European Champions Cup Quarter Final Leinster vs Bath

[big ginger 8]

Aviva Stadium KO 15:15
4/4/15​

Teams have been named.

LEINSTER:

15. Rob Kearney
14. Fergus McFadden
13. Ben Te'o
12. Ian Madigan
11. Luke Fitzgerald
10. Jimmy Gopperth
9. Isaac Boss
1. Cian Healy
2. Sean Cronin
3. Mike Ross
4. Devin Toner
5. Mike McCarthy
6. Jordi Murphy
7. Sean O'Brien
8. Jamie Heaslip CAPTAIN

16. Richardt Strauss
17. Jack McGrath
18. Marty Moore
19. Tom Denton
20. Dominic Ryan
21. Eoin Reddan
22. Gordon D'Arcy
23. Zane Kirchner


Bath

15 Anthony Watson
14 Horacio Agulla
13 Jonathan Joseph
12 Kyle Eastmond
11 Matt Banahan
10 George Ford
9 Micky Young
1 Paul James
2 Rob Webber
3 Kane Palma-Newport
4 Stuart Hooper (c)
5 Dave Attwood
6 Carl Fearns
7 Francois Louw
8 Leroy Houston

Replacements

16 Ross Batty
17 Nick Auterac
18 Max Lahiff
19 Matt Garvey
20 Alafoti Faosiliva
21 Peter Stringer
22 Sam Burgess
23 Tom Homer


With such a short turnaround from the 6N I'm not expecting either team to be at their best, although Bath have had more of their players around. I'd say we'll try and keep it tight for the first while at least, we've finally got guys back who can get over the gainline and Bath will thrive in a loose game. I do however think a lot of Leinster fans are severely underrating the Bath pack and expecting too much dominance in that aspect. I'm finding it very hard to call and home advantage could well be the winning or losing of it.

From the Leinster team the pack is as expected really with Ross starting maybe the only one people were unsure about but after his 6N I think it's the right decision. Boss starting is also probably the right call at the moment. He's on a completely different level to what he was for the first half of the season and if we want to keep it tight he's the better option. There's akso he fact that Reddan wasn't fully involved in training at the start of the week due to injury. As rumoured Te'o has come in at 13 with Fitzgerald on the wing. This is the really big call and a very exciting one I feel. It means we have our best attackers on the pitch but I am a bit worried about how Te'o and Madigan will go in defense against a pair of agile intelligent players as Bennett took them apart last week. Fitzgerald would have been my choice but I do think the decision may turn out to be a great one although there is the chance it could be a pretty bad one. On the bench Ryan and Kirchner are very lucky boys, their form has been ****e. The rest are as expected.

Can't say too much about the Bath team as I haven't seen too much of them recently. I presume Roko is injured or just not recovered from his bad form? Think Ford made the right decision not picking Burgess as some reports suggested. As I said Eastmond and Joseph could make a lot of problems for us. Them and Ford will be seeing a lot of Te'o, SO'B and Heaslip however. I am surprised to see James come straight back in starting and think we may try take advantage of him.

 

[munstermuffin]

Stringer to score in 80th minute to win it
But in all seriousness I'd agree it'll be interesting to see how some internationals return as traditionally in Ireland we can be slow getting back to speed with provincial system

 

[Leonormous Boozer]

We're gonna jizz all over the gain line.

 

[Feicarsinn]

Let's **** them.

 

[munstermuffin]

Wonder what the tactics will be.
Bash through pack,
If that doesn't work bash through Teo,
If that fails kick and chase.

If we receive ball back. Start at 1 and repeat routine.

 

[ncurd]

Ugh Young at scrum-half apart form that it's a pretty strong Bath side pretty much the a-team minus Davey Wilson. Slightly surprised by the starting props, I suspect Auterac, Batty & Garvey to make pretty hefty contributions from the bench.

I suspect Bath's game plan to be pretty standard they go for a shock and awe approach. The backs are pretty explosive who read each other extremely well (Roko is genuinely behind Agullia and Banahan in this backline currently and Burgess was never going to start over Eastmond in a game of this importance). Lenister need to be ready defensively from the start Bath don't generally settle into game before playing with the ball they pretty much will be looking unleash the back-line from their first ruck onwards.

Is Lenister fans think they'll dominate this Bath pack I suggest they watch the away Toulouse game. They rarely get dominated and usually produce a very good platform for the Bath backs they have a very strong scrum as well (line-out can be prone to mistakes). However I don't think that will be lost on the Lenister coaches.

Won't be watching live but very look forward to watching it.

 

[lucky number 7]

Leinster are ****e.
Matt O'Connor is ****e.

I just hope bath are ****e too.

 

[Every Time Ref]

It's great to have the internationals back but I wonder how much impact the last few weeks of poor performances will have on the team. On paper we're back to the team that was making headlines pre-6N ... but will the psychological battering the team has taken (and not a team really used to being at the top table, remember) still hold them back? I suspect it will, although a lot will depend on the start. If we explode out the blocks, we could shellshock anyone like we did Toulouse, if not, we do have a bit of a habit of losing big, tight games, especially away.

I'll be in the Aviva drunk and convinced we're going to win in style, right now with a cool head I think Leinster are favourites although not by a huge amount. Agree that our pack are not going to get blitzed off the park though - we're not a power team but we haven't got smashed by many, and that pack has had some bloody good days at scrum time this season.

 

[Leonormous Boozer]

Te'o, O'Brien and Heaslip will jip everywhere and Fitz will be more than happy to finish off their good work.

 

[yaboyjj]

I think the scrum could be a real issue for Bath with both 1st and 2nd choice out, I think a fresh O'Brien and Healey could also spell problems.
I hope the Bath backline gets some good quality ball to play some exciting rugby.

 

[TRF_Olyy]

Lahiff was a poor scrummager as a loosehead, can only imagine what's gonna happen if he comes on at 3!

 

[awardy94]

Good start from both sides, could see some good attacking rugby today.

 

[TRF_Olyy]

Matt "offload" Banahan


Someone really needs to take him to one side and tell him to stop believing Stuart Barnes, and that he's really not that great at offloads.

 

[awardy94]

Take a bow George Ford.

 

[lynam1104]

Great try from Ford, Leinster slipping off tackles like its going out of fashion.

 

[91jmay]

George Ford is some talent, but we need him to improve that kicking. So excited about his future though.

 

[awardy94]

He's improving on that front, given some quality kicking coaching you're right he could be some player.

 

[goodNumber10]

Kearny, milking that...

And poor by Heaslip asking for a red...

 

[91jmay]

Heslip trying to get Watson sent off is pathetic there. Glad BOD condemned him.

 

[TRF_Olyy]

How do you nominate actors for Academy Awards because Kearney's gone absolutely mental there.

Also Heaslip needs a slap in the face crying to the referee for a red for that. It's not even a yellow, in a sane man's world!