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.
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.
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.
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.
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?
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.