Leinster Games in South Africa

[enby]

The ref's first decent decision all day

[OTT]

If you can take positives out of that.

Cosgrave played well when he was on, why did he go off?
Turner played well in the first half.
Milne played well in his cameo.

We got much needed minutes into Porridge and TOB.
Deegan didn’t get injured and we might well need him.

A few new caps, lots of learnigssssssssssssssssssssss I’m sure.

[LeinsterLeader]

Well if go go by the old standard that you either win or you learn, then them boys will have got a good education today

Bigger days ahead!

[Mookie]

Hate all that SA razzmatazz. Hope we never go down that line.

[riocard911]

Two positives from that result:

1. The additional pressure of maintaining an undefeated run this season is off the senior team next week.

2. Statistically the likelihood of our beating Toulouse has increased due to the extremely low occurrence of Leinster shipping back to back defeats.

Upwards and onwards!!!!

[locho]

Well that was cr@p! The Loftus crowd not as welcoming as the Lions I have to say. Overall I’m struggling to find any positives in that game. Sam I guess didn’t do too badly considering everyone else around him was falling apart. I think we won the last 20???

Ref was awful throughout, calling us for crooked throws but letting them away and similar on the offside calls.

Their stadium is class but beer situation awful, cans only no draught and only one bar which was underneath the stand about a 10mins walk from the half way line seat.

[wixfjord]

Who was it earlier in the year that was complaining about Glos sending a scratch side to the RDS and getting pumped? Paddyor perhaps?

[Leinster Lout]

“Well done, he’s 13”, as Neville Southall said to Michael Owen.

We move on.

[cormac]

The team today was set up to fail. Maybe not as badly as it ended up but set up to fail nonetheless. I can fully understand why we've taken this approach but not sure we got it right with the approach this week. It may have made no difference to the outcome but I think Leo's early return home sent out the wrong signal.

[CollapsedMaul]

This is a GOOD thing.


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[Serb]

Really didn’t expect us to get beaten as badly as we did, but if we go on and beat Toulouse next week then the decision to both send a weak squad and for most of the coaches to go home early would be justified.

[Twist]

10 minutes to go and they have realized there are 2 teams that need to be reffed

This winds me up no end, in every sport. It doesn’t often happen to Leinster, but when you see a ref give an awfully one-eyed performance and then once the result is settled start kinda evening up their stats by giving decisions the other way. It tends to happen to perceived minnows, but I always think it betrays the fact that deep down the referee knows he’s been awfully one sided.

[Dexter]

Who was it earlier in the year that was complaining about Glos sending a scratch side to the RDS and getting pumped? Paddyor perhaps?

Gloucester didn't have 1st place sown up at that point though

[blockhead]

A hiding, and no doubt about it.
When you look at the two teams, could it have been any other way?
It would be a bad look for the league if Leinster could send down such a callow team and beat a franchise like the Bulls. Lions was a different matter.
Good lesson for the youngsters.

Sharks in the QF. That will be a humdinger!

[wixfjord]

Who was it earlier in the year that was complaining about Glos sending a scratch side to the RDS and getting pumped? Paddyor perhaps?

Gloucester didn't have 1st place sown up at that point though

No, they were doing exactly what we were doing, trying to conserve scarce resources for the future by putting out a scratch team. Unfortunately we got the same result.

I think it's smart.

But at the time there was lots of whinging about Glos.

[Dexter]

Who was it earlier in the year that was complaining about Glos sending a scratch side to the RDS and getting pumped? Paddyor perhaps?

Gloucester didn't have 1st place sown up at that point though

No, they were doing exactly what we were doing, trying to conserve scarce resources for the future by putting out a scratch team. Unfortunately we got the same result.

I think it's smart.

But at the time there was lots of whinging about Glos.

Not from me... But I actually agree with you, the circumstances were different but I think it's smart too.
It worked out for Gloucester too, pretty much.

[paddyor]

Who was it earlier in the year that was complaining about Glos sending a scratch side to the RDS and getting pumped? Paddyor perhaps?

Glad you’re thinking of me. But no, I said Gloucester weren’t that good a side and the narrative they had was cope. They’re currently 2nd from bottom in the gp with a game to go. The decision to field a 2nd string really paid off for them.

[wixfjord]

Who was it earlier in the year that was complaining about Glos sending a scratch side to the RDS and getting pumped? Paddyor perhaps?

Glad you’re thinking of me. But no, I said Gloucester weren’t that good a side and the narrative they had was cope. They’re currently 2nd from bottom in the gp with a game to go. The decision to field a 2nd string really paid off for them.

You said 'basically throwing in the towel like you don't want the challenge is cope'. You complained about the Glos team not 'putting up a fight'.

Would you apply the same perspective to us yesterday?

Are you basing the success or not of such a strategy on whether we beat Toulouse?

[cormac]

Yesterday was the most points ever conceded by a Leinster team, eclipsing the 56 scored by Stade Francais back in the late 90's.

[Hippo]

The team today was set up to fail. Maybe not as badly as it ended up but set up to fail nonetheless. I can fully understand why we've taken this approach but not sure we got it right with the approach this week. It may have made no difference to the outcome but I think Leo's early return home sent out the wrong signal.

I tend to agree. I understand the reasoning but Leo returning home sent a message both to the team and the Bulls. Of course the real meat of the season comes in the next few weeks but shipping 62 points at any stage is not great.