New contracts for coaching ticket

[mildlyinterested]

I assumed it was McNamara. But would Sexton not be in the conversation?

He is still playing.

But he will be a free agent after the world cup - in practice.

I know he has said he doesn't want to coach. But, as Le Roux says, he is obsessed and also clearly incredibly knowledgeable on attack and defence.

We need a backs coach for this summer

[CiaranIrl]

he has been coaching for a few years over in London, so surely he has learned to control himself when he isn't playing.

despite all these unhinged moments, he was a highly valued player while at leinster for his attitude/leadership etc.

He was an incredible player - absolutely. He was coaching back in Tullow before he left for London as well. His knowledge and experience are invaluable - I totally get that. I'm just sceptical that he has the temperament for coaching at the level required to get the most out of people - especially at an academy level.

Do you remember some of the mad things Leo & Felipe did on a rugby pitch? (Or indeed Denis Leamy, Jerry Flannery, POC, Rowntree etc etc).

I think there's logic to wondering about SOB's experience, but his work ethic and leadership skills are top class. Very good communicator too.

There's a big difference in temperament between the lads listed above and O'Brien. Loads of players have a competitive edge in a game, and that's great. They aren't all loose cannons mid week. O'Brien was always wild. It's part of what made him one of the best players to ever play for us.

Like I say, I'm just sceptical. I could obviously be wrong, and even if my read on it was right a coupe of years back, he could have changed completely with time.

[wixfjord]

There's a big difference in temperament between the lads listed above and O'Brien. Loads of players have a competitive edge in a game, and that's great. They aren't all loose cannons mid week. O'Brien was always wild. It's part of what made him one of the best players to ever play for us.

Like I say, I'm just sceptical. I could obviously be wrong, and even if my read on it was right a coupe of years back, he could have changed completely with time.

I think you're overselling SOB's 'wildness', particularly compared to Leamy (who was one of the most mental players ever to play in green), Flannery (who once kicked the legs from out under a French winger) and POC (who once concussed one of our players with a kick in the head).

SOB was on the same level as that, but all three of those guys have had stellar coaching careers.

How someone is on the pitch isn't how they are off it necessarily, and that fire and desire could actually be welcomed in a Leinster dressing room that's about to lose Leamy & Felipe.

[LeRouxIsPHat]

I'm very sceptical about Sean O'Brien as a coach to be honest. Especially at academy level. I've heard too many stories over the years about unhinged moments. There was one that stands out about a training session where the academy lads were up against the starting team, and an academy second row stole a throw in a lineout that was meant for O'Brien (a rarity). He absolutely went for the lad and punched him around the place.

I'm the same, haven't heard the story you're referring to but there are plenty of other off field ones I can think of. The players and coaches clearly all love him though and Leo and Lancaster will know him well so for those reasons I'm confident it'll go well.

[Oldschoolsocks]

I assumed it was McNamara. But would Sexton not be in the conversation?

He is still playing.

But he will be a free agent after the world cup - in practice.

I know he has said he doesn't want to coach. But, as Le Roux says, he is obsessed and also clearly incredibly knowledgeable on attack and defence.

https://extra.ie/2022/05/18/sport/rugby ... ement-plan

He says he doesn’t want to coach

[ronk]

There's a big difference in temperament between the lads listed above and O'Brien. Loads of players have a competitive edge in a game, and that's great. They aren't all loose cannons mid week. O'Brien was always wild. It's part of what made him one of the best players to ever play for us.

Like I say, I'm just sceptical. I could obviously be wrong, and even if my read on it was right a coupe of years back, he could have changed completely with time.

I think you're overselling SOB's 'wildness', particularly compared to Leamy (who was one of the most mental players ever to play in green), Flannery (who once kicked the legs from out under a French winger) and POC (who once concussed one of our players with a kick in the head).

SOB was on the same level as that, but all three of those guys have had stellar coaching careers.

How someone is on the pitch isn't how they are off it necessarily, and that fire and desire could actually be welcomed in a Leinster dressing room that's about to lose Leamy & Felipe.

Leamy, Flannery, POC all retired with injuries. They had unfinished rugby business and unexpectedly shorter periods to set themselves up.

SOB is retiring after a very long career at the top of the pay charts. He even finishes off with 3 years at one of the top paid players in the prem. Sexton is the same.

Coming in at the bottom as a coach is a grind that isn't for everyone. And the higher you were as a player, the tougher a step down it is.

[wixfjord]

There's a big difference in temperament between the lads listed above and O'Brien. Loads of players have a competitive edge in a game, and that's great. They aren't all loose cannons mid week. O'Brien was always wild. It's part of what made him one of the best players to ever play for us.

