Harryp
If you're saying that there should be a little more squad rotation in the CL then I'd agree but to say that we should do it because the games are meaningless isn't the best attitude. Why should the players go out and play to the best of their ability in every CL game if the fans don't care?
Also, having a bench player who can kick wouldn't have made a difference when Dempsey had that penalty. Contepomi was binned not substituted so Dempsey or D'Arcy will always be taking those kicks unless Kearney nails down a first team spot - he's our current 2nd choice kicker.
Gary Brown Back For Leinster V Borders
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Duff Paddy
- Shane Jennings
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What? Are you serious? The provinces head-hunt their overseas players, it's not like they put an ad in the paper and conduct interviews! Surely they could easily implement a policy of limiting the number of non-Irish qualified players at the provinces.CM wrote:Can't do that legally unfortuntely.I think that 2 non-Irish qualified players should be the maximum allowed in each province
An unoffical policy could be worked outDuff Paddy wrote:What? Are you serious? The provinces head-hunt their overseas players, it's not like they put an ad in the paper and conduct interviews! Surely they could easily implement a policy of limiting the number of non-Irish qualified players at the provinces.CM wrote:Can't do that legally unfortuntely.I think that 2 non-Irish qualified players should be the maximum allowed in each province
It's a job, DP. By EU law they have to make it available to all EU citizens. You certainly couldn't have anything formal in place and if you do it informally there could be a case brought against the provinces for obvious discrimination. On another note it would be the IRFU who would want the rule in place, not the branches so I can't see the branches, who are now set up as businesses, agreeing to that rule to be put in place,
Totally agree, and my good friend Harryp isnt going to want to hear that!!The CL is the Premiership
I reckon that certain games in the CL should be used as more adventurous and giving game time to the squad members, such as Connacht, Borders etc., and the matches against Munster, Ulster, Edinburgh should be used as proper matches, both firstly to win, and secondly to get the right team for the HC. Play Jonno Sexton at 10 against Connacht with Felipe at 12, but against the teams that are the closest to the standard of the HC, play the first 15.
Hickey/McAllister have really fallen by the wayside, lets hope Jonno Sexton doesnt!!Between Knoxy and (the legend that is) Felipe, they should provide substantial coaching for him.
Leinster-Heineken European Cup Champions 2007
I'd agree with you totally on that Trueblue. I'm not talking about dropping the entire first choice 15, but certainly against lesser oposition, such as last nights match we should allow 1 or 2 young guys a chance. Drop Hepworth, Felipe to 12, and give Jonno a start.
By the way, Marys beat Dungannon 31 - 10. Sexton scored 26 points including 2 tries. I can't see the guy having too much trouble stepping up to Provincial standards.
By the way, Marys beat Dungannon 31 - 10. Sexton scored 26 points including 2 tries. I can't see the guy having too much trouble stepping up to Provincial standards.
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Leinster til i die
- Bookworm
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Why dish Hepworth so quickly. I think there is potential there. His passing was excellent and flatter and faster than any other back i've seen for leinster and in the first half he didn't run the ball but in the second half he did and looked very effective. He is young and never played union before. Give the guy a chance and i'm sure he'll prove a lot of you wrong.
On another point our back 3 looked poor. Going forward there is a lot of pace but the tackling ability of them is so poor, in a way i'm glad hickie didn't make the irish 22 and i really don;t think Brown can cut it, even though he's a good finisher.
On another point our back 3 looked poor. Going forward there is a lot of pace but the tackling ability of them is so poor, in a way i'm glad hickie didn't make the irish 22 and i really don;t think Brown can cut it, even though he's a good finisher.
"its a sunday, if you want to go to church, go there and worship Brian O'Driscoll". - Stuart Barnes 22/1/06
Ok, I think we're coming to a consensus on what the CL is and can be used for. I think the main issue with the lesser games and giving players gametime is that one should really only experiment from a position of strength. Unfortunately we haven't had any easy games when the full squad have all been available. As it was there were 7 changes plus one positional change from the Bath match against the Borders. Connacht away are never easy but we played them a week before an important HEC match. We're playing them at home during the 6N so again won't be playing them from a position of strength. The other thing is that we currently only have two games more before playing Toulouse and we need to keep as much of the first choice team in action so we don't lose our fluidity.
What I have been disappointed with is not the starting 15 but the gametime given off the bench to some players. Sexton could have come on a lot earlier against the Borders while O'Meara was clearly ineffective against Edinburgh so there was no harm trying Hickey for longer. When he did come off the bench he was more effective but it was too late.
As for Hickey/Sexton/McAllister/Hepworth. I agree that Hepworth has been looking better and better with each game. He's not a winger so got a lot of stick for his play against Bath while he clearly looked out of place against Edinburgh. But as LTID said he's only new to Union, is young and is improving all the time. My only worry is that he's not Irish qualified and whatever about Leinster's 1st choice being non-Irish I don't think we should be encouraging the backup to be non-Irish too.
