Benetton v Leinster Sat 5 Mar KO 12.55pm Live on RTE2

[hugonaut]

I think we definitely got what we wanted out of that game. A 5-point bonus win, lots of point difference and good exposure [and performances] for a number of young players, not least the 20-year olds, Osborne and McCarthy. Penny, Clarkson and Harry are still just 22, and along with the 23 year old Tommy O'Brien, it's a good proportion of young players in the starting line-up.

Really impressed again by Big Joe McCarthy – he looks like a hell of a second row. He's strong, explosive, has a big engine and isn't stand-offish. Also very, very happy to see Dan Leavy out on the pitch again and getting some more games under his belt. The guy is such a good player and competitor. Good to see Larmour keeping up his try-scoring rate as well.

Congratulations to Pete Dooley on his 100th cap. Loved him playing to the whistle and throwing that artful offload out of the back of his hand for Ross Molony's run down the right wing!

[riocard911]

I'd high hopes for Jack Dunne and was a bit worried, when I read of his supposed planned departure to Exeter, that we might be going a bit light in the boiler room department. Joe McCarthy's recent performances have allayed my fears, I'm delighted to say.

[hugonaut]

I'd high hopes for Jack Dunne and was a bit worried, when I read of his supposed planned departure to Exeter, that we might be going a bit light in the boiler room department. Joe McCarthy's recent performances have allayed my fears, I'm delighted to say.

I'm exactly the same. I didn't realise that he was that explosive ... I thought he was more of a Damian Browne type player, very big-boned and strong at wrestling people, but not a fast-twitch fibre in his body.

In years gone past, you'd be looking at a guy with 16-20 Irish U20 caps to his name over four tournaments, and there would have been a lot more awareness of him as a big prospect. However, the U20 players of the 2021 year suffered in terms of name recognition and acclaim. That year's U20 Six Nations was postponed and their JWC was cancelled. When they moved the 2021 U20 Six Nations to the JWC slot in June 2021 [thereby cancelling the JWC], Joe was named captain but was injured for the tournament.

The Friday night slot for the 20s is great – it's on the box, everybody is geared up for a rugby weekend and it's well produced. The JWC isn't the same in terms of viewership. It's on different channels, the schedule isn't as regular and rugby isn't in the foreground of the sporting calendar.

As an U19 [actually 18 years old at the time], Big Joe played in the three wins in a row for the Irish U20s in the 2020 tournament before it was cancelled. He was behind Ahern and Deeny, but he got a lot of time off the bench and was able to make a physical mark, especially in the English game. For a lad not long out of school playing against guys 18 months older than him in Premiership set-ups, that was impressive.

[wixfjord]

As someone said on here last week, McCarthy carries like Baird in the open field. He's not as quick, but he has that same heads up style and he's properly powerful.

Very promising.

[wixfjord]

Larmour did his Irish prospects no favours with that lame attempt to tackle.

Just saw the highlights there, how the feck could you blame Larmour for that! The lad is over the line before Jordan even gets to him! So his only option to stop the try is to attempt to flip a charging second row on his back from behind.

[blockhead]

Nugget scores his 44th & 45th try for Leinster, only 2 behind Isa the Great.

[ronk]

I'd high hopes for Jack Dunne and was a bit worried, when I read of his supposed planned departure to Exeter, that we might be going a bit light in the boiler room department. Joe McCarthy's recent performances have allayed my fears, I'm delighted to say.

I'm exactly the same. I didn't realise that he was that explosive ... I thought he was more of a Damian Browne type player, very big-boned and strong at wrestling people, but not a fast-twitch fibre in his body.

In years gone past, you'd be looking at a guy with 16-20 Irish U20 caps to his name over four tournaments, and there would have been a lot more awareness of him as a big prospect. However, the U20 players of the 2021 year suffered in terms of name recognition and acclaim. That year's U20 Six Nations was postponed and their JWC was cancelled. When they moved the 2021 U20 Six Nations to the JWC slot in June 2021 [thereby cancelling the JWC], Joe was named captain but was injured for the tournament.

The Friday night slot for the 20s is great – it's on the box, everybody is geared up for a rugby weekend and it's well produced. The JWC isn't the same in terms of viewership. It's on different channels, the schedule isn't as regular and rugby isn't in the foreground of the sporting calendar.

As an U19 [actually 18 years old at the time], Big Joe played in the three wins in a row for the Irish U20s in the 2020 tournament before it was cancelled. He was behind Ahern and Deeny, but he got a lot of time off the bench and was able to make a physical mark, especially in the English game. For a lad not long out of school playing against guys 18 months older than him in Premiership set-ups, that was impressive.

Rugby is more like American Football than soccer: it's the big game at the weekend, midweek games never feel right. Tournaments suffer for it. The JWC format isn't compelling in the same way as the 6N.