Like I say, I'm just sceptical. I could obviously be wrong, and even if my read on it was right a coupe of years back, he could have changed completely with time.

I think you're overselling SOB's 'wildness', particularly compared to Leamy (who was one of the most mental players ever to play in green), Flannery (who once kicked the legs from out under a French winger) and POC (who once concussed one of our players with a kick in the head).

SOB was on the same level as that, but all three of those guys have had stellar coaching careers.

How someone is on the pitch isn't how they are off it necessarily, and that fire and desire could actually be welcomed in a Leinster dressing room that's about to lose Leamy & Felipe.

Leamy, Flannery, POC all retired with injuries. They had unfinished rugby business and unexpectedly shorter periods to set themselves up.

SOB is retiring after a very long career at the top of the pay charts. He even finishes off with 3 years at one of the top paid players in the prem. Sexton is the same.

Coming in at the bottom as a coach is a grind that isn't for everyone. And the higher you were as a player, the tougher a step down it is.

Right...

...but what has that got to do with what I was talking about?!

[mildlyinterested]

SOB wants to coach, i say lets give him a shot.

[curates_egg]

He is still playing.

But he will be a free agent after the world cup - in practice.

I know he has said he doesn't want to coach. But, as Le Roux says, he is obsessed and also clearly incredibly knowledgeable on attack and defence.

https://extra.ie/2022/05/18/sport/rugby ... ement-plan

He says he doesn’t want to coach

I literally said that.

[ronk]

I think you're overselling SOB's 'wildness', particularly compared to Leamy (who was one of the most mental players ever to play in green), Flannery (who once kicked the legs from out under a French winger) and POC (who once concussed one of our players with a kick in the head).

SOB was on the same level as that, but all three of those guys have had stellar coaching careers.

How someone is on the pitch isn't how they are off it necessarily, and that fire and desire could actually be welcomed in a Leinster dressing room that's about to lose Leamy & Felipe.

Leamy, Flannery, POC all retired with injuries. They had unfinished rugby business and unexpectedly shorter periods to set themselves up.

SOB is retiring after a very long career at the top of the pay charts. He even finishes off with 3 years at one of the top paid players in the prem. Sexton is the same.

Coming in at the bottom as a coach is a grind that isn't for everyone. And the higher you were as a player, the tougher a step down it is.

Right...

...but what has that got to do with what I was talking about?!

Damn, I thought this was a conversation about SOB potentially joining the Leinster coaching team.

Sometimes conversations take twists and turns in directions that might differ from your expectations. Wasn't anything personal.

[Oldschoolsocks]

But he will be a free agent after the world cup - in practice.

I know he has said he doesn't want to coach. But, as Le Roux says, he is obsessed and also clearly incredibly knowledgeable on attack and defence.

https://extra.ie/2022/05/18/sport/rugby ... ement-plan

He says he doesn’t want to coach

I literally said that.

Good stuff, but not really.
I said “he said he doesn’t want to coach”

while you said “I know he said he doesn’t want to coach. But…”

They are very different things to say

[curates_egg]

If you say so.

[ronk]

If we can't get McNamara, who would seem the obvious and best choice, then a duo of Isa & SOB would be pretty cool.

Proper 'boot room' succession planning that.

Succession planning needs work though. Hogan and McNamara both left due to lack of opportunities and then we lost Leamy and Contepomi. Big opportunities opened up. It's positive that our coaches are so highly prized.

Leo's best hires have all been eye openers. Isa seems like a can't miss coach so you'd want him if you can persuade him back. Otherwise you'd like to think that we can identify talent if we cast our net wider.

[leinsterforever]

McNamara seems like the obvious choice to me to replace Contepomi. The issue is he won't be out of contract for another season.

I have to say I was blown away by Connacht's attacking play while Andre Bell was there under Lam. It wasn't nearly as effective after he was replaced by Conor McPhillips after their League-winning season. They just didn't have the same cutting edge at all. Bell seems like a bit of a home bird from comments he's made, but I wonder if he could be tempted over for one season before McNamara potentially comes onboard.

[riocard911]

On the subject of a replacement for Felipe, I think Richie Murphy could be a good fit. Certainly he has an impeccable Leinster and Ireland record as skills & kicking coach. One thing, in particular, stood out to me about that U20s team, that won the Slam this year. It wasn't that they looked extremely well coached in terms of skill and organisation, but rather their abrasiveness. They put the hurt on the opposition every chance they got, made life very unpleasant for them and essentially beat them into submission. A little bit more abrasiveness is what Leinster's senior team could do with, IMO. Jamie Osborne played last year on Richie's U20 team and that tackle, with which he absolutely smashed Munster's Daly into touch the weekend before last in the Aviva is the type of thing I'm talking about (and in saying that, I'm not advocating injuring opposition players. If I've understood it correctly, the damage to Daly's knee was a side-effect of the tackle in question and the way he fell to ground. I wouldn't wish something like that on anyone).

