Drico Vs Sarries

[sheepshagger]

http://www.leinsterrugby.ie/newsroom/5162.php

[johng]

[


He is Lord, he is Lord.
He has risen from the dead and he is Lord.....

(I'll let somone else finish it)

Jasus lads. This was on the newstalk sports report almost 2 hours ago. Why so slow?

Some people check their facts before posting.

Sh1t! That's why I didn't post it.

[lunsterfreezone]

Great news - I was secretly hopeful when I saw him walk/limp off by himself. The last time he did his hamstring in against Wales in 08 he had to be helped off the field by two medics. On the other hand, does anyone really think he's likely to be fit to play in 5 days time? Seems a bit to close for comfort if you ask me.
If he doesn't make it I'd like to see Luke move to 13, thereby accomodating Shaggy on the wing. I think Fitzgerald's physicality is an under-rated part of his game, and makes him an ideal option to cover the centre position. Thats being tough on Fergie though, he's pretty much earned the right to start after his Denis Hickie-like try on Saterday. Also, he gives us another goal kicking option if Sexton's still not right.

[leinster80]

http://www.leinsterrugby.ie/newsroom/5162.php

5000 would be great crowd in Wembley!

I didnt think Berne was that far off, 'still several weeks' doesn't sound encouraging.

[CiaranIrl]

Not as big a loss to Leinster as he would have been a few seasons ago. Dare I say it, but he's almost replaceable now.

Even if you were right (you're not), the fear factor of having Brian O'Driscoll on a team sheet for the French and English is a big thing.

[LeRouxIsPHat]

Great news - I was secretly hopeful when I saw him walk/limp off by himself. The last time he did his hamstring in against Wales in 08 he had to be helped off the field by two medics. On the other hand, does anyone really think he's likely to be fit to play in 5 days time? Seems a bit to close for comfort if you ask me.
If he doesn't make it I'd like to see Luke move to 13, thereby accomodating Shaggy on the wing. I think Fitzgerald's physicality is an under-rated part of his game, and makes him an ideal option to cover the centre position. Thats being tough on Fergie though, he's pretty much earned the right to start after his Denis Hickie-like try on Saterday. Also, he gives us another goal kicking option if Sexton's still not right.

Absolutely agree. When he first came on the scene he threw himself into tackles but rarely made an impact and quite often got injured himself. He bulked up and improved hugely in the 08-09 season and looked to have really cranked that up a notch the next season (admittedly he didn't play many games) and then on Saturday he was excellent again. I'd imagine that McFadden will fill in for Bod next weekend but Darce and Luke in the centre with a back three of Shaggy,Isa and Kearney sounds very good to me.

[dipper]

Schmidt was on Newstalk saying Drico is pencilled in for Saturday. Not surprising he would say that though. He'll want to keep Sarries guessing all week.

[Mauler]

Schmidt was on Newstalk saying Drico is pencilled in for Saturday. Not surprising he would say that though. He'll want to keep Sarries guessing all week.

Matt Williams was on after Joe and he was fairly confident that Drico won't play on Sat. He said if he was coach he would be making the same noises as Schmidt is, and keep Sarries guessing if he will tog out or not. Birch mentioned that in his opinion Drico had not had enough game time prior to the first H Cup game on Sat, and that the Munster game was only his first full 80min of the season. However, Williams said that its one of the reasons that players like Drico, Horgan, D'Arse and others are still playing 11 or 12 seasons after they started because of the IRFU policy to manage and monitor their game time. Tricky balancing act I guess, personally I'm just glad that I have had the pleasure of watching the greatest ever Irish player, play for my team week in week out for the past decade.

[Terraceman]

Great news - I was secretly hopeful when I saw him walk/limp off by himself. The last time he did his hamstring in against Wales in 08 he had to be helped off the field by two medics. On the other hand, does anyone really think he's likely to be fit to play in 5 days time? Seems a bit to close for comfort if you ask me.
If he doesn't make it I'd like to see Luke move to 13, thereby accomodating Shaggy on the wing. I think Fitzgerald's physicality is an under-rated part of his game, and makes him an ideal option to cover the centre position. Thats being tough on Fergie though, he's pretty much earned the right to start after his Denis Hickie-like try on Saterday. Also, he gives us another goal kicking option if Sexton's still not right.

