Leinster v Ulster Sat 3rd December 19.35 TG4

[curates_egg]

Well, test passed......

We needed a game like this badly.....

What a performance.

Ringers, Porter, Baird, Jenkins and Sheehan all incredible in that second half.

Agreed. Delighted we got our cage rattled and stood up.

I’d add VdF to that list, as boring as it is.

[LeRouxIsPHat]

I’ll probably be in the minority here but thought the red card was harsh. Healy wasn’t fully upright and it’s not like he was charging forward. It’s a subjective thing so I could understand if the ref didn’t think there was ENOUGH mitigation but I certainly don’t see how there wasn’t ANY mitigation.

Brilliant turnaround. We just couldn’t get going in the first half but the try before half time (and the brilliant conversion by Ross) seemed to give us belief and spook Ulster. Scrum, lineout, and ball protection were all well below par in the first half but we managed to tighten everything up then after that. Thought JGP, JR, and Lowe were all very poor initially but they improved massively and were all key to turning things around.

Porter was excellent and I thought Sheehan made a huge difference too but Baird was head and shoulders above everyone else IMO. He was having an outstanding game before the red and I’m sure we would have seen more of the fancy stuff if we’d had 15 on the pitch but he got through a huge amount of work.

I thought Stockdale looked sharp when he came back at the start of the season but was shocked to see that it was him who got the ball from the crossfield kick and refused to take Doris on the outside, assumed it had to be a second row the way he stepped back inside and looked so slow.

[wwed]

Also felt red card was harsh - Stewart seemed to lead with his head dipping down - and he came round the corner giving Healy little time to react. Yellow would have been fairer in my opinion.

We made far too many errors in first half, giving them easy access to our 22. Once we tightened that up our quality began to tell.

So proud of the effort of the team to come back like that - and Ross Byrne doesn’t get enough credit for quality of his goal kicking - his ability to nail difficult conversions can be vital in matches like this.

[riocard911]

JGP made a lot of mistakes/fumbles in that match. But I forgive them all for his nailing of Vermeulen in possession off the back of the Ulster scrum. That was top notch - just when the gringos thought they might be able to stop our second half surge!!!

[cormac]

That was fuppin’ epic

[Fireworks]

That could be a hard beating for Ulster to get over. It was a great test for us and told us that when we need to go to the well there is something there. Up u

[paddyor]

Fair play to ulster, really showed up when we needed them to. You’ve seen them do this against the likes of Munster in the past and always felt they’d never give us this kind gimme.

[deco]

Savage win.

[suisse]

Ulster are soft. Season on season, all talk, no trophies. Gary Doyle glowing now because Leinster respect Ulster.

The podcasts all week discussing ulster's back line, as the "best in the URC." Despite none of them getting into the Ireland team for the 6N.

They'll win nothing this season. Or next season. And then the 20 year anniversary since the last trophy will be close.

[Degz]

Ulster are soft. Season on season, all talk, no trophies. Gary Doyle glowing now because Leinster respect Ulster.

The podcasts all week discussing ulster's back line, as the "best in the URC." Despite none of them getting into the Ireland team for the 6N.

They'll win nothing this season. Or next season. And then the 20 year anniversary since the last trophy will be close.

But, but, but…. They won at the RDS last season and Hume shrugged his shoulders so they must be great.

[curates_egg]

I thought Stockdale looked sharp when he came back at the start of the season but was shocked to see that it was him who got the ball from the crossfield kick and refused to take Doris on the outside, assumed it had to be a second row the way he stepped back inside and looked so slow.

I had exactly the same thought. Who is the chunky 22 who butchered the try? I assumed it was Rea. Sad that he has never managed to get back to his 2018 form.

[Ruckedtobits]

I thought Stockdale looked sharp when he came back at the start of the season but was shocked to see that it was him who got the ball from the crossfield kick and refused to take Doris on the outside, assumed it had to be a second row the way he stepped back inside and looked so slow.

I had exactly the same thought. Who is the chunky 22 who butchered the try? I assumed it was Rea. Sad that he has never managed to get back to his 2018 form.

I'd give that man a two-week holiday in the sun, doing nothing than working on his footwork and sprinting acceleration. He has forgotten that his speed, not his size, was his first & best weapon.

It has happened historically with NFL running backs & wide receivers. It is fixable but needs specialist work, but it's worth the effort.

[outcast eddie]

I thought Ross B was excellent, imposed himself on the game and really made some key differences, he's in great form.

Great atmosphere at the RDS, almost better than the Sharks game.

Thanks to the Ulster fans who can always be relied upon for good banter and made it such an enjoyable evening.

[Ruckedtobits]

That was a performance that had everything from the very 'rusty' start populated by knock-ons, missed tackles, mis-kicks, mis-timed & dangerous tackles, which seemed to affect most of the Leinster team, right through to the final try when James Lowe, with no Ulster player within 15m strolled across the line for the final try.

Only Baird & Keenan seemed immune from the early symptoms of an 'out of form' team.

Healy's Red was unfortunate, but not malicious and was correct, if a little late. All players without the ball must get lower going into contact. No doubt Stewart's side-step was mitigation, but Cian was too upright to enter a collision.

Ulster's maul technique to set up Herrings try and create the initial territory for Treadwell's, was excellent and bears analysis and replication. In fact, it probably took Leinster 30 minutes, and three tries, to correct our cohesion and body height before we really began to counter their maul strength & technique. Hopefully, we can replicate our 'finishing' maul style next week against Racing 92.

The positivity and detail that Leinster brought to the final five minutes of the first-half was very encouraging. Osborne's sleight of hand and deceptive pace on the break, followed by the tackle infringement from Ulster created the opportunity, but it had to be taken....and it was.

