Leinster vs Montpellier Sat 13:30 Teams/Discussion

Hey all,

No one has put anything up here so thought I would do the honours for when the teams are announced later today.

Looking forward to Hcup action and feel that we have the best chance of the provinces to get a win this weekend in Europe.

Missing the man himself as well as Horgan and Sykes but we have a strong squad. It will be interesting to see if Joe goes for Isa or Rob at 15, I am told there will be a lot of rain and maybe this will influence his decision, also the centre partnership will be interesting. I'd expect Darcy/McFadden but possible Fitz or O'Malley could sneak in there.

Reddan or Boss?

From the point of view of Montpellier, they have Trinh-Duc back and he is a great player and a real threat in how he varies the game. They have their Georgian monster back also and even Seanie was saying what an amazing carrier he was.

Home support is going to be a big thing in the South of France as per usual, no idea how many of the blue army are making the trip.

Prediction? Team predicitions? Worries? Confident boasting? They are all welcome here.

Will put up the teams when they are out.

LEINSTER TEAM
1: Heinke van der Merwe
2: Richardt Strauss
3: Mike Ross
4: Leo Cullen CAPTAIN
5: Damian Browne
6: Kevin McLaughlin
7: Sean O'Brien
8: Jamie Heaslip

REPLACEMENTS:

16; Sean Cronin
17: Jack McGrath
18: Nathan White
19: Devin Toner
20: Shane Jennings
21: Eoin Reddan
22: Ian Madigan
23: Eoin O'Malley

I'm worried. I have watched Montpellier play a good few times and under Galthier they are a very tough proposition. I'd take a 1 point win without a bp. The Georgian dude you refer to is 18 stone and ridiculously mobile. One of the stand out performers at the WC.

They have a tiny budget for a French team €15 approx but have bought some very good cheap players.

I agree baby,
I'd take a win of any sort on this one. It sucks we are playing them in the first round and in France if we were playing them in round 3 or 4 they may already have lost interest.
Yeah he was a stand out player for Georgia, any other good players of theirs you'd recommend watching?

The team I'd play

Healy-Strauss-Ross
Toner-Cullen
SOB-Heaslip-Jennings
Boss-Sexton
Darcy-McFadden
Fitzgerald-Nacewa-Carr

Hagan-VDM-Cronin-McLaughlin-Ruddock-Reddan-Madigan-R.Kearney

Despite the weather prediction I'd play Nacewa as he is good defensively and under the high ball (albeit not Kearney) but his attacking skills from deep could be the difference in us winning or losing this game.

Kearney isn't a winger so I'd play his younger brother or Carr with Rob on the bench and the unfortunate O'Malley dropping out of the 22 even though I was tempted to have him starting with mcF.

Talk Healy has a knock and VDM will start.
Pete - that may well be the team though I would guess the back three will be as per last weekend, Fitz, Kearney, Nacewa. Partic as its an away game and probably wet.
Carr may start home games - doubt he will be pitched into this one.
We will find out soon I guess.

I would take a losing BP here to be honest.

I'd accept a losing BP but I think we can and should win.

You have a point about Carr also. Want to see him getting games however cos I think he could be good.

Hadn't heard that about Healy, hope he is at least in the 23 we rely on his ball carrying a lot, VDM is solid but is just that he doesn't bring the same fire that Healy does.

leinsterbaby wrote:I'm worried. I have watched Montpellier play a good few times and under Galthier they are a very tough proposition. I'd take a 1 point win without a bp. The Georgian dude you refer to is 18 stone and ridiculously mobile. One of the stand out performers at the WC.

They have a tiny budget for a French team €15 approx but have bought some very good cheap players.

That is a tiny budget

Team named; Got the back 3 right. And Healy injured. Only surprise is Browne ahead of Toner.

LEINSTER:

15: Rob Kearney
14: Isa Nacewa
13: Fergus McFadden
12: Gordon D'Arcy
11: Luke Fitzgerald
10: Jonathan Sexton
9: Isaac Boss

1: Heinke van der Merwe
2: Richardt Strauss
3: Mike Ross
4: Leo Cullen CAPTAIN
5: Damian Browne
6: Kevin McLaughlin
7: Sean O'Brien
8: Jamie Heaslip

REPLACEMENTS:

16; Sean Cronin
17: Jack McGrath
18: Nathan White
19: Devin Toner
20: Shane Jennings
21: Eoin Reddan
22: Ian Madigan
23: Eoin O'Malley

Sorry, and McLaughlin ahead of Jennings !!

