunne and Dowling on the bench.

Agreed I got concerns about that Second Row.

according to the 42 - Molony has an "injury issue"

[mildlyinterested]

I'm guessing Josh Murphy is calling the lineout, hence why he is starting.

[wixfjord]

Hmmm, that's not great if Molony is carrying an injury before next week. Would mean Mick K benching most likely.

[mildlyinterested]

Ulster's 3rd choice lock is likely to be AOC, would be okay with Mick K being our bench lock in that scenario. Especially given his form this season.

[wixfjord]

TEAM NEWS: Ross Byrne has been pulled from the team this evening so @CiaranF_97 starts at 10, @jimmyobrien88 is promoted from the replacements to full back and Gavin Mullin is onto the bench for, potentially, his seasonal debut #EDIvLEI #GuinnessPRO14

[mildlyinterested]

pulled from team is an interesting way to put it. Issues with Sexton maybe?

[mildlyinterested]

Jimmy O'Brien has never played fullback at any level bar playing there in the 2nd half against the cheetahs.

[bluemagic]

So is sexton injured or is Ross Byrne injured

[LeRouxIsPHat]

Mullin being promoted really emphasises that we're wrapping people in cotton wool for next week. I'd have preferred Noel to move to ten and COB to start.

It's going to be such a strange game. That Edinburgh selection means they have to lay down a marker for next week, but there could be a hangover from the England game and they could have an eye on the Munster game that negatively affects them tonight. We have nothing to lose and if the attitude is right then we could really tear into them, or it could be such a mix and match selection with very little chance of playing next week that we get battered. Wouldn't be surprised if it ends up 3-0, 30-0, or 40 all!

[wixfjord]

I have suspicions that we might be in for a battering unfortunately!

[LeRouxIsPHat]

Yeah funnily enough despite saying that anything could happen I didn't actually say that any of the mad results would be a win for us

That reminds me that it's actually a really difficult game for Tomane to make his return. He was low on confidence, had shifted between positions a bit, he's been out for months, and then comes back into a scratch side (where the ten changes on the day of the game) against a near full strength team looking to get ready for a huge game next week. That could get quite ugly actually, so even if he puts in a 6/10 performance I'd consider that to be a great comeback tbh.

[LeinsterLeader]

Yeah funnily enough despite saying that anything could happen I didn't actually say that any of the mad results would be a win for us

That reminds me that it's actually a really difficult game for Tomane to make his return. He was low on confidence, had shifted between positions a bit, he's been out for months, and then comes back into a scratch side (where the ten changes on the day of the game) against a near full strength team looking to get ready for a huge game next week. That could get quite ugly actually, so even if he puts in a 6/10 performance I'd consider that to be a great comeback tbh.

Also, I thought Frawley looked low in confidence at 10 in his last couple of outings so was hoping a good turn at 15 might help him. Not to be so. Bring your daughter to the Slaughter

Also, on the Ross Byrne withdrawal....

"The out-half travelled to Scotland, but reported a minor foot issue during today’s captain’s run and was pulled as a precaution."

[desperado]

by cormac » March 21st, 2019, 10:58 pm

It seems a bit bizarre to start Murphy in the second row and have Dunne and Dowling on the bench.

Agreed I got concerns about that Second Row.

Unless I'm dreaming; didn't Josh Murphy play second row with Kearney (not from the start though) in a recent home game. If so, it's been done before (although only fleetingly); so probably something they've looked at before in training. We do have alot of backrow resources although primarily more 7's than 6's (Leavy/VDF/SOB/Penny/Porridge). It's hardly the case that moving Josh to 2nd row is being considered longterm???