Pro14 R6: Connacht v Leinster Fri Nov 8 KO 7:35 EIR/TG4

[desperado]

Wow strong side.

Big boost for Keenan and Kelleher. They've clearly made the biggest move in the first five games.

Big game for Deegan at 8. A performance here will nail him into that jersey for Europe.

Our 11-14 certainly won't be lacking in power anyway!

Not so sure; I'd say it won't do him any harm, but I reckon it is Doris's jersey to lose at the moment. I like Deegan and IMHO is a better footballing 8; but I can see Doris in the 8 jersey v Treviso. Why? Don't think Deegans performances this year have been great.

[limecat]

Match Preview

Leinster take on Connacht away on Friday night in their first inter-provincial match of the season.

It's easily Leinster's toughest game of the season so far against one of the form teams in the league. Connacht have won four from five games to lie in second place in Conference B. While Leinster were slogging it out with Zebre a fortnight ago Connacht were beating the high-flying Cheetahs in a cracking match.

Read more...

[wixfjord]

Wow strong side.

Big boost for Keenan and Kelleher. They've clearly made the biggest move in the first five games.

Big game for Deegan at 8. A performance here will nail him into that jersey for Europe.

Our 11-14 certainly won't be lacking in power anyway!

Not so sure; I'd say it won't do him any harm, but I reckon it is Doris's jersey to lose at the moment. I like Deegan and IMHO is a better footballing 8; but I can see Doris in the 8 jersey v Treviso. Why? Don't think Deegans performances this year have been great.

Maybe so. He has been pretty poor and let games pass him by.

I think at home Treviso is a game that would suit him, albeit I’d be going with Doris away to Lyon when we might need to get into the trenches a bit more.

[curates_egg]

Bookies have Leinster as clear favourites. Am I missing something?
I think we'd be doing fairly well to get a point out of this.

Connacht have started very well, have a settled side and are at home, at a venue we often struggle.
Ours is a bit of a scratch side this week: players coming back; squad players given chances.

[Jonny tight lips]

I hope somebody in the changing room reminds Cian of that time they let Muldoon take a conversion ..... they’ve no respect Cian!!!

[Twist]

Bookies have Leinster as clear favourites. Am I missing something?
I think we'd be doing fairly well to get a point out of this.

Connacht have started very well, have a settled side and are at home, at a venue we often struggle.
Ours is a bit of a scratch side this week: players coming back; squad players given chances.

Agree with this. Don’t see how anyone can make us favourites

[Oldschool]

Most interesting feature of Connacht team is the absence of Roux and Dillane from their Squad. Despite the huge experience of a front-row of Buckley, Bealham and McCartney, Ronan Kelleher should get a great platform in Galway to accelerate his progress in the Leinster pecking order. There's going to be lots of scrums in this weather in Galway.

Good observation on their SRs.
Could be the difference between the two packs.
Presumably the two lads are being rested.

[Oldschool]

Wow strong side.

Big boost for Keenan and Kelleher. They've clearly made the biggest move in the first five games.

Big game for Deegan at 8. A performance here will nail him into that jersey for Europe.

Our 11-14 certainly won't be lacking in power anyway!

Not so sure; I'd say it won't do him any harm, but I reckon it is Doris's jersey to lose at the moment. I like Deegan and IMHO is a better footballing 8; but I can see Doris in the 8 jersey v Treviso. Why? Don't think Deegans performances this year have been great.

Maybe so. He has been pretty poor and let games pass him by.

I think at home Treviso is a game that would suit him, albeit I’d be going with Doris away to Lyon when we might need to get into the trenches a bit more.

Home and away seems like a reasonable explanation.

[desperado]

Bookies have Leinster as clear favourites. Am I missing something?
I think we'd be doing fairly well to get a point out of this.

Connacht have started very well, have a settled side and are at home, at a venue we often struggle.
Ours is a bit of a scratch side this week: players coming back; squad players given chances.

I'm not surprised the bookies have us as clear favourites. Doing well to get a point is fairly pessimistic. Have we not started well ? Are you in glass half empty mood?

[Gearzbox2]

Really strong side for us, not as strong as last year where we were out for revenge after the previous thumping but there not as strong either

Strong FR, big game for Kelleher up against a seasoned vet like MCartney, and nice to see Cian back, hopefully blow those WC cobwebs off
Back row interesting, is this Deegans chance to cement his spot for next week, imo I think it is

Nice to see Henshaw finally getting his chance to make his return, interesting to see reception he gets!!!...bit of a Shane he’s not up against the bold Bundee
Keenan also I feel could have a big chance to make euro 23 with a top performance

Strong bench too for us and I’m weirdly confident about this one, there missing some big players and have picked a few weird combos so I can see us winning by 7-10 points
I’ll stick my neck out on that one!!!!

[Jonny tight lips]

Bookies have Leinster as clear favourites. Am I missing something?
I think we'd be doing fairly well to get a point out of this.

Connacht have started very well, have a settled side and are at home, at a venue we often struggle.
Ours is a bit of a scratch side this week: players coming back; squad players given chances.

Doing well to get a point away to Connacht ... are you alright? We struggle at that venue for the same reasons Treviso do well at the RDS. The games are generally dead rubbers to a Leinster team with eyes on bigger games around the corner going against teams only left in the league. In this season we’re the only unbeaten team in the competition against a Connacht team second in their conference.

I’d hate to see your predictions for the knockout stages of Europe if your assessment against Connacht away is “doing fairly well to get a point”

I’m not saying we will certainly go hammer them but I just think your being a tad pessimistic. We have won this competition the last two years running.

[curates_egg]

Bookies have Leinster as clear favourites. Am I missing something?
I think we'd be doing fairly well to get a point out of this.

Connacht have started very well, have a settled side and are at home, at a venue we often struggle.
Ours is a bit of a scratch side this week: players coming back; squad players given chances.

I'm not surprised the bookies have us as clear favourites. Doing well to get a point is fairly pessimistic. Have we not started well ? Are you in glass half empty mood?

They’re at home with a settled side. Apart from second row, it’s a very strong selection for them.
We have players returning; to my memory, a brand new centre partnership; a brand new backrow partnership.
Also, while results are all that matter, our away form hasn’t been outstanding: 3-0 against one of the worst teams in the league and a perhaps fortunate victory against a Treviso side missing a load of internationals.
If we win, I think it will be a super result. I’ll be thrilled.

[LeRouxIsPHat]

I'd always worry about Connacht away tbh.

I wonder if eir will decide to show us the first 8 minutes this week?

[leinsterfan100]

I'd always worry about Connacht away tbh.

I wonder if eir will decide to show us the first 8 minutes this week?

That was a joke for the Zebre game alright, was beginning to wonder whether they would show it to us at all! Wouldn't have missed much though if they hadn't I suppose.

On the topic of eir though, I see Leinster website has our European games as being broadcast by them, but I can't seem to find eir's advertisement of Champions Cup games anywhere? Does anyone else have any more knowledge on this?

*NVM, website has been updated now - no eir coverage

[Oldschool]

I'd always worry about Connacht away tbh.

I wonder if eir will decide to show us the first 8 minutes this week?

You are not alone.

[johng]

I bet you are even more worried now that robbie has pulled out

[joooooe]

I bet you are even more worried now that robbie has pulled out

*repeat post*

[Oldschool]

I bet you are even more worried now that robbie has pulled out

Always expect the expected.

[cormac]

Cracking try from the front row union

[wixfjord]

Beautiful try. That RK/Healy move was lovely.