Leinster v Toulouse Sunday April 21st 3.15

[mildlyinterested]

The most worrying aspect of the last few weeks is how hard we have to work for our scores and how easy the opposition are getting theirs. hopefully the return of Sexton et al. changes that.

[wixfjord]

In the RDS game we made them make 220 tackles and we saw what happened then. Holes opened up.

The worst thing we could do is to engage them in an open contest. That's what we fell into over there imo and with a warm day they'll love that.

I think a similar approach is needed on Sun. We need to own the ball and if we’re to give it back to them, either get it off the pitch or make it contestable.

If we are as focused and ferocious at ruck time as we were in the semi last year, I think we'll win.

[riocard911]

I know Deegan has been playing fantastic, but I'd love to see Seanie start on Sunday, as in my opinion he has a bone to pick with Kaino over a late and extremely cheap shot to the back at ruck time in the third Lions Test in NZ.

[VGE]

Tekori cited but can play next week end.

Beheregaray injuried and out at least for 4 weeks.


Au revoir

[tingman]

The most worrying aspect of the last few weeks is how hard we have to work for our scores and how easy the opposition are getting theirs. hopefully the return of Sexton et al. changes that.

Couldn't agree more - we really have lacked a cutting edge.

[Ruckedtobits]

Toulouse looking magnificent on Sunday against Clermont, but most French commentators fear Leinster at home.

However, they ( Toulouse) have developed their game over the past four months and they now offload the ball in, and after, the tackle - backs and forwards alike. They have a lot of important players, but perhaps Dupont and Foumaina, out-half and tight-head prop, are the two who make this team tick.

Dupont inspires his mid-field and back three to come onto the ball at various angles and different pace. His tight-head prop (despite carrying over 21 Stones) galvanises the pack with his nimble-footed bullocking runs which get Toulouse over the gain line with regularity and enables Bezy to distribute the ball to his big, mean back-row and two tall athletic secondrows.

But, without doubt Toulouse travel with doubt in their mind. The Leinster they know is one they fear for their formidable defence and an attack which can hold possesion for multiple phases, before scoring points with efficency and regularity.

To those closer to the RDS, we fear that Leinster have not been in harness at full throttle, possibly since they played Toulouse. So the question in our hearts is, can Leo, Stuart and Felipe bring the troops together and to their highest pitch, despite the injuries and long absences on international duty. Nobody doubts the desire or commitment to the cause, just the mechanics of bringing it all together.

Sunday will be a great clash. Leinster can play at a higher tempo for longer periods. But, Toulouse can attack with lightening speed from far out or, indeed, anywhere on the pitch.

Finally, the most important man on the pitch on Sunday will probably be Wayne Barnes. Poite's performance last Sunday provided a wonderful contest and spectacle, but like Nigel Owens on so many occasions recently, he didn't bother applying the Laws of the game in numerous elements and failed to ensure that the contest was thus fair.

Barnes and his two colleagues are subject to perhaps the most rigorous weekly review process in the Gallacher Premiership and although I fully expect a spate of penalties early on in the game (for offside and infringements at the breakdown), I also believe that after 20 minutes or so, he will have two teams playing to the same Laws and they'll be ones we recognise.

Leinster to win a bruising contest because of their capacity to play a more intense game for longer, but nothing much in it on the scoreboard.

[Barry]

Tekori cited but can play next week end.

Beheregaray injuried and out at least for 4 weeks.


Au revoir

Tekori might be out yet

https://www.independent.ie/sport/rugby/ ... 23154.html

[MylesNaGapoleen]

Toulouse looking magnificent on Sunday against Clermont, but most French commentators fear Leinster at home.

However, they ( Toulouse) have developed their game over the past four months and they now offload the ball in, and after, the tackle - backs and forwards alike. They have a lot of important players, but perhaps Dupont and Foumaina, out-half and tight-head prop, are the two who make this team tick.

over the last four months? Their winning try against us in the away pool game was superb...offloading and hail mary passes all the way and fair play to them. We were going for a BP at the time in their 22 when they intercepted and ran the length.