Absolutely agree. When he first came on the scene he threw himself into tackles but rarely made an impact and quite often got injured himself. He bulked up and improved hugely in the 08-09 season and looked to have really cranked that up a notch the next season (admittedly he didn't play many games) and then on Saturday he was excellent again.I'd imagine that McFadden will fill in for Bod next weekend but Darce and Luke in the centre with a back three of Shaggy,Isa and Kearney sounds very good to me.

Just once he doesn't put Horgan in centre! FItzgerald did ok there against Brive last season but can't ever remember Horgan playing a good game at centre.

[jezzer]

Just once he doesn't put Horgan in centre! FItzgerald did ok there against Brive last season but can't ever remember Horgan playing a good game at centre.

Against Biarritz in LR in the 2004/05 HEC season, I think it was. Scored at least 2 tries. D'Arcy playing wing I think?? Such a rarity that the National Museum are putting in an exhibit of it.

Ferg doesn't excite me massively as a centre - he's in the Kieran Lewis/Keith Matthews/John Kelly mould of solid and skillful without being a huge threat. BUT, you can't ignore his contribution on Sat. He has to start. His defence from 13 isn't the best IMO. I'd prefer to see him at 12.

Truthfully, I'd love to see Nacewa at 12 and D'Arcy at 13 also, but this is maybe not the game to try it out.

So, a back five of 11. Fitzgerald, 12. McFadden, 13. D'Arcy, 14. Nacewa, 15. R. Kearney
Subs of: O'Malley and Horgan

[cormac]

Just once he doesn't put Horgan in centre! FItzgerald did ok there against Brive last season but can't ever remember Horgan playing a good game at centre.

Against Biarritz in LR in the 2004/05 HEC season, I think it was. Scored at least 2 tries. D'Arcy playing wing I think?? Such a rarity that the National Museum are putting in an exhibit of it.

Ferg doesn't excite me massively as a centre - he's in the Kieran Lewis/Keith Matthews/John Kelly mould of solid and skillful without being a huge threat. BUT, you can't ignore his contribution on Sat. He has to start. His defence from 13 isn't the best IMO. I'd prefer to see him at 12.

Truthfully, I'd love to see Nacewa at 12 and D'Arcy at 13 also, but this is maybe not the game to try it out.

So, a back five of 11. Fitzgerald, 12. McFadden, 13. D'Arcy, 14. Nacewa, 15. R. Kearney
Subs of: O'Malley and Horgan

Horgan had plenty of good games at centre for Leinster, unfortunately the last of them was probably in the HEC Cup campaign in which that Biarritz game you've referenced featured(it was in Dec 2003). After all he spent most of his early career with Leinster in the centre with D'Arcy usually on the wing or occasionally at full-back. It was only really in the 04-05 season that Horgan started playing on the wing for Leinster.

[Armchair]

Just once he doesn't put Horgan in centre! FItzgerald did ok there against Brive last season but can't ever remember Horgan playing a good game at centre.

Against Biarritz in LR in the 2004/05 HEC season, I think it was. Scored at least 2 tries. D'Arcy playing wing I think?? Such a rarity that the National Museum are putting in an exhibit of it.

Ferg doesn't excite me massively as a centre - he's in the Kieran Lewis/Keith Matthews/John Kelly mould of solid and skillful without being a huge threat. BUT, you can't ignore his contribution on Sat. He has to start. His defence from 13 isn't the best IMO. I'd prefer to see him at 12.

Truthfully, I'd love to see Nacewa at 12 and D'Arcy at 13 also, but this is maybe not the game to try it out.

So, a back five of 11. Fitzgerald, 12. McFadden, 13. D'Arcy, 14. Nacewa, 15. R. Kearney
Subs of: O'Malley and Horgan

Horgan had plenty of good games at centre for Leinster, unfortunately the last of them was probably in the HEC Cup campaign in which that Biarritz game you've referenced featured(it was in Dec 2003). After all he spent most of his early career with Leinster in the centre with D'Arcy usually on the wing or occasionally at full-back. It was only really in the 04-05 season that Horgan started playing on the wing for Leinster.

Just to be clear "we love Shaggy but we do not want him at centre!"

[awol]

Id hope he's fit, and probably raring for Action. That Said if there's a risk, I would rather he sat out this one and give Ferg a chance and have him back at 100% then...

Shaggy, while still one of my all time favourites has lost a little of the magic. And especially not at center!

[jezzer]

Just once he doesn't put Horgan in centre! FItzgerald did ok there against Brive last season but can't ever remember Horgan playing a good game at centre.

Against Biarritz in LR in the 2004/05 HEC season, I think it was. Scored at least 2 tries. D'Arcy playing wing I think?? Such a rarity that the National Museum are putting in an exhibit of it.

