wixfjord wrote: ↑May 6th, 2022, 12:22 pm
I'm really interested to see if Baird is injured or if that's a selection choice. If the latter, it's a brilliant vindication of McCarthy.
If there is a position Leo knows, and if there is an opposition Leo knows. I think this a horses for courses. McCarthy gives a bit more grunt
Leicester fan on the tigers fan site just made a very informative dig into the depth of both 23s and has it that it is currently 17 internationals vs 19 internationals. Just goes to show the strength of both sides and the hard task it will be for either team to come out victorious. This is what European rugby should be all about.
wixfjord wrote: ↑May 6th, 2022, 12:22 pm
I'm really interested to see if Baird is injured or if that's a selection choice. If the latter, it's a brilliant vindication of McCarthy.
If there is a position Leo knows, and if there is an opposition Leo knows. I think this a horses for courses. McCarthy gives a bit more grunt
Looking at the weight stats on Tigers website (if it can be believed) no's 4 to 8 aren't big in the way that teams like La Rochelle Saracens etc were. Locks at 6-7 118kg & 6-4 119kg. Flankers at 6-0 98lg & 6-6 110kg. No 8 6-3 110kg.
Size isn't everything & there is no doubting that they are good players and well drilled, but I cant see us being overpowered by their forwards. Even if we get parity up front, we have sufficient from 9 to 15 to win this.
Never argue with an idiot. Someone looking on may not be able tell the difference
TrapperChamonix wrote: ↑May 6th, 2022, 12:37 pm
Looking at the weight stats on Tigers website (if it can be believed) no's 4 to 8 aren't big in the way that teams like La Rochelle Saracens etc were. Locks at 6-7 118kg & 6-4 119kg. Flankers at 6-0 98lg & 6-6 110kg. No 8 6-3 110kg.
Size isn't everything & there is no doubting that they are good players and well drilled, but I cant see us being overpowered by their forwards. Even if we get parity up front, we have sufficient from 9 to 15 to win this.
It's the front 5 that are the challenge, rather than the back row.
Reffell/Wiese aren't massive men but are powerful.
However Genge/Montoya/Cole is very sizeable and they also have two big units in Martin & Wells on the bench.
bluemagic wrote: ↑May 6th, 2022, 1:03 pm
Baird suffered an aggravation to his injury during the week. Not sure if McCarthy would have been picked anyway.
Is TOB selected ahead of Larmour on form? Big call if so, would rather have Larmour coming on if we needed to chase the game.
Scrummaging will decide this game, hopefully furlong is out there with a point to prove.
I'm afraid I'd disagree and would pick TOB ahead of Larmour. He offers more.
bluemagic wrote: ↑May 6th, 2022, 1:03 pm
Baird suffered an aggravation to his injury during the week. Not sure if McCarthy would have been picked anyway.
bluemagic wrote: ↑May 6th, 2022, 1:03 pm
Baird suffered an aggravation to his injury during the week. Not sure if McCarthy would have been picked anyway.
Has Leo said this or are you assuming?
Inside source, but as I said not sure if it influenced the decision to start McCarthy anyway as Ireland are looking to fast track him into the squad
**** LEINSTER Champions Of Europe 2009/2011/2012/2018 ****
bluemagic wrote: ↑May 6th, 2022, 1:03 pm
Baird suffered an aggravation to his injury during the week. Not sure if McCarthy would have been picked anyway.
Is TOB selected ahead of Larmour on form? Big call if so, would rather have Larmour coming on if we needed to chase the game.
Scrummaging will decide this game, hopefully furlong is out there with a point to prove.
I'm afraid I'd disagree and would pick TOB ahead of Larmour. He offers more.
Tommy is in fantastic form but Jordan offers an awful lot. He's only played 4 games due to injury these season and scored 4 tries in 4 games and 4 try assists. Not sure if Jordan is fully fit?
TigsMan wrote: ↑May 6th, 2022, 12:23 pm
Won’t be popular but I think Moroni and Ringrose are pretty level on the whole. Moroni is massively underrated outside of Argentina and Leicester
Porter v Henshaw on paper is a massive gap though.
Always disappointed his parents didn't call him Angel.
If we were at home, looking at the teams, I'd probably be confident. Away is a different proposition. Should be a cracking game though. I think we will edge it.
Two survivors on each team from our last meeting. Healy and Sexton for us (they were also on the bench last time we played at Welford Road) while Dan Cole and Ben Youngs started for them in 2011.
TigsMan wrote: ↑May 6th, 2022, 12:23 pm
Won’t be popular but I think Moroni and Ringrose are pretty level on the whole. Moroni is massively underrated outside of Argentina and Leicester
Porter v Henshaw on paper is a massive gap though.
Always disappointed his parents didn't call him Angel.
If we were at home, looking at the teams, I'd probably be confident. Away is a different proposition. Should be a cracking game though. I think we will edge it.
I'm worried about the scrum and the breakdown, as much because of the ref as the opposition. I used to like Raynal but the breakdown is usually far too messy with him now and that could even up the back rows significantly. Tbf to Genge he doesn't need a leg up from any ref to dominate a scrum and that could be a game changer for them. I hope we get angry Tadhg tomorrow, he's had an average enough few months and hopefully he evens things up after Twickenham. With the lead in he's had to this game I expect a big performance from him.
One big frustration I've had in some of our big European losses in recent years is not having a plan B or being reluctant to change things. If we do hit a brick wall tomorrow then I hope we've learned from those games and are able to work our way out of it.
We're much better on paper but I don't feel all that confident, they're exactly the kind of team that could disrupt our set piece enough to take away the platform we need to play.
