Glasgow v Leinster, Sat, 1pm, Sky.

[wixfjord]

Round two. Glasgow will be gunning for this. Played well the other night but set piece and maul let them down, plus Exeter are a serious pack.

Given the plastic pitch and Glasgow's relative lack of prowess in the lineout, I'd like to see the following for this:

McGrath, Cronin, Furlong, Fardy, Toner, Ruddock, VDF, Conan, McGrath, Sexton, Daly, Reid, Henshaw, Byrne, Carbery
Healy, Tracy, Bent, Ryan, SOB, JGP, Byrne, ROL

Would have Reid in from the beginning.

Getting Johnny back would be a big boost. Murphy unlucky to miss out as he's in good form. Would start Cronin too as he might go better on the hard ground, but would have no issue with Tracy starting.
Likewise would have no issue with Healy in to start.

Usual worries about Byrne defensively, but we'll have to make do and his aerial prowess may help against Seymour, who's very good in the air.

I'd have pretty good hopes of us grabbing a win if we can up the performance another few notches.

[ronk]

Is Isa confirmed out?

[wixfjord]

No, but can't see him featuring.

If he was fit would slot straight back into 12 imo.

[Ruckedtobits]

Round two. Glasgow will be gunning for this. Played well the other night but set piece and maul let them down, plus Exeter are a serious pack.

Given the plastic pitch and Glasgow's relative lack of prowess in the lineout, I'd like to see the following for this:

McGrath, Cronin, Furlong, Fardy, Toner, Ruddock, VDF, Conan, McGrath, Sexton, Daly, Reid, Henshaw, Byrne, Carbery
Healy, Tracy, Bent, Ryan, SOB, JGP, Byrne, ROL

Would have Reid in from the beginning.

Getting Johnny back would be a big boost. Murphy unlucky to miss out as he's in good form. Would start Cronin too as he might go better on the hard ground, but would have no issue with Tracy starting.
Likewise would have no issue with Healy in to start.

Usual worries about Byrne defensively, but we'll have to make do and his aerial prowess may help against Seymour, who's very good in the air.

I'd have pretty good hopes of us grabbing a win if we can up the performance another few notches.

Would have to keep Treacy as lineout has been our Achilles Heel for the past season and I wouldn't change something that works.

[artaneboy]

How bad does Luke McGrath have to play before he can be dropped? JGP played very well- including managing to get the range on box kicks and quick accurate passing in his 20 minutes. I'm not expecting Sexton to play and Ross Byrne deserves and needs a good service and protection if he's to have the best chance to perform.


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[artaneboy]

Round two. Glasgow will be gunning for this. Played well the other night but set piece and maul let them down, plus Exeter are a serious pack.

Given the plastic pitch and Glasgow's relative lack of prowess in the lineout, I'd like to see the following for this:

McGrath, Cronin, Furlong, Fardy, Toner, Ruddock, VDF, Conan, McGrath, Sexton, Daly, Reid, Henshaw, Byrne, Carbery
Healy, Tracy, Bent, Ryan, SOB, JGP, Byrne, ROL

Would have Reid in from the beginning.

Getting Johnny back would be a big boost. Murphy unlucky to miss out as he's in good form. Would start Cronin too as he might go better on the hard ground, but would have no issue with Tracy starting.
Likewise would have no issue with Healy in to start.

Usual worries about Byrne defensively, but we'll have to make do and his aerial prowess may help against Seymour, who's very good in the air.

I'd have pretty good hopes of us grabbing a win if we can up the performance another few notches.

Would have to keep Treacy as lineout has been our Achilles Heel for the past season and I wouldn't change something that works.

Agree on Tracy. Cronin won't like it, but his throwing is just not reliable. Plus Sean coming on always lifts the carrying game. Until he gets the line out sorted, Nugget may have to get used to being an impact sub.


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[paddyor]

How bad does Luke McGrath have to play before he can be dropped? JGP played very well- including managing to get the range on box kicks and quick accurate passing in his 20 minutes. I'm not expecting Sexton to play and Ross Byrne deserves and needs a good service and protection if he's to have the best chance to perform.


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Hmmm, from what I remember the wind died massively in the 2nd half. There were still gusts but it wasn't constant like in the firt half. That seemed to catch out Byrne with the last conversion.

[leinsterforever]

How bad does Luke McGrath have to play before he can be dropped? JGP played very well- including managing to get the range on box kicks and quick accurate passing in his 20 minutes. I'm not expecting Sexton to play and Ross Byrne deserves and needs a good service and protection if he's to have the best chance to perform.


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By "get the range on box kicks" you mean hand possession over two or three times with no chaser able to get near, right?

[artaneboy]

How bad does Luke McGrath have to play before he can be dropped? JGP played very well- including managing to get the range on box kicks and quick accurate passing in his 20 minutes. I'm not expecting Sexton to play and Ross Byrne deserves and needs a good service and protection if he's to have the best chance to perform.


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By "get the range on box kicks" you mean hand possession over two or three times with no chaser able to get near, right?

No I mean he mostly manged to kick so the chasers could challenge- something that Luke failed to do repeatedly (i.e. much more than "two or three times") for his time on the field. JPG's performance yesterday easily surpassed McGrath's in that respect alone- not to mention in passing. Or don't you agree?

