Leinster v Munster, URC Final Round, Sat. 21st May, 7:15pm, Aviva

[elephantman]

Thought Jenkins had a few good powerful carries when he came on. Stats have him 38 metres in 6 carries.

Jenkins’ carrying stats are very good and he hasn’t missed a tackle this season either. Admittedly he’s only played 218 minutes.

Jenkins definitely has potential and I think Leinster will get the best out of him.

CORRECTION: Jenkins has played 214 minutes this season.

[Oldschool]

So apart from the Munster fans, how are the bookies feeling this morning?

[wixfjord]

Thought Jenkins had a few good powerful carries when he came on. Stats have him 38 metres in 6 carries.

Jenkins’ carrying stats are very good and he hasn’t missed a tackle this season either. Admittedly he’s only played 218 minutes.

Jenkins definitely has potential and I think Leinster will get the best out of him.

I'd be fairly confident that with a solid pre season of conditioning and a few months to settle into our systems he could be a real addition.

All of a sudden our second row corps are looking good.

McCarthy & Jenkins would be a really heavy weight second row pairing.

[hugonaut]

Delighted to see Deegan & Penny stand up last night.

Their compatriots in the red backrow have been grabbing a lot of headlines, so good to see the time honoured tradition of much vaunted Munster backrows being handed their ass against us.

Absolutely. I'll go so far as to have a mini-rant on the subject!

O'Mahony [in fairness to him] is playing the best rugby of his career at the moment, but every time he plays well for Ireland there's this massive surge of offended Munster fans – including the knowledgable ones like Murray Kinsella and Gavin Casey – who go on [and they do go on] about how they can't understand how anybody can criticise O'Mahony.

It's just a different opinion from a different perspective. O'Mahony is not a player who has ever caused us that much trouble. We play these lads all the time, at least twice a season and generally more often, and time after time after time Munster backrows are talked up heading into the match and then get shut down or simply don't do anything that good.

For example, Conan used to routinely outplay Stander: I remember posting the stats here before for the three seasons from the 2016-17 season through to 2018-19 season when they went head to head six times
Conan: 4 CB, 15 DBs, 185m off 76 carries for 2.43m/carry
Stander: 0 CB, 9 DB, 96m off 100 carries for 0.96m/carry

And Stander was a guy who always put himself in the line of fire. Even if he was getting shut down, he'd always keep offering himself up.

I don't have any animus whatsoever against Hodnett or Kendellen, but I've heard or read quite a lot of opinions calling for one or the other of them to go to New Zealand. Ahead of Scott Penny. Are you serious?

[LeRouxIsPHat]

Thought Jenkins had a few good powerful carries when he came on. Stats have him 38 metres in 6 carries.

Jenkins’ carrying stats are very good and he hasn’t missed a tackle this season either. Admittedly he’s only played 218 minutes.

Jenkins definitely has potential and I think Leinster will get the best out of him.

I see Jenkins as a bit of a bonus signing now after McCarthy’s emergence. When we signed him it seemed like we were putting all our eggs in one basket which was risky because of his injury profile, but now I’m happier to have him on board knowing that we won’t be relying on him too much.

[Oldschool]

Delighted to see Deegan & Penny stand up last night.

Their compatriots in the red backrow have been grabbing a lot of headlines, so good to see the time honoured tradition of much vaunted Munster backrows being handed their ass against us.

Absolutely. I'll go so far as to have a mini-rant on the subject!

O'Mahony [in fairness to him] is playing the best rugby of his career at the moment, but every time he plays well for Ireland there's this massive surge of offended Munster fans – including the knowledgable ones like Murray Kinsella and Gavin Casey – who go on [and they do go on] about how they can't understand how anybody can criticise O'Mahony.

It's just a different opinion from a different perspective. O'Mahony is not a player who has ever caused us that much trouble. We play these lads all the time, at least twice a season and generally more often, and time after time after time Munster backrows are talked up heading into the match and then get shut down or simply don't do anything that good.

For example, Conan used to routinely outplay Stander: I remember posting the stats here before for the three seasons from the 2016-17 season through to 2018-19 season when they went head to head six times
Conan: 4 CB, 15 DBs, 185m off 76 carries for 2.43m/carry
Stander: 0 CB, 9 DB, 96m off 100 carries for 0.96m/carry

And Stander was a guy who always put himself in the line of fire. Even if he was getting shut down, he'd always keep offering himself up.

