Sharks v Leinster Sat 5.15pm TG4

[riocard911]

Gonna be the toughest game a good few of our fellas have ever played. May even be a baptism of fire for the likes of Brian Deeny and John McKee. Could well be the making of the next Leinster generation. Good luck to them...

[Theleinsterlad]

Wow quite surprised with that team announcement thought we would load more for this game in the pack. That said looking forward to seeing what our young guns can do

[Theleinsterlad]

Gonna be the toughest game a good few of our fellas have ever played. May even be a baptism of fire for the likes of Brian Deeny and John McKee. Could well be the making of the next Leinster generation. Good luck to them...

Have to give it to Leo and Stuart, they don’t change their system no matter what the opposition. I’m weirdly excited about us being underdogs and seeing what we do

[Peg Leg]

Moloney, Soroka & Murphy on the bench is a lot of BOSH!

Congrats to Deeny & McKee! Excited to see what Clarkson can do in that pack.

[ronk]

15. Chris Cosgrave (1)
14. Tommy O’Brien (19)
13. Jamie Osborne (16)
12. Ciarán Frawley (50)
11. Rory O’Loughlin (94)
10. Harry Byrne (32)
9. Nick McCarthy (45)

1. Andrew Porter (85)
2. Rónan Kelleher (33)
3. Thomas Clarkson (15)
4. Brian Deeny (0)
5. Jack Dunne (18)
6. Rhys Ruddock (204) CAPTAIN
7. Scott Penny (38)
8. Max Deegan (82)

Replacements:

16. John McKee (0)
17. Peter Dooley (102)
18. Michael Ala’alatoa (19)
19. Josh Murphy (58)
20. Alex Soroka (3)
21. Cormac Foley (2)
22. David Hawkshaw (10)
23. Martin Moloney (5)

Referee – ​Nika Amashukeli (GRU)

A riskier selection than I expected. But seems like fair risks. For example McKee can come on with Dooley and Ala'alatoa so he will have support.

Deeny is getting his debut surrounded by experience in most positions.

3 outhalves and a 6-2 split. Never a huge fan of that.

[Experimental]

Really looking forward to seeing how we go. Everything to gain, all the pressure is on the Sharks.

[LeRouxIsPHat]

Is it really a risky selection? Only two real standouts in Deeney and Cosgrave for me. Big test for Clarkson but he’s been around a while and it’s not like Big Mike has been great in every game. Deeney and Clarkson can both be replaced by experienced guys too.

Big test for sure but I don’t look at the team and think it’s weak.

It feels like a defining moment for quite a lot of players though. If the likes of Dunne (I know he’s leaving), Penny, Deegan, the half backs, and Frawley step up then you’d have to be pretty excited about their futures. If Deegan and Penny can’t mix it tomorrow then I think questions will start to be asked of them and the guys on the bench might well be the ones to answer them.

[CiaranIrl]

Anyone have any insight into what kind of players Deeny & McKee are / what to expect? I'm not at all familiar with either of them.

[LeinsterLeader]

Didn't Grobler (5.) use to play for Munster?

Cell C Sharks
1. Ox Nche
2. Bongi Mbonambi
3. Thomas du Toit (c)
4. Le Roux Roets
5. Gerbrandt Grobler
6. Siya Kolisi
7. Henco Venter
8. Phepsi Buthelezi
9. Jaden Hendrikse
10. Curwin Bosch
11. Makazole Mapimpi
12. Marius Louw
13. Ben Tapuai
14. Werner Kok
15. Aphelele Fassi

Replacements
16. Kerron van Vuuren
17. Ntuthuko Mchunu
18. Khutha Mchunu
19. Reniel Hugo
20. Jeandre Labuschagne
21. Sikhumbuzo Notshe
22. Grant Williams
23. Boeta Chamberlain

[riocard911]

Gonna be some tussle in the frontrows. Great challenge for Kelleher going up against Mbonambi!

[leinsterforever]

15. Chris Cosgrave (1)
14. Tommy O’Brien (19)
13. Jamie Osborne (16)
12. Ciarán Frawley (50)
11. Rory O’Loughlin (94)
10. Harry Byrne (32)
9. Nick McCarthy (45)

1. Andrew Porter (85)
2. Rónan Kelleher (33)
3. Thomas Clarkson (15)
4. Brian Deeny (0)
5. Jack Dunne (18)
6. Rhys Ruddock (204) CAPTAIN
7. Scott Penny (38)
8. Max Deegan (82)

Replacements:

16. John McKee (0)
17. Peter Dooley (102)
18. Michael Ala’alatoa (19)
19. Josh Murphy (58)
20. Alex Soroka (3)
21. Cormac Foley (2)
22. David Hawkshaw (10)
23. Martin Moloney (5)

Referee – ​Nika Amashukeli (GRU)

A riskier selection than I expected. But seems like fair risks. For example McKee can come on with Dooley and Ala'alatoa so he will have support.

