Edinburgh v Leinster Sat 4th 17.05 TG4

[wixfjord]

Big game this. A 4 match point win would almost cement our place as #1 seed, leaving us 16 points ahead of Stormers with 3 games left to play (they'd have a game in hand).

Embra are a good side who need a big win to get back into top 8 contention.

Assuming we get some guys back from Ireland, I'd go for:

Milne, McKee, Mike, Molony, Jenkins, Rhys, Penny/Connors, Deegan, McGrath, Harry, DK, Osborne, Turner, Larmour, JOB

Barron, Boyle, Clarkson, Deeny, Penny/Connors, McCarthy, Tector, Russell

Obviously the return of Ngatai/Frawley would put a very different look on that backline. As it stands the bench is pretty callow.

Ireland may not want to release JOB either.

[LeinsterLeader]

Leinster Rugby Head Coach Leo Cullen has issued an injury update ahead of Saturday’s BKT United Rugby Championship game against Edinburgh in the DAM Health Stadium (KO: 5.05pm – live on TG4, Premier Sports and URC TV).

Jason Jenkins came through the game against Dragons Rugby with no issues following his return from injury, while Cullen confirmed that Ciarán Frawley will look to increase his training load this week as he continues his recovery from a knee injury.

There was less positivity around Joe McCarthy and his ankle injury with Cullen confirming the lock had a procedure and will be unavailable for two months.

Cullen had no further updates on Cormac Foley (hamstring), Charlie Ngatai (hamstring), Ed Byrne (knee), Martin Moloney (knee) and Tommy O’Brien (knee).

[mildlyinterested]

Larmour, Milne, Penny, Osborne released.

1. Milne
2. McKee
3. Mike A
4. Molony
5. Jenkins
6. Ruddock
7. Penny
8. Deegan
9. McGrath
10. Byrne
11. Kearney
12. Frawley
13. Osborne
14. Larmour
15. Cosgrave
16. Barron
17. Boyle
18. Clarkson
19. Deeny
20. Connors
21. McCarthy
22. Turner
23. Russell

[wixfjord]

Big game this. A 4 match point win would almost cement our place as #1 seed, leaving us 16 points ahead of Stormers with 3 games left to play (they'd have a game in hand).

Embra are a good side who need a big win to get back into top 8 contention.

Assuming we get some guys back from Ireland, I'd go for:

Milne, McKee, Mike, Molony, Jenkins, Rhys, Penny/Connors, Deegan, McGrath, Harry, DK, Osborne, Turner, Larmour, JOB

Barron, Boyle, Clarkson, Deeny, Penny/Connors, McCarthy, Tector, Russell

Obviously the return of Ngatai/Frawley would put a very different look on that backline. As it stands the bench is pretty callow.

Ireland may not want to release JOB either.

Could see Osborne at 15 and Frawley at 12, or Cosgrove coming in at 15 either and Frawley benching.

[Xanthippe]

Robbie Henshaw training with Leinster this afternoon

[LeinsterLeader]

Big game this. A 4 match point win would almost cement our place as #1 seed, leaving us 16 points ahead of Stormers with 3 games left to play (they'd have a game in hand).

Embra are a good side who need a big win to get back into top 8 contention.

Assuming we get some guys back from Ireland, I'd go for:

Milne, McKee, Mike, Molony, Jenkins, Rhys, Penny/Connors, Deegan, McGrath, Harry, DK, Osborne, Turner, Larmour, JOB

Barron, Boyle, Clarkson, Deeny, Penny/Connors, McCarthy, Tector, Russell

Obviously the return of Ngatai/Frawley would put a very different look on that backline. As it stands the bench is pretty callow.

Ireland may not want to release JOB either.

Could see Osborne at 15 and Frawley at 12, or Cosgrove coming in at 15 either and Frawley benching.

Yeah the whole "increase his training load" thing around Frawley has a "week too soon" smell about it. Would be thinking 'bench' at best for him.

[Degz]

Yeah Frawley won't be making it

[Oldschool]

Supposing it's Osborne and Turner in the centre.
How close is Turner to a cap?
Ringrose and Henshaw would be our obvious 13 if one of them got injured but after that JOB and then ????????

[kff15]

Supposing it's Osborne and Turner in the centre.
How close is Turner to a cap?
Ringrose and Henshaw would be our obvious 13 if one of them got injured but after that JOB and then ????????

