Leinster v Toulouse HC SF Sat 14th May 3:00pm

[wixfjord]

Thoroughly enjoyable game and great atmosphere.

The exciting thing is we can actually improve quite a bit on that.

Thought our 4-8 were all excellent and far classier than their counterparts. Ryan back to his best is brilliant to see. I thought we’d go after their lineout and we did, with great success. Also had a solid attacking maul too.

I said before the game that from 11-14 we were just a step up and I think that was proven, particularly the centres. Henshaw and Ringer put in their best collective performance for a while.

JGP was excellent again going forward, but those two errors of getting the kick blocked and the mad skip pass were a bit rush of blood to the head. McGrath is still a worry for me, some sloppy passing again when he came in.

I’m a bit surprised by how late we seem to be using some of the bench replacements, particularly Rhys.

Hopefully Tadhg is good to go in two weeks, a lot resting in his fitness imo, albeit Big Mike had a great game.

[blockhead]

I don’t know how you could say that Conan wasn’t lucky with the contact and then say it probably saved a try. Even if Conan didn’t mean to trip him, he was tripped so we should have been punished.

Thought he had a good game though. A few errors but very good outside of that.

He did enough to impede him but it was accidental, no foul, and no breakaway try. Your're watchin too much soccer mate!
And you're trolling around here the morning of a huge euro semi trying give us all heart attacks ye bollix!

[LeRouxIsPHat]

I don’t know how you could say that Conan wasn’t lucky with the contact and then say it probably saved a try. Even if Conan didn’t mean to trip him, he was tripped so we should have been punished.

Thought he had a good game though. A few errors but very good outside of that.

This isn’t football. He has to actually trip the player to trip him. Accidental/incidental contact that brings down the player isn’t a foul, it’s a rugby incident.

There’s no play the ball before you play the ball. Obstruction isn’t just being in the way, it requires an action by the offending player.

That’s not true at all. For a start, he did make contact with him and that led to being tripped. Secondly, if someone is in the air and a player on the ground makes contact then it’s still a penalty even if they didn’t mean to tackle them. It’s the same principle here.

It’s not a big deal, I don’t think it was worthy of a card and it had no effect on the game.

[LeRouxIsPHat]

I don’t know how you could say that Conan wasn’t lucky with the contact and then say it probably saved a try. Even if Conan didn’t mean to trip him, he was tripped so we should have been punished.

Thought he had a good game though. A few errors but very good outside of that.

He did enough to impede him but it was accidental, no foul, and no breakaway try. Your're watchin too much soccer mate!
And you're trolling around here the morning of a huge euro semi trying give us all heart attacks ye bollix!

Just keeping everyone on their toes, that’s probably why the atmosphere was so good.

[riocard911]

I thought Jack had his best game in blue yesterday since the Lions tour.

[wixfjord]

I thought Jack had his best game in blue yesterday since the Lions tour.

So did I, and the stats would support that too.

Bar the restart error he was top class imo.

[wixfjord]

Our restarts do need to be worked on though. It's been a recurring theme throughout the season and could cost us.

Molony in particular needs a bit of work in that area. Sun was a factor yesterday albeit.

[wixfjord]

Yesterday's BiP was 39.8. That is higher than any match Toulouse have had in the Top14 and higher than all but three matches Leinster have had in the URC.

Toulouse have had two higher in the Champions Cup (won 1, lost 1) and Leinster have had 0 higher and 1 equally high.

https://twitter.com/SamLStandsUp/status ... 6601966593

[Logorrhea]

Yesterday's BiP was 39.8. That is higher than any match Toulouse have had in the Top14 and higher than all but three matches Leinster have had in the URC.

Toulouse have had two higher in the Champions Cup (won 1, lost 1) and Leinster have had 0 higher and 1 equally high.

https://twitter.com/SamLStandsUp/status ... 6601966593

Interesting how Toulouse contributed to it themselves. Both Dupont and Ntamack consistently kicked in field, or along the tramlines. They looked to avoid the touchline unless it was a penalty. I know we were putting their lineout under pressure at stages but it was definitely a tactic of there's.

[wixfjord]

Yesterday's BiP was 39.8. That is higher than any match Toulouse have had in the Top14 and higher than all but three matches Leinster have had in the URC.

Toulouse have had two higher in the Champions Cup (won 1, lost 1) and Leinster have had 0 higher and 1 equally high.

https://twitter.com/SamLStandsUp/status ... 6601966593

Interesting how Toulouse contributed to it themselves. Both Dupont and Ntamack consistently kicked in field, or along the tramlines. They looked to avoid the touchline unless it was a penalty. I know we were putting their lineout under pressure at stages but it was definitely a tactic of there's.

It was bizarre, they kept keeping the ball in and inviting us back onto them.

Overall their tactical approach was strange. Never made use of their pack size.

[carlow man]

Anyone have a link for the game yesterday? Would love watcg the full 80 again.

[Serb]

Anyone have a link for the game yesterday? Would love watcg the full 80 again.

There are a few dodgy sites that publish full rugby replays. Here’s one:

https://rugby24.net/leinster-vs-toulous ... mpions-cup

[carlow man]

Thank you

[Morf]

Haven't seen any commenting significantly on the reffing.
My first watch was a replay in French so ignored commentary.