Ferg doesn't excite me massively as a centre - he's in the Kieran Lewis/Keith Matthews/John Kelly mould of solid and skillful without being a huge threat. BUT, you can't ignore his contribution on Sat. He has to start. His defence from 13 isn't the best IMO. I'd prefer to see him at 12.

Truthfully, I'd love to see Nacewa at 12 and D'Arcy at 13 also, but this is maybe not the game to try it out.

So, a back five of 11. Fitzgerald, 12. McFadden, 13. D'Arcy, 14. Nacewa, 15. R. Kearney
Subs of: O'Malley and Horgan

Horgan had plenty of good games at centre for Leinster, unfortunately the last of them was probably in the HEC Cup campaign in which that Biarritz game you've referenced featured(it was in Dec 2003). After all he spent most of his early career with Leinster in the centre with D'Arcy usually on the wing or occasionally at full-back. It was only really in the 04-05 season that Horgan started playing on the wing for Leinster.

Thanks for assisting my feeble memory. For someone who's nuts about sport, I'm sh!t at remembering details! Have to say I'd be amazed if Horgan had more games at centre up to 2004 than at wing - absolutely amazed. And - cr@p as my memory is - I don't think he was ever a good centre. He was, and still is, too indecisive going into contact about what to do with the ball - which is a total no-no in a centre, if you ask me.

Great winger though. No question.

[cormac]

In that 03-04 season, Horgan started only nine games for Leinster, mostly due to international duties with the RWC taking up much of the first three months. He started all six HEC games at centre, alongside Drico for the first three and Darce for the last three. He only made two starts on the wing, both late in the season.

Don't have the stats readily to hand but I'd be amazed if he'd played more than a handful of games at wing for Leinster before that season, despite the fact he was regularly playing on the wing for Ireland. Leinster's first-choice centre partnership from 2000 through to the 6N in 2004 was Shaggy and Drico.

Wouldn't let him anywhere near the centre now though.

[jezzer]

In that 03-04 season, Horgan started only nine games for Leinster, mostly due to international duties with the RWC taking up much of the first three months. He started all six HEC games at centre, alongside Drico for the first three and Darce for the last three. He only made two starts on the wing, both late in the season.

Don't have the stats readily to hand but I'd be amazed if he'd played more than a handful of games at wing for Leinster before that season, despite the fact he was regularly playing on the wing for Ireland. Leinster's first-choice centre partnership from 2000 through to the 6N in 2004 was Shaggy and Drico.

Wouldn't let him anywhere near the centre now though.

Consider me amazed!

Didn't think it was anywhere near as many games at centre. I have a serious information retention problem! I still stick to my belief that he was never great there. Early 2000s were all about the skills-free-zone crashball centres (not implying oul Shaggy has no skills, but there were plenty of other 12s who didn't). You just had to be big and direct and passing was strictly optional.

[Isaac4leinster]

Not as big a loss to Leinster as he would have been a few seasons ago. Dare I say it, but he's almost replaceable now.

Here fishy, fishy.

I don't do fishing on the net, I've better things to do with my time. It's simply my opinion. Time catches up with everybody eventually.

This is the elephant in the room that no one is allowed talk about.

[the spoofer]

Here fishy, fishy.[/quote]

I don't do fishing on the net, I've better things to do with my time. It's simply my opinion. Time catches up with everybody eventually.[/quote]

This is the elephant in the room that no one is allowed talk about.[/quote]

I think we (Leinster and Ireland) will find out how irreplaceable he is in the next two/three years.

[Isaac4leinster]

Here fishy, fishy.

I don't do fishing on the net, I've better things to do with my time. It's simply my opinion. Time catches up with everybody eventually.[/quote]

This is the elephant in the room that no one is allowed talk about.[/quote]

I think we (Leinster and Ireland) will find out how irreplaceable he is in the next two/three years.[/quote]

Playing devils advocate here, you might say that Tommy Bowe to 13 with Ireland could be a fairly seamless transition, while I agree that it will be a bigger problem at Leinster, unless Bowe moves to Leinster.

[Degz]

Playing devils advocate here, you might say that Tommy Bowe to 13 with Ireland could be a fairly seamless transition, while I agree that it will be a bigger problem at Leinster, unless Bowe moves to Leinster.

I've been throwing that around for years, admittedly during the spells where d'arce was injured/out of form and Drico to 12.

How old is Tommeh at this stage? 27/28?