They are a great side and while I am nervous...I think we have just enough to win. gonna be a warm, sunny day in dublin on sunday. which I think suits both sides.

great to hear furlongs injury wasn't as bad as originally thought.
johnny to stat and byrne on the bench me thinks. dupont is a huge threat - class player. as are a few others on their team. still lots of tickets left to be sold though. I guess not to many toulousians are travelling.

[ChrisUppy]

We're coming for their title of most european cups after having drawn level with them last season. If I was on their coaching ticket I would be firing them up over that.

[riocard911]

Great public vote of confidence in our Seanie by Lancaster ahead of the big match:

https://www.independent.ie/sport/rugby/ ... 23693.html

[OTT]

Great public vote of confidence in our Seanie by Lancaster ahead of the big match:

https://www.independent.ie/sport/rugby/ ... 23693.html

Cometh the hour, cometh the man and all that.

2011 Leinster vs Toulouse Heineken semi final in Lansdowne SOB at his very best, time to roll back the years Seanie

[bails]

Great public vote of confidence in our Seanie by Lancaster ahead of the big match:

https://www.independent.ie/sport/rugby/ ... 23693.html

Cometh the hour, cometh the man and all that.

2011 Leinster vs Toulouse Heineken semi final in Lansdowne SOB at his very best, time to roll back the years Seanie

I recall that SOB was held in a 5 metre defensive scrum by Nyanga the flanker, resulting in a try to Stade.
Unseen by all the officials, so a flick of the arm by Seanie, quickly sorted the problem and smashed Nyanga's nose. - I remember there was a worry he might be banned for the final.

Needless to say he was not held back at any point for the rest of the game.

[Flash Gordon]

I'm not sure where this idea that our back row was outplayed has come from. Glasgow did a very good job of containing it, certainly, by putting in one of the most amazingly heroic defensive performances the RDS has ever seen. Their back 5 alone make 156 tackles, thats more than either the entire ST or ASM teams did in their game the following day and only 9 less than the entire Leinster team. In fact, Glasgow made over 50 more tackles than ASM AND ST did in their game combined. The entire cadre of Toulouse back five players made 56 tackles, or 1.3 Johnny Greys.

There is more chance of the Toulouse back five farting Rule Britannia in five part harmony than there is of them making anywhere close to those numbers, and those are the kind of numbers needed to beat a Leinster team without skin in the game - nevermind a Leinster team that actually needs to win.

Glasgow tackle counts from the backrow were unreal, their backrow made 76 tackles before Johnny Gray could get at them! They carried more effectively with a greater gain per carry too, albeit with much less possession. Similarly against Treviso we weren't as competitive as I'd have expected. I think James Lowe made twice as many turnovers as the entire backrow (kudos to Lowe by the way!!). I felt that against Treviso we allowed them to play through the phases and gain territory with relative ease (and I mean relative!). On several occasions they gained 20-30 meters playing thorugh the phases without Leinster genuinely competing at the breakdown. What i would give SOB credit for against Glasgow was that he competed regularly, while this didn't generate a bucketload of turnovers he did successfully slow the ball down and force them to commit more men at the breakdown which we really need against Toulouse (think Dave you alluded to this on Bluestalk, that split second of delay).

In fairness to the backrow in both games they didn't get much relief from the rest of the pack. This weekend we are likely to have Healy, Furlong, Ryan, Cronin and Porter in play who are all excellent carriers which should allow SOB (if he plays) and Conan more space. Toulouse will have a lot to think about with that pack and looking out at the likes of Ringrose and Larmour (and maybe Lowe) our angles of attack and our options will be hard to defend.

[outcast eddie]

The most worrying aspect of the last few weeks is how hard we have to work for our scores and how easy the opposition are getting theirs. hopefully the return of Sexton et al. changes that.