Ryan called the right throw. Kelleher executed the throw, Conan the catch and Kelleher latched at the back effectively when the power came through the front pod. When Ross converted from the touchline, the entire Leinster group must have sensed what was possible.

No sign of Stuart L in the box and maybe he was watching Racing in Paris, so we've got to assume that Leo & Goodman made the call as to how to deal, tactically, with the loss of Healy. It, initially, didn't look like the right call when Conan & Osborne were burned down our left wing by beautiful execution of an overlap by Ulster.

However, from the start of the second-half, Hugo, Ross Byrne, JGP & Lowe, began to cover the spaces better and Hugo began to counter-attack very effectively, linking with our forwards or actually making clean line-breaks.

By the third quarter JGP had re-discovereed his timing and vision and, with Ross, was running the show. Ryan & Jenkins were showing we had a real powerhouse international second-row and JVdF & Baird were proving they could be effective in tight & loose. Josh, in particular was counter-rucking like a JCB. However, Conan, barring one attack off a scrum, was still looking out of sorts and, in truth, he looked the one Leinster player who never got in tune with the orchestra last night.

And then there were our subs. Wow, what impacts they made. From his arrival Porter had his eyes focussed on exactly what he wanted to do and he did it, time and again. A well-deserved MOTM, although Keenan must have run him close. I didn't think Kelleher had run his course when Sheehan replaced him but Sheehan showed his points of difference really effectively. He is impossible to contain as a close-in ball carrier. Furlong was quieter than his colleagues but no less effective and Ross Moloney joined the party at the perfect pitch and carried and mauled with huge effect. Doris, as always was hard, direct and intelligent with and without the ball.

McCarthy also played his part and his reading of the play allowed him to provide the perfect link to Keenan's counter-attack up the left wing. All of them played their parts and it was super to watch.

This certainly was a Leinster performance to relish. Ringrose's captaincy was well in evident whilst his flashing footwork was brilliant to watch within his opponents 22m area. He really should be more confident more often in this part of the field. James Lowe eventually got to the pace & intensity of the game in the final quarter and he's a very welcome bonus when playing to his best.

Really looking forward to the Heino games now. The Irish team have donned Blue jerseys and decided they can play with their characteristic style, pace and ferocity when they want to.

[OTT]

Something I found staggering in the second half was how we managed the backfield so well and Ulster didn’t. The space we were finding between Lowry and his wingers and their inability to do likewise on us made it look like we had the extra ma. We invariably won the kicking duel and would end up with a lineout around the halfway. Not to rub it in too much but Keenan demonstrated why he’s a brilliant fullback and Lowry demonstrated why he’s an elusive talent but we don’t really know where to play him because he lacks something at both 10 and 15.

[RoboProp]

With Church's red and 3 Ulster tries in first half, I thought it was fait accompli. In the second half we proved why we are potentially a championship team, you have to love Leinster and the RDS with their dander up

Just an aside, brought my little man who has special needs along and he remarked it was the best day ever, I think we've a new fan for life here. Dan Sheehan and Jack Conan absolute warriors on the pitch, but pure gents off it, taking their time to sign my son's match programme and have photos taken with him. Top men

[hugonaut]

That was a cracker! Ulster were very intense in the first half and took their chances with the extra man very well – a clever break off the maul when James Ryan left his openside post position to join the maul [at the side], then Treadwell going through Ross Byrne on the line, and then the smartly executed counter-attack on the overlap when Moore committed the last man, and got absolutely smoked for his diligence, before releasing McIlroy for the run-in.

But we were sensational in the second half. Absolutely sensational. So many excellent individual performances and really great heart and teamwork. The fitness and effort levels of van der Flier, Baird, Ryan, Porter are off the charts. Ringrose went full Drico for his back-to-back tries; he took responsibility and took the game into his hands with his decision-making bravery and his inimitable balance for two phenomenal finishes. James Lowe was battering everybody, carrying and tackling, winning all his contacts, and Keenan kept ghosting through for linebreaks. Dan Sheehan showed so much hunger for carries and such an instinctive ability to get over the gainline. Ross kept his head together when we were a long way down on the board and his goal-kicking was absolutely sublime. It really was a hell of a performance.

[naraic]

I’ll probably be in the minority here but thought the red card was harsh. Healy wasn’t fully upright and it’s not like he was charging forward. It’s a subjective thing so I could understand if the ref didn’t think there was ENOUGH mitigation but I certainly don’t see how there wasn’t ANY mitigation.

I feel the blood bought the red card.

It destroyed the argument that there wasn't much force in the tackle.

I personally felt that Stewart brought the force running into Healy but thats the breaks sometimes.

[OTT]

Josh’s counter rucking on lost causes was inspiring. Never ever give up, never ever accept defeat. Then they all started doing it, as a fan what more can you ask for, lads in the trenches that care as much about this team as we do. Porter’s and Ringrose’s post game interviews and James Lowe’s with Leinster TV full of humility and appreciation for what the fans brought to the game and how they were inspired by the backing they had when they were down on their knees in the first half. Some game, lovely to be supporting a team and group of players who you can be proud of on and off the pitch.

[hugonaut]

Second great league game we have had at the RDS in the first half of the season. The game against the Sharks was an absolute belter, and this was at the same scale.

I was always a fan and defender of the league, because I enjoyed it for what it was – well-organised professional rugby that you could go to, with a team that you supported, at a level where, at certain stages of the season, we [Leinster] could select academy players fresh out of the Irish U20s and as fans, you could get a good idea of how the next tranche of players were progressing.

But there is no doubt now that the league is simply a better standard.