Dunne is 23, so it feels strange talking him as a missed opportunity. Official statswise he put on 10kg and that looks about right. But it was too much.

McCarthy should just play. We need locks, he's useful. Toner is probably off, Dunne too. Murphy confirmed. Jenkins will play but we also have minutes for someone else. Let Baird play 6 more.

A 119kg lock who moves like that is worth more than a 125kg who moves like Damian Browne (underrated player), especially the way we play.

[joooooe]

Larmour did his Irish prospects no favours with that lame attempt to tackle.

Just saw the highlights there, how the feck could you blame Larmour for that! The lad is over the line before Jordan even gets to him! So his only option to stop the try is to attempt to flip a charging second row on his back from behind.

Agree completely. Hugh Cahill on comms (who is trying my patience...never thought I'd pine for Setanta Sports) tried his hardest to find a reason to blame Larmour, who was covering across incredibly. Maybe if he had stuck to his wing nobody would have noticed)?

Larmour is actually brilliant. I think people look at the new shiny jewels and forget that the shiniest jewel is still amazing.

[ronk]

Commentary was worse than you’d expect, even when you expect to suffer.

One particular lowlight was then being so engrossed in talking about books that they didn’t notice Byrne’s conversion hit both posts and the crossbar.

It’s like they had no intention of watching the match. They’re being paid to do it, show some professionalism.

[LeRouxIsPHat]

I realise the irony in mentioning this and I know we talk about schools rugby on here (and that it’s on tv) but I thought it was very wrong of Jackman to mention that a certain Blackrock player could be the next Tadhg Furlong. What kind of pressure is that to put on a fella who hasn’t even done his leaving cert? Imagine all the messages he’d have got on the back of that? Jackman was like a giddy schoolboy himself, needs to wind his neck in.

And if anyone ever has any inside info, don’t tell Bernard, not a hope he’ll keep it to himself.

[Oldschool]

The answer is in the thread title.

Your powers of observation are unparalleled, unlike some.

[Oldschool]

Not sure how up to date the stats are on Ultimate Rugby, but they’re saying we’ve only made 17 tackles in the whole first half

Is there a stat for the lowest number of tackles even if only on a seasonal basis.
Lowest by a team and lowest total in a game.
High score games would look like probable candidates.

[riocard911]

Commentary was worse than you’d expect, even when you expect to suffer.

One particular lowlight was then being so engrossed in talking about books that they didn’t notice Byrne’s conversion hit both posts and the crossbar.

It’s like they had no intention of watching the match. They’re being paid to do it, show some professionalism.

On Premier Sports Ryle Nugent and Stephen Ferris had a good laugh at that - like the rest of us!

[Flash Gordon]

Larmour did his Irish prospects no favours with that lame attempt to tackle.

Just saw the highlights there, how the feck could you blame Larmour for that! The lad is over the line before Jordan even gets to him! So his only option to stop the try is to attempt to flip a charging second row on his back from behind.

Agree completely. Hugh Cahill on comms (who is trying my patience...never thought I'd pine for Setanta Sports) tried his hardest to find a reason to blame Larmour, who was covering across incredibly. Maybe if he had stuck to his wing nobody would have noticed)?

Larmour is actually brilliant. I think people look at the new shiny jewels and forget that the shiniest jewel is still amazing.

6 tries in 9 games for Jordan. He took a lovely line for his try. This guy has talent to burn and what people forget is that he's still only 24 - so he's about the same age as players like Tommy O'Brien coming into the squad. Lots to come from him.

As for commentary, Cahill and Birch didn't actually seem to be watching the match, they were like 2 lads randomly chatting in a pub!

[curates_egg]

Still not as bad as Donnacha O'Callaghan's Triton Showers 'A Wash With Greatness' ad - wish I could find it but it appears to have vanished

There were some terrible ads around the time of the 2007 World Cup. I vaguely remember Denis Leamy being in a low-budget Elvery's one

Edit:
Found it - "Sorry, force of habit"
Shay Given and Ciarán McDonald were also in it.

Peter Stringer did some ads for cacks which I'm definitely not posting links too.

Just saw Madigan hawking some random crypto currency on Instagram.
Part of me died.

[FLIP]

There were some terrible ads around the time of the 2007 World Cup. I vaguely remember Denis Leamy being in a low-budget Elvery's one

Edit:
Found it - "Sorry, force of habit"
Shay Given and Ciarán McDonald were also in it.

Peter Stringer did some ads for cacks which I'm definitely not posting links too.

Just saw Madigan hawking some random crypto currency on Instagram.
Part of me died.

Heaslip is into his NFTs big time too.

[Morf]

Heaslip is into his NFTs big time too.

Heaslip - incredible player but a bit of a dose otherwise.

[mildlyinterested]

Heaslip is into his NFTs big time too.

Heaslip - incredible player but a bit of a dose otherwise.

huge dose