Pro 14 Final vs Munster, March 27th. 5pm. @ The RDS.

[blockhead]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DECp8LKurKs

[SoupyNorman]

I don't think Munster's situation of watching their arch rivals hoover up trophies was that similar to Glasgow Rangers Gerry. Don't recall Munster getting disbanded and having to restart from Division 2B of the All Ireland League.
Seems to be regurgitating Stephen Larkham's lines about their kicking without applying any context.

[D4surfer]

I don't think Munster's situation of watching their arch rivals hoover up trophies was that similar to Glasgow Rangers Gerry. Don't recall Munster getting disbanded and having to restart from Division 2B of the All Ireland League.
Seems to be regurgitating Stephen Larkham's lines about their kicking without applying any context.

As pointed out previously, Leinster kicked 4% of possession, Munster 8%. Lies, damned lies and statistics.

[Flash Gordon]

Thanks for posting that mildly.
I remember Fanning writing something similar about 5 years ago.
He's not very popular down in Limerick.

Indeed and that's a big part of the problem. They need to be honest about where they are so they can form a vision for where they want to get to.

Our system took a decade to embed from the mid 2000's and that started with building blocks in mini rugby and schools. I remember coaching kids and the Leinster branch came out to all the clubs explaining what way the kids should be coached with different building blocks every year. Kids were rewarded for playing the right way which primarily involved using space, pace and running lines. Every year the kids would play fixtures against Limerick teams and every year some big lump of a kid would try to run through everyone with the parents on the sideline cheering him on.

That worked for the first couple of years but then the kids grew and our club players moved the ball better and used the spaces and we'd literally hammer them. This is the problem for them, the system can't be fixed over night, it needs a decade.

[Blue not red blood]

Thats very true.
I remember going to London Irish for their U11 and U12 tournaments.
The English teams were always bigger but just tried to bully the Irish teams.
The Leinster teams, DLSP, Rock, Clontarf etc all played fast running rugby. Didnt always win as sometimes were just to
small compared to the English teams but usually gave a good account of themselves.

I was struck how Garryowen in particular always trucked it up the middle with no finesse. Not a criticism of their players but coaching. The kids hadnt a chance against the bigger english teams or the faster Dublin ones.

[Flash Gordon]

Thats very true.
I remember going to London Irish for their U11 and U12 tournaments.
The English teams were always bigger but just tried to bully the Irish teams.
The Leinster teams, DLSP, Rock, Clontarf etc all played fast running rugby. Didnt always win as sometimes were just to
small compared to the English teams but usually gave a good account of themselves.

I was struck how Garryowen in particular always trucked it up the middle with no finesse. Not a criticism of their players but coaching. The kids hadnt a chance against the bigger english teams or the faster Dublin ones.

Exactly my recollection of London Irish or indeed the club my nephew plays for in England. Irish genetics don't lend themselves well to playing a game plan entirely built on physicality. It'll get you so far but not beyond. Leo talks about us actively not wanting to play the South African style of rugby, we want to do something different and stand for a way of playing - I think our supporters expect it too. I hated watching us during the MOC era, not so much losing, that happens but just seeing the ball trucked out to Ben Teo and into contact repeatedly, it was bloody awful.

[Oldschool]

The primary role of the provinces is to provide International quality players for the National Team.
It's worth noting that Munster were dominant and winning trophies when they were the bulk supplier of international players in the noughties.
In the last ten years Leinster have taken over that role both in terms of being the bulk supplier of international players and winning trophies.
The link is therefore obvious so perhaps Munster need to re-evaluate.
Supply more players to the national team and perhaps win more trophies.
Chicken and Egg situation maybe.

[Oldschool]

Isn't it extraordinary how it can creep up on you. JOD 27!
I really rate this guy, he is all action. Great attitude. His leg break in the 2018 semi was a bad blow at a bad time for the lad.

It's perhaps indicative of another problem at Munster and it's been touched on already.
JOD IMHO was an international in the making and it didn't happen.
Questions?
Did/does he get the kind of coaching that is ongoing in the Leinster setup?
Has he been held back by sacred cow selections?

