Jonny Wikinsons Toulon Away

[olaf the fat]

Toulon by 14.....

Monta Fuk Leinster!!!

[simonokeeffe]

With Smith and Lobbe being fantastic lineout forwards that makes up for 2 6'5 locks, not like McCarthy a giant or Dev has ever been much use defensively ever (too slow off ground) so this talk of Gopperths tactical kicking to pin them back etc to me is a nonstarter, unless Burden is a flakey thrower?

I would way preferMadigans defence over Gopperths better kicking out of hand, this feels like ROGs recall over Sexton for a world cup quarter final

[ceemec]

Toner is slow up but his sheer size makes him a big threat on opposition ball to 4 or 6. Once he's up in the right place, his height is very hard to combat. He is often good for a steal in situations where he's barely lifted.

McCarthy can do a job although not much of a threat on opposition. No finesse in the air but he's aggressive as hell. Just slaps a big paw at the ball and disrupts as opposed to the MOK style artwork of the line out. He tends to mess up opposition ball rather than steal.

I'd also have a bit of faith in Ruddock. He has emerged as a serious line out worker and isn't too shabby in terms of reading the opposition either; he's a very smart operator. He claimed 6 and stole 1 in our last HEC game.

We also have some exceptional lifters in Ruddock and Healy.

[Peg Leg]

Is it just me or does Ruddock seem to get up very quick in the lineout? For a big unit, he seems handy to get up there quickly, qudos to the shoulder work in the gym, lifters.

[Cianostays]

Personally, I'd have gone for Madser but I can understand the idea of picking Gopperth for his kicking and running game. Madser is the better player to have coming off the bench particularly with Reddan starting.

Flight out to Nice in circa 10hrs 30mins

COYBIB! ALLEZ LES BLEUES!

[rookie]

I hope ye bate seven shades of shite out of Toulon on Sunday. Only Irish side capable of an away win in France at the moment!

[JB1973]

theres enough in that team to get the job done, coybib

[simonokeeffe]

Toner is slow up but his sheer size makes him a big threat on opposition ball to 4 or 6. Once he's up in the right place, his height is very hard to combat. He is often good for a steal in situations where he's barely lifted.

McCarthy can do a job although not much of a threat on opposition. No finesse in the air but he's aggressive as hell. Just slaps a big paw at the ball and disrupts as opposed to the MOK style artwork of the line out. He tends to mess up opposition ball rather than steal.

I'd also have a bit of faith in Ruddock. He has emerged as a serious line out worker and isn't too shabby in terms of reading the opposition either; he's a very smart operator. He claimed 6 and stole 1 in our last HEC game.

We also have some exceptional lifters in Ruddock and Healy.

Our lineout should be grand but when has Toner ever demolished an opposition lineout or caused them much trouble?

I can only remember one game ever where he pinched two balls, most games he never takes any opposition ball

[Morf]

Toner is slow up but his sheer size makes him a big threat on opposition ball to 4 or 6. Once he's up in the right place, his height is very hard to combat. He is often good for a steal in situations where he's barely lifted.

McCarthy can do a job although not much of a threat on opposition. No finesse in the air but he's aggressive as hell. Just slaps a big paw at the ball and disrupts as opposed to the MOK style artwork of the line out. He tends to mess up opposition ball rather than steal.

I'd also have a bit of faith in Ruddock. He has emerged as a serious line out worker and isn't too shabby in terms of reading the opposition either; he's a very smart operator. He claimed 6 and stole 1 in our last HEC game.

We also have some exceptional lifters in Ruddock and Healy.

Our lineout should be grand but when has Toner ever demolished an opposition lineout or caused them much trouble?

I can only remember one game ever where he pinched two balls, most games he never takes any opposition ball

The threat is there though. Stick him in Burden's face and see how his delivery goes . . .

[[Jackass]]

I hope ye bate seven shades of shite out of Toulon on Sunday. Only Irish side capable of an away win in France at the moment!

It all depends on who you play of course, but I reckon Munster would still be in with a good shot if the game was in Toulouse. Ulster are a threat to any of the French teams, as are Leinster, but at the likes of Marcel Michelan or Felix Meyol, I don't know if any team is capable of winning there, let alone an Irish one.

Maybe on a slightly cynical note, you'd prefer to see Leinster win as Munster would have a far better chance of beating Leinster in Lansdowne than Toulon in France! (If I was in your shoes, I'd take Leinster in Dublin over Toulon in France any day of the week)

[rookie]

I hope ye bate seven shades of shite out of Toulon on Sunday. Only Irish side capable of an away win in France at the moment!

