[2013/14 HEC] Pool 1, Round 1

[Draggs]

Pool One

Stade Pierre Antoine, Castres (12/10/2013, 16:00 Local Time)

Liberty Stadium, Swansea (12/10/2013, 18:00 Local Time)
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[lynam1104]

This is such a tough pool I have no idea who's going to get out I hope it's Leinster but Saints have looked strong this season, O's are always difficult and the French champions.

 

[Packman]

This is such a tough pool I have no idea who's going to get out I hope it's Leinster but Saints have looked strong this season, O's are always difficult and the French champions.

Really tough pool, but a rugby fan's dream!

Good luck to all concerned.

 

[Big Ewis]

we'll see what the French Champions are made of...not a great start to the season this year to say the LEAST...hope they can find their top form for this.

 

[Packman]

I'm really looking forward to seeing Leinster travel to Swansea. Round one last year was against the Cheifs and that narrow win at home certainly set the scene for Leinster.

I hope the irish sides regain momentum this season they were tripping over their shoe laces in Europe and internationally in 2012/13. Of course, if they want to lose to the English sides then I won't be too upset. Even to Saints! Haha.

 

[Feicarsinn]

Word has it that Brendan Macken will be starting at 13 for Leinster this weekend. Here's hoping he gives a solid display, lovely player with ball in hand and quite possibly out long term solution when BOD hangs his boots up.

 

[lynam1104]

Word has it that Brendan Macken will be starting at 13 for Leinster this weekend. Here's hoping he gives a solid display, lovely player with ball in hand and quite possibly out long term solution when BOD hangs his boots up.

Shown some nice glimpses over the past few seasons and started this one strongly, would like to see him the step up.

 

[Leonormous Boozer]

I'd prefer Ferg and Fitz at 13 and 14, Macken is a bit too inconsistent for HEC level in my opinion. Obviously I hope he plays well if picked though, we need him to.

 

[big ginger 8]

Word has it that Brendan Macken will be starting at 13 for Leinster this weekend. Here's hoping he gives a solid display, lovely player with ball in hand and quite possibly out long term solution when BOD hangs his boots up.

He's on standby if BO'D is out which is quite likely. Heaslip let it slip.

 

[lynam1104]

5: Rob Kearney
14: Fergus McFadden
13: Brendan Macken
12: Gordon D'Arcy
11: Dave Kearney
10: Jimmy Gopperth
9: Isaac Boss
1: Cian Healy
2: Sean Cronin
3: Mike Ross
4: Devin Toner
5: Mike McCarthy
6: Kevin McLaughlin
7: Sean O'Brien
8: Jamie Heaslip CAPTAIN
REPLACEMENTS:
16: Aaron Dundon
17: Jack McGrath
18: Martin Moore
19: Quinn Roux
20: Rhys Ruddock
21: Eoin Reddan
22: Ian Madigan
23: Luke Fitzgerald

So Macken is starting no BOD on standby crap. The calls that interest me most are Boss and Gopperth, might indicate a preference to play a tighter forward game and beat them up front before thinking about going wide. I think thats the right call as that pack is superior (maybe not the locks) to the Ospreys which I've seen but can't be bother to find. Will be a tight one never easy to go to swansea.

 

[dullonien]

Ospreys team:

15: Richard Fussell
14: Ben John
13: Andrew Bishop
12: Ashley Beck
11: Eli Walker
10: Dan Biggar
09: ***o Tebaldi
01: Duncan Jones
02: Richard Hibbard
03: Adam Jones
04: Alun-Wyn Jones (Captain)
05: James King
06: Ryan Jones
07: Justin Tipuric
08: Joe Bearman

16: Scott Baldwin
17: Ryan Bevington
18: Aaron Jarvis
19: Tyler Ardron
20: Sam Lewis
21: Tom Habberfield
22: Matthew Morgan
23: Jeff Hassler

Strong looking squad. Slight surprise that Ben John starts on the wing ahead of Hassler, but that's probably down to Hassler's inexperience at this level, he's still getting caught out defensively at Pro12 level. John has started the season strongly, but I'd prefer to see him more in his natural centre position. Nice to see Habberfield back in the squad, gives the Ospreys a better bench option at scrum half.

Good to see Ryan back, helps to make a very balanced backrow. Ian Evans must be injured, but King is a handy replacement to have. Bevington has been struggling more than usual under the new laws, so having Duncan starting makes perfect sense. Finally, it's good to see Sam Lewis retain a place in the squad, he's been one of the Ospreys best players so far this season and will likely link up with Tipuric at some stage in the second half when the game breaks up a little.