Deeny is getting his debut surrounded by experience in most positions.

3 outhalves and a 6-2 split. Never a huge fan of that.

What happens if a winger gets injured? Hawkshaw on at 12, with Frawley to fullback and Cosgrave to the wing? Or just bring Foley or Hawkshaw on on the wing?

Probably Foley to the wing would be most likely. He has some experience playing outside scrumhalf, iirc. He played some 12 for the Ireland U20s. And it's ages since Frawley played 15.

[Twist]

Didn't Grobler (5.) use to play for Munster?

Cell C Sharks
1. Ox Nche
2. Bongi Mbonambi
3. Thomas du Toit (c)
4. Le Roux Roets
5. Gerbrandt Grobler
6. Siya Kolisi
7. Henco Venter
8. Phepsi Buthelezi
9. Jaden Hendrikse
10. Curwin Bosch
11. Makazole Mapimpi
12. Marius Louw
13. Ben Tapuai
14. Werner Kok
15. Aphelele Fassi

Replacements
16. Kerron van Vuuren
17. Ntuthuko Mchunu
18. Khutha Mchunu
19. Reniel Hugo
20. Jeandre Labuschagne
21. Sikhumbuzo Notshe
22. Grant Williams
23. Boeta Chamberlain

Yep, he was the subject of some - lets be kind about this - 'intense scrutiny' from OTB.

Grobler served a doping ban from 2014-2016 and Ger and the boys decided it was up to them to get justice.

[LeinsterLeader]

Yep, he was the subject of some - lets be kind about this - 'intense scrutiny' from OTB.

Grobler served a doping ban from 2014-2016 and Ger and the boys decided it was up to them to get justice.

Ah, thought his name rang a bell alright.

As Bill O'Herlihy used to say........ "We'll leave it there so"

[SoupyNorman]

Yep, he was the subject of some - lets be kind about this - 'intense scrutiny' from OTB.

Grobler served a doping ban from 2014-2016 and Ger and the boys decided it was up to them to get justice.

Ah, thought his name rang a bell alright.

As Bill O'Herlihy used to say........ "We'll leave it there so"

Now you reminding me of when the young South African swimmer Chad le Clos beat Michael Phelps in the Olympics breast stroke final, breaking his sequence of gold medals. Afterwards Bill in shock was heavily implying he had to be doping (with no evidence). Very sour.

[limecat]

Match Preview

It's the commentator's nightmare Leicester v Leinster in the Champions Cup quarter-final!

But before then there's a two week tour of South Africa in which most of Leinster's front-liners won't be involved. Leading the URC table by ten points with just three games to go Leinster seem confident enough they can keep top spot despite effectively conceding the two next games with the squad they've picked.

Read more...

[Dave Cahill]

Yep, he was the subject of some - lets be kind about this - 'intense scrutiny' from OTB.

Grobler served a doping ban from 2014-2016 and Ger and the boys decided it was up to them to get justice.

Thats not really accurate - the entire Irish media corps went in heavy on Munster, not Grobler, because of the way they managed the signing. Munster announced the signing either the morning of, or the morning after, the defeat to Japan when the entire rugby media corps was 20k miles away and had other things to be paying attention to - then when attention did turn back on them they gave it the old "this is old news, we announced it ages ago, we have nothing else to add".

[Theleinsterlad]

Yep, he was the subject of some - lets be kind about this - 'intense scrutiny' from OTB.

Grobler served a doping ban from 2014-2016 and Ger and the boys decided it was up to them to get justice.

Thats not really accurate - the entire Irish media corps went in heavy on Munster, not Grobler, because of the way they managed the signing. Munster announced the signing either the morning of, or the morning after, the defeat to Japan when the entire rugby media corps was 20k miles away and had other things to be paying attention to - then when attention did turn back on them they gave it the old "this is old news, we announced it ages ago, we have nothing else to add".

It’s not often that I defend the media but in this case they were right. In my eyes it was still a ludicrous decision to allow the signing of a known cheat and doper and brought the irish game into an uncomfortable eye while he was here.

[ronk]

He saved a pregnant woman from drowning about a week ago. Why do we only want to talk about the negative things.

[Theleinsterlad]

He saved a pregnant woman from drowning about a week ago. Why do we only want to talk about the negative things.

You misunderstood my text, he has done his time and fair play to him for saving that woman, my issue is with the people in the Irfu and Munster rugby who thought it would be a good idea to sign a known doper.

[RoboProp]

He saved a pregnant woman from drowning about a week ago. Why do we only want to talk about the negative things.

And it was being on the gas that gave him the necessary strength needed to lift the pregnant lady to safety, so yay steroids?