I don't have any animus whatsoever against Hodnett or Kendellen, but I've heard or read quite a lot of opinions calling for one or the other of them to go to New Zealand. Ahead of Scott Penny. Are you serious?

I'm not but they are!
I know you meant "they" but resistance was futile.

[Oldschool]

Thought Jenkins had a few good powerful carries when he came on. Stats have him 38 metres in 6 carries.

Jenkins’ carrying stats are very good and he hasn’t missed a tackle this season either. Admittedly he’s only played 218 minutes.

Jenkins definitely has potential and I think Leinster will get the best out of him.

I see Jenkins as a bit of a bonus signing now after McCarthy’s emergence. When we signed him it seemed like we were putting all our eggs in one basket which was risky because of his injury profile, but now I’m happier to have him on board knowing that we won’t be relying on him too much.

The "lads" managed to hide Joe until we had Jenkins signed up. No mugs them "lads".

[the spoofer]

Delighted to see Deegan & Penny stand up last night.

Their compatriots in the red backrow have been grabbing a lot of headlines, so good to see the time honoured tradition of much vaunted Munster backrows being handed their ass against us.

Absolutely. I'll go so far as to have a mini-rant on the subject!

O'Mahony [in fairness to him] is playing the best rugby of his career at the moment, but every time he plays well for Ireland there's this massive surge of offended Munster fans – including the knowledgable ones like Murray Kinsella and Gavin Casey – who go on [and they do go on] about how they can't understand how anybody can criticise O'Mahony.

It's just a different opinion from a different perspective. O'Mahony is not a player who has ever caused us that much trouble. We play these lads all the time, at least twice a season and generally more often, and time after time after time Munster backrows are talked up heading into the match and then get shut down or simply don't do anything that good.

For example, Conan used to routinely outplay Stander: I remember posting the stats here before for the three seasons from the 2016-17 season through to 2018-19 season when they went head to head six times
Conan: 4 CB, 15 DBs, 185m off 76 carries for 2.43m/carry
Stander: 0 CB, 9 DB, 96m off 100 carries for 0.96m/carry

And Stander was a guy who always put himself in the line of fire. Even if he was getting shut down, he'd always keep offering himself up.

I don't have any animus whatsoever against Hodnett or Kendellen, but I've heard or read quite a lot of opinions calling for one or the other of them to go to New Zealand. Ahead of Scott Penny. Are you serious?

+1.

[hugonaut]

Thought Jenkins had a few good powerful carries when he came on. Stats have him 38 metres in 6 carries.

Jenkins’ carrying stats are very good and he hasn’t missed a tackle this season either. Admittedly he’s only played 218 minutes.

Jenkins definitely has potential and I think Leinster will get the best out of him.

I see Jenkins as a bit of a bonus signing now after McCarthy’s emergence. When we signed him it seemed like we were putting all our eggs in one basket which was risky because of his injury profile, but now I’m happier to have him on board knowing that we won’t be relying on him too much.

Completely agree. Another positive is [injury permitting] he will be available for selection year round. I see McCarthy getting fast-tracked into the Irish set-up ahead of Treadwell.

The training that these lads go through and the coaching that they get at Leinster is world-leading. If Jenkins is committed to improving, he's going to improve. It's going to be an interesting case study.

[ronk]

Delighted to see Deegan & Penny stand up last night.

Their compatriots in the red backrow have been grabbing a lot of headlines, so good to see the time honoured tradition of much vaunted Munster backrows being handed their ass against us.

Absolutely. I'll go so far as to have a mini-rant on the subject!

O'Mahony [in fairness to him] is playing the best rugby of his career at the moment, but every time he plays well for Ireland there's this massive surge of offended Munster fans – including the knowledgable ones like Murray Kinsella and Gavin Casey – who go on [and they do go on] about how they can't understand how anybody can criticise O'Mahony.

It's just a different opinion from a different perspective. O'Mahony is not a player who has ever caused us that much trouble. We play these lads all the time, at least twice a season and generally more often, and time after time after time Munster backrows are talked up heading into the match and then get shut down or simply don't do anything that good.

For example, Conan used to routinely outplay Stander: I remember posting the stats here before for the three seasons from the 2016-17 season through to 2018-19 season when they went head to head six times
Conan: 4 CB, 15 DBs, 185m off 76 carries for 2.43m/carry
Stander: 0 CB, 9 DB, 96m off 100 carries for 0.96m/carry

And Stander was a guy who always put himself in the line of fire. Even if he was getting shut down, he'd always keep offering himself up.