Dickson and ARs/TMO made so many really bad decisions or not decisions.
Keenan being obstructed off the ball by the 14 for the Toulouse 13 to break a tackle on a kick regather with AR looking right at it and Dickson not far off.
Arnold kicking the ball out going through the wrong side of the ruck (granted Dickson could have easily missed this but should have been obvious to TMO)
Dupont getting played at the back of the ruck by Ryan after Leinster had gotten two pens for it. Dupont had so ask, wait 2 seconds for Dickson to think before actually awarding the clearest example of playing the 9.

Quite a few others where both teams just looked utterly puzzled by the decisions and Dickson seemed very indecisive.

[Logorrhea]

I like the English ref's. I think this current batch are the best around at the moment and this team let the game flow and got the big decisions right.

The only real issue I had with him was the penalty against Robbie for encroaching on the lineout that apparently wasn't over (even though the ruck was motoring forward). It was a bizarre call based on the fact that he was slow to lower his arms. Aside from that a couple of decisions went for us, and against us that could be argued but thats the game.

Dupont getting played at the back of the ruck by Ryan after Leinster had gotten two pens for it. Dupont had so ask, wait 2 seconds for Dickson to think before actually awarding the clearest example of playing the 9.

I think it was BOD on co-comms that pointed out Dupont was part of the ruck (he had bound in to protect the ball) when Ryan cleared him out so it was a valid play from Ryan (or was borderline as Dupont may have been truing to disengage). That would explain the hesitation from the ref.

[Degz]

I like the English ref's. I think this current batch are the best around at the moment and this team let the game flow and got the big decisions right.

The only real issue I had with him was the penalty against Robbie for encroaching on the lineout that apparently wasn't over (even though the ruck was motoring forward). It was a bizarre call based on the fact that he was slow to lower his arms. Aside from that a couple of decisions went for us, and against us that could be argued but thats the game.

Dupont getting played at the back of the ruck by Ryan after Leinster had gotten two pens for it. Dupont had so ask, wait 2 seconds for Dickson to think before actually awarding the clearest example of playing the 9.

I think it was BOD on co-comms that pointed out Dupont was part of the ruck (he had bound in to protect the ball) when Ryan cleared him out so it was a valid play from Ryan (or was borderline as Dupont may have been truing to disengage). That would explain the hesitation from the ref.

It was Warburton and he was right; Dupont was part of the ruck and disengaged. Not sure the protocol on that, but he would have to really come back around the hindmost foot, which I don't think he did. Strange one.

[LeRouxIsPHat]

It looked to me like Dickson only gave that penalty when Dupont called for it.

I don’t blame Dickson for this but I still can’t believe nothing happened when Josh got a shoulder to the face, it was clear as day and almost felt like the officials were feeling sorry for Toulouse.

Amazing that Toulouse had 17 offloads but didn’t really trouble us, the pressure we put on in defence was outstanding all game. Said it before the game about us getting in between the ball carrier and support and we did it a few times, Porter even picked one off ahead of Dupont!

Some freakish strength from Sheehan to hold up Tekori, don’t think I’ve seen that before.

[curates_egg]

I don’t know how you could say that Conan wasn’t lucky with the contact and then say it probably saved a try. Even if Conan didn’t mean to trip him, he was tripped so we should have been punished.

Thought he had a good game though. A few errors but very good outside of that.

This isn’t football. He has to actually trip the player to trip him. Accidental/incidental contact that brings down the player isn’t a foul, it’s a rugby incident.

There’s no play the ball before you play the ball. Obstruction isn’t just being in the way, it requires an action by the offending player.

That’s not true at all. For a start, he did make contact with him and that led to being tripped. Secondly, if someone is in the air and a player on the ground makes contact then it’s still a penalty even if they didn’t mean to tackle them. It’s the same principle here.

It’s not a big deal, I don’t think it was worthy of a card and it had no effect on the game.

Bang on. (a) Intent is totally irrelevant. (b) As the French commentary (who were flabbergasted) kept saying: he touched/attempted to tackle a guy without the ball (both with his hand and foot). Bare minimum was a penalty, but I don't know how it wasn't a card (and Conan's reaction said it all).
Anyway, it wouldn't have made a difference.

Toulouse's indiscipline was so poor. But, looking at yesterday's semi, both Racing and La Rochelle had very high penalty counts as well.
It seems to me that the French teams are really not adapting to the reffing.
Although some of those Toulouse penalties were really stupid.

[johng]

I like the English ref's. I think this current batch are the best around at the moment and this team let the game flow and got the big decisions right.

The only real issue I had with him was the penalty against Robbie for encroaching on the lineout that apparently wasn't over (even though the ruck was motoring forward). It was a bizarre call based on the fact that he was slow to lower his arms. Aside from that a couple of decisions went for us, and against us that could be argued but thats the game.

Dupont getting played at the back of the ruck by Ryan after Leinster had gotten two pens for it. Dupont had so ask, wait 2 seconds for Dickson to think before actually awarding the clearest example of playing the 9.

I think it was BOD on co-comms that pointed out Dupont was part of the ruck (he had bound in to protect the ball) when Ryan cleared him out so it was a valid play from Ryan (or was borderline as Dupont may have been truing to disengage). That would explain the hesitation from the ref.

Penalty against Robbie was because he joined the maul behind kelleher without taking the ball. Making kelleher offside. Or are you talking about a different incident?

[the spoofer]

The shoulder to VDF was a definite yellow for a player who already had a yellow. That was around the 60th minute. It is impossible to know what went on between the ref team and there isn't any apparent chat on the TV but it is really surprising that it didn't get a look.