Leinster V Cardiff, Sat 28th Jan 17:05

[LeinsterLeader]

If anyone wants to put together a possible team for Cardiff (and I know there are a few of out there who like to do this sort of thing), excluding the guys in the 6n squad, I'd be delighted to see it! Jeepers it's gonna be really tight on numbers

[Flash Gordon]

A this point given the number of our players in the 6 nations squad it might be better if posters declare their availability for this game!

[LeinsterLeader]

A this point given the number of our players in the 6 nations squad it might be better if posters declare their availability for this game!

Well I don't mind having a go. Listening to a lotta guys on here it sounds very easy

[mildlyinterested]

Players available for Cardiff at home:

LH Prop
Michael Milne(23/Birr RFC-Roscrea/UCD)
--
Marcus Hanan(22/Clane RFC/Old Belvedere)

TH Prop
Michael Alaalatoa(31)
Vakh Abdaladze(26/Coolmine RFC/Clontarf)
Tom Clarkson(22/Blackrock/DUFC)
--
Temi Lasisi(21/Enniscorthy RFC/Lansdowne)
Rory McGuire(20/Blackrock/UCD)

Hooker
Tadgh McElroy(25/Dundalk RFC/Lansdowne)
--
John McKee(22/Campbell/Old Belvedere)
Lee Barron(21/St. Michaels/DUFC)

Lock
Ross Molony(28/St. Michaels/UCD)
Brian Deeny(22/Wexford RFC/Clontarf)

Backrow
Rhys Ruddock(31/Exile/St. Marys)
Will Connors(26/Clongowes/UCD)
Max Deegan(25/St. Michaels/Lansdowne)
Scott Penny(23/St. Michaels/UCD)
--
Sean O'Brien(22/Blackrock/UCD)
Alex Soroka(21/Belvedere/Clontarf)
James Culhane(19/Blackrock/UCD)
Diarmuid Mangan(19/Newbridge/UCD)

Scrumhalf
Luke McGrath(29/St. Michaels/UCD)
Nick McCarthy(27/St. Michaels/UCD)
Cormac Foley(22/St. Gerards/Lansdowne)
--
Ben Murphy(21/Pres Bray/Old Wesley)

Outhalf
Harry Byrne(23/St. Michaels/Lansdowne)
--
Charlie Tector(20/Kilkenny/Lansdowne)
Sam Prendergast(19/Newbridge/Lansdowne)

Centre
Liam Turner(23/Blackrock/DUFC)
--
Ben Brownlee(20/Blackrock/UCD)

Back Three
Dave Kearney(33/Clongowes/Lansdowne)
--
Andrew Smith(22/St. Michaels/Clontarf)
Max O'Reilly(22/St. Gerards/DUFC)
Rob Russell(23/St. Michaels/DUFC)
Chris Cosgrave(21/St. Michaels/UCD)
Aitzol King(20/Balbriggan RFC/Clontarf)

[cormac]

Got to hope we've a few players due back from injury for this game or that possibly we get a couple of players back from Camp Andy. Based on current availability;

Cosgrave; Kearney, Turner, Brownlee, Russell; H Byrne, McGrath; Milne, McKee, Ala'alatoa; Molony, Deeny; Ruddock (c), Penny, Deegan

McElroy. Hanan, Clarkson, Soroka, Connors, McCarthy/Foley, Tector, O'Reilly

[ronk]

Centre and hooker look tight. Not a lot can be done about hooker but I think we'll hold up. Might be more pressure to get Osbourne back as it would change a lot for us and him.

I wonder is this one where we start Soroka in the row.

[RoboProp]

Centre and hooker look tight. Not a lot can be done about hooker but I think we'll hold up. Might be more pressure to get Osbourne back as it would change a lot for us and him.

I wonder is this one where we start Soroka in the row.

You would have to hope that being down to the barebones at hooker and Joey's less than stellar progression, that any talk of Kelleher to Munster is knocked on the head.

[LeinsterLeader]

Glad it's at home. The crowd support will really be important to a lot of young guys I think.

Back row should be super good though

[Ruckedtobits]

Cardiff have seven players in Welsh Squad whilst Ospreys have 14.

