Leinster V Bath Sat 15th Dec 17.30 BT Sport

[Oldschool]

Still think we shouldn't be going for the try BP.

[Serb]

Still think we shouldn't be going for the try BP.

Yeah, pure arrogance to even suggest it

[Twist]

This is obviously going really well but Im a bit perturbed by how easily Bath are making yards in contact


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[tingman]

Job done - conditions not ideal but 5 points wanted and got. In trying circumstances bank it.

Love this fixture every year but sweet Jesus there seemed to be a lot of tourists tonight....chitter chatter....
up down...in out....Lanigans bloody ball it was.

Pain in the hole.

[neiliog93]

We actually didn't play that well and still slaughtered them. Line out continues to be a worry but the breakdown was overall much improved. The scrum was brilliant. I thought Jordan stepped up really well from fullback and Conan showed he deserves to start in big European games from now on.

[Ruckedtobits]

When Des Cahill, on RTE'S Saturday Sport called into Michael Corcoran in the Aviva Stadium at about 4.30 on Saturday afternoon, Storm Deirdre was having a short tantrum of driving south-easterly gales and sharp , cold rain which was driving right into the empty seats in the prime positions of the Lower West Stand.

Almost miraculously, when the team arrived out for their warm-up 10 minutes later, the wind had abated, the rain had dried up and an attendant was drying those prime seats with one of the Ball-boys towels. The weather behaved itself for the next 90 minutes, which fortunately included the first 55 minutes of Leinster's second-leg Pool game against Bath.

That was the only lucky element in Leinster comprehensive victory. Another English team were despatched mercilessly and another raft of Leinster heroes were celebrated by their supporters, whose conversations quickly turned to the prospect of Toulouse coming to town a couple of weeks into the New Year.

Leo Cullen and Stuart Lancester are clearly the architects behind the string of success for Leinster in this competition. But nobody can say they don't have the tools at their disposal to build another masterpiece. Right throughout the team are sources of great power, coupled with scalpels wielded with precision and power. Bath rarely looked like they had any idea how to cope with either, and the end result of 42-15 flattered the visitors.

Six tries, all converted, sends the message down to the Pink City of Toulouse that Leinster await their January arrival at the RDS, with anticipation not awe. There were mistakes in the home's teams performance, but none of them serious and all of them caused by Bath pressure, or the prevailing weather. Leinster did nothing sloopy. They played rugby like New Zealand for 50 minutes and then emptied their bench and allowed the youngsters on the Bench acquire some valuable game-time on a big European match night.

Very impressive, professional performance.

[paddyor]

How was Dev not MOTM?

[cormac]

Munster's defeat tonight means that two wins* should be enough to claim a home quarter-final.

*there are some unlikely scenarios where we could win our two games but not top the group, e.g Toulouse pick up two bonus points in defeat at the RDS

[leinsterfan100]

Yep 100% agree. If Racing or Saracens could slip up at some stage and we could continue our form, that'd be even better, but sure lets see!!

[Logorrhea]

Can I just say, I've been a big critic of Adam Byrne, but I thought he had a great game today.

[D4surfer]

Can I just say, I've been a big critic of Adam Byrne, but I thought he had a great game today.

He had a really good game.

[tingman]

Can I just say, I've been a big critic of Adam Byrne, but I thought he had a great game today.

Yes agree - thought he really showed up well...a real aerial threat. Good showing from some of the other young guns - Jordan and ROL.
Lowe just makes things happen.

[Blueberry]

Across the board a good day at the office. Much attention will rightly be directed at Lowe, Larmour and Byrne and all were excellent but what a super game our two seconds rows had. Toner was superb and James Ryan was sublime again, his work rate, ball carrying and donkey work is off the scale. Best 2nd row in the world for me at the moment.

Sexton class too.

Bring on Toulouse, with Rory O'Loughlin having a stunning game , missing Henshaw is less of a worry.

[hugonaut]

How was Dev not MOTM?

He was outstanding, would have been my MOTM too. He got through a huge amount of work and contributed the highest tackle count on the pitch - 22/22. Carried a lot as well, often getting the ball in bad positions. Obviously James Ryan was in contention as well, but I thought that Toner shaded it in this one. Dev is playing savage rugby at the moment and still has lots left in him. 32 isn't that old by second row standards.

On the other hand, a bit churlish to take anything away from Locko, who had a smashing game. He is turning into a like-for-like replacement for Ferg ... just needs to get his ears taped up.

[curates_egg]

What weird weather: almost perfect until 55 minutes (after a horrendous day) and then horrendous for the last third. Felt sorry for those sitting in the east stand.

Those first 55 were a joy to watch.
As mentioned above, Dev and Ryan were super, as was Furlong (who looked a bit off last week). Lowe is another level. Larmour and Ringrose and Lowe in one side must be a nightmare to defend against: they can all "conjour" something out of nothing. Need to rewatch but, while he had a good game and it was great to see him back fit and firing, I didn't understand how ROL got MOTM.

[Gearzbox2]

Superb 55/60 mins that really put them away...last 20 was a bit disjointed more so to do with the fact we had it wrapped up and conditions worsened

Lot said here about 2nd rows who I did think were superb but front row really laid the ground work by dismantling their scrum (I maybe be biased as a past front rower but I remember few years back bath gave us a right going over but thought we’ve been superb there) and they all showed around the park too
Josh was very quiet and doesn’t look himself last couple of games
Jack Conan has proved he’s a crucial cog of that back row

J10 was very good and took all the right options bar maybe that one where there wAs that move not of Conan’s intercept where cronin and him had that nice link play and he grubbered for Bryne
ROl and Ringrose very good too

I’m just putting this out there but I’d keep that back 3 as is
When we are humming I can’t see a need for RK there
Larmour offers so much at 15...just my opinion

Happy days

[OTT]

Watching the replay. This little bit pisses me off. Our scrum was so dominant. We had them going back at a rate of knots and popping up and the ref was saying he would not give a penalty because we were looking for it. We were looking for it because it usually was a penalty. He nullified our threat here on a good few occasions. Is it a refs job to be a leveler?

EDIT: It is obviously an area we absolutely work our asses off on, we should be rewarded for our excellence just like other teams get due reward for their dominance in certain areas eg mauls.

[wixfjord]

A performance light years ahead of last week with the result to match.
We're a far better team than Bath particularly given their injuries. Thankfully conditions allowed us to show that in the first 50.

Delighted for Adam Byrne, hopefully he kicks on now over Xmas and gives us a real headache in the back three.

I think Conan also showed that he's important to us.

Were there any injuries last night?

[blockhead]

Excellent win, and some thrilling passages of play with Larmour at the centre of most of them. Even though we won well I was suprised at how strong Bath were over the two games. They have a big pack and they competed well. We might struggle later on in the comp against similar teams, Fardy is the answer to that threat but then Lowe is giving Plumber no option but to pick him.
Great to see Rory and Adam have good games and score tries.

[lotmc]

Watching the replay. This little bit pisses me off. Our scrum was so dominant. We had them going back at a rate of knots and popping up and the ref was saying he would not give a penalty because we were looking for it. We were looking for it because it usually was a penalty. He nullified our threat here on a good few occasions. Is it a refs job to be a leveler?

EDIT: It is obviously an area we absolutely work our asses off on, we should be rewarded for our excellence just like other teams get due reward for their dominance in certain areas eg mauls.

Couldn't agree more. Allowing a dominant scrum to drive into a fragmenting opposition scrum without calling a penalty is creating a lot of danger. Player's body positions, especially their necks, can be compromised. I thought the ref was good last night apart from that.