Away to Scarlets, 30/01, Saturday @ 7.35pm

[mildlyinterested]

Final game before europe..

[Jonny tight lips]

This should be a hardest game yet this year and with Ulster not looking like they are going to drop many points this year and a rest week before Europe I say we resist the calls for rotation and put out our best team available.

[mildlyinterested]

Something like this maybe.. assuming no irish players are released.

1. Dooley
2. Tracy
3. Bent
4. Baird
5. Toner
6. Leavy
7. Penny
8. Ruddock
9. McGrath
10. Byrne
11. Kearney
12. Frawley
13. ROL
14. Kelleher
15. JOB
16. Sheehan
17. Milne
18. Clarkson
19. Fardy
20. Murphy
21. Osborne
22. Hawkshaw
23. Silvester

[Jonny tight lips]

I like the idea of Leavy at 6, Penny has been exceptional this year and deserves his spot. There has been a lot of positive soundings around Cronin recently so if he’s fit I’d give him a run at 16.

Does it get to a point where we consider Rhys at 8 for Europe, he’s been a titan for us there recently and Dosis has played well at 6. Perhaps a week too early to ask such things.

[leinster23]

I like the idea of Leavy at 6, Penny has been exceptional this year and deserves his spot. There has been a lot of positive soundings around Cronin recently so if he’s fit I’d give him a run at 16.

Does it get to a point where we consider Rhys at 8 for Europe, he’s been a titan for us there recently and Dosis has played well at 6. Perhaps a week too early to ask such things.

Would much prefer 6. Rhys 8. Doris than the reverse. Both have played well in the other position but they're more natural at 6 and 8 respectively. Doris has looked much better at 8 than 6 for Ireland as well. No doubt they should both be starters for Europe. 7 is a lottery, plenty putting their hand up there.

[wixfjord]

I think our best starting trio is Rhys, Connors and Doris, probably with Leavy on the bench. Will be an interesting selection that's for sure.

[Serb]

I hope any players that are not involved in the Georgia game have the opportunity to come back and play with us. Otherwise we are launching our first choice players straight into a season defining away game in France having not trained with the province for a couple of months.

I’m assuming covid bubbles probably mean this isn’t realistic — more likely we’ll lose one or two further players to Ireland.

Looking forward to this one anyway, will be a much sterner test for this group than any of the other games so far this season.

Seems likely Bent will start for the 8th game in a row, and we will continue to give as little time as possible to our up and coming scrum halves. We also seem pretty set on H. Byrne at 10 and aren’t looking to give Frawley significant time there.

Back row probably the most interesting selection — Josh Murphy has really put his hand up, but I’d love to see Penny and Leavy start this one, which would put Ruddock at 8.

We’ll definitely select at meat one of Fardy and Toner, would like to see Baird paired in there assuming he doesn’t answer Ireland’s call.

Turner has seen a good bit of time recently, but haven’t been all that impressed with that I’ve seen, O’Loughlin is back fit, wouldn’t mind seeing him slot in at 13 alongside Frawley.

Back 3 probably more of the same with Kearney, Kelleher and JOB if fit.

[Laighin Break]

Is it likely that those not involved in the Georgia game be released considering there's another game the following week? And all this "bubbling" that's going on

[wixfjord]

I understand the rationale for wanting to pick both Leavy & Penny in a back row, but to me our pack just functions better when Josh M starts at 6.

For Scarlets, I'd go:

Dooley, Tracy, Bent, Baird, Toner, Murphy, Leavy, Ruddock, McGrath, Byrne, Kelleher, Frawley, ROL, DK, JOB
Sheahan, Milne, Clarkson, Fardy, Penny, Osborne, Turner, Molony

Thought Osborne had a nice injection of pace the other night again actually.

[leinsterforever]

Will Ringrose be available? Didn't they say he was back in full training?

[EnergiaPark70]

Will Patterson get a shot before Ireland players return or is his time up with Leinster

[alanair]

I hope any players that are not involved in the Georgia game have the opportunity to come back and play with us. Otherwise we are launching our first choice players straight into a season defining away game in France having not trained with the province for a couple of months.

