2019 Guinness Pro 14 Final Baby

[Leonormous Boozer]

Watch Leinster's two semi final wins and tell me we're a boring side, there were great tries in both. We won playing badly on Saturday in what was all but an away game with a very hostile crowd and just about the most difficult conditions for handling the ball you're likely to come across. (A very wet day following a few days of sunny weather, always a nightmare imo)

I think the two finals kind of summed up our season, we never hit the form we had last year, whether that's just the hangover from a brilliant year that we saw with Ireland too, losing a club legend and leader in Isa or something deeper is hard to tell but regardless we're still competitive in Europe and the best in the pro 14.

I reckon Lancaster is licking his lips at next year, a lot of innovation is needed, the backrow will have to be padded out with SOB gone and Leavy injured, the front row will have to be massively developed with 4 guys going to Japan and another leaving, the three antipodeans into two problem is gone and there's plenty of opportunity to get a start in the back three for guys not involved on Saturday. Two trophies will be the goal, one will be a success and it's arguably going to be the hardest season we'll face since 2015/16.

 

[snoopy snoopy dog dog]

Losing Isa Nacewa, Joey Carbery and Jordi Murphy was always going to be difficult. I don't think the losses of Jack McGrath or Sean O'Brien (because he hardly played) will be as significant and as such, Leinster will still be in the top 2 or 3 teams in Europe.

The second half on Saturday was extremely boring but it got the job done. The last 10 minutes were reminiscent of how Munster strangled Toulouse in the 2008 Heineken Cup final. Easy to admire the ruthlessness of it but not aesthetically pleasing. I hazard a guess that every other team in the league would accept such a style of rugby in a final if it resulted in a trophy. Not every game can be a try fest like last season's decider.

 

[munstermuffin]

Losing Isa Nacewa, Joey Carbery and Jordi Murphy was always going to be difficult. I don't think the losses of Jack McGrath or Sean O'Brien (because he hardly played) will be as significant and as such, Leinster will still be in the top 2 or 3 teams in Europe.

The second half on Saturday was extremely boring but it got the job done. The last 10 minutes were reminiscent of how Munster strangled Toulouse in the 2008 Heineken Cup final. Easy to admire the ruthlessness of it but not aesthetically pleasing. I hazard a guess that every other team in the league would accept such a style of rugby in a final if it resulted in a trophy. Not every game can be a try fest like last season's decider.

Or to put it simply - It's a results based sport. Leo and co don't care if it is ugly or whatever as long as it's winning.
Next year Snoop I agree Leinster should be a top 2 or 3 in Europe but maybe they will struggle.

They only get 3 weeks hols, straight in to RWC preperations then a full season. Yes they will get breaks but alot of Leinster lads will be burnt. They make up a large bulk of squad and I feel between travel and high end intensity on a constant basis they may hit a Munster phase like in 2009. Now Leinster admittedly are much more prepared to deal with it but that will be the challenge next season.
For someone like Sexton (basing this on ROG in past) all this constant going will catch up with him and I feel once he does start to wane (due to burnout) then the hard calls will eventually happen.

Equally (and this is thrown at us alot if we get Rowntree & Larkham) McBryde will not arrive until after RWC so will have very little time to put a stamp on things before games come along.

 

[Umaga's Witness]

You wouldn't think we scored 95 tries (12 more than Glasgow) in the regular season would ya from all the 'boring' comments. And more tries than anyone in the group stages, including 11 more than the Toulouse team everyone was busy creaming themselves over about their style. You can rest assured that James isn't wasted here, although Saturday was hardly the most expansive game.

Anyway as someone who remembers when Leinster were an exciting, all-out attack team who never won anything I'll take the (obviously wrong) claims of boring rugby for the 10 trophies in 12 seasons. Decent tradeoff at this point.

Fair, I just saw one game in pouring rain.

It's getting frustrating the way teams are able to take advantage of international rugbys decision not to rule against tackled players and others (those bound to the player when they are tackled) not rolling away.

I'm not blaming the teams, rugby for some time has been dominates by the teams that best take advantage of the way the game is being governed at the time. Rod maqueens wallabies, with their interference running, Eddie Jones walabies with their incessant not rolling away, 2003 English with just generally brilliant cheating, the all blacks since Graham Henry started in whatever way was relevant. Now the Irish, English, and Welsh all in the same way, as explained above.

