Leinster v Ulster Fri 8th January 2021 19:35 EirSport

[backrower8]

You’re easily pleased/deluded lads/lassies

I suppose the fact that we won means we are beyond criticism.

All that’s happening here is you’re playing the poster, not the facts.

That 8/8 against a Henderson-less Ulster is 4/8 against Exeter/ Racing/ Toulouse.

Take some smelling salts.

[backrower8]

Cronin was 8/8.......

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……only because Ulster didn’t contest all 8. He through a few to 60-70% of the jumper’s reach.

Cronin threw moderately well, which is a maddening thing to say about a pro sports person whose primary specialist skill is to throw really well. The rest of our hookers also lack in this key skill, with possible exception of Sheehan.

Sub-academy hooker Lee Barron has excellent darts, but that’s not relevant now.

Compounding this irritation is that we have a former international hooker and coach as our forwards coach.

So cronin hits all his men and you still find a flaw
Hilarious...take a break backrower

Cronin could hit all his men in the belly/ankles and you wouldn’t care once it came back on our side

[Gavlar]

I wish I had stopped reading this thread about 10 posts ago.

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[munster#1]

Well Done on the victory.
It doesn’t guarantee that you will top the table, but it fair to say that Leinster would want to completely implode for them not to.

You would have to wonder about coaching when you see that none of the Leinster hookers can hit their man consistently.

When Cronin is your best thrower, then something has to change.
Cronin is around a long time now, and even at his best he was a limited player.

I wonder if young hookers are being picked based on their ability around the field first with the hopes of teaching them to throw later?

[Blue Man]

I was in this boat, but he was tidy enough when he was shallow enough to be in frame. Tidy break, deft kicks and solid in defence. He is a player who never gives less than everything.

Amen, call it a miracle as I would never have believed a slow 10 could make it as a 13! Very happy to be wrong though as he played very well.

Ross was excellent tonight but not as a 13
He played 10 and 12 and both very well
Sextons goal kicking was off from the beginning and he should have allowed Ross to start kicking the goals before the 4th try

Agree he didn’t play as a conventional 13, it was like the old Guscott and Carling, left-right partnership between Ross and Henshaw. He had a decent game, although occasionally looked nervous defending in space.
I remain to be convinced that he can perform anywhere other than at 10 at the European level

[Blue Man]

You’re easily pleased/deluded lads/lassies

I suppose the fact that we won means we are beyond criticism.

All that’s happening here is you’re playing the poster, not the facts.

That 8/8 against a Henderson-less Ulster is 4/8 against Exeter/ Racing/ Toulouse.

Take some smelling salts.

Job done but agree, it wasn’t world beater stuff. Plenty of intensity but less than perfect execution, occasionally had the feel of an early season match about it. Not surprising given the number of changes but the big positive is the form of key players returning from injury / absence who look on the right path to reaching the required level.

Give these players three games together and the team will quickly reach Exeter / Toulouse standard

[Gearzbox2]

Well Done on the victory.
It doesn’t guarantee that you will top the table, but it fair to say that Leinster would want to completely implode for them not to.

You would have to wonder about coaching when you see that none of the Leinster hookers can hit their man consistently.

When Cronin is your best thrower, then something has to change.
Cronin is around a long time now, and even at his best he was a limited player.

I wonder if young hookers are being picked based on their ability around the field first with the hopes of teaching them to throw later?

A limited player with 2 European cups and 5 pro14s medals in his pocket
Probably more medals than your friends in Munster have in their whole squad...

[outcast eddie]

In light of the generally negative tone of this thread I'd like to express my heartfelt thanks to the players and staff of Leinster Rugby and Ulster Rugby for delivering such an engaging and committed contest on a grim Winters night in the aul' town and during a pretty bleak period for humanity. Ladies and gentlemen you have my utmost respect.

[riocard911]

In the light of the general negative tone of this thread I'd like to express my heartfelt thanks to the players and staff of Leinster Rugby and Ulster Rugby for delivering such an engaging and committed contest on a grim Winters night in the aul' town and during a pretty bleak period for humanity. Ladies and gentlemen you have my utmost respect.

+1

[Blueberry]

In light of the generally negative tone of this thread I'd like to express my heartfelt thanks to the players and staff of Leinster Rugby and Ulster Rugby for delivering such an engaging and committed contest on a grim Winters night in the aul' town and during a pretty bleak period for humanity. Ladies and gentlemen you have my utmost respect.

[munster#1]

Well Done on the victory.
It doesn’t guarantee that you will top the table, but it fair to say that Leinster would want to completely implode for them not to.

