EPCR SEMI-FINAL V CLERMONT

[curates_egg]

Adam Byrne not in the 23 is perhaps the biggest surprise.

I would not have gone with Moloney on the bench but can understand the choice.

Got to be the youngest average matchday squad we have fielded in a knock-out ever.

[wixfjord]

Big swing in momentum there.

I'm very surprised to see Ross Byrne bench too. Why?

[erskinechilders]

Why is Ross Byrne on the bench? Slightly odd conspiring we already have two out-halves on the field. Adam Byrne must be p***ed off with that, decent game last week and not even in 23 this week.

Worrying lack of physicality without O'Brien in the pack, fingers crossed!

[wixfjord]

Looking at that Clermont pack and ours, plus our bench, I think our best shot of winning this is speed speed and more speed. Keep the ball alive, don't get into an arm wrestle, run Leavy and Conan in wide channels and hope that our 1-6 can hold them in the tight.

[molloyjh]

I've lost a lot of the confidence I had about our ability to win this one seeing those 2 line ups. Missing Murphy, Heaslip and now SOB from our back row is frightening. Thank God we have the depth there that we do. Losing Healy on top of those is massive as well. That's a hell of a lot of experience out of the pack. I don't see where we can win this now unfortunately. We've almost no impact from the bench really either.

[wixfjord]

I've lost a lot of the confidence I had about our ability to win this one seeing those 2 line ups. Missing Murphy, Heaslip and now SOB from our back row is frightening. Thank God we have the depth there that we do. Losing Healy on top of those is massive as well. That's a hell of a lot of experience out of the pack. I don't see where we can win this now unfortunately. We've almost no impact from the bench really either.

Ah now, let's not go that far. JGP, Leavy and Cronin are fantastic bench players to bring on.

[LeinsterLeader]

I've lost a lot of the confidence I had about our ability to win this one seeing those 2 line ups. Missing Murphy, Heaslip and now SOB from our back row is frightening. Thank God we have the depth there that we do. Losing Healy on top of those is massive as well. That's a hell of a lot of experience out of the pack. I don't see where we can win this now unfortunately. We've almost no impact from the bench really either.

Ah now, let's not go that far. JGP, JVDF and Cronin are fantastic bench players to bring on.

......but I get your point

[wixfjord]

I've lost a lot of the confidence I had about our ability to win this one seeing those 2 line ups. Missing Murphy, Heaslip and now SOB from our back row is frightening. Thank God we have the depth there that we do. Losing Healy on top of those is massive as well. That's a hell of a lot of experience out of the pack. I don't see where we can win this now unfortunately. We've almost no impact from the bench really either.

Ah now, let's not go that far. JGP, JVDF and Cronin are fantastic bench players to bring on.

......but I get your point

Haha Freudian!

[molloyjh]

I've lost a lot of the confidence I had about our ability to win this one seeing those 2 line ups. Missing Murphy, Heaslip and now SOB from our back row is frightening. Thank God we have the depth there that we do. Losing Healy on top of those is massive as well. That's a hell of a lot of experience out of the pack. I don't see where we can win this now unfortunately. We've almost no impact from the bench really either.

Ah now, let's not go that far. JGP, Leavy and Cronin are fantastic bench players to bring on.

Not sure on JGP. He hasn't been at his best lately. Cronin and VDF are certainly impact players. And there's a few guys I have a lot of time for there too, but aren't really impact players. Dooley, Bent, Molony, Ross Byrne and Kirchner. Are they guys who can turn things around for us in a big game if they are going south? Would have preferred to see Adam Byrne in the 23, probably ahead of his namesake. We already have 2 outhalves in the squad, not sure why we need a third.

[curates_egg]

Big swing in momentum there.

I'm very surprised to see Ross Byrne bench too. Why?

I guess Adam only covers wing, so I can understand why he is not on the bench. Maybe they think Carbery was outhalf cover for a home game, where we weren't going to kick too much but not away to Clermont?

[alanair]

Seriously... when is the last time SO'B played 2 consecutive games for Leinster....??

[simonokeeffe]

Big swing in momentum there.

I'm very surprised to see Ross Byrne bench too. Why?

I guess Adam only covers wing, so I can understand why he is not on the bench. Maybe they think Carbery was outhalf cover for a home game, where we weren't going to kick too much but not away to Clermont?

you could well be right

Byrne v McFadden is a tight call, Carberry and Ringrose though hopefully have the pace to exploit Rougerie, Abendanon was never the strongest defender either

[wixfjord]

I've lost a lot of the confidence I had about our ability to win this one seeing those 2 line ups. Missing Murphy, Heaslip and now SOB from our back row is frightening. Thank God we have the depth there that we do. Losing Healy on top of those is massive as well. That's a hell of a lot of experience out of the pack. I don't see where we can win this now unfortunately. We've almost no impact from the bench really either.