For me the most worrying aspect of Leinster (and Ireland) this season is the tendency to concede an early try.

[Ruckedtobits]

The most worrying aspect of the last few weeks is how hard we have to work for our scores and how easy the opposition are getting theirs. hopefully the return of Sexton et al. changes that.

I'm very hopeful that like Joe S, Leo and Stuart are keeping all the useful stuff for games like that coming on Sunday. Analysis and research are now at such a pitch that everybody assumes that once you've used something once, the opposition will be prepared for it next time. Here's hoping.

[paddyor]

The most worrying aspect of the last few weeks is how hard we have to work for our scores and how easy the opposition are getting theirs. hopefully the return of Sexton et al. changes that.

I felt that way in the first half vs Toulouse in the RDS. But to look at it another way, teams are having to work very hard to prevent us scoring and then we do anyway. Toulouse wouldn't have fallen to pieces in the 2nd half without the first half onslaught. It was only 10-6 at half time. They had a plan to double up on Ryan, Furlong etc but they just couldn't keep it up.

[hugonaut]

The most worrying aspect of the last few weeks is how hard we have to work for our scores and how easy the opposition are getting theirs. hopefully the return of Sexton et al. changes that.

I think you're probably correct there. There are a lot of elements that go into making Leinster successful, but the heaviest weighted elements are talent and coaching.

If you reduce the standard of coaching [for example, the Matt O'Connor era], we're not as successful – or as good – a team. Likewise, if you take a load of talent out of the team [Sexton, Ringrose, Ryan, Leavy, Lowe etc.] we're not as successful – or as good – a team. Good players can't fill all the gaps left by bad coaching, and good coaching can't fill all the gaps left by an absence of talent.

[neill_m]

In regards to Sunday's game, Toulouse are in better form than Leinster. They score a lot but also concede a lot in the T14. An average game for them is 28-20 scoring 3 tries, conceding 2. Paddy Power currently have Leinster as 7 points favourites. I think this sounds about right, home country advantage will be key. Toulouse have never won a Heineken QF/SF in Ireland coupled with the unpredictability of the mindset of French sides when they have to travel outside their country. Should be a good watch and I will be able to see it as it is on Channel 4.

A side question - is this the last season, the 2 from 3 decisions will have to be made re Fardy, JGP and Lowe as JGP becomes IQ'd in summer?

[mildlyinterested]

The most worrying aspect of the last few weeks is how hard we have to work for our scores and how easy the opposition are getting theirs. hopefully the return of Sexton et al. changes that.

I think you're probably correct there. There are a lot of elements that go into making Leinster successful, but the heaviest weighted elements are talent and coaching.

If you reduce the standard of coaching [for example, the Matt O'Connor era], we're not as successful – or as good – a team. Likewise, if you take a load of talent out of the team [Sexton, Ringrose, Ryan, Leavy, Lowe etc.] we're not as successful – or as good – a team. Good players can't fill all the gaps left by bad coaching, and good coaching can't fill all the gaps left by an absence of talent.

Talent leaving team at a rate faster than ever before...

Jordi, Nacewa, Carbery, McGrath, SOB.. who knows who else will leave post RWC.

[mildlyinterested]

In regards to Sunday's game, Toulouse are in better form than Leinster. They score a lot but also concede a lot in the T14. An average game for them is 28-20 scoring 3 tries, conceding 2. Paddy Power currently have Leinster as 7 points favourites. I think this sounds about right, home country advantage will be key. Toulouse have never won a Heineken QF/SF in Ireland coupled with the unpredictability of the mindset of French sides when they have to travel outside their country. Should be a good watch and I will be able to see it as it is on Channel 4.

A side question - is this the last season, the 2 from 3 decisions will have to be made re Fardy, JGP and Lowe as JGP becomes IQ'd in summer?

Yes.