You would have to wonder about coaching when you see that none of the Leinster hookers can hit their man consistently.

When Cronin is your best thrower, then something has to change.
Cronin is around a long time now, and even at his best he was a limited player.

I wonder if young hookers are being picked based on their ability around the field first with the hopes of teaching them to throw later?

A limited player with 2 European cups and 5 pro14s medals in his pocket
Probably more medals than your friends in Munster have in their whole squad...

Are you equating that with him being a top class player, or are you saying that despite being a limited player he has had a successful career?

I have great time for Cronin, he is a fairly sound lad, I have had the privilege to have a few drinks with him on a couple of occasions, and he is a genuinely nice guy.
But I would not say that he has ever been a top class player.
Great impact sub, and probably has the more caps off the bench than anyone else in the history of Irish rugby.

Even with Leinster, out of the decade that he had been there, I’d say he hasn’t too many seasons where he has been considered first choice??

However I would be delighted for him if he reignites his career for the remainder of this season by making the number 2 jersey his own.

[joooooe]

In light of the generally negative tone of this thread I'd like to express my heartfelt thanks to the players and staff of Leinster Rugby and Ulster Rugby for delivering such an engaging and committed contest on a grim Winters night in the aul' town and during a pretty bleak period for humanity. Ladies and gentlemen you have my utmost respect.

How dare you? Don't you know the sole purpose of this site is to denigrate players to suit your preconceived theories, often based on where a player went to school?

Seriously, though, thank you for this post. I'm sat on my couch with a can of stout while a group of young men are managing to play an entertaining and skillful match during a pandemic when it is -5⁰...for my entertainment.

It's incredible on two levels: the obvious one – that it is happening at all; and the lesser one – that others sat on their couches find something to moan about.

[Gearzbox2]

Well Done on the victory.
It doesn’t guarantee that you will top the table, but it fair to say that Leinster would want to completely implode for them not to.

You would have to wonder about coaching when you see that none of the Leinster hookers can hit their man consistently.

When Cronin is your best thrower, then something has to change.
Cronin is around a long time now, and even at his best he was a limited player.

I wonder if young hookers are being picked based on their ability around the field first with the hopes of teaching them to throw later?

A limited player with 2 European cups and 5 pro14s medals in his pocket
Probably more medals than your friends in Munster have in their whole squad...

Are you equating that with him being a top class player, or are you saying that despite being a limited player he has had a successful career?

I have great time for Cronin, he is a fairly sound lad, I have had the privilege to have a few drinks with him on a couple of occasions, and he is a genuinely nice guy.
But I would not say that he has ever been a top class player.
Great impact sub, and probably has the more caps off the bench than anyone else in the history of Irish rugby.

Even with Leinster, out of the decade that he had been there, I’d say he hasn’t too many seasons where he has been considered first choice??

However I would be delighted for him if he reignites his career for the remainder of this season by making the number 2 jersey his own.

Shows how much you know, I’d say he has been first choice for at least 4/5 years of that decade
We weren’t talking about Irish rugby and his achievements there, it’s a Leinster forum, don’t know if you realise that
Maybe stick to the Munster one, they’ve produced plenty of “limited” players the last decade

P.S fair play for having a few drinks with him, huge honour for you

[joooooe]

A limited player with 2 European cups and 5 pro14s medals in his pocket
Probably more medals than your friends in Munster have in their whole squad...

Are you equating that with him being a top class player, or are you saying that despite being a limited player he has had a successful career?

I have great time for Cronin, he is a fairly sound lad, I have had the privilege to have a few drinks with him on a couple of occasions, and he is a genuinely nice guy.
But I would not say that he has ever been a top class player.
Great impact sub, and probably has the more caps off the bench than anyone else in the history of Irish rugby.

Even with Leinster, out of the decade that he had been there, I’d say he hasn’t too many seasons where he has been considered first choice??

However I would be delighted for him if he reignites his career for the remainder of this season by making the number 2 jersey his own.

Shows how much you know, I’d say he has been first choice for at least 4/5 years of that decade
We weren’t talking about Irish rugby and his achievements there, it’s a Leinster forum, don’t know if you realise that
Maybe stick to the Munster one, they’ve produced plenty of “limited” players the last decade

P.S fair play for having a few drinks with him, huge honour for you

Tone it down. Go for a walk or something.

[Gearzbox2]

Are you equating that with him being a top class player, or are you saying that despite being a limited player he has had a successful career?