[artaneboy]

How bad does Luke McGrath have to play before he can be dropped? JGP played very well- including managing to get the range on box kicks and quick accurate passing in his 20 minutes. I'm not expecting Sexton to play and Ross Byrne deserves and needs a good service and protection if he's to have the best chance to perform.


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Hmmm, from what I remember the wind died massively in the 2nd half. There were still gusts but it wasn't constant like in the firt half. That seemed to catch out Byrne with the last conversion.

Ah- here- that doesn't add up. I don't remember any significant difference in the wind in the halves- but if the wind was more consistently strong in the first half and more gusty in the second, it should be easier to predict in the first. Luke was also on for 20 minutes of the second half and his performance didn't noticably improve in that regard much. Face it, he just had a mare- and in a facet of the game that is usually deemed to be a strength.

[leinsterforever]

How bad does Luke McGrath have to play before he can be dropped? JGP played very well- including managing to get the range on box kicks and quick accurate passing in his 20 minutes. I'm not expecting Sexton to play and Ross Byrne deserves and needs a good service and protection if he's to have the best chance to perform.


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By "get the range on box kicks" you mean hand possession over two or three times with no chaser able to get near, right?

No I mean he mostly manged to kick so the chasers could challenge- something that Luke failed to do repeatedly (i.e. much more than "two or three times") for his time on the field. JPG's performance yesterday easily surpassed McGrath's in that respect alone- not to mention in passing. Or don't you agree?

la

Well, there were at least two glaring examples of JGP kicks that ended up in no man's land, infield, with Montpellier players able to collect under no pressure whatsoever. But, I'd have to watch it back, watching out specifically for the box kicks, before I make any further comment

[artaneboy]

By "get the range on box kicks" you mean hand possession over two or three times with no chaser able to get near, right?

No I mean he mostly manged to kick so the chasers could challenge- something that Luke failed to do repeatedly (i.e. much more than "two or three times") for his time on the field. JPG's performance yesterday easily surpassed McGrath's in that respect alone- not to mention in passing. Or don't you agree?

la

Well, there were at least two glaring examples of JGP kicks that ended up in no man's land, infield, with Montpellier players able to collect under no pressure whatsoever. But, I'd have to watch it back, watching out specifically for the box kicks, before I make any further comment

Fair enough. I just watched JPG's cameo now. He kicked four times. One perfectly weighted kick for Daly to claim over his head; one deliberate (looked to me) long clearance from deep in our 22 to gain distance; one poorer kick which was gathered by Nodolo and once from two yards to touch to end the game.

I didn't want to watch Luke's bit again.


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[Dave Cahill]

I thought both played relatively well within the constraints of the conditions

[fourthirtythree]

Wind was strong in first half, just gusty in the second and there were patches without significant wind. It was a huge factor in the conversion attempt from Daly's try. That one was a crapshoot.

[artaneboy]

I thought both played relatively well within the constraints of the conditions

Really Dave- you thought Luke played relatively well; relative to what or who? JGP, Pienaar, or in terms of some other benchmark?

Maybe you mean just his kicking; but I think it's clear to most observers that he was very poor in that. But let's leave the box kicking aside for the moment. I know from previous engagement that you don't really think that good passing is important in a scrum half, but did you regard McGrath's passing as adequate to Byrne's- or indeed any of his receivers needs?


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[CiaranIrl]

Jesus, it's not like you have to go back into the mists of time to find the last time JGP played badly. He's been poor every time he started. He was most sh!t in the start in SA.

McGrath is getting a disproportionately hard time of it here. His box kicks were terrible, and the quick tap was criminal, but his service from rucks was very quick. It played a big role in our attack, which was based on quick ruck ball a lot.

[neilinboston]

Jesus, it's not like you have to go back into the mists of time to find the last time JGP played badly. He's been poor every time he started. He was most sh!t in the start in SA.

McGrath is getting a disproportionately hard time of it here. His box kicks were terrible, and the quick tap was criminal, but his service from rucks was very quick. It played a big role in our attack, which was based on quick ruck ball a lot.

On the box kicks, pre ordained plan that didn’t take the swirling winds into account?

[wixfjord]

What does Luke McGrath have to do for people on here to actually admit he played poorly!

No way I'd put JGP in, but jaysus McGrath was bad again on Sat. He seems to play worse when he's needed to step up because he ends up trying to do too much.

[Oldschool]

Jesus, it's not like you have to go back into the mists of time to find the last time JGP played badly. He's been poor every time he started. He was most sh!t in the start in SA.

McGrath is getting a disproportionately hard time of it here. His box kicks were terrible, and the quick tap was criminal, but his service from rucks was very quick. It played a big role in our attack, which was based on quick ruck ball a lot.

Criminal a great word.
Tap and go was criminal.
Byrne's laxadaisical attitude to his 78 min peno was criminal too.
Definition of criminal in rugby terms - Making the wrong decision in "stopped play situation" (That's the best I could do pedants )

[OTT]

Defensively Luke McGrath is a million miles ahead of JGP, for that reason alone he has to start against Glasgow I would have thought.