 

[Leinster Fan]

Fair, I just saw one game in pouring rain.

It's getting frustrating the way teams are able to take advantage of international rugbys decision not to rule against tackled players and others (those bound to the player when they are tackled) not rolling away.

I'm not blaming the teams, rugby for some time has been dominates by the teams that best take advantage of the way the game is being governed at the time. Rod maqueens wallabies, with their interference running, Eddie Jones walabies with their incessant not rolling away, 2003 English with just generally brilliant cheating, the all blacks since Graham Henry started in whatever way was relevant. Now the Irish, English, and Welsh all in the same way, as explained above.

Well yeah, if this was the only game I'd seen this season I wouldn't have been massively impressed either to be fair, can't blame you!

 

[profitius]

Equally (and this is thrown at us alot if we get Rowntree & Larkham) McBryde will not arrive until after RWC so will have very little time to put a stamp on things before games come along.

Larkham should be available soon enough, though I won't believe he's coming until he's signed.

 

[munstermuffin]

Larkham should be available soon enough, though I won't believe he's coming until he's signed.

Well he's not the only name in the hat from the SH but he won't be here soon unless a big figure is given to ARU.

 

[profitius]

Well he's not the only name in the hat from the SH but he won't be here soon unless a big figure is given to ARU.

MM, I'd say the ARU would like him off the payroll. They might not say it but it would save them money.

 

[munstermuffin]

MM, I'd say the ARU would like him off the payroll. They might not say it but it would save them money.

Maybe but we won't pay over the top. Lets not forget he's rooted in their grass roots not just the main national team

 

[big ginger 8]

https://twitter.com/Murray_Kinsella/status/1132595954866098176/photo/1

This was pure class. Ridiculous in the conditions.

 

[Leinster Fan]

QUOTE="munstermuffin, post: 945170, member: 39240"]Or to put it simply - It's a results based sport. Leo and co don't care if it is ugly or whatever as long as it's winning.
Next year Snoop I agree Leinster should be a top 2 or 3 in Europe but maybe they will struggle.

They only get 3 weeks hols, straight in to RWC preperations then a full season. Yes they will get breaks but alot of Leinster lads will be burnt. They make up a large bulk of squad and I feel between travel and high end intensity on a constant basis they may hit a Munster phase like in 2009. Now Leinster admittedly are much more prepared to deal with it but that will be the challenge next season.
For someone like Sexton (basing this on ROG in past) all this constant going will catch up with him and I feel once he does start to wane (due to burnout) then the hard calls will eventually happen.

Equally (and this is thrown at us alot if we get Rowntree & Larkham) McBryde will not arrive until after RWC so will have very little time to put a stamp on things before games come along.[/QUOTE]
I'd agree that we're probably going to struggle a bit next season, the player losses will take their toll, the World Cup will make everything harder, we'll have 13-16 players going by my count and that's before you factor in the inevitable injuries getting more players called up.

We have some fantastic talent coming through, Ronan Kelleher, Jack Dunne, Baird, Penny, Doris, Deegan (already there really, come of age this season), Byrne Jr, Conor O'Brien would all expect to be starting big games in the near future, but it'll be next season (as in 2020-21) or the one after that before we properly see the effects of that at European level.

We're probably looking at a team like this for the first Euro game next season:

Larmour (or Kearney if he stays)
Adam Byrne (or Larmour if Kearney is playing)
Ringrose
Henshaw
Lowe
Sexton
McGrath

Healy
Cronin
Furlong
Toner
Ryan
Ruddock
Van Der Flier
Conan

Tracy/Bryan Byrne
Ed Byrne
Porter
Fardy
Deegan
JGP
Ross Byrne
O'Loughlin/Tomane

Which is very good and should comfortably get through the pools, but when you factor in injuries it probably won't be enough to win Europe without a favourable knockout draw though.

I'd be very optimistic about the seasons after that though, we'll hopefully get Leavy back (please), combined with the younger talent I was talking about I think there's a great squad there.

 

[Leonormous Boozer]

I think having the ability to pick both McGrath and JGP will be huge, I reckon that option could have saved us in Newcastle or at least given us a shot down the stretch.

 

[Leinster Fan]

I think having the ability to pick both McGrath and JGP will be huge, I reckon that option could have saved us in Newcastle or at least given us a shot down the stretch.

JGP off the bench is always massively helpful, he makes a huge difference.