Leinster Team Of The Decade...

[joooooe]

[joooooe]

[joooooe]

[joooooe]

[joooooe]

[joooooe]

[joooooe]

[joooooe]

Let's try and settle this so.
A wee survey, takes about 20 seconds:
https://s.surveyplanet.com/mKIUNaVg

The results are in, though I'm not sure if 89 responses necessarily represents the views of Leinster fans. Nevertheless, Leinster's team of the decade 2010-2019, as voted by (a small number of) you, is as follows:

Loosehead: Cian Healy (97.8% of the vote)

Hooker: Sean Cronin (68.5%)

Tighthead: Tadhg Furlong (68.5%)

Second row (2): Devin Toner (29.3%), Leo Cullen (25.1%)

Flankers (2): Sean O'Brien (44.6%), Shane Jennings (18.6%)

Number 8: Jamie Heaslip (98.9%)

Scrum half: Eoin Reddan (89.9%)

Out half: Johnny Sexton (97.8%)

Centres (2): Gordon D'Arcy (34.9%), Brian O'Driscoll (46.3%)

Back 3 (3): Isa Nacewa (31.3%), Shane Horgan (16.6%), Rob Kearney (28.7%)

Coach: Joe Schmidt (78.7%)

Interesting to note:
- the "Survey Planet" software only allowed for first preference votes, so in multiple member constituencies such as second row and back 3 we are left like the British electorate just picking the person with the most votes. I love a bit of PR-STV...

- the term "decade" is of course a human construct and so the boundaries placed on this survey (and thread) are completely arbitrary; however, I admire the mental play doh moulding of time that resulted in 2 votes for Bernard Jackman (who retired from rugby 5 months into the decade), the 1 vote for Felipe Contepomi (who left in 2009), and the 2 votes for Michael Cheika (who, like Jackman, left in 2010).

- some positions were close-run. I'll post the pie charts below, which show that a bench for this XV would certainly contain (among others) Richardt Strauss, Mike Ross, James Ryan (with notable mentions for Brad Thorne and Nathan Hines), Dan Leavy (notable mention: Rhys Ruddock), and Gary Ringrose/Luke Fitzgerald. Perhaps we could find space on the coaching staff for Cullen and Lancaster too?

- Kudos to the loyalty/blinkers of the respondent who gave 1 vote to Jack Conan and 1 vote to Ross Byrne while every other respondent went for Heaslip and Sexton. Interpretation/identification shall be left to my fellow sailors on this increasingly choppy babbling brook.

Happy New Year/Decade, all!

Bump

[wixfjord]

Only one vote for 'The Wall'!

[Peg Leg]

Criminal exclusion of the two Matt's
O'Connor and the banana boot Matt Berquist!

Great survey though, thanks jooooooe

[Ruckedtobits]

Well done @Jooooooooe on good survey with statistical outcome.

[Blueberry]

Okay own up - who voted for 'The Wall' ??

Surprises for me based on this sample is the weight of favour for Joe - for me Leocaster would be a tight call for me if I had to pick right now - I think we are clearly brilliantly coached right now and it's across the board, you could see Joe's footprint on the back play but with Leocaster you see it across everything ......................and it's pretty impressive.

Anyway thanks to whoever put the survey up - more of these please !!!

[ronk]

Okay own up - who voted for 'The Wall' ??

Surprises for me based on this sample is the weight of favour for Joe - for me Leocaster would be a tight call for me if I had to pick right now - I think we are clearly brilliantly coached right now and it's across the board, you could see Joe's footprint on the back play but with Leocaster you see it across everything ......................and it's pretty impressive.

Anyway thanks to whoever put the survey up - more of these please !!!

Joe is the default position and won more in less time. But Leo rebuilt a squad in decline and came up against financially dominant well run franchises in Toulon and Saracens.Joe didnt have to deal with strip mining by Nucifora.

Leo might be the better answer.

[Ruckedtobits]

Okay own up - who voted for 'The Wall' ??

Surprises for me based on this sample is the weight of favour for Joe - for me Leocaster would be a tight call for me if I had to pick right now - I think we are clearly brilliantly coached right now and it's across the board, you could see Joe's footprint on the back play but with Leocaster you see it across everything ......................and it's pretty impressive.

Anyway thanks to whoever put the survey up - more of these please !!!

Joe is the default position and won more in less time. But Leo rebuilt a squad in decline and came up against financially dominant well run franchises in Toulon and Saracens.Joe didnt have to deal with strip mining by Nucifora.

Leo might be the better answer.

I've little doubt that Joe was / is the better rugby coach in all the normal expectations of that role. However, in terms of overall impact on the rugby future of Leinster, I have no doubt at all that Leo is the most significant figure in the history of Leinster rugby as Player, Coach, Recruiter and Director. A man with great vision and superb management skills.

[wixfjord]

For anyone looking for some light entertainment, RTE.ie is currently picking their Leinster XV of the pro era.
https://www.rte.ie/sport/rugby/2020/040 ... alf-backs/

Caveat - It's being done by Wes Liddy...