[the spoofer]

Thanks for posting that mildly.
I remember Fanning writing something similar about 5 years ago.
He's not very popular down in Limerick.

Indeed and that's a big part of the problem. They need to be honest about where they are so they can form a vision for where they want to get to.

Our system took a decade to embed from the mid 2000's and that started with building blocks in mini rugby and schools. I remember coaching kids and the Leinster branch came out to all the clubs explaining what way the kids should be coached with different building blocks every year. Kids were rewarded for playing the right way which primarily involved using space, pace and running lines. Every year the kids would play fixtures against Limerick teams and every year some big lump of a kid would try to run through everyone with the parents on the sideline cheering him on.

That worked for the first couple of years but then the kids grew and our club players moved the ball better and used the spaces and we'd literally hammer them. This is the problem for them, the system can't be fixed over night, it needs a decade.

We have also had the good fortune to have Mick Dawson as the CEO for the last 20 years.

[hugonaut]

Thanks for posting that mildly.
I remember Fanning writing something similar about 5 years ago.
He's not very popular down in Limerick.

Indeed and that's a big part of the problem. They need to be honest about where they are so they can form a vision for where they want to get to.

Our system took a decade to embed from the mid 2000's and that started with building blocks in mini rugby and schools. I remember coaching kids and the Leinster branch came out to all the clubs explaining what way the kids should be coached with different building blocks every year. Kids were rewarded for playing the right way which primarily involved using space, pace and running lines. Every year the kids would play fixtures against Limerick teams and every year some big lump of a kid would try to run through everyone with the parents on the sideline cheering him on.

That worked for the first couple of years but then the kids grew and our club players moved the ball better and used the spaces and we'd literally hammer them. This is the problem for them, the system can't be fixed over night, it needs a decade.

We have also had the good fortune to have Mick Dawson as the CEO for the last 20 years.

An absolute prince. We have been blessed with him.

[Flash Gordon]

Indeed and that's a big part of the problem. They need to be honest about where they are so they can form a vision for where they want to get to.

Our system took a decade to embed from the mid 2000's and that started with building blocks in mini rugby and schools. I remember coaching kids and the Leinster branch came out to all the clubs explaining what way the kids should be coached with different building blocks every year. Kids were rewarded for playing the right way which primarily involved using space, pace and running lines. Every year the kids would play fixtures against Limerick teams and every year some big lump of a kid would try to run through everyone with the parents on the sideline cheering him on.

That worked for the first couple of years but then the kids grew and our club players moved the ball better and used the spaces and we'd literally hammer them. This is the problem for them, the system can't be fixed over night, it needs a decade.

We have also had the good fortune to have Mick Dawson as the CEO for the last 20 years.

An absolute prince. We have been blessed with him.

Couldn't agree more. He's been brilliant for us.

[Ruckedtobits]

We have also had the good fortune to have Mick Dawson as the CEO for the last 20 years.

An absolute prince. We have been blessed with him.

Couldn't agree more. He's been brilliant for us.

Among his many attributes has been the ability to let the professionals do what they think is right, both in the short term and for the future, but always require them to have both perspectives. Mick never panics about rugby performances. He's a good student of the game but never professes to know more than the people he employs to produce the results.

He has also populated Leinster rugby with high quality rugby heads like Philip Lawler and Gerry Murphy and allowed those guys to shape and influence the Leinster development pathway in both Schools and Provincial rugby. As a result, almost every Coach across the Province is glad to highlight a new young talent to Phil Lawler or Trevor Hogan or one of the other Provincial coaches as somebody 'to keep an eye on' . That has been the hallmark of Academy success for a decade or more and great credit to Dawson.

[Theleinsterlad]

I’m just surprised that big offers haven’t come in to take him away from Leinster. I agree with all the posts, he’s done a super job

[blockhead]

We have also had the good fortune to have Mick Dawson as the CEO for the last 20 years.

