Babbling 'brook

Suppose we have to wait to hear about Carbery too, all just rumours at the moment. Contrary to all the rumours he'll probably start on Saturday. No chance, but I'd be less surprised if Jonno did. Getting somebody in as a medical joker at out-half is a 3/4 week project at least, even if it was Barre...

Artifical to read it as a straight through piece as it was a q and a interview of responses. It comes across as slightly stilted for that reason but delighted that he stresses the quality of players he works with. One of the better pieces of news is that Mrs L is a big fan of Dublin and Leinster and...

Not that I'm happy about it, but I'm excited about seeing Ross Byrne again next week. I said during the summer that it was borderline negligent not to bring in another outhalf but with the team going well, being pretty much full strength across the rest of the team, with him doing well on Friday, a...

Fanning in Sindo suggesting that Carbery has ankle syndomiosis (?) of his right foot and could be 5/6 weeks. Would love to see Jonno demand to be put in next week with guarantee of 3 weeks break at Christmas. A win next Sat in Aviva would put us in great shape for the new year. How we cope with thos...

Montpelier play Bordeaux at home in the week before they come to the RDS. The only benefit we have is that we have the MontP boys at home rather than on their very heavy pitch. At this point our entire focus must be on Saints at home. If we do what we can do in that game, we can consider the challen...

The European Champions Cup is definitely much improved. The change in qualification process has resulted in a much more competitive PRO12 with teams playing a higher tempo, more skilful brand of rugby. This improvement in PRO12 standards is filtering into and raising standards in the Champions Cup....

Piatau, Ludik, Pienaar, Herbst, - Van de Merwe & Coetzee to return / arrive. That's six slots that the, numericably, second biggest Province consider they can't adequately fill from within their own resources. No concern with acquiring Irish qualified from the diaspora like Threadwell and Reidy ...

Totally agree with these views. This is precisely the circumstance where the traditional English resiliance will demonstrate itself. Jim Mallinder is a fine Coach and hasn't lost his ability during the last 6 weeks. Long-term Saints like Wood, Lawes, the Waller brothers and more recent arrivals like...

He is not a strong scrumager and his throwing lacks consistently. He is superb in broken play possession and a very good tackler on right shoulder and competent on left side. I'm delighted he's ours and always love seeing him come into a game and anticipate his injection of pace and excitement, but ...

Always slightly wary of proclaiming a 'golden' group never mind a generation, nonetheless the current crop certainly suggest that the Leinster Way works and that Phil Lawlor across the Club game and Peter Smyth in the Academy are mining a rich seam at present. Dooley and Porter will graduate to this...

Almost passed over in the midst of the euphoria of claiming 5 point away victory at this stage in the competition, was the pleasure of seeing Rob Kearney attacking the gain line and showing some of the talent going forward which developed his reputation almost a decade ago. Taking the ball as first ...

A bit more research and the reasons for our line-up would have been apparent. On the weekend that we beat Richmond 19-68, (16th Oct), Scarlets beat Nottingham 11-33. A week later, we conceded defeat to Nottingham 21-29 in Donnybrook, whilst Scarlets beat Richmond well. So we faced into this game aga...

BTW, given the thinning which has occurred so suddenly in our out-half ranks, any chance of a loan of Crosbie back from Munster for the next three months?

He starts today for Munster A v Rotherham in Yorkshire, but how wistfully did he glance at Ross Byrne's opportunity last night against Saints?

The backline we ended up with last night must have a parallel in evolution. Where it might have been: Isa, Dave Kearney, Ferg, Noel Reid, Zane, JS. Reddan, it ended as: Isa, Adam Byrne, Ringrose, Henshaw, O'Loughlin, Ross Byrne, McGrath. Whilst acknowledging that Reddan's inclusion in this selection...

Very excited about this game. Munster have a very strong squad available, and will hopefully record a victory. That is one seriously exciting back 3, if they can work well together, we should see some great attacking rugby. It is also a very strong bench, with some serious impact everywhere bar the...

Re McGrath - he's a young player with loads of promise and obviously I want him to become the 9 the team needs, but he took far too much on himself last night and at the moment doesn't have the ability to match his ambition. That completely unnecessary offload that went straight into touch was a pr...

Leinster ‘A’ 15. Hugo Keenan 14. Jordan Larmour 13. Jack Kelly 12. Tom Daly 11. Barry Daly 10. Jimmy O’Brien 9. Charlie Rock 1. Andrew Porter 2. Bryan Byrne 3. Jeremy Loughman 4. Mick Kearney 5. Ian Nagle 6. Peadar Timmins CAPTAIN 7. Dominic Ryan 8. Max Deegan Replacements 16. Sean McNulty 17. Oisí...

Rumours abound that Jonno S bought tickets to Lourdes for tomorrow. Never look a gift horse in the mouth. Therefore very grateful for 5 points, 6 tries and our new points difference +35. But Leo, Girv and Bomber know how much we can improve that performance and the Squad know that the standards they...

Seriously happy with that win but Saints were a poor shadow of their great traditions.

More detailed analysis after a couple of pints but well relaxed for the remainder of the weekend.

We just need to keep playing. We tightened up when Carbery went off but when we move the ball we look great. When Luke kicked the ball straight out it was a poor kick but an even worse decision. We had made loads of ground from the maul and Northampton's defence was narrow and disjointed, there was...