I’m assuming covid bubbles probably mean this isn’t realistic — more likely we’ll lose one or two further players to Ireland.

Looking forward to this one anyway, will be a much sterner test for this group than any of the other games so far this season.

Seems likely Bent will start for the 8th game in a row, and we will continue to give as little time as possible to our up and coming scrum halves. We also seem pretty set on H. Byrne at 10 and aren’t looking to give Frawley significant time there.

Back row probably the most interesting selection — Josh Murphy has really put his hand up, but I’d love to see Penny and Leavy start this one, which would put Ruddock at 8.

We’ll definitely select at meat one of Fardy and Toner, would like to see Baird paired in there assuming he doesn’t answer Ireland’s call.

Turner has seen a good bit of time recently, but haven’t been all that impressed with that I’ve seen, O’Loughlin is back fit, wouldn’t mind seeing him slot in at 13 alongside Frawley.

Back 3 probably more of the same with Kearney, Kelleher and JOB if fit.

Although I was a bit disappointed with Turner in previous matches, Omactually thought he played well V Cardiff & maybe just needed a couple of games to settle in ?

[cormac]

Will Ringrose be available? Didn't they say he was back in full training?

He's not back in full training yet, only light training.

[D4surfer]

https://www.leinsterrugby.ie/leo-cullen ... d=20SL2759

Not very positive on O'Loughlin and Jimmy O'Brien.

[mildlyinterested]

Silvester at 15 and Turner at 13?

Wouldn't have thought those two would get more caps than Gavin Mullin and Jack Kelly.. odd coincidence of timing maybe.

[cormac]

One other option would be to play Frawley at full-back with Hawkshaw at 12 but that's fairly unlikely.

If Jimmy and Rory aren't fit, we've only got 7 backs available in the senior squad and three of them are scrum-halves.

[curates_egg]

I really wonder should we make Bent go another 65 minutes.
He needs to be fit for Europe.

I know that, through missing three tight heads and losing two, we don't have a choice but to select him in the squad; and I know that, away to Scarlets, it would be a big ask of Clarkson; but he has started all seven of our games (consecutive) and we need him to be fit for Europe.

[Ruckedtobits]

Bentos is like Rossy was. He hates missing games and loves playing more than training. Subject to no injuries, he'd go 15 games in 18 weeks without a bother and look as good in the final one as the first one.

Ask the S&C guys. When you're equipped with a high proportion of low-twitch muscles what you need is regular action, few lay-overs and plenty of scrum work. Forget the shuttle runs & fartleg work, just plenty of scrums, mauls, clearouts and ball-handling. Enough of that and he'll go non-stop till April.

[riocard911]

Bentos is like Rossy was. He hates missing games and loves playing more than training. Subject to no injuries, he'd go 15 games in 18 weeks without a bother and look as good in the final one as the first one.

Ask the S&C guys. When you're equipped with a high proportion of low-twitch muscles what you need is regular action, few lay-overs and plenty of scrum work. Forget the shuttle runs & fartleg work, just plenty of scrums, mauls, clearouts and ball-handling. Enough of that and he'll go non-stop till April.

I'll drink to that! Sláinte!!!

[curates_egg]

Bentos is like Rossy was. He hates missing games and loves playing more than training. Subject to no injuries, he'd go 15 games in 18 weeks without a bother and look as good in the final one as the first one.

Ask the S&C guys. When you're equipped with a high proportion of low-twitch muscles what you need is regular action, few lay-overs and plenty of scrum work. Forget the shuttle runs & fartleg work, just plenty of scrums, mauls, clearouts and ball-handling. Enough of that and he'll go non-stop till April.

Yeah, I guess - despite how I framed it - my concern is injury risk, and not fatigue (since there’s a break before Europe anyway). The more you play, the greater the risk.

Anyway, there’s no way he won’t be involved, since there’s nobody else. Hat tip Nucifora and dIRFU.