Leinster v Toulouse Sunday April 21st 3.15

[mildlyinterested]

Jaysus, needing HOS to bench in a Euro SF isn't a great spot to be in.

Albeit that's a serious starting backline now, probably our best. Lowe gives us something that not many others do.

A penny for Nick McCarthy's thoughts.

[neill_m]

It's prediction time.
Leinster to win by 10+ points.
OR
Toulouse to Breaklouse.
What say you?
What say the bookies?
How many points is Sexton worth to the overall result.

What say the bookies?
It's 10+ pour moi, 10- if Sexton doesn't play.

Paddy Power have Leinster 7 points favourites.

[mildlyinterested]

It's prediction time.
Leinster to win by 10+ points.
OR
Toulouse to Breaklouse.
What say you?
What say the bookies?
How many points is Sexton worth to the overall result.

What say the bookies?
It's 10+ pour moi, 10- if Sexton doesn't play.

Paddy Power have Leinster 7 points favourites.

i'll take any type of win.

[Blue not red blood]

My pessimism while still worryingly there has diminished ever so slightly as we near matchdat. I have full trust in the management and team to be purring on Sunday.
It wil will be some achievement if we can win this with so little match time together since January.
As a side issue it will be interesting to see how close Munster push or even beat Saracens. Are Saracens being built up too much?
A lot of questions and answers this weekend.
COYBIB

[mildlyinterested]

Sexton/Henshaw haven't played together since October.

[olaf the fat]

Toulouse by 14

[artaneboy]

Toulouse by 14

It’s about time!



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[olaf the fat]

Toulouse by 14

It’s about time!



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Yep, Cant get my head around the "Leinster by" post before a game....and I dont care what paddy power says either!

[LeRouxIsPHat]

Jaysus, needing HOS to bench in a Euro SF isn't a great spot to be in.

Albeit that's a serious starting backline now, probably our best. Lowe gives us something that not many others do.

I don't think it's too bad. It's not like he's starting and apart from last weekend he's mostly looked decent, and I say that as someone who has been pretty critical of him since I first started watching him. It's not like he's being parachuted in out of nowhere and he'll probably only play if Luke gets injured. Lots of people (myself included I think, although I keep flip flopping on it) would prefer Lowe to start and to have the stronger starting side.

Not ideal but it doesn't overly concern me and don't think there'd be unanimous support regardless of which scenario we end up with.

[wixfjord]

Jaysus, needing HOS to bench in a Euro SF isn't a great spot to be in.

Albeit that's a serious starting backline now, probably our best. Lowe gives us something that not many others do.

I don't think it's too bad. It's not like he's starting and apart from last weekend he's mostly looked decent, and I say that as someone who has been pretty critical of him since I first started watching him. It's not like he's being parachuted in out of nowhere and he'll probably only play if Luke gets injured. Lots of people (myself included I think, although I keep flip flopping on it) would prefer Lowe to start and to have the stronger starting side.

Not ideal but it doesn't overly concern me and don't think there'd be unanimous support regardless of which scenario we end up with.

I'd have a very different perception on that!
He was poor last week sure but in a few cameos this year he hasn't looked great. He sort of is being parachuted in out of nowhere too! 6 mins of Euro rugby and very little high level Pro14 rugby.

Would be a huge ask for him to come in against Dupont or Bezy if Luke got hurt early.

It's a tough one with JGP being injured but I think we could've managed that third 9 situation better. I'd be more comfortable with McCarthy there.

[cormac]

Gibson-Park definitely injured. Hamstring injury according to my sauce. Fardy on the bench. Rob starts at full-back.

[LeRouxIsPHat]

I'd have a very different perception on that!
He was poor last week sure but in a few cameos this year he hasn't looked great. He sort of is being parachuted in out of nowhere too! 6 mins of Euro rugby and very little high level Pro14 rugby.

Would be a huge ask for him to come in against Dupont or Bezy if Luke got hurt early.

It's a tough one with JGP being injured but I think we could've managed that third 9 situation better. I'd be more comfortable with McCarthy there.

Look I've been super critical of him but did think he improved a bit when he got more game time after Nick decided to leave. TBH I think he might be our 5th best scrumhalf but at least he has played a fair bit, if Paterson was the one coming in then I'd say THAT would be parachuting someone in, although funnily enough I'd be comfortable with that because he just has more of a swagger about him.

Like I said, it's not ideal and there's definitely a risk to it, but it's not something that will keep me awake on Saturday night. I don't think our perception is all that different tbh.

I disagree that we could have managed it better though. Wasn't Nick supposed to be out for most of the season? When it was announced that he was leaving I didn't like that HOS seemed to jump ahead of him, or at least took a lot of valuable game time, but once he got injured I think the coaches did the right thing. Unfortunate but c'est la vie.

[wixfjord]

As expected:
Healy, Cronin, Furlong, Toner, Ryan, Rhys, SOB, Conan, McGrath, Sexton, Lowe, Henshaw Ringrose, Larmour, RK
Tracy, Byrne, Bent, Fardy, Deegan, HOS, Byrne, ROL

Bit of a fall from grace for Porter. Would've been the choice I would've made too.

Must've been a good bit of competition for the 23, but ROL shades it.

Bench looks a wee bit weaker than we're used to, but that is some starting 15!

[mildlyinterested]

no Porter, thats disappointing.

[LeinsterLeader]

As expected:
Healy, Cronin, Furlong, Toner, Ryan, Rhys, SOB, Conan, McGrath, Sexton, Lowe, Henshaw Ringrose, Larmour, RK
Tracy, Byrne, Bent, Fardy, Deegan, HOS, Byrne, ROL

Yes. Loving it! Bring it on

DK unlucky to miss out altogether and Porter going through a bad patch without a doubt.

[wixfjord]

A lot of big boys in that pack.

Tekori at 7 the one that stands out.
6 forwards on the bench too.
Ahki at 12 maybe designed to guard against Robbie's power. But he has been playing very well too.

This is going to be some arm wrestle.

[Dave Cahill]

6 and 7 are reversed in (particularly the south of) France

[wixfjord]

If Luke is on his game kicking wise, Ramos and Kolbe might be a target for high contestable kicks as an exit strategy for us. Can't see us kicking too long anyway!

[LeRouxIsPHat]

Seeing Lowe on the teamsheet does make me more confident, hope he has a big one after missing out last year. Feel for Adam and Dave missing out and think I'd have had Adam ahead of Larmour, don't think he's been great recently. He's been grand, and he's probably better on the wing right now, but I'd have gone for Adam because of his threat in the air.

I wouldn't be too surprised to see Fardy come on at 6.

I'd definitely have gone for Porter because his bulk could have been important against that huge Toulouse pack. He's a great man for a turnover when you're under the pump too.

[wixfjord]

6 and 7 are reversed in (particularly the south of) France

True, albeit doesn't really matter in this case because Elstadt isn't a 7 either! I think their tactics are clear!