Should be a cracker. Ospreys should take this at home with an almost full strength team (minus Ian Evans and Dirksen really), but they've got to play a lot better than they did against Ulster. Hopefully that game served as a timely reminder for this weekend, and they don't replicate that mistake riddled display.

 

[dullonien]

Ben John is not very experienced either and I'm pretty sure this is his first Heineken Cup start. Hassler is a much better finisher on the wing, surprised at leaving him out. I guess it must be experience and familiarity of the systems and calls. Same with Natoga.

Yeah, but John has looked solid throughout. To be fair he's also taken his chances well. Still, he's not an out and out winger. It's certainly the safe option from the O's management, which could backfire.

 

[Draggs]

Hassler looked unsure against ulster. I'd rather drop bishop and bring John in midfield.

 

[Feicarsinn]

Raging that Gopperth is starting, but such is life. In terms of what we should be able to put out or the teams we were putting out fairly late last year that a weak starting fifteen. They have us in the front five so the back three is going to have to put in a huge shift. I'm not convinced of that backline really. Bring Madigan, O'Driscoll and Fitzgerald in and we'd be talking. I'm happy for Macken, I'd just like to see the other guys around him on his biggest game to date.

Think we'll lose, but hopefully we'll come out with a bp.


By the way, these French lads have come to play!

 

[Leonormous Boozer]

Raging that Gopperth is starting, but such is life. In terms of what we should be able to put out or the teams we were putting out fairly late last year that a weak starting fifteen. They have us in the front five so the back three is going to have to put in a huge shift. I'm not convinced of that backline really. Bring Madigan, O'Driscoll and Fitzgerald in and we'd be talking. I'm happy for Macken, I'd just like to see the other guys around him on his biggest game to date.

Think we'll lose, but hopefully we'll come out with a bp.


By the way, these French lads have come to play!

Why are you raging at the inclusion of Gopperth, may I ask?

 

[Feicarsinn]

Why are you raging at the inclusion of Gopperth, may I ask?

Talent. Gopperth is a decent player, but I don't see him as a good enough player to beat the top sides in Europe with. Look at the back line we're putting out. There's a serious lack of cutting edge there. Lots of hard working players who wont look out of their depth at this level, but no one who really looks likely to turn a game on its head. Madigan has that x factor that we seriously lack.

Also, I think Gopperth's good start at Leinster has been overblown. He was good against Scarlets, had a good first half against the Ospreys and then disappeared and was fairly poor at Glasgow. Despite this, people have been saying that he's been playing a lot better than Madigan, a player who has gotten far fewer chances to play under MOC thus far. Madigan was good against Cardiff and poor against Munster, part of a very poor team performance overall. I don't really see either of them being ahead on form and based on what they've produced in the past I know which one I'd prefer to see at 10.

 

[Leonormous Boozer]

Talent. Gopperth is a decent player, but I don't see him as a good enough player to beat the top sides in Europe with. Look at the back line we're putting out. There's a serious lack of cutting edge there. Lots of hard working players who wont look out of their depth at this level, but no one who really looks likely to turn a game on its head. Madigan has that x factor that we seriously lack.

Also, I think Gopperth's good start at Leinster has been overblown. He was good against Scarlets, had a good first half against the Ospreys and then disappeared and was fairly poor at Glasgow. Despite this, people have been saying that he's been playing a lot better than Madigan, a player who has gotten far fewer chances to play under MOC thus far. Madigan was good against Cardiff and poor against Munster, part of a very poor team performance overall. I don't really see either of them being ahead on form and based on what they've produced in the past I know which one I'd prefer to see at 10.

I can see where youre coming from but I think for the Ospreys game hes probably the better option. I think that if we're in this game with 15 to go we should take it and I think Gopperth is the man to get us there. Obviously we'll see Mads in the game and I think he'll finish them off if given the platform.

 

[dullonien]

Good solid start from the O's. 6-0 up.

Edit. Don't understand why that was a penalty. Leinster player get's in the way of Biggar, then Kearney lands on top of Biggar and Biggar get's penalised.

 

[Feicarsinn]

SOB!!!!!!!

With Ross off we're going to find out just what Martin Moore is made of. Doing well thus far.

 

[Feicarsinn]

Heaslip is taking a lot of work on at the moment.