An absolute prince. We have been blessed with him.

Couldn't agree more. He's been brilliant for us.

Why are we still playing in a crumbling oul pony park if he's that bleedin great?
That place is older than Fred Astaire's d!ck.
Lack of corporate facilities for Leinster games is an embarrassment.

[Flash Gordon]

An absolute prince. We have been blessed with him.

Couldn't agree more. He's been brilliant for us.

Why are we still playing in a crumbling oul pony park if he's that bleedin great?
That place is older than Fred Astaire's d!ck.
Lack of corporate facilities for Leinster games is an embarrassment.

As you know, we were playing to 3,500 in the 2000's in Donnybrook. the RDS was a great move which many people thought was crazy - we went on to be the club with the biggest support in Europe. There are plans to build a stand to replace the Anglesea but the IRFU is not paying our mortgage, we've had to go through rounds of planning issues and then Covid.

There's also the small issue of some visionary coaching appointments, the establishment of a world class playing structure that has won us more European cups than any other club.

[Theleinsterlad]

Couldn't agree more. He's been brilliant for us.

Why are we still playing in a crumbling oul pony park if he's that bleedin great?
That place is older than Fred Astaire's d!ck.
Lack of corporate facilities for Leinster games is an embarrassment.

As you know, we were playing to 3,500 in the 2000's in Donnybrook. the RDS was a great move which many people thought was crazy - we went on to be the club with the biggest support in Europe. There are plans to build a stand to replace the Anglesea but the IRFU is not paying our mortgage, we've had to go through rounds of planning issues and then Covid.

There's also the small issue of some visionary coaching appointments, the establishment of a world class playing structure that has won us more European cups than any other club.

Well said

[blockhead]

Why are we still playing in a crumbling oul pony park if he's that bleedin great?
That place is older than Fred Astaire's d!ck.
Lack of corporate facilities for Leinster games is an embarrassment.

Well said

Thank you TLL.
Dawson has been well praised on here for what he has done, or, for the good times that have occurred during his tenure.
But the Elephant in the room is that Kingspan and Thomond Park are modern stadiums, and ours is not, has been that way for a long time and there are no signs of that changing. There are no corporate boxes (and before all you liberal lefties start bitchin about the Man) Corporate facilities bring in a lot of dosh, an awful lot of dosh. Maybe some covers over the North and South stands would encourage more to attend during the long winters etc. Nothing has improved in a long time.
Where does the buck stop?

[ronk]

Kingspan was largely paid for by the government. Thomson’s hasn’t been paying for itself.

Leinster don’t have a feasible location to build their own stadium and have to share with the RDS. I like the RDS too.

[fourthirtythree]

Land in Dublin is a valuable commodity. Land in Limerick? Not so much.

[Theleinsterlad]

Why are we still playing in a crumbling oul pony park if he's that bleedin great?
That place is older than Fred Astaire's d!ck.
Lack of corporate facilities for Leinster games is an embarrassment.

Well said

Thank you TLL.
Dawson has been well praised on here for what he has done, or, for the good times that have occurred during his tenure.
But the Elephant in the room is that Kingspan and Thomond Park are modern stadiums, and ours is not, has been that way for a long time and there are no signs of that changing. There are no corporate boxes (and before all you liberal lefties start bitchin about the Man) Corporate facilities bring in a lot of dosh, an awful lot of dosh. Maybe some covers over the North and South stands would encourage more to attend during the long winters etc. Nothing has improved in a long time.
Where does the buck stop?

Don’t disagree with the thoughts on having opportunities to make more money with corporate but in fairness that was in the offing until covid has really put that back. I think we can’t cry too much about facilities when we have the aviva right down the road to cater for any massive games we can hold there.

I guess you have to ask the question is dawsons job successful if he builds a stadium like Thomand after years of success and then proceeds to piss away the culture of a team brand in how they play and operate, or is it his job to bring in the right management right players winning trophies and keeping the cash balance in the positive. I know who I’m happier currently supporting. I’ll take the wet bum on the south stand any day for that....