Ah now, let's not go that far. JGP, Leavy and Cronin are fantastic bench players to bring on.

Not sure on JGP. He hasn't been at his best lately. Cronin and VDF are certainly impact players. And there's a few guys I have a lot of time for there too, but aren't really impact players. Dooley, Bent, Molony, Ross Byrne and Kirchner. Are they guys who can turn things around for us in a big game if they are going south? Would have preferred to see Adam Byrne in the 23, probably ahead of his namesake. We already have 2 outhalves in the squad, not sure why we need a third.

It's not right to say "we've almost no impact from the bench" though.
It's been lessened, but there are still guys who can come on and have a big impact.

[wixfjord]

Big swing in momentum there.

I'm very surprised to see Ross Byrne bench too. Why?

I guess Adam only covers wing, so I can understand why he is not on the bench. Maybe they think Carbery was outhalf cover for a home game, where we weren't going to kick too much but not away to Clermont?

That's a good point, might be an indication as to the management team's perception of Carbery at 10 too.
Still, the only reason Byrne will come on is if Sexton gets injured. I'd much prefer Byrne and Kirchner there.

[backrower8]

Was feeling quietly confident but that squad composition compared to theirs has shifted my view.

Seanie a big loss on top of Cian (and Jamie before that). No Adam Byrne plus Ross Byrne's presence on the bench means we have zero pace out wide.

Looks like we are going to go for an Joe Schmidt-style arm-wrestling pressure rugby approach with quite a few Euro semi-final newbies.

I thought the Clermont team might be quite a bit older but they average about 29 and we are about 26.5 yrs.

Think we have the edge in the pack. Worried at our blunt wingers.

22 yr old Ringer v 36 yr old Rougerie could be key

Hon Leinster!

[wixfjord]

One area we can really make hay is footwork.
Having watched Clermont this year, they're much more blunt from deep than they were, and particularly now with Fofana, Naki out, they're even less threat.
They've some big lumbering forwards that, if we can get Leavy, Conan, VDF, Cronin, Ringer, Carbery running at, we could make hay.

That sort of makes Adam Byrne's absence even more strange.

[erskinechilders]

Significant swing with Kayser, Zhirikashvili and Vaha all being passed fit and us losing Healy and O'Brien... I'm worried now. Adam Byrne missing out is bizarre for me!

[VGE]

Consider the QF vs Toulon:

Spedding ; Nakaitaci, Rougerie, Lamerat, Abendanon ; (o) Lopez, (m) Parra ; Yato, Lee, Chouly (cap) ; Vahaamahina, Iturria ; Zirakashvili, Kayser, Chaume.

Substitutes : Ulugia, Falgoux, Jarvis, Van der Merwe, Cancoriet, Radosavljevic, Fernandez, Penaud.




Nakaitaci out, Strettle in. Maybe Penaud starting? Maybe Jedrasiak in and Van der Merve out , Lapandry in, Cancoriet out.

If Raka in, maybe Fernandez out. Rado can play 9 or 10.


But I'm not a good manager.



Au revoir.

In fact I'm a good manager.


Au revoir.

[Lar]

Blimey. There were loads on here who were expressing concern about A Byrne and Carbery being two of the back three in the 1/4 final v Wasps. Byrne's sometimes questionable defensive positioning was also highlighted in the Connacht game last week. Now him being out of the team is a cause of remarks like strange and bizarre. It may be you guys were not ones expressing the concerns but it can't be that strange or bizarre if several on here were worried about his defensive capabilities.

The reason I am concerned about Ross Byrne being on the bench ahead of Adam is that it makes me think that Johnny may still be nursing that shoulder despite three weeks rest and the coaches have a genuine fear he won't last the game. He is undoubtedly going to be targeted and Nigel Owens is not one to blow the marginally late calls.

[Peg Leg]

If it's a fast (with the possibility of some loose) game and we cough up possession our scramble defence will be key. In weighing defensive stability and attacking prowess Ferg probably edges Byrne. We don't loose as much in attack as we gain in defence IMO.
Clermont are not a team that you try to outscore 2:1, we need to cut them down before we pick off the smart gains.
As per DC on BTTV, we can't afford to let them build momentum.