LTID, don't think Hickie's defence was poor at all. It was mainly Brown that was at fault for the back three's porous defence. I think it's a similar situation to D'Arcy a couple of years back when D'Arcy's positioning going into the tackle was poor. A move to the centre worked very well because the positioning is a bit more straightforward and given that Brown is a centre by trade maybe we should consider swapping himself and Lewis as Lewis has proved himself a very good wing defender.
What I have been disappointed with is not the starting 15 but the gametime given off the bench to some players. Sexton could have come on a lot earlier against the Borders while O'Meara was clearly ineffective against Edinburgh so there was no harm trying Hickey for longer. When he did come off the bench he was more effective but it was too late.
As for Hickey/Sexton/McAllister/Hepworth. I agree that Hepworth has been looking better and better with each game. He's not a winger so got a lot of stick for his play against Bath while he clearly looked out of place against Edinburgh. But as LTID said he's only new to Union, is young and is improving all the time. My only worry is that he's not Irish qualified and whatever about Leinster's 1st choice being non-Irish I don't think we should be encouraging the backup to be non-Irish too.
LTID, don't think Hickie's defence was poor at all. It was mainly Brown that was at fault for the back three's porous defence. I think it's a similar situation to D'Arcy a couple of years back when D'Arcy's positioning going into the tackle was poor. A move to the centre worked very well because the positioning is a bit more straightforward and given that Brown is a centre by trade maybe we should consider swapping himself and Lewis as Lewis has proved himself a very good wing defender.
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Duff Paddy
- Shane Jennings
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There is an interview with him on Leinster Rugby. Seemingly the 1st union action he saw since he was 16 was when he came off the bench against Bath at home. He's obviously fit and hopefully has the skill level required, just needs time to learn the game. Maybe MC should send him back the AIL for the rest of the season??I agree that Hepworth has been looking better and better with each game. He's not a winger so got a lot of stick for his play against Bath while he clearly looked out of place against Edinburgh. But as LTID said he's only new to Union, is young and is improving all the time.
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Leinsterman
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Duff Paddy
- Shane Jennings
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Just pray that BOD and D'arce make through the 6N without injuries.Leinsterman wrote:That wouldn't be a bad idea Harryp. I'd say Cheika won't do that though until the 6N is over and our HEC voyage is over. However, once the lads from the Ireland squad return, Cheika could quite easily send him off for AIL duty. Barring injuries (fingers crossed) we wouldn't really need him.
With those 2 we normally just pray they make through lunch without any injuries!Duff Paddy wrote:Just pray that BOD and D'arce make through the 6N without injuries.Leinsterman wrote:That wouldn't be a bad idea Harryp. I'd say Cheika won't do that though until the 6N is over and our HEC voyage is over. However, once the lads from the Ireland squad return, Cheika could quite easily send him off for AIL duty. Barring injuries (fingers crossed) we wouldn't really need him.
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apple sourz
- Mullet
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gig
Duff, if what you say about Nik Kershaw is true, maybe we should get him to do a gig for us, reckon he'd be cheap aswel. 
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Duff Paddy
- Shane Jennings
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Re: gig
Oh it's true!apple sourz wrote:Duff, if what you say about Nik Kershaw is true, maybe we should get him to do a gig for us, reckon he'd be cheap aswel.
I don't get the Hepworth signing at all. He was brought in before Cheika/Knox got to have a look at Hickey, McAllister & Sexton.
Sure he's new to Union, but isn't that the point? The time it'll take to blood him into OH will be at least as long as it would take to give one of the existing guys a run. Im no more convinced about him that any of the other guys, other than he seems to have good hands.
Hickey's only involvement so far that I have seen is at centre. Haven't seen McAllister at all and Sexton got some time vs. Borders. Halfbacks need a consistent run of games to show what they can do.
If we keep chopping and changing our fringe players we'll learn nothing about them and it won't do our CL chances any more good than giving someone a run. I'd like to see the coaches nail their colours to the mast on a back-up OH and a sub OH and play them against lower CL teams.
If Felipe got injured tomorrow (a freak nappy-changing incident for example...) we'd be screwed. Totally. God forbid (hang on though - Felipe IS God...)
Sure he's new to Union, but isn't that the point? The time it'll take to blood him into OH will be at least as long as it would take to give one of the existing guys a run. Im no more convinced about him that any of the other guys, other than he seems to have good hands.
Hickey's only involvement so far that I have seen is at centre. Haven't seen McAllister at all and Sexton got some time vs. Borders. Halfbacks need a consistent run of games to show what they can do.
If we keep chopping and changing our fringe players we'll learn nothing about them and it won't do our CL chances any more good than giving someone a run. I'd like to see the coaches nail their colours to the mast on a back-up OH and a sub OH and play them against lower CL teams.
If Felipe got injured tomorrow (a freak nappy-changing incident for example...) we'd be screwed. Totally. God forbid (hang on though - Felipe IS God...)