I don't have any animus whatsoever against Hodnett or Kendellen, but I've heard or read quite a lot of opinions calling for one or the other of them to go to New Zealand. Ahead of Scott Penny. Are you serious?

If you went to imagine a combined team of Munster and Leinster (not that hard as it comes up for international selection) then there would be 2/3 Munster players with a really good case. De Allende is a hard call. Beirne and Conway would be the others, but they're both ex-Leinster.

A lot was made about how Leinster rested most of the Heineken Cup 23 but look at an example like Loughman. He was cut (or due to be cut) with Ed Byrne and Dooley well ahead of him. He's done well but not enough that anyone thinks Leinster made the wrong call. Cronin is 3/4th choice hooker for Leinster but he's an aging legend with a few good games Inthe tank and a point to prove, same with Toner. On form Larmour and Baird are rockstars, Harry Byrne is more than capable of outplaying Carbery and Healy. Frawley and Osbourne is a better centre pairing than Goggin and Farrell, especially playing an open game.

Munster might well have been the better side if they'd been able to make the rookies look like rookies (as they did for the Rainbow Cup last year, but here Foley scored a try and was a revelation rather than getting an easy sin bin and barely being involved), the retiring hero's look past it, the returning stars look unfit etc.

[blockhead]

Looking back on the game what most stands out is Leinster's basic ferociousness in every phase of play. Rory0' said after the game that the boys were "rarin to go" and it looked just like that.
Special mention for Chris Farrell, he was a real handfull last night.

[paddyor]

Thinking back to the first game of the season vs the bulls when Big Mike went in at scrum half and fired out a lovely pass that had everyone cooing. Now that’s just a norm.

[Laighin Break]

TG4 commentary mentioned during that game that the first penalty Byrne kicked was his first of the season!

[Dave Cahill]

TG4 commentary mentioned during that game that the first penalty Byrne kicked was his first of the season!

11 up to saturday

[paddyor]

Man the contact that does Foley seems so innocuous. 57:10 o the match clock.

[curates_egg]

Thought Jenkins had a few good powerful carries when he came on. Stats have him 38 metres in 6 carries.

Jenkins’ carrying stats are very good and he hasn’t missed a tackle this season either. Admittedly he’s only played 218 minutes.

Jenkins definitely has potential and I think Leinster will get the best out of him.

I see Jenkins as a bit of a bonus signing now after McCarthy’s emergence. When we signed him it seemed like we were putting all our eggs in one basket which was risky because of his injury profile, but now I’m happier to have him on board knowing that we won’t be relying on him too much.

Based on ability and form, and depending on injuries, it’s not outlandish to suggest four Leinster second rows could be in an Irish squad. Jenkins could get a lot of game time.

[Laighin Break]

TG4 commentary mentioned during that game that the first penalty Byrne kicked was his first of the season!

11 up to saturday

Looks like he has 8 conversations and 3 penalties (all from Saturday) this season.

[Dave Cahill]

TG4 commentary mentioned during that game that the first penalty Byrne kicked was his first of the season!

11 up to saturday

Looks like he has 8 conversations and 3 penalties (all from Saturday) this season.

You know something? I'm an eejit and you're right!

[hugonaut]

Cormac Foley did really, really well. Just rewatching it here and he had a good, reliable game across his time on the pitch, highlighted by the two big moments – his try and his outstanding 50-22 kick.

He has improved so much in the space of a year. He's got better at every facet of his job and on the basis of that performance, he's got a professional career ahead of him for Leinster. Wasn't sure that was going to be the path for him before the weekend's game.

I thought that Harry [quietly] had a good game. A lot of people were looking for him to try and do less [I wasn't one of them!] and either that performance was an outlier, or the people who run the team were thinking the same thing, told him how to make it happen, and he listened to them.

[hugonaut]

TG4 commentary mentioned during that game that the first penalty Byrne kicked was his first of the season!

We kick very few penalties in general. Ross has kicked 14 this season [against 50 conversions], Sexton has kicked 9 this season [against 30 conversions] and Harry as above.

Ross has never kicked 20 penalties in a season, for example, and his career averages at approx 20 games/season. A decade ago, Sexton kicked 50 pens [2009-10]; 52 pens [2010-11]; 47 pens [2011-12] and 41 pens [2012-13] in single seasons. Big change in approach since then. Also a big reason why Ross is still away off 1000 career points!