Leinster v Ulster Sat 3rd December 19.35 TG4

[wixfjord]

This should be a cracker. Top of the table interpro clash with likely all internationals available the week before Europe.

A win here and keeping Ulster to 0 match points would be absolutely massive, putting us 12/13 points ahead of Ulster (they've a game in hand away in SA) before Xmas.

I'd love to see us go full bore in front of a big December RDS crowd.

Team I'd go for, injuries pending:

Porter, Kelleher, Tadhg, Ryan, Jenkins, Doris, VDF, Deegan, JGP, Johnny/Ross, Lowe, Henshaw/Ngatai, Ringer, JOB, Keenan

Sheehan, Byrne, Mike, Molony, Conan, McGrath, Ross/Harry, Ngatai/Larmour

Injury questions over Johnny, Henshaw and possibly Ngatai. The latter two are slight worries as it would leave us very light at 12 with Frawley out too. Osborne could be an option there too.

I'd personally give Deegan a shot in this game and play him in Europe if he goes well. We should be rewarding form in tight calls.

Would also give Kelleher 50 mins and Sheehan 30 to get him more up to speed.

Sounds like J Lo and Larmour might be available also.

[cormac]

Think we'll need to get as many as possible of the internationals back on the pitch next week to make sure they're up to speed on Leinster rather than Ireland calls before the Euro matches.

Jimmy Lowe being involved in the pre match warm up hopefully means he's ready to go. Big worry would be the 12 jersey. Not sure i'd be rushing Henshaw back for this one if there's any doubt with his hamstring. Likewise Sexton.

Agree about Deegan, he's playing as well as I remember, hopefully that form will be rewarded.

[LeRouxIsPHat]

I wouldn’t be rushing those two back either but I’d also leave Ringrose out for this one. Totally understand why we wouldn’t but he ended up playing pretty much the full three Ireland games so I’d save him for Europe. If Lowe and Larmour are back then JOB could play 13.

I’d be tempted to give Josh and Doris a longer break too and maybe just have Porter on the bench.

[ronk]

Think we'll need to get as many as possible of the internationals back on the pitch next week to make sure they're up to speed on Leinster rather than Ireland calls before the Euro matches.

Jimmy Lowe being involved in the pre match warm up hopefully means he's ready to go. Big worry would be the 12 jersey. Not sure i'd be rushing Henshaw back for this one if there's any doubt with his hamstring. Likewise Sexton.

Agree about Deegan, he's playing as well as I remember, hopefully that form will be rewarded.

Deegan has been very good player for us. He was overshadowed a bit by Doris having a breakout season in 19/20 but he still made his Ireland debut in the 6N just before Covid blew everything up. Then rugby restarted and he immediately lost 1 year to injury and had another year where he was still getting back to 100%.

It was long enough that it looked like really elite rugby was going to pass him by and he was going to be a decent provincial player. But he worked hard and the reward can be seen in his game. He's a super player and I think he'll keep moving up the Ireland pecking order for a while.

[LeRouxIsPHat]

Deegan’s tackle when he chased down the quick tap was quality. Great pace and great timing to wait til he’d gone 10m. I liked his run at the end as well, he just looks very fit and quick at the moment but also looks quite bulky. Great to see him putting everything together and fingers crossed he’d stays fit and keeps it up.

[Blue Man]

I think we’ll go locked and loaded for the next three matches, then rest front liners for the trips to mordor and Swansea, ensuring a two week rest, for the front liners, between Europe and the Connacht match either side.
We were strangely off the pace in the RDS against Ulster this time last year so I expect a big performance to set us up for a really tricky game against high flying Racing in the middle of nowhere!

[Xanthippe]

In the spirit of our remembrance for Nevin Spence I’d love to see us do something special for Doddie Weir on Saturday.

I assume there’ll be a minute’s silence or applause but I’d love us to ‘put our lighters up’ either during the minute or preferably in the 5th minute of the match.

[brotheroffrank]

In the spirit of our remembrance for Nevin Spence I’d love to see us do something special for Doddie Weir on Saturday.

I assume there’ll be a minute’s silence or applause but I’d love us to ‘put our lighters up’ either during the minute or preferably in the 5th minute of the match.

+1

[joooooe]

Cheapest tickets for this match are €38 (unreserved, uncovered, behind the posts). I love going to Leinster matches but that is nonsense pricing. I'll be watching on TV.

[Flash Gordon]

Cheapest tickets for this match are €38 (unreserved, uncovered, behind the posts). I love going to Leinster matches but that is nonsense pricing. I'll be watching on TV.