Antoine Frisch maybe?

[wixfjord]

Supposing it's Osborne and Turner in the centre.
How close is Turner to a cap?
Ringrose and Henshaw would be our obvious 13 if one of them got injured but after that JOB and then ????????

Osborne.

[kff15]

Supposing it's Osborne and Turner in the centre.
How close is Turner to a cap?
Ringrose and Henshaw would be our obvious 13 if one of them got injured but after that JOB and then ????????

Antoine Frisch maybe?

Apologies - I was taking this in an Irish context, not a Leinster one!

[desperado]

I think Wixfjord means Osborne in an Irish context. He would have to be; he was one of 4 centres named in the 37 man 6n squad on 19th Jan. The others being Ringrose, Aki and McCloskey.

Edit: then again... this is Leinster v Edinburgh thread so correction.. I assume he means like OS for Leinster. Its Osborne for both !!!

[johng]

I don't think this game makes much odds. We could BP win it and still end up behind the stormers or lose it 100 nil and still finish ahead of the stormers

There is only one important game and that's the next one AGAINST the stormers. Win that and we are number one.

[CiaranIrl]

I don't think this game makes much odds. We could BP win it and still end up behind the stormers or lose it 100 nil and still finish ahead of the stormers

There is only one important game and that's the next one AGAINST the stormers. Win that and we are number one.

Yeah, agreed. It's incredibly unlikely that we will finish below first no matter what happens in this game, but regardless, we absolutely need to beat Stormers at home. Points and league position are nothing to do with the reason. If we have aspirations for winning this league, we absolutely cannot let them beat us in the RDS.

[neill_m]

Edinburgh Rugby vs Leinster at The DAM Health Stadium, Edinburgh - 17h05
Referee: Craig Evans
Assistant Referees: Sam Grove-White, Ian Kenny
Television Match Official: Jon Mason

[johng]

I don't think this game makes much odds. We could BP win it and still end up behind the stormers or lose it 100 nil and still finish ahead of the stormers

There is only one important game and that's the next one AGAINST the stormers. Win that and we are number one.

Yeah, agreed. It's incredibly unlikely that we will finish below first no matter what happens in this game, but regardless, we absolutely need to beat Stormers at home. Points and league position are nothing to do with the reason. If we have aspirations for winning this league, we absolutely cannot let them beat us in the RDS.

It depends on the sides fielded. If they sent up their top side and we had 20 missing to injury and post 6N I don't think the loss would hurt us psychologically.

Points and league position are everything to do with the reason for me. If we travel to SA 10 points in front of them it means we don't need anything out of the games down there.

The stormers game is therefore an 8 to 10 pointer. No one else has a hope of catching us. I think we need 3 points to stay ahead of Ulster's max possible points

[the-goon2]

We have a perfect season to defend too.

[paddyor]

I don't think this game makes much odds. We could BP win it and still end up behind the stormers or lose it 100 nil and still finish ahead of the stormers

There is only one important game and that's the next one AGAINST the stormers. Win that and we are number one.

Yeah, agreed. It's incredibly unlikely that we will finish below first no matter what happens in this game, but regardless, we absolutely need to beat Stormers at home. Points and league position are nothing to do with the reason. If we have aspirations for winning this league, we absolutely cannot let them beat us in the RDS.

It depends on the sides fielded. If they sent up their top side and we had 20 missing to injury and post 6N I don't think the loss would hurt us psychologically.

Points and league position are everything to do with the reason for me. If we travel to SA 10 points in front of them it means we don't need anything out of the games down there.

The stormers game is therefore an 8 to 10 pointer. No one else has a hope of catching us. I think we need 3 points to stay ahead of Ulster's max possible points

I think in terms of the run in it's hugely important. The season end is potentially 5 win or go home games in a row in a row. The SA tour breaks up the previous block of 2/3(1 x URC & 1/2 x HCC).

[Serb]

We have a perfect season to defend too.

That’s not the goal — just be first. We will definitely lose at least one game in South Africa.

[Ray Donovan]

Think it would be better in the long run if we lose a game in SA.

Think of the added pressure of trying to complete The Double and trying to do it undefeated.

Didn’t help the New England Patriots in 2007.