Few surprises then !

Montpellier had 9 players at the world cup (2 french, 2 Georgian and 5 Argentinian).

They are all back, they reached the top 14 final last year, Galthie is an excellent coach.

It wont be as easy as some people think,

That is a weird team isn't it. I wonder why Jennings didn't get in? He played pretty ok last week. Is it to let another guy (McLaughlin) in who can challenge for lineouts considering Big Dev isn't starting.

Thought Toner or McL would have got in ahead of Browne!

Very strange Mr.Schmidt, very strange indeed, but I trust you

DOD wrote:Montpellier had 9 players at the world cup (2 french, 2 Georgian and 5 Argentinian).

They are all back, they reached the top 14 final last year, Galthie is an excellent coach.

It wont be as easy as some people think,

DOD, not sure if you read this thread, who thinks it will be easy. I don't - as I said I would take a losing BP.

I think considering the team we just named I would take a losing Bonus point also.

Wonder what the thinking behind Toner and Jennings is?

Pete - surprising alright. Its all about physicality I reckon. Browne & McLoughlin add a bit more punch than Jennings & Toner.
Its a pragmatic selection I guess. Does not inspire huge confidence.
All depends how up for this Montpellier are, and the word is they are. Moved to their local soccer stadium to get a bigger crowd in etc.

Yeah that is what the pair of them offer I was thinking too especially without Healy in there.

I think Joe is preparing for a dog fight a good old fashioned wrestling match.
He is going to try and kill the game I think and win this in the pack, by dominating them physically, hopefully doing ok at the set piece and keeping a rock solid defencive line.

He will want the back3 and Sexton to win the kicking game also against probably less tactically astute opposition

pete (buachaill on eirne) wrote:Yeah that is what the pair of them offer I was thinking too especially without Healy in there.

I think Joe is preparing for a dog fight a good old fashioned wrestling match.
He is going to try and kill the game I think and win this in the pack, by dominating them physically, hopefully doing ok at the set piece and keeping a rock solid defencive line.

He will want the back3 and Sexton to win the kicking game also against probably less tactically astute opposition

+1.
Will be one for the purists I suspect.

Not sure why Browne is starting but what we'll lose in the lineout with Toner on the bench we should make up for with Locky in the back row.

Interesting selection.

I was hoping it would be an open game on a dry day, with the team we've picked I hope it buckets and there is a gale.

A lot of how well we do is going to be down to Sexton I feel today more so than usual, hope he hangs up some kicks and aims for corners and does some good old fashioned punch it up the middle rugby.

Killing the crowd early will be important

I agree Mick, and also McL is really good at winning opposition ball in the middle of the lineout and at the tail, we just need to put Cullen at the front to deter them from hitting there too often.

mental team he has put out, however i think we will find out very quickly if browne can replace hines

1.Naama Leleimalefaga - 2.Agustin Creevy - 3.Maximiliano Bustos - 4.Mickael De Marco - 5.Thibaut Privat - 6.Fulgence Ouedraogo (capitaine) - 7.Mamuka Gorgodze - 8.Masi Matadigo - 9.Benoit Paillaugue - 10.François Trinh-Duc - 11.Yoan Audrin - 12.Santiago Fernandez - 13.Geoffrey Doumayrou - 14.Timoci Nagusa - 15.Lucas Amorosino

Les remplaçants :

16.Rassie Van Vuuren - 17.Mikheil Nariashvili - 18.Giorgi Jgenti - 19.Drikus Hancke - 20.Rémy Martin - 21.Julien Tomas - 22.Paul Bosch - 23.Martin Bustos Moyano

Didn't realise they had Quedrago and Nagusa but the rest of their team doesn't look too tough hopefully we will get the better of them in the tight 5. Can't really tell who's bench is stronger/weaker but ours has looked better for sure.

Ouedragoa and Gorgodze in the same backrow is going to take some stopping. Im a fan of Trinh Duc too.

Isaac Boss MOTM. You heard it here 1st

Well Quedrago isn't much of a carrier really he is more of a linking 7, one of the best at linking in europe as he is tracks the ball. I can see him feeding off Gorgodze a lot.

Anyone know what their lineout/scrum is like?
Who is their place kicker?

