Brive v Leinster

[An Tarbh]

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Having missed out on a losing bp with a late try at the Parc y Scarlets Brive face an uphill task to get out of this pool. In what would have been the realistic target of an away win, to come away with nothing will be a bitter blow.

Leinster for their part at least managed a losing bp but another slip up in France, where their form is poor at best leaves Cheika with quite a headache. Many times Leinster have come up against average French sides at home only to falter when it came to getting the result, even last year when winning the tournament they still managed an abject performance away to Castres.

Pressure on then for both sides, Leinster are still without Stan Wright, who was a massive loss for Leinster against Irish, in a game that would have suited him down to the ground, Ross didn't step up to the mark, so interesting to see if CJ makes his first start of the season.

Referee: James Jones (WRU)

 

[munstermuffin]

Leinster hopefully can produce goods but have to :
- Be on James Jones side as he can win a game for a team on his own
- Really match Brive up front as their pack at home can be very strong
- Kearney i think should start full back as this could be aerial ping pong at times and Nacewa on wing maybe.
- Discipline has to be perfect as 15men will be needed for 80mins.

But really do think Leinster have a chance.

 

[snoopy snoopy dog dog]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div>

The Leinster squad to face Brive in Saturday's Heineken Cup Pool 6 encounter in the Stade Municipal, Brive (KO: 4.45pm local time, 3.45pm Irish) has been named... This will be the first meeting between the two sides and Leinster have named a strong squad with the province's leading tournament try scorer Brian O'Driscoll (25 tries) one of 13 Ireland internationals in the extended panel for the trip to France which includes Shane Horgan who made his record 71st Heineken Cup appearance in the London Irish game last weekend.

Horgan is now two caps ahead of Malcolm O'Kelly (69) and six ahead of Girvan Dempsey (65) in the all-time European appearance list for the province.

Nathan Hines is also included after making his home Heineken Cup debut for the province alongside Mike Ross, Eoin Reddan and Kevin McLaughlin.

Over 500 Leinster supporters will make the trip to Brive this weekend.

The team is expected to be named on Friday lunchtime.

Leinster squad to face Brive...

FORWARDS: Leo Cullen, John Fogarty, Cian Healy, Jamie Heaslip, Nathan Hines, Bernard Jackman, Shane Jennings, Stephen Keogh, Ronan McCormack, Kevin McLaughlin, Malcolm O'Kelly, Sean O'Brien, Mike Ross, Devin Toner, CJ van der Linde

BACKS: Shaun Berne, Gordon D'Arcy, Girvan Dempsey, Luke Fitzgerald, Shane Horgan, Chris Keane, Rob Kearney, Simon Keogh, Fergus McFadden, Isa Nacewa, Brian O'Driscoll, Eoin Reddan, Jonathan Sexton[/b]

 

[dullonien]

Well Brive didn't appear that great against the Scarlets. The Scarlets should have won the game last week by double the margin (2-3 dissalowed tries that would normally be scored, knock on's etc.). Leinster thereofre have a chance to get their European season back on track (kinda). I honestly think that going to Brive at the moment is easier than going to Parc Y Scarlets where the Scarelts are looking good.

Interesting match, must win for both teams.

 

[shazbooger]

Yep. No team has ever lost their first two opening games and gotten out of the group. Simply a must win for Leinster. Here's hoping they arent as defensively sound as LI were, and the ref actually polices the offside line and the breakdown.

Still, Leinsters from in France sucks at the best of times.

 

[O'Rothlain]

Just to chime in with everyone else, it's a must win for Leinster. Hopefully they've shaken off all the Euro-Jitters and will be firing on all cylinders this match. No stupid give-a-ways would be nice...

 

[DuncTheDoodle]

I'd say brive can escape with a bonus point, but not a victory.

 

[MunsterMan]

Worst.

Referee.

Ever.

 

[snoopy snoopy dog dog]

Shane Jennings just got a 12 week ban for gouging.

Big chance for Sean O'Brien now. Stephen Keogh will probably come into the 23. Any injuries and Leinster are in trouble,. After Keogh, all they have are academy players and Nathan Hines as backrow cover.

 

[dullonien]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (MunsterMan @ Oct 13 2009, 09:20 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div>

Worst.

Referee.

Ever.[/b]

Quite possibly.....