It all depends on who you play of course, but I reckon Munster would still be in with a good shot if the game was in Toulouse. Ulster are a threat to any of the French teams, as are Leinster, but at the likes of Marcel Michelan or Felix Meyol, I don't know if any team is capable of winning there, let alone an Irish one.

Maybe on a slightly cynical note, you'd prefer to see Leinster win as Munster would have a far better chance of beating Leinster in Lansdowne than Toulon in France! (If I was in your shoes, I'd take Leinster in Dublin over Toulon in France any day of the week)

I agree! Nothing cynical, but yay! You're right. Would Leinster prefer Toulouse? To be honest, I think Munster need to be something they haven't been to win today!

[[Jackass]]

I wouldn't really have a preference to be honest. 6 of one, half a dozen of the other, the stakes are so high in a Leinster v Munster European game it borders on the unbearable. Lose to your biggest rivals and lose your spot as the kings of Ireland (as happened to Munster in 09, and in 06 Leinster didn't lose the title, but Munster won the title) and then watching your biggest rival go on and win the European cup. I don't care what anyone says, it's absolutely sickening. I've too many Munster acquaintances and a few friends that I really might have to go into hiding for a few months if it happened and we lost. I might regret rubbing it in their face back in 09, but that was my revenge for 06.

If it happened again, we're on even score in the rubbing it in face terms, so I'd be very humble in victory. But I do think in complete chances of winning a semi should we get there, I wouldn't fancy playing a Toulouse team that won in Thomond Park any more than I would a Munster team hell-bent on revenge and with their Heineken Cup game face on. They wont underestimate us again. Couldn't pick one to be honest, they both have their pro's and con's. Neither would be easy.

All I care about is getting there. If we win in Toulon, I wont care who we play as long as we're still in the mix.

[tekilapaf]

So it is time for us, Clermont fans, to send you back all our cheerings

Leinster Tomorrow, Clermont all the other days!

[artaneboy]

I wouldn't really have a preference to be honest. 6 of one, half a dozen of the other, the stakes are so high in a Leinster v Munster European game it borders on the unbearable. Lose to your biggest rivals and lose your spot as the kings of Ireland (as happened to Munster in 09, and in 06 Leinster didn't lose the title, but Munster won the title) and then watching your biggest rival go on and win the European cup. I don't care what anyone says, it's absolutely sickening. I've too many Munster acquaintances and a few friends that I really might have to go into hiding for a few months if it happened and we lost. I might regret rubbing it in their face back in 09, but that was my revenge for 06.

If it happened again, we're on even score in the rubbing it in face terms, so I'd be very humble in victory. But I do think in complete chances of winning a semi should we get there, I wouldn't fancy playing a Toulouse team that won in Thomond Park any more than I would a Munster team hell-bent on revenge and with their Heineken Cup game face on. They wont underestimate us again. Couldn't pick one to be honest, they both have their pro's and con's. Neither would be easy.

All I care about is getting there. If we win in Toulon, I wont care who we play as long as we're still in the mix.

Ah now- unbearable as it would be if we lost- i'd much prefer to face Munster. The whole ERC thing has acted as a re-set on my priorities and preferences. And while it would be hard, I'd support them or another Irish province in the final. I would have a soft spot for Clemont against anyone else though.

But none of that will matter- because if we beat Toulon (massive injury crisis excepting), I think we can win this thing again.

[artaneboy]

So it is time for us, Clermont fans, to send you back all our cheerings

Leinster Tomorrow, Clermont all the other days!

Well done on yesterday and sincere best wishes againt Scaracens in London. If we get through today I hope we get a chance to 'meet' again in the final.

[[Jackass]]

If we don't win today I'll grin and bare it as I shout on Munster, purely on the basis of money for the IRFU and subsequently Leinster, which might be the difference between securing a new contract for someone like Cian Healy or Rob Kearney. Always looking at how things affect us and no one else! I don't believe in the "support them because they're Irish" mentality, no more than Clermont would support Toulon or Rangers would support Celtic or Red Sox would cheer on the Yankies or Ali would cheer on Frazier. It's not in the psyche of sporting rivalries and it's illogical in most cases, the circumstances outlined above being a unique exception of circumstances.

I would find it very difficult not to support Clermont if we're not in it though.

[Danthefan]

So it is time for us, Clermont fans, to send you back all our cheerings

Leinster Tomorrow, Clermont all the other days!

Please hammer Saracens in the SF.

[Twist]

So it is time for us, Clermont fans, to send you back all our cheerings

Leinster Tomorrow, Clermont all the other days!

Please hammer Saracens in the SF.

I wish to re-iterate this

[johng]

Mental hot here. The players will be bollixt in this heat.

[fourthirtythree]

It's the cold that wrecks BOD.