Look out for Amorosino at 15. He is lightweight, particularly in defence, but give him an inch and he'll be scurrying over the try line in attack. He has the pace and the footwork to really make a team regret any kicks not finding touch.

Pete---have you watched any WC rugby?

Besides the obvious ones mentioned here are some others who might be viewed as a little "tough"

Creevy – Argentinian Hooker…very good and only on subs due to the legend Ledesma
Privat – French international. Part of the ASM pack up until last year…
Fernandez – Played FB, OH for Argentina during the WC. Class player
Amorosino – The wing who scored the last minute try against Scotland.

Yeah know those lads apart from Creevy was hoping there wouldn't be any more big bad badies!

Neutral prediction lads?

Yup, as DOD outlines, these boys are good and mean business.
What better way to announce yourselves than by beating the reigning European champions.
We are not as strong as last yr, and still have early season rustiness about us.
I am not confident.
I do believe we will win our group, but this game is a huge challenge.
On the plus side, Schmidt has a good knowledge of French teams, and we have a good record against them from last yr (bye bye Clermont, Racing & who else...?? Oh yeah - Toulouse!!)

Given the Teams picked, and it being a home game for Montpellier (plus the Galthie factor and BOD missing) I would give it to them. But you never know. Leinster are HC champions and will be looking to put down a marker.

I think Montpellier will claim a win against the Champions.

Losing bonus point for Leinster?

On reflection Browne isn't that odd a selection, he's played in France for years and he's bulkier than Toner. McLaughlin is a fair bit bigger than Jennings too. Looks like we're set up for an armwrestle.

Thats what I reckon Pete.

Sorry wrong thread!

Good point Mick, if that is the case and Leinster are looking to dominate upfront then it is a good call, especially with boss in there, Leinster may be looking to play bully boys

This is the A side also

15: Andrew Conway
14: Darren Hudson
13: Brendan Macken
12: Colm O'Shea
11: Fionn Carr
10: Noel Reid
9: John Cooney

1: Jack O’Connell
2: Aaron Dundon
3: Jamie Hagan
4: Steven Sykes
5: Mark Flanagan
6: Ciaran Ruddock
7: Dominic Ryan CAPTAIN
8: Leo Auva'a

REPLACEMENTS:

16: Tom Sexton
17: Martin Moore
18: Ben Marshall
19: Conor Gilsenan
20: Luke McGrath
21: Cathal Marsh
22: Daniel Riordan

That's a decent A side. This game will be very tough. Leinster's backrow will face a stern test. I'm going to miss the match but the highlights are on TG4 so we'll see it there.

We will win. By at least 8.
It's bread & butter to us now. Need to win and deny them a LBP.

We are Leinster.

Believe.

Just watching this.

Mont's shirts are

Montpellier penalised for a deliberate knock on. Sexytoes gets the chance to equalize.

3 - 3.

Good scrum from Leinster, but unfortunately they don't get the possession. Montpellier just getting over the 22, but thankfully a pass misses the winger and it's out.

Great take by Fitzy, but he couldn't hold Nagusa in a tackle. That man is powerful!

Sexytoes kicks another huge penalty 6 - 3. He's kicking well today.

Good break by Trinh-Duc, but he's brought down by McFadden. It wakes the crowd up - they're suddenly behind their team. Advantage Montpellier...good Leinster defence so far....Mont decent not to go for another DG, and lose possession in the pass.

Fitzy having a good game so far - stops a potential Nagusa try. ...some wonderful offloads from Leinster...Sexytoes takes them down to the five metre line, but the support isn't there. Great play from Leinster so far though.

Superb try by Amorosino under the sticks.

10 - 6.

Cullen penalised for taking a player out in the air. Penalty for Montpellier...

13 - 6

Penalty for Leinster, they go for the corner and are down past the ten metre line...Montpellier defending well though. Some great passing from Leinster again, but the Montpellier defence is solid...Mcfadden goes for the try line, but he's taken down before the line, and Nacewa doesn't quite meet his pass, and it's out.

Looks like a nasty injury on Montpellier's prop. His head met someone's knee just as he was tackling him, but he's OK now and carrying on. Hope he's all right then.

Montpellier scrummaging very well. Putting a lot of pressure on Leinster. Knock forward by Fitzy, but the pass to him was poor to be fair.

Montpellier almost get another try, but they lose possession leaving Leinster scrambling for the ball. Leinster can't afford to be too far behind at HT.

Our scrum needs to improve big time,we're getting killed there and it's hamstