Round 19

[Leinster Fan]

I know Leinster are playing Treviso, other than that I'm clueless but figured we might as well have a thread.

 

[Leinster Fan]

With the conference won this is a chance for Leinster to mess around with the squad a bit. Hopefully we see at least some of Frawley, Harry Byrne, Vakh Abdaladze (brilliant name), Ronan Kelleher etc. We might even get Henshaw/Toner/Sexton.

Hopefully Deegan gets a chance to prove himself at 7 ahead of Toulouse.

 

[BPM]

Deegan at 7? I thought he was an 8/6?

 

[BobbyM]

Glasgow Ulster the game of the round? And of course behind the premier sports paywall

Glasgow Warriors: S Hogg, T Seymour, K Steyn, S Johnson, N Matawalu; A Hastings, A Price; O Kebble, F Brown, Z Fagerson, R Harley, J Gray, A Ashe, C Fusaro (capt), M Fagerson.

Replacements: G Stewart, J Bhatti, S Halanukonuka, S Cummings, T Tameilau, G Horne, P Horne, R Nairn.

Ulster: M Lowry, R Lyttle, L Marshall, S McCloskey, J Stockdale; B Burns, J Cooney; E O'Sullivan, R Herring, M Moore, A O'Connor (capt), K Treadwell, S Reidy, J Murphy, M Coetzee.

Replacements: J Andrew, A Warwick, T O'Toole, I Nagle, M Rea, D Shanahan, D Cave, A Kernohan.

Strong Glasgow side and a win tonight would also do Edinburgh a big favour. One thing that does bother me though is George Horne on the bench. He'd be far better heading through to Edinburgh (he's a Fife boy so it is closer to home) where he would start ahead of "4 looks before a pass" Pyrgos.

 

[Leinster Fan]

Leinster Rugby (caps in brackets):

15. Barry Daly (34)
14. Fergus McFadden (176)
13. Conor O'Brien (16)
12. Joe Tomane (10)
11. James Lowe (25)
10. Noel Reid (119)
9. Luke McGrath (108) CAPTAIN
1. Jack McGrath (142)
2. James Tracy (88)
3. Andrew Porter (50)
4. Mick Kearney (50)
5. Scott Fardy (39)
6. Josh Murphy (19)
7. Max Deegan (39)
8. Caelan Doris (12)

16. Bryan Byrne (38)
17. Peter Dooley (59)
18. Michael Bent (119)
19. Jack Dunne (3)
20. Scott Penny (4)
21. Hugh O'Sullivan (11)
22. Ciarán Frawley (11)
23. Jimmy O'Brien (6)

I'm very happy with that, maybe Abdaladze ahead of Bent given that it's a nothing game for us and the same with Reid/Frawley but that's a nice team and Cullen/Lancaster know a lot more than me.

Deegan at 7? I thought he was an 8/6?

He's a natural 8 but he's played a bit at flanker (mostly 6, but he played at 7 for a bit during the Six Nations and looked really good), this season to accommodate Doris (last years Ireland U20 captain, who's really talented but is playing his first season) in his preferred position at 8. Long-term he'll definitely be at his best at 8 and I think he'll end up as an Ireland starter there, but he's got the all round game to play 6/7 if needed, which has lead to talk about him maybe playing at 7 against Toulouse with Leavy and Van Der Flier out and SOB horribly out of form.

 

[Tooting Carmen]

Munster-Cardiff close in the first half but the former pulled away due to having a much stronger bench.

 

[munstermuffin]

Munster-Cardiff close in the first half but the former pulled away due to having a much stronger bench.

Much stronger bench but also tightened up defensively.

 

[Leinster Fan]

Josh Murphy is sick, Penny in and Deegan to 6. Ed Byrne on the bench. Excited to see Penny but pity we won't get Deegan at 7.

 

[Leinster Fan]

Nigel doing us no favours.

 

[big ginger 8]

That was a slick move.

 

[Leinster Fan]

26 tackles for Penny, that's insane. Won a key turnover in the 22 as well.

 

[Leinster Fan]

Deegan was excellent again, well positioned to start against Toulouse at this rate.

 

[Tooting Carmen]

I attended the Scarlets-Edinburgh match. It was shocking how the Scarlets imploded in the 2nd half - crap lineout, missed tackles, bullied by Edinburgh's driving maul. Let's just hope they win their last two matches and other results work in their favour so they can reach 4th or even 3rd in Conference B. Also, the ref missed lots of forward passes by both teams today.

Good win for the Ospreys in SA, but it has to be said how much the Cheetahs have deteriorated compared to last season. They were often very inept and undisciplined today - if they'd been facing Leinster, Munster or Glasgow they could've easily conceded fifty points.

 

[Leonormous Boozer]

Owens forcing the better narrative rather than refereeing the game, bin that man right now.

 

[Groundhog]

Didn't see that game but great result for Munster against a team that are usually a pain in the hole for us and we're officially qualified. I think a win against Treviso next week and we'll be hot for Sarries who I'll be in attendance to see us beat in Coventry.
Treviso are a changed side though. Won 10/12 games at home this year (although they lost those two against Irish provinces). Read an article on how much they'e increased their staff from 3 to 25 and gotten new facilities. Their attendances have improved a lot too!

 

[sugary tae]

Didn't see that game but great result for Munster against a team that are usually a pain in the hole for us and we're officially qualified. I think a win against Treviso next week and we'll be hot for Sarries who I'll be in attendance to see us beat in Coventry.
Treviso are a changed side though. Won 10/12 games at home this year (although they lost those two against Irish provinces). Read an article on how much they'e increased their staff from 3 to 25 and gotten new facilities. Their attendances have improved a lot too!

Stolen from another forum but apparently they're expecting a 6k sell out for the benneton Munster game.

 

[munstermuffin]

Stolen from another forum but apparently they're expecting a 6k sell out for the benneton Munster game.

We won't be sending 1st liners. Alot of lads are on hols until Wednesday and we will train over weeknend in a sort of hybrid schedule.

 

[Bluemoon]

Well played Munster. Disappointed after the first half to go down by that many and not get a LBP. Forward power in the last twenty and a solid set piece was the major difference for me. Munster backs got a foothold after that. Good luck in the HC!

Cardiff need to strengthen the forwards as not having Arhip, Nick Williams, Navidi and Ellis is just too much against a team bringing international forwards off the bench in the last twenty. Made a lot of signings in the backs and we are deadly with fast ball... but without a set piece and a platform you can't beat teams like Munster away.

I think Cardiff will nick it in Galway, but the Ospreys forwards might be the difference on judgement day.

 

[sugary tae]

Well played Munster. Disappointed after the first half to go down by that many and not get a LBP. Forward power in the last twenty and a solid set piece was the major difference for me. Munster backs got a foothold after that. Good luck in the HC!

Cardiff need to strengthen the forwards as not having Arhip, Nick Williams, Navidi and Ellis is just too much against a team bringing international forwards off the bench in the last twenty. Made a lot of signings in the backs and we are deadly with fast ball... but without a set piece and a platform you can't beat teams like Munster away.

I think Cardiff will nick it in Galway, but the Ospreys forwards might be the difference on judgement day.

Cardiff are lethal in attack but a few big saffers would do the world of good up front. Williams at 9 could only do so much. A massive pity if there is no welsh involvement in the spiv cup next year. It's not good for the league !!

 

[sugary tae]

We won't be sending 1st liners. Alot of lads are on hols until Wednesday and we will train over weeknend in a sort of hybrid schedule.

We're very vulnerable this week alright. But on the plus side you need to see how some of the young lads are up to pro level.