[ronk]

Jamie Osbourne. And he'd played 6 times for Leinster before he got the first of his 5 U20s caps.

It was a clean hit, it happened while he was still on his feet. He clipped his foot into the turf and it jarred his knee.

[riocard911]

Jamie Osbourne. And he'd played 6 times for Leinster before he got the first of his 5 U20s caps.

It was a clean hit, it happened while he was still on his feet. He clipped his foot into the turf and it jarred his knee.

Duh! Thanks for that, Ronk. I've corrected my post above.

[dougie the flanker]

Playing Devils Advocate [e.g. Let me say upfront that I don't actually believe this myself lest I be accused of being on a wind up] but is there an argument about Stuart Lancaster's ruthlessness when the pressure is on.

At England his time was marked by creating a really strong culture on professionalism and high performance, playing amazing rugby, winning all the less important matches and winning them extremely well but ultimately falling short on the big trophy occasions.

Now the obvious argument is that Leinster have won a Heineken Cup in his first year and have won the URC four times in a row. But the Saracens final defeat, the Saracens QF defeat, the La Rochelle SF defeat and the La Rochelle Final defeat have been the big games Leinster wanted to win. Against Saracens and La Rochelle, he (Cullen?) wasn't able to avenge the first defeat. Losing once happens but twice implies no lesson learned or no improvement. Also no way of stopping Will Skelton who was in 3 of the 4 defeats. There can't be many players that have inflicted punishment like that on Leinster in recent years.

I've a few friends from UK that had made the comparison to his time in England to me. As I say, I don't really think thats the case myself but thought it was interesting take I hadn't seen suggested.

[OTT]

Playing Devils Advocate [e.g. Let me say upfront that I don't actually believe this myself lest I be accused of being on a wind up] but is there an argument about Stuart Lancaster's ruthlessness when the pressure is on.

At England his time was marked by creating a really strong culture on professionalism and high performance, playing amazing rugby, winning all the less important matches and winning them extremely well but ultimately falling short on the big trophy occasions.

Now the obvious argument is that Leinster have won a Heineken Cup in his first year and have won the URC four times in a row. But the Saracens final defeat, the Saracens QF defeat, the La Rochelle SF defeat and the La Rochelle Final defeat have been the big games Leinster wanted to win. Against Saracens and La Rochelle, he (Cullen?) wasn't able to avenge the first defeat. Losing once happens but twice implies no lesson learned or no improvement. Also no way of stopping Will Skelton who was in 3 of the 4 defeats. There can't be many players that have inflicted punishment like that on Leinster in recent years.

I've a few friends from UK that had made the comparison to his time in England to me. As I say, I don't really think thats the case myself but thought it was interesting take I hadn't seen suggested.

Interesting,

My take would be that the coaching ticket have given Leinster players a serious impressive skill set and off that they have empowered them to make big calls on the pitch. Most of the time it works but naturally sometimes we come up short. We tend to be spoilt as Leinster fans in that we have an expectation of winning leagues and being there or there abouts in Europe come the end of the season, to guarantee that (which they have been able to do) season in season out is beyond most other clubs dreams or expectations, we have a great squad because these coaches have built that squad, the young lads can come in for big games because the young lads get the exposure that allows them to come in again that’s due to the coaching ticket backing them regularly.

Leinster want to win both competitions so unless they do that each and every season the game they lose in either/or both will ultimately be the big games Leinster wanted to win. You try and get to the show like everyone else and at the end one team will win and everyone else in the competition has failed, so that would make the coach of every club who doesn’t win everything every year lack a ruthless streak. So basically every coach lacks a ruthless streak if this point was accurate.

I think Lancaster is a breath of fresh air, I think he improves every player he works with, I think he has a very good way of communicating with reporters and fans alike. The players love him. He’s got an enormous amount of humility and like Schmidt before him he helps to give us a fighting chance to win a European Cup each season which is all we can ask for as fans. His time will come to an end here eventually like every coach but I hope he sticks around for a few years because that can only help our chances of success.


Welcome to the forum btw always enjoy reading your posts went I delve into Munster fans, your posts always stand out on there and that’s a compliment.

[Serb]

Also just want to add my appreciation for dougie, glad to have some new blood arriving and adding to the signal rather than the noise.