It's dear alright - and you have the ticketmaster charge on top taking it over 40 quid. If you're a student for example, you're going to struggle to pay that or a parent with a couple of kids you're going to be paying €120. Yet it will probably still sell out, wonder if they'd held the game in the Aviva with better prices what kind of crowd we'd have got?

[arsebiscuits1]

Ulster gave us a sobering experience last season with a very dogged performance smashing us in the tight and meeting us on every gainline. We got starved of front foot ball and as a result nothing really clicked.

I'd imagine Ulster will aim to do the exact same thing as it's a proven way of beating us. Ulsters defensive technique is for high double hits (to their credit, for how high they target, they rarely get it wrong and slip up) but it makes for good momentum stopping hits.

The difference will be we have much more size and form to pick from this season.

Being able to call on Kelleher, Sheehan, Porter, McCarthy, Jenkins, Doris, VDF, Deegan (he played last year but form is night and day comparison) should definitely give us the edge we were sorely lacking last season.

Few teams come to the RDS and win, fewer come to the RDS and win twice. There is a reason for that. Some wrongs will want to be righted

[Schumi]

Cheapest tickets for this match are €38 (unreserved, uncovered, behind the posts). I love going to Leinster matches but that is nonsense pricing. I'll be watching on TV.

It's dear alright - and you have the ticketmaster charge on top taking it over 40 quid. If you're a student for example, you're going to struggle to pay that or a parent with a couple of kids you're going to be paying €120. Yet it will probably still sell out, wonder if they'd held the game in the Aviva with better prices what kind of crowd we'd have got?

I don't disagree with the general point but there are kids' tickets for €12.

The RDS redevelopment really needs to include roofs for the two ends.

[paddyor]

Cheapest tickets for this match are €38 (unreserved, uncovered, behind the posts). I love going to Leinster matches but that is nonsense pricing. I'll be watching on TV.

Must be close to a sellout so. IIRC they jack up the prices the closer to matchday it gets.

[mildlyinterested]

Harry Byrne and Rónan Kelleher came through the game at the weekend against Glasgow Warriors with no issues after their return from hamstring injuries, as did Ryan Baird following his return from the Graduated Return to Play Protocols.

There was also positive news on Jordan Larmour (below) who will train fully with the squad this week after his recovery from a foot injury, as will James Lowe after his own recovery from a calf injury.

Cullen also confirmed that a final call on Johnny Sexton and Charlie Ngatai wouldn’t be made until later in the week from calf and shoulder injuries respectively.

Unfortunately Cullen confirmed that Robbie Henshaw would be out of action until early in the new year as he underwent a procedure last week for a wrist injury.

There were no further updates on Martin Moloney (knee), Ciarán Frawley (knee), Will Connors (bicep), James Tracy (neck), Charlie Ryan (knee) and Tommy O’Brien (knee).

[wixfjord]

Hmmm, not great news on Henshaw/Ngatai.

Hopefully Charlie is back for Europe as it leaves us very short in the centre if not.

Should be a good opportunity for Osborne at the weekend to go up against McCloskey again.

[paddyor]

Harry Byrne and Rónan Kelleher came through the game at the weekend against Glasgow Warriors with no issues after their return from hamstring injuries, as did Ryan Baird following his return from the Graduated Return to Play Protocols.

There was also positive news on Jordan Larmour (below) who will train fully with the squad this week after his recovery from a foot injury, as will James Lowe after his own recovery from a calf injury.

Cullen also confirmed that a final call on Johnny Sexton and Charlie Ngatai wouldn’t be made until later in the week from calf and shoulder injuries respectively.

Unfortunately Cullen confirmed that Robbie Henshaw would be out of action until early in the new year as he underwent a procedure last week for a wrist injury.

There were no further updates on Martin Moloney (knee), Ciarán Frawley (knee), Will Connors (bicep), James Tracy (neck), Charlie Ryan (knee) and Tommy O’Brien (knee).

Not great, we're a bit light at centre now

[paddyor]

Missing ROL

[cormac]

Hmmm, not great news on Henshaw/Ngatai.

Hopefully Charlie is back for Europe as it leaves us very short in the centre if not.

Should be a good opportunity for Osborne at the weekend to go up against McCloskey again.

Bad news on Henshaw, suppose it could have been worse for Ngatai, sounds like he should be ok for Racing 92. Osborne is the obvious player to throw in at 12 but wonder if they'd be tempted at all to start both Ross and Harry at 10 & 12? Probably not given they'll be facing McCloskey directly.

Another option might be Ringer at 12 and JOB at 13.

[cormac]

https://ulster.rugby/content/squad-upda ... ember-2022

Eric O'Sullivan back fit for Ulster

[mildlyinterested]

https://ulster.rugby/content/squad-upda ... ember-2022

Eric O'Sullivan back fit for Ulster

lots of detail there.