Sharks v Leinster Sat 5.15pm TG4

[LeRouxIsPHat]

Impressed with how we improved the scrum in the last quarter. We got the ball back to the 8 much quicker and got it away asap.

That’s a really frustrating loss though. We made errors in the first half but I thought the officials really killed us in the second. Sure the Sharks were more powerful but I still think they had a big say in the outcome.

[wixfjord]

Harry was again pretty mute. Made a few errors and not much else to write home about.

Thought Dunne, TOB, Frawley and McKee were all good.

[Schumi]

Exceptional performance by a young and callow team against a very loaded Sharks side. With better discipline and perhaps a different kicking strategy we might have taken that one. Still, one point down, two to go

Unless we get absolutely battered next week, one point will get us first place. Our point difference is 126 better than Stormers.

[propertymad]

Both scrum halves were poor I think

The box kick from McCarthy that didn't go 10 and led to their try was criminal .... we had them in the backs and we should have gotten the ball wider in the second half

Same with foleys decision making at the end .... Gibson park or McGrath would have gotten that ball wide

[alanair]

Impressed with how we improved the scrum in the last quarter. We got the ball back to the 8 much quicker and got it away asap.

That’s a really frustrating loss though. We made errors in the first half but I thought the officials really killed us in the second. Sure the Sharks were more powerful but I still think they had a big say in the outcome.

mmm. Strangely coincided with subbing off of their LH

[Oldschoolsocks]

Was it just me or did they seem to be making linebreaks at their leisure? I have to say the acceleration through the line from their 10 and their back 3 was impressive to say the least…

[LeRouxIsPHat]

Both scrum halves were poor I think

The box kick from McCarthy that didn't go 10 and led to their try was criminal .... we had them in the backs and we should have gotten the ball wider in the second half

Same with foleys decision making at the end .... Gibson park or McGrath would have gotten that ball wide

Not sure they would have. It was frustrating not to go wide when we had advantage though, particularly when Hawkshaw ran himself.

[alanair]

Was it just me or did they seem to be making linebreaks at their leisure? I have to say the acceleration through the line from their 10 and their back 3 was impressive to say the least…

Yes but was as a result of our kicks being too long…gave them a chance to get going

[LeRouxIsPHat]

Was it just me or did they seem to be making linebreaks at their leisure? I have to say the acceleration through the line from their 10 and their back 3 was impressive to say the least…

Yet we still kept kicking long and allowing them to run it back.

We finished strongly but I thought we looked tired very early on, a lot of hands on hips even in the first ten minutes.

[Oldschoolsocks]

Both scrum halves were poor I think

The box kick from McCarthy that didn't go 10 and led to their try was criminal .... we had them in the backs and we should have gotten the ball wider in the second half

Same with foleys decision making at the end .... Gibson park or McGrath would have gotten that ball wide

Yeah, but the cost of that loss is worth it for the experience they’ll get from it. I don’t think you can coach decision making at scrum half, that has to be learned in the pitch and often in the crucible of defeat…

[alanair]

Looking more and more likely that there may well be 2 QF s in SA … Hopefully URC. Will appoint strong referees and neutral TMO’s for those games

[Hoofhearted]

Frawley is a very impressive player. He is one of those guys that always seems to have time. Good to see Harry B back at it. Not an easy day behind a beaten pack, but it will stand to him and hopefully we will see him come good on the hype. I'd love to see him get a run of 5 or 6 games.

[Experimental]

I dont think we can blame the ref too much for that loss. The Sharks did everything they could to hand it to us, but our forwards got greedy at the end, we could so easily have won. Ruddock TOB and Frawley were outstanding, but some bad perfomances aswell, one that got away, good thing for us we can afford the loss. Id definately have taken a losing bp before the game. Decent showing from the school kids.

[the spoofer]

SA TMOs are as biased as an Irish mammy.

[the spoofer]

Btw, I loved seeing Dunne monstering grobbeler near the end cause grobbeler was an absolute b*%&!x during the game.

[LeRouxIsPHat]

Btw, I loved seeing Dunne monstering grobbeler near the end cause grobbeler was an absolute b*%&!x during the game.

The more I see Dunne the bigger a mystery it is that he wasn’t selected more often.

I still think he could make a bigger impact considering his size but his work rate is absolutely top class and he’s really solid and reliable in a position where we’ve been short enough to even move a back rower to fill the gap.

[alanair]

I dont think we can blame the ref too much for that loss. The Sharks did everything they could to hand it to us, but our forwards got greedy at the end, we could so easily have won. Ruddock TOB and Frawley were outstanding, but some bad perfomances aswell, one that got away, good thing for us we can afford the loss. Id definately have taken a losing bp before the game. Decent showing from the school kids.

No , but I DO blame him for allowing himself to be ‘bullied’ on more than one occasion by Junkers

[neiliog93]

The instant yellow for Josh Murphy for minor and innocuous contact in the air in the line-out was a farce. Very home-biased ref.

Overall, a good performance from a young and callow team. Big games from Rhys, Penny, Frawley and Osborne. Dunne and Josh Murphy battled gamely. McKee and Barron held up well at hooker as well.

As were were hammering away at the line at the end of the game with a series of pick-and-goes, I was pretty certain they were going to get held up and then it would be game over...and so it happened.

[wixfjord]

The instant yellow for Josh Murphy for minor and innocuous contact in the air in the line-out was a farce. Very home-biased ref.

It wasn't though. We were on a warning and it was a blatant penalty.

[Dave Cahill]

The instant yellow for Josh Murphy for minor and innocuous contact in the air in the line-out was a farce. Very home-biased ref.

Nailed on stone bonker yellow.