As Andy Farrell has named 37 in his initial Squad, it is quite possible that he will release some Leinster players for the Cardiff fixture, albeit not before Thursday of match week.

The areas that we could do with injury recovery or Squad release are back three, centre and front-row.

Other than that, I'd happily play Cardiff with the bones of the team selected by @cormac above.

Charlie N'gatui would be a big addition however. BTW, I'd definitely start Connors.

[Serb]

I mean the team basically picks itself from looking at Mildly's post there. Loosehead, hooker, lock, centre and back three are all bare bones. I think there's a fair chance we could get Osbourne back for this game, and maybe McCarthy or Jimmy O'Brien depending on how involved they are.

[Blueberry]

Our total and utter dominance of the Irish national team is helping to give lots of these youngsters game time they simply wouldn't get elsewhere which of course continues the cycle and continues to unearth more talent !!

I think we are at the point now of perpetual cyclical Leinster player generation machine maximization syndrome now.

[Serb]

Are we sure Jenkins and Ngatai aren't available? That would make a massive difference to the shape of the team.

[riocard911]

Our total and utter dominance of the Irish national team is helping to give lots of these youngsters game time they simply wouldn't get elsewhere which of course continues the cycle and continues to unearth more talent !!

I think we are at the point now of perpetual cyclical Leinster player generation machine maximization syndrome now.

aka Peak Leinster? If so, long may it continue!!!

[ronk]

Centre and hooker look tight. Not a lot can be done about hooker but I think we'll hold up. Might be more pressure to get Osbourne back as it would change a lot for us and him.

I wonder is this one where we start Soroka in the row.

You would have to hope that being down to the barebones at hooker and Joey's less than stellar progression, that any talk of Kelleher to Munster is knocked on the head.

That sort of talk is strongly resistant to nuanced analysis or even basic counting. It's a cockroach idea that will keep coming back, but more and more people know better.

In practice Carbery left to join a team with more outhalves, so did Salanoa, so did McCarthy. You could argue the same about Conway too.

Even the Kelleher suggestion has been made on this forum after Tracy retired.

[curates_egg]

Centre and hooker look tight. Not a lot can be done about hooker but I think we'll hold up. Might be more pressure to get Osbourne back as it would change a lot for us and him.

I wonder is this one where we start Soroka in the row.

You would have to hope that being down to the barebones at hooker and Joey's less than stellar progression, that any talk of Kelleher to Munster is knocked on the head.

That sort of talk is strongly resistant to nuanced analysis or even basic counting. It's a cockroach idea that will keep coming back, but more and more people know better.

In practice Carbery left to join a team with more outhalves, so did Salanoa, so did McCarthy. You could argue the same about Conway too.

Even the Kelleher suggestion has been made on this forum after Tracy retired.

That argument holds as much for Conway, as for any of them. His was a mad, impetuous decision that undeniably stalled his career.

Joey has been given every possible opportunity since arriving there. So the presence of other outhalves hasn't been the issue for him.

[curates_egg]

Are we sure Jenkins and Ngatai aren't available? That would make a massive difference to the shape of the team.

Henshaw can't be that far off either.

[cormac]

Are we sure Jenkins and Ngatai aren't available? That would make a massive difference to the shape of the team.

Jenkins was pictured at training during the week but didn't look to be involved in the team drills.

[ronk]

Joey has been given every possible opportunity since arriving there. So the presence of other outhalves hasn't been the issue for him.

No, it was an issue for the other outhalves (there were 4 of them) and also for Leinster (& I suppose for Ulster too). Noel Reid was 10 or cover for 10 for the first 7 games he played the season after Carbery left.

The damage done by the Carbery move wasn't just to Joey.

Carbery was better than what Munster had at the time. But they still got to a Heineken Cup semi with the talent they had.

[Ruckedtobits]

Wouldn't surprise me if all the National Squad are fit come next Thursday, that Faz would release McCarthy & possibly Osborne, if he doesn't plan to use them against Wales. McCarthy needs game time, Osbourne needs experience.

[brotheroffrank]

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