Leinster v Ospreys 17/1/14

[Dexter]

To start it off, officials for Friday:

Referee: Romain Poite (France)
Assistant referees: Cyril Lafon (France), Eric Soulan (France)
Television match official: Laurent Valin (France)

[goreyguy]

My Team

1. Healy
2. Cronin
3. Moore
4. Toner
5. McCarthy
6. Ruddock
7. Jennings
8. Heaslip
9. Reddan
10. Madigan
11. Fitz
12. Darcy
13. BOD
14. Kirchner
15. Kearney
16. Dundon
17. McGrath
18. Ross
19. Cullen
20. Murphy
21. Boss
22. Gopperth
23. Kearney

[LeRouxIsPHat]

My main hope is that we do actually make a few changes. I know it's not a massive body of evidence but we kept the same team after great wins against The Ospreys and Northampton and we just looked flat. I think the nature of our squad is such that we need to freshen things up every week plus there's a short turnaround. Ruddock has to start for me if he's fit and I'd start Moore as well. Don't really mind outside of that.

[StrangeButBlue]

This is going to be a tough 5 day turnaround, especially for those who played 80 mins yesterday. Have to think it will make a difference in selection.

[domhnallj]

Think I'd give Boss the nod - it was a heavy pitch yesterday so changes for fresh legs seem like a no brainer.

[LeinsterLeader]

To start it off, officials for Friday:

Referee: Romain Poite (France)
Assistant referees: Cyril Lafon (France), Eric Soulan (France)
Television match official: Laurent Valin (France)

Need to get the scrum right

[ceemec]

The saving grace is that the Ospreys are in the very same boat and will have to go away from home now too after a defeat. They'll be very drained mentally come Friday. They played a monster pack yesterday in the form of Northampton and that won't have been easy for important players like Tipuric and AWJ who both played 80 minutes.

Hopefully they're utterly drained when they visit and we can spring guys like Kirchner and Jennings who will be full of energy and determined to prove a point.

I'd go with Healy, Cronin, Moore, Toner, McCarthy (Cullen to come in relatively early though after McCarthy's workhorse showing yesterday), Ruddock, Jennings, Heaslip, Boss, Gopperth, Fitzgerald, D'Arcy, BOD, ZK, RK.

That's 6 guys who didn't start yesterday and should offer a serious injection of gusto into our plan.

[LeRouxIsPHat]

Shows how far Leo's star has fallen that nobody has mentioned starting him so far. Poor Leo

[ceemec]

Shows how far Leo's star has fallen that nobody has mentioned starting him so far. Poor Leo

I considered it but I just don't think he'll have the required energy levels for the pace of the game in the opening half. I'd like to see him on for the last 30 minutes and cheat at every ruck to make gaps for others but I think the pace of a big HEC game is beyond him now at 36.

[johng]

Tell that to Brad Thorn, Simon Shaw and Nathan Hines. 36 is just a gossun in the 2nd row

[ronk]

Shows how far Leo's star has fallen that nobody has mentioned starting him so far. Poor Leo

Or how far Dev's has risen..

[ceemec]

Tell that to Brad Thorn, Simon Shaw and Nathan Hines. 36 is just a gossun in the 2nd row

Ah they were lazy gits though. Faffing about with rugby league or playing club rugby in Scotland until about 23 or 24. Not like our Leo.

Actually, in fairness, the number of games Shaw played (even before going to France) is ridiculous. He must have almost 500 professional appearances which is utter madness in rugby.

[johng]

Forgotten man Fergus McFadden to come back for the bench here. But who out of Fitz, Zane, Dave K, Rob K to drop for him? Zane or Dave K. Gone with Dave as Zane is better FB cover.

Fancy a Redan/Mads halfback pairing too.

5 of last weeks bench rotated in for added freshness.

Healy
Cronin
Moore
Toner
McCarthy
Ruddock
Jennings
Heaslip

Reddan
Madigan
Fitzgerald
D'Arcy
O'Driscoll
Kirchner
R Kearney

Dundon
McGrath
Ross
Cullen
Murphy
Boss
Gopperth
McFadden

[goreyguy]

Tell that to Brad Thorn, Simon Shaw and Nathan Hines. 36 is just a gossun in the 2nd row

Different and dare i say better athletes than Leo.

[slum]

To start it off, officials for Friday:

Referee: Romain Poite (France)
Assistant referees: Cyril Lafon (France), Eric Soulan (France)
Television match official: Laurent Valin (France)

Need to get the scrum right

or just cheat. makes no odds with that lad as ref.

[neiliog93]

Tell that to Brad Thorn, Simon Shaw and Nathan Hines. 36 is just a gossun in the 2nd row

Different and dare i say better athletes than Leo.

+1. Completely different players.


Poite worries me, he has the potential to turn the game into a scrum-penalty fest with his breakdown pedantry. He also lets defensive teams go about 5 metres offside at every ruck. Thank God the Ospreys are a) out of the competition and b) in the same boat as us with the 5-day turnaround. I hope their fans' speculation that they'll rest a few key players is correct. It would be so Ospreys and so perverse if they did beat us.

[glenageary]

To start it off, officials for Friday:

Referee: Romain Poite (France)
Assistant referees: Cyril Lafon (France), Eric Soulan (France)
Television match official: Laurent Valin (France)

I like Romain - even since the Saints final where I thought he had a great game - encouraging free flowing rugby - especially when he allowed the saints play on when there was a clear knock-on!

[Oldschool]

To start it off, officials for Friday:

Referee: Romain Poite (France)
Assistant referees: Cyril Lafon (France), Eric Soulan (France)
Television match official: Laurent Valin (France)

Poite - Law of the jungle applies.
Scrum as we all know decides everything for Poite - ergo Moore or Ross is the first issue.

[glenageary]

Shows how far Leo's star has fallen that nobody has mentioned starting him so far. Poor Leo

Or how far Dev's has risen..

he cant rise any more or else he will have snow on his head - but seriously he has grown in to the job, his tackling yesterday was very good

[Oldschool]

The saving grace is that the Ospreys are in the very same boat and will have to go away from home now too after a defeat. They'll be very drained mentally come Friday. They played a monster pack yesterday in the form of Northampton and that won't have been easy for important players like Tipuric and AWJ who both played 80 minutes.

Hopefully they're utterly drained when they visit and we can spring guys like Kirchner and Jennings who will be full of energy and determined to prove a point.

I'd go with Healy, Cronin, Moore, Toner, McCarthy (Cullen to come in relatively early though after McCarthy's workhorse showing yesterday), Ruddock, Jennings, Heaslip, Boss, Gopperth, Fitzgerald, D'Arcy, BOD, ZK, RK.

That's 6 guys who didn't start yesterday and should offer a serious injection of gusto into our plan.

They,ve already indicated they will be picking quite a few fresh faces.