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Gloucester v Leinster - Pool 2

A

An Tarbh

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Leinster know that a win and a try bp secures them a home quarter final, and now it seems it might actually be a home quarter final as for both provinces the IRFU are considering Donnybrook and Musgrave Park.

Leinster welcome back Brian O'Driscoll, Girvan Dempsey and Gordon D'Arcy appears to have recovered from his groin injury sustained in the win over Edinburgh.
 
Great news on the injuries - I'd read somewhere that Darcy could be a 6N worry, and Dempsey seemed to have dropped off the radar.

Will Kearney get a go with Dempsey back?

The showdown at scrum half will be interesting - two players who like to have a go but often misjudge the play.

Leinster should be comfortable for the bonus, I guess. You never know with the pack - sometimes they time their punches sweetly, sometimes get laid out.

But Gloucester look to be at the same level as this time last season, so the Leinster backs will have plenty possession to score from. And BOD has probably thought up a few new tricks while sitting in the stands.
 
It's a tough call for Cheika with Kearney, given the form he's found recently he wouldn't deserve to be dropped but when it's someone like Dempsey coming back in it's understandable.

I'm glad for Kearney though that he's regained his form, was a bit strange when people began questioning, probably myself at some stage no doubt, but you don't single handedly win your school the Leinster Schools Cup without being a class act.

The future is certainly rosy for Leinster as far as the backs are concerned, when Girv and Fr Jack go we have Kearney and Fitzgerald waiting in the wings.

Big relief though with those injuries.
 
Written off Gloucester then? That's a silly move, especially when they're at Kingsholme. They're a bloody difficult team to beat at home.
 
I wouldn't be writing them off but there's something about playing in England that seems to bring the best out of Leinster, only lost once there in the pool stages.
 
Leinster have named their team for tomorow's match with both Brian O'Driscoll and Girvan Dempsey returning to the starting lineup haivng missed the game against Edinburgh. Brian Blaney is back on the bench but Bernard Jackman continues at hooker.
 
Gloucester were all over Leinster tonight yet they can only win by 6 points when they had that much possession. No point in whingeing from a Leinster point of view even though there's ample ground, the important thing is that we got that penalty at the end and Gloucester's stupidity made it even easier and will more than likely see is avoid Munster in the quarter finals. Against any other team Leinster are in with a serious chance. Just need Castres to get the job done tomorrow.
 
Leinster sure had a chance at the end - the ref sure tacked on a heck of a lot of extra-time, still was exciting to see - surprised gloucester couldn't capitalize on those 30 something phases towards the end, they were lucky to get that try by Foster awarded though - suppose Leinster maybe came off a high after playing all sorts of free flowing rugby against Edinburgh last week, definitely didn't look like that towards the end, still good old forwards battle towards the end plenty of ruck n roll.
 
Fair dues to the Gloucester pack, and the replacements were sweet. Leinster pack got laid out and trampled upon. But there should have been more points on the board in the first 20. Praise for Tindall, but he still didn't break through that midfield. There were three knock-ons (Balshaw twice!) that released the pressure on Leinster. And the chip-and-chase try was veeeeery close - Keogh lacked urgency in getting down, but what do you do when you're that close to the line? Kick it out?

Alarm bells for Leinster. Unlucky not to get another try, maybe two. Conti can be a bit of a clown, but the midfield had hardly any possession, and when they did it was so slow the pressure defence cut out the options. Jackman's throwing is a sackable offence - clean line-out ball is the platform that gives space to the backs to run their lines.

BOD played well - went to the bin to save his team (although Tindall should have had a try from the offence!), came back on and *****ed at the forwards, scored a try and won a few turnovers. Pity he didn't get the team, way back, to engineer a drop-kick against Edinburgh. Never seen Darcy so quiet on the attack - didn't even get the chance to speed up and carry the ball through tackles. Horgan out for a month? From a 6N point of view, the whole thing was nail-biting.

Ref was an attacker's dream/defender's nightmare. Was Richards sent to the bin for cursing at the ref? Anyway, he wasn't great, but better than Whittaker.

Point is for Leinster, their pack is too feeble to lift the HEC. Leicester, Munster, Biarritz will eat them alive. But they'll probably get Llanelli in the quarters, so game on.
 
Couple of things are starting to worry me with Leinster, Cheiks needs to stop taking O'Kelly off in crucial games, did it in Thomond Park and it certainly had an impact, again tonight, he goes off and Gloucester really started taking control.

The Aussie old boy thing really has to stop, Whitaker is too slow and Finegan is a washed up hasbeen.
 
oh for f***s sake leinster

this was a sure win for us, at least in my opinion, come on boys

and tarbh i deffinately agree about MOK, i think he still should be playing in these big games, he's a great player still.
 
oh for f***s sake leinster

this was a sure win for us, at least in my opinion, come on boys
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Gloucester at Kingsholm? Don't think so.


Originally posted by 'An Tarbh'
Finegan is a washed up hasbeen.

I have no idea why Leinster signed him. He was utterly useless at Newcastle last season, they only had to watch one or two of his performances to find that out.
 
It's blatant Randwick old boys crap and it shouldn't have been sanctioned by the Leinster Branch.
 
The Finnegan thing didn't make the difference - the Leinster jumpers only made it to 70% of their ball, and only half of that was clean. The pack is decent at rucks - with the help of 12 & 13 - but they are only at Magners league level for maul/scrum/lineout. Cheika can't do much more with that quality. Where's the D4 money?
 
O'Kelly offers far more for Leinster at rucks and mauls than Finegan, we were doing alright up until he went off, obviously Jackman getting the yips again didn't help either.
 
The Yips? You'd be better off having the crowd throw it in. And MOK hardly challenged their throws. And rucking is first of all about the back row - what does MOK have to do with that on the front line? Get over him - in fact, bring back Leo Cullen. Or just get better players! Disgrace to leave it all up to BOD & Darcy, when they should be carving past Tindall and the other boneheads.
 

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