I have great time for Cronin, he is a fairly sound lad, I have had the privilege to have a few drinks with him on a couple of occasions, and he is a genuinely nice guy.
But I would not say that he has ever been a top class player.
Great impact sub, and probably has the more caps off the bench than anyone else in the history of Irish rugby.

Even with Leinster, out of the decade that he had been there, I’d say he hasn’t too many seasons where he has been considered first choice??

However I would be delighted for him if he reignites his career for the remainder of this season by making the number 2 jersey his own.

Shows how much you know, I’d say he has been first choice for at least 4/5 years of that decade
We weren’t talking about Irish rugby and his achievements there, it’s a Leinster forum, don’t know if you realise that
Maybe stick to the Munster one, they’ve produced plenty of “limited” players the last decade

P.S fair play for having a few drinks with him, huge honour for you

Tone it down. Go for a walk or something.

Thanks for the advice

[munster#1]

Shows how much you know, I’d say he has been first choice for at least 4/5 years of that decade
We weren’t talking about Irish rugby and his achievements there, it’s a Leinster forum, don’t know if you realise that
Maybe stick to the Munster one, they’ve produced plenty of “limited” players the last decade

P.S fair play for having a few drinks with him, huge honour for you

Tone it down. Go for a walk or something.

Thanks for the advice

Look, I was not trying to ignite an argument.
I had assumed from memory that he was first choice for maybe 3 or 4 seasons, but if it’s 5 then I guess I underestimated it slightly.

I do believe that he is a very good player, and over the years would have been happy to see him back in red, but I do believe that his game has always been a bit limited.

You do not, which is great.
Having played with the same club as Cronin at underage, I am delighted that he is doing well, and even happier to see that Leinster fans are as passionate as you about his abilities.

We will have to agree to disagree on this one, but there is no need to get this worked up over an opinion.

[Blueberry]

Might be fair to say we are all suffering from a touch of cabin fever..............and the HEC news today ain't exactly going to cool the jets.

Can understand some of the negativity around the Connacht result but let's all just smile at a 5:0 point win over de Nordies...........

If you need some perspective just read a couple of Ulster forums !! Not a happy bunch at all at all.

For what it's worth I think Cronin has been the best hooker in Ireland in the last decade, always love watching him play. One of my all time fav Leinster Players.

[backrower8]

I have been asking a few friends who are Ulster rugby fans as to why they aren't producing academy players like Leinster (traditionally Leinster and Ulster always have had comparable player numbers).

Their answers mainly point to how most don't play after school (like Leinster). What I found different was how they pointed to more focus on the University journey. That means something different for Leinster players, as in Ulster a large cohort would go to mainland UK and therein the link is broken.

Another (unspoken) difference between Leinster / Munster on the one hand and Ulster (Connacht are a different case entirely) is the lack of a winning culture. Rugby-mad schoolkids in Leinster and Munster are fuelled by the modern folklore (Munster) and recent imagery of trophies and glory days. Perhaps those fires don't burn as brightly in Ulster given the lack of silverware in the last 20 years and the lure of University life in the wider channels of the mainland.

Finally, one responder said concluded that the days of Ulster teams being mainly populated by Ulster-born players would not be seen again. I think that is a dangerous reality for the IRFU.

[Dexter]

In light of the generally negative tone of this thread I'd like to express my heartfelt thanks to the players and staff of Leinster Rugby and Ulster Rugby for delivering such an engaging and committed contest on a grim Winters night in the aul' town and during a pretty bleak period for humanity. Ladies and gentlemen you have my utmost respect.

Well said and thanks very much for providing some positive contrast to the all the negative comments after a hard earned bonus point victory over the unbeaten conference leaders.

[Flash Gordon]

Well Done on the victory.
It doesn’t guarantee that you will top the table, but it fair to say that Leinster would want to completely implode for them not to.

You would have to wonder about coaching when you see that none of the Leinster hookers can hit their man consistently.

When Cronin is your best thrower, then something has to change.
Cronin is around a long time now, and even at his best he was a limited player.

I wonder if young hookers are being picked based on their ability around the field first with the hopes of teaching them to throw later?

Cronin's try against Ulster was his 42nd and puts him level with Rob Kearney at 7th in Leinster's all time scoring list. That's an incredible tally for anyone and just plain mind blowing for a front rower.

Regarding the line out, as others have said he hit 8 from 8 last Friday and our line out since 2016 has consistently been top 3 or 4 in the league so I'm not sure it's as bad as people think.

In my mind, Cronin has been one of our stand out players, he goes about his business with no fuss, works hard and just keeps producing the goods.