 

[munstermuffin]

Leinster to win IF they can shake off they perform but think bonus point win away in France won't happen.

 

[erwanseb]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (An Tarbh @ Oct 13 2009, 07:27 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div>

Leinster for their part at least managed a losing bp but another slip up in France, where their form is poor at best leaves Cheika with quite a headache. Many times Leinster have come up against average French sides at home only to falter when it came to getting the result, even last year when winning the tournament they still managed an abject performance away to Castres.[/b]

Brive is more English than French nowadays, so no worry about another French blip.

 

[An Tarbh]

Hines thoughts on this match from the Irish Times

Originally posted by Irish Times
INTERVIEW NATHAN HINES: John O'Sullivan gets an insight into what Leinster can expect as they travel to Brive for their Heineken Cup clash

NATHAN HINES is well versed with the snarling intensity that will greet the Leinster players when they take the field in the Stade Amedee-Domenech for Saturday’s pivotal Heineken Cup clash with Brive from his time at Perpignan.

It’ll hardly come as a surprise to his Leinster team-mates, most of whom have played European matches in France. French clubs protect their home turf with a maniacal desire that is pretty much replicated in the grandstands. Form can largely be disregarded so Brive’s current position in the French championship is largely irrelevant.

Hines is the type of player who’ll relish the occasion, enjoy the physicality, while at the same time having a healthy regard for the challenge that awaits Leinster.

“It’s quite tough. Most of the teams in France are very protective of their home grounds. It’s got two big grandstands either side and one side particularly is really close to the pitch; especially for the hooker if he’s throwing in. It’s not going to be a quiet place to go.

“The last time I played there, we won. It was quite narrow, Dan Carter helped us out but Andy Goode had a kick to win and missed it. I played there the year before as well. I can’t remember (exactly), I think we won that one and then the year before we just lost. It’s always tough to go there. If you do win it’s not by much.

“My experience of the ground doesn’t really matter. I think everyone’s going to be prepared for a different atmosphere. Everything’s going to be against us. If we’re on side the crowd are going to call for offside, if we knock a ball back they’re going to call for a knock-on. As long as everyone’s prepared for that, and I think everyone is, then we’ll be fine.â€

The former Leicester Tigers outhalf Goode is likely to be a central figure for the home team. His prodigious punting and place-kicking accuracy underpinned his career to date. Hines believes he is the perfect pivot for the current Brive team.

“He’ll be directing them around the pitch and that’s something all French teams need. They’ve usually got a strong pack of forwards and then so long as they’ve got someone else to point them in the right direction, they’re halfway to doing a good job.â€

Leinster are smarting from what amounted to a serious setback against London Irish at the RDS last weekend, a result that has given them very little wriggle room in the pool. A number of shortcomings have been addressed on the training paddock and one of those is the lineout.

The Australian-born, Scotland international secondrow admitted: “They (London Irish) have great lineout defence. We missed a couple of calls just by communication so that made it a little bit harder. A couple of times they moved into a spot where they just committed to putting two guys up there and gambled as to where we were going to throw. So once or twice they just put themselves into the position where we coincidentally were going to throw.

“But it’s not so bad. We’ve looked at it this week and looked at how Brive work and hopefully we can get it back to the standard it was at against Munster.â€

The French club shouldn’t be as awkward to counter in that facet of play, while Hines confirmed that Leinster would try and go after their hosts in the scrum to negate what is traditionally a strong area for French sides.

Brive present a cosmopolitan challenge, drawing their playing resources from the global rugby family. The standing joke is the French players at the club are having to take English lessons to learn the calls. It won’t dilute the desire to prove themselves in front of the home supporters. Brive only trailed 17-12 to Llanelli before the Welsh side grabbed a converted try in the last minute of the match.

Hines is adamant Leinster don’t feel any additional pressure this weekend and won’t be inhibited in what they want to achieve despite last weekend’s reverse.

“No, it hasn’t really changed anything. We’ve just got to go and win the game.

“We target every game as a win. (We have to) forget about Munster, forget about London Irish and just try and get the win. So all we’re worried about is the challenge on Saturday. If you start worrying about all the points you need and all that sort of stuff then you’ve half-beaen yourself already so just go to Brive with a mindset to win.â€

Irish Times

 

[An Tarbh]

Plenty of ifs and buts for Leinster ahead of the trip to Brive. Malcolm O'Kelly will come into the side if Leo Cullen or Kevin McLaughlin fail to make the game with Hines moving to the back row in the event of McLaughlin not making it. Toner will be on the bench if O'Kelly doesn't start. Stephen Keogh will be on the bench if both McLaughlin and Cullen fail to make it.

Luke Fitzgerald moves to the centre to partner O'Driscoll with Nacewa moving to the wing and Kearney in at full back.

Leinster: Rob Kearney, Shane Horgan, Brian O'Driscoll, Luke Fitzgerald, Isa Nacewa, Jonathan Sexton, Eoin Reddan, Cian Healy, John Fogarty, Mike Ross, Leo Cullen, Nathan Hines, Kevin McLaughlin, Sean O'Brien, Jamie Heaslip.

Replacements: Bernard Jackman, CJ van der Linde, Ronan McCormack, Malcolm O'Kelly / Devin Toner/Stephen Keogh, Simon Keogh, Shaun Berne, Gordon D'Arcy.

 

[An Tarbh]

For Brive Palisson is in for Agulla, Thompson and Barnard come into the front row alongside Kinchagishvili. Damien Browne partners Short in the second row while Alix Popham is replaced by Gerhard Vosloo.

Brive: 15. Fabrice Estebanez (capt), 14. Alexis Palisson, 13. Jamie Noon, 12. Lachlan Mackay, 11. Viliame Waqaseduadua, 10. Andy Goode, 9. Shaun Perry, 1. Davit Kinchagishvili, 2. Steve Thompson, 3. Pat Barnard, 4. Christian Short, 5. Damien Browne, 6. Gerhard Vosloo, 7. Vincent Forgues, 8. Antoine Claassen

Replacements: 16. Jean-Philippe Bonrepaux, 17. Petrisor Toderasc, 18. Retief Uys, 19. Simon Azoulai, 20. Jean-Baptiste Pejoine, 21. Luciano Orquera, 22. Ronnie Cooke, 23. Pascal Idieder

 

[monkeypigeon]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (An Tarbh @ Oct 16 2009, 01:10 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div>

Plenty of ifs and buts for Leinster ahead of the trip to Brive. Malcolm O'Kelly will come into the side if Leo Cullen or Kevin McLaughlin fail to make the game with Hines moving to the back row in the event of McLaughlin not making it. Toner will be on the bench if O'Kelly doesn't start. Stephen Keogh will be on the bench if both McLaughlin and Cullen fail to make it.

Luke Fitzgerald moves to the centre to partner O'Driscoll with Nacewa moving to the wing and Kearney in at full back.

Leinster: Rob Kearney, Shane Horgan, Brian O'Driscoll, Luke Fitzgerald, Isa Nacewa, Jonathan Sexton, Eoin Reddan, Cian Healy, John Fogarty, Mike Ross, Leo Cullen, Nathan Hines, Kevin McLaughlin, Sean O'Brien, Jamie Heaslip.

Replacements: Bernard Jackman, CJ van der Linde, Ronan McCormack, Malcolm O'Kelly / Devin Toner/Stephen Keogh, Simon Keogh, Shaun Berne, Gordon D'Arcy.[/b]

Happy to see Fitzgerald there at inside centre even though I doubt he is. Not too happy with Ireland's level of depth at inside centre at the moment and Fitzgerald could work really well there. Whereas there're plenty of wings about the place that I'd like to see get a chance; Fionn Carr, Johne Murphy, Shane Horgan is good enough to come back in, Denis Hurley has been veryu good for Munster, Andrew Trimble is on great form.

 

[MunsterMan]

I would have preferred McFadden personally, I think that's where he should be developed.

D'arcy could be in trouble for the AI's, Paddy Wallace and James Downey playing well and he is sitting on the bench.

 

[feicarsinn]

Kearney try! 10-3 Leinster

 

[monkeypigeon]

Leinster looking lively and lovely hands from Sexton putting Kearney through for a wonderful try.

Brive 3 - 10 Leinster

 

[snoopy snoopy dog dog]

Absolutely delighted with the result. 13-36 coupled with a Scarlets away win opens the pool back up. The only disappointing feature is the lack of a try bonus point but winning in France is an achievement in itself (especially given Leinster's recent performances there in Europe).