Champions Cup Quarter Final: Leinster v Saracens

[munstermuffin]

Some of this yes, others I don't really agree with.

Fardy being omitted was the right call. He's been poor since the restart and Baird was really good when he came on. Scott didn't have the impact required in last year's final either so isn't the answer to everything, and to be honest the strict way Gauzere was reffing the rucks he'd have been pinged constantly. Last year we went for experience over youth on the bench and couldn't come back into it. This year we went the other way and it's what gave us a chance. I wouldn't be criticising that element of the selection.

Agreed we were the worse team and Saracens deserved the win, and that blaming the ref etc is pointless. Not sure we were dominated physically though, definitely notbto the same extent we were last year or Ireland were multiple times against England. The scrum was a disaster but I thought we matched up relatively well other than that. Compared to last year where Conan and maybe Ryan were the only guys who could threaten the gainline it was night and day.

We lost because of a lack of composure in the first half which let Saracens rack up the points when they were on top, the breakdown and obviously the scrum was massive. The scrum is what cost us the end, it stopped our comeback in its tracks. Biggest difference between yesterday and 2011 is that we turned to scrum around at half time back then. Here we didn't and it meant we didn't get enough opportunities to attack the 22. Credit where credits due the Saracens defence and game management in the last 15 was exceptional and didn't give us a chance.

I agree about Healy, and have been saying it for a while. Unfortunately age is catching up with him and he's been in decline for over a year now.What's more worrying is that no one's really putting their hand up to replace him either for Leinster or Ireland. Kilcoyne was but he's injured and not a long term option either. Loosehead is becoming a real worry. Luke McGrath was poor as well and has been since the restart.

There are positives though, Larmour was excellent under the high ball and has been very solid since that poor game against Munster. Sexton's an interesting one. He's been good for Leinster this year but it can't go on forever. We have to move on sometime but to be fair we are giving Byrne more and more time in big games. Once Harry Byrne and Frawley are ready to step up in a year or two he'll be phased out but there's no need to rush it.

May be misunderstanding but didn't mean Fardybwas bad call by Cullen more hindsight that the enforcer style 2nd row was missed. And thatbwith hindsight. Not slamming the call.

 

[Leonormous Boozer]

No what I said was Sarries were much better in scrum and were much more powerful. Also more smarter.

Never mentioned Sarries back play once. But up front they won it by being clever. And won by 8 but Leinster pulled points back when Sarries were gassed. So not exactly a of 16 off scrum but 8 was final gap. That was inevitable that last 15 Leinster would be on top due to s1uad

Just going to have to disagree on the bolded

 

[Vieux Talonneur]

I think Leinster wanted and expected to win but Sarries needed to. Big motivational difference. Whether Sarries can pull that off again remains to be seen.

Loved the way Sarries splintered the Leinster scrum. One of the joys of rugby is the different ways you can win a game - anyone who thinks the scrum is an anachronism should watch that and the RWC final. I don't want to see that dominate every match but nor do I want to see basketball all the time either. The contrast in styles and body shapes is what makes rugby the game it is. Uniformity's dull.

 

[Nudger]

I see rhodes has been cited
Anyone got the clip

 

[big ginger 8]

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Saracens flanker Michael Rhodes has been cited for striking Leinster&#39;s Robbie Henshaw with his head during Saturday&#39;s Champions Cup clash.<br><br>Here&#39;s the incident. <a href="https://t.co/RBYSZj4Jpr">pic.twitter.com/RBYSZj4Jpr</a></p>&mdash; Murray Kinsella (@Murray_Kinsella) <a href="">September 21, 2020</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

 

[TRF_Olyy]

Edit: watched the clip and realised it wasn't that tackle that's been cited

Pretty clear cut there, and I said on the day: Rhodes is a ****

 

[Leinster Fan]

I'd want a better angle before rushing to conclusions but based off that (and his track record) he should get a ban.

Not arsed whinging because we deserved to lose but Rhodes is a d***.

 

[Reiser99]

It's hard to see how his head gets into that position unless he intentionally throws it back, but Sarries number 5 does hide a lot of the movement. There must be a better angle than that.

 

[munstermuffin]

Just going to have to disagree on the bolded

Fair enough but having watched back over still stick to it.


On citing it is pretty clear and Rhodes is done for tournament

 

[Vieux Talonneur]

Fair enough but having watched back over still stick to it.


On citing it is pretty clear and Rhodes is done for tournament

Didn't age well.....citing dismissed.

 

[Leonormous Boozer]

"The [independent Disciplinary] Committee decided that Rhodes had committed an act of foul play, however, it was not proven to the required standard that contact had been made to Henshaw's head.
"The Committee concluded that the act of foul play did not warrant a red card and the citing complaint was therefore dismissed."

Don't understand how there could be foul play without a red card, it was a headbutt. Bizarre reasoning.

 

[Vieux Talonneur]

Lucky boy in my book. Maybe Sarries name is on the cup.

Possibly more to do with lack of camera angles than anything else. You don't have to read too far between the lines to think that the panel believed he was guilty but the case hadn't been made strongly enough.

 

[Leonormous Boozer]

Lucky boy in my book. Maybe Sarries name is on the cup.

It would be annoyingly impressive if they won in Dublin and then beat two French sides in France. Just have to hope Toulouse beat the dark side.