Champions Cup 24/25 - Semi Finals - 3 & 4 May

[Vieux Talonneur]

Any number of factors, but comfort zone and over familiarity has to be one. Leinster and Ireland are pretty much the same players, they play their homes at the Aviva, even in the pool stages.

Cullen's been involved with Leinster for a long time, ditto Farrell and Easterby for Ireland - even if the roles have changed, the voices haven't.

Where are the external stimuli?

Also got to question whether the balance between rest and battle hardened is right.

 

[AngloScotsHybrid]

I think Leinster will still be competing in the next 2-3 years given age profile, but I am starting to wonder if there is a genuine mental block now in Irish rugby - even the 6N wins, the last games have been much harder than they needed to be. Don't want to be too harsh because losing 3 of the the most epic finals is better than being well beaten in 3 (someone has to lose those games). However, weirdly enough, I don't know what the solution is - Leo needs to go that is clear, the selections are not good enough, but what else? The players are...chokers...how is that coached out? It makes the Barret bench decision baffling - truly baffling - the team needs winners.

In my view, let the Irish players go abroad - now is the time. It develops talent domestically (as more players able to come up to first team) and abroad and enables them to win abroad - look at Joey C potentially this year.

If I was Andy F, I would keep Sam P at home this summer and put him on a 3-month bulking programme with speed training. He is too slow and small for Champions Cup / International rugby.

I think Leinster are overconfident not chokers. They think they can score tries so easily that they keep kicking to the corner instead of taking the shots at goal. In that game against Saints they should have guaranteed themselves extra time before trying to get the win. I remember them doing a similar thing against Toulouse/La Rochelle in previous years.

 

[ChicagoKid]

Pendergast just isn't a good enough athlete. Speed training, weight training, etc won't do much because 1.) he has a very small frame and 2.) you can't make a non-athlete athletic.

I still think he stays as the preferred 10 because his skill set fits Farrell's system. But I don't get see the next generation star he was hyped to be.

SFM is clearly superior player and he is younger than Sam; albeit by 10 days.

 

[Saintjay]

Pendergast just isn't a good enough athlete. Speed training, weight training, etc won't do much because 1.) he has a very small frame and 2.) you can't make a non-athlete athletic.

I still think he stays as the preferred 10 because his skill set fits Farrell's system. But I don't get see the next generation star he was hyped to be.

SFM is clearly superior player and he is younger than Sam; albeit by 10 days.

A few weeks holiday to South Africa will sort that out.

 

[pagliaccio_euforico]

literal children know know Leinster will choke in the last quarter