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Heineken Cup Final: Northampton Saints - Leinster

Heineken Cup Final

  • Northampton Saints

    Votes: 13 30.2%
  • Leinster

    Votes: 30 69.8%

  • Total voters
    43
  • Poll closed .
The atmosphere seemed to be brilliant with both sets of fans having moments to shout about. I think the Leinster fans in the stadium were great. They stuck with their team and really gave them some support when they needed it.
 
The game wouldn't be on there anyway - was last night, but that site only has live games, no repeats of previous ones
Best bet is to download it when it's uploaded later in the week
 
Could somebody PM a site where I cold do that? Would love to have that on my computer.
 
If anyone posts any links or information to illegal downloads on TRF they will be banned. And we shall be forwarding the bill for any legal fees incurred upon us too.
 
Well that was fun wasnt it.

Have to say I sympathise with the Saints fans, both those that were there and those that couldnt make it. If their high to low was as powerful as our low to high then it was some come down to deal with. I spoke with quite a few after the match and the grace with which they took that defeat was pretty special.

As for the game itself I couldnt believe how we fell behind, and at half time I (along with everyone associated with Leinster) thought we were done. I just wanted them to hold the ball, work it through more then two phases and hopefully score within 10 minutes of the second half. What happened was one of the best highs Ive had. An unbelievable experience.
 
another good bit was when cullen was talking with the ref
"He's standing up and then he just keeps ****ing pushing"
 
Just coming to terms with it now. I had that feeling at half time that Leinster were going to mount a comeback, but I never imagined that it would be as epic as it was. I think crucially we didn't have any possession whatsoever for the first 10 minutes after the half - if we had and managed to get settled down, I think things would've been much tighter. But all credit to Leinster for not letting us...after all, their current side is one of the best that I've seen in the 12 years that I've been watching HC rugby.

Fortunately for us, our side isn't at its peak. I think the main core of the team will remain intact (Mooj may go back to SA, but with Mercey, Doran-Jones and Waller on the payroll for next season, that may not be a massive issue) and I was really impressed with Calum Clark - whilst he could never replace Wood, he definitely changed my opinion of him this match. I'm still not sure what we should do about our 10-12-13 though and I can't help but think that we need one true playmaker in one of those spots - whilst we're great when we're on the front foot, we just don't have that ability to make something out of nothing (apart from on the counter or if Geraghty feels like it). It's difficult to decide who I'd replace out of Myler/Downey/Clarke considering they've all played very well for us. For me, I think I'd take Downey out first although we don't really have anyone to replace him...there really is a distinct lack of quality 12s in the Prem at the moment (even Banahan can look good at 12 at the moment which is worrying).
 
Thing Saints have to do is build a squad. They have a superb team but an OK squad and this was shown during 6 Nations period when they were loosing alot. They simply just ran out of steam a bit.
 
Just coming to terms with it now. I had that feeling at half time that Leinster were going to mount a comeback, but I never imagined that it would be as epic as it was. I think crucially we didn't have any possession whatsoever for the first 10 minutes after the half - if we had and managed to get settled down, I think things would've been much tighter. But all credit to Leinster for not letting us...after all, their current side is one of the best that I've seen in the 12 years that I've been watching HC rugby.

Fortunately for us, our side isn't at its peak. I think the main core of the team will remain intact (Mooj may go back to SA, but with Mercey, Doran-Jones and Waller on the payroll for next season, that may not be a massive issue) and I was really impressed with Calum Clark - whilst he could never replace Wood, he definitely changed my opinion of him this match. I'm still not sure what we should do about our 10-12-13 though and I can't help but think that we need one true playmaker in one of those spots - whilst we're great when we're on the front foot, we just don't have that ability to make something out of nothing (apart from on the counter or if Geraghty feels like it). It's difficult to decide who I'd replace out of Myler/Downey/Clarke considering they've all played very well for us. For me, I think I'd take Downey out first although we don't really have anyone to replace him...there really is a distinct lack of quality 12s in the Prem at the moment (even Banahan can look good at 12 at the moment which is worrying).


Yep Saints certainly aren't the finished article. Depth is obviously one thing, but a 9-10-12-13 axis of Dickson, Myler, Downey and Clarke is not good enough, especially when you've got only Geraghty and Ansboro to replace them with. None of those players would get in the Leinster team. If Clarke is a vital cog in that side, and Myler's a half-decent player, then they really need to get a scrum-half who'll keep the back row honest all day and a 12 with a better footballing brain than Downey.
 
I loved this game!!! I think that Saints next year will have a bit extra if Lamb florishes and Pisi performs. As long as they don't lose anyone major, and Mallinder takes a leaf from Saracens book rotating his squat throughout the year, they should get into semi final/final spots and have a solid bench and good players.

I think Saints problem over the last two seasons is as well as not having much depth, either the best team is played every game or the 2nd team (e.g. no england players) is played. If Northampton rotated the bench players around throughout the regular squad, their players wouldn't be exhausted by the end of the season and they'd have a much stronger team.

Leinster's comeback must have been heartbreaking for Northampton fans, but I guess all that Leinster class and experience showed in the end.

Geraghty and Ansboro are both moving on next season anyway, hopefully their replacements will get more gametime than they did!
 
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Luke Fitzgerald=GENT:
 
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Sexton never struck me as a leader really but with a man like Bod giving him such high praise he really must have it.
Yeah, surprised to see him taking charge in the huddles in second half. And he was very modest about it afterward when TV interviewer told him what BOD said.

So looks like himself and ref-didn't-see-me-block Heaslip are developing plenty of leadership and cunning. Should do nicely for the RWC.
 
Yeah, surprised to see him taking charge in the huddles in second half. And he was very modest about it afterward when TV interviewer told him what BOD said.

So looks like himself and ref-didn't-see-me-block Heaslip are developing plenty of leadership and cunning. Should do nicely for the RWC.

If I were a Saints fan I'd have been so annoyed about that... but god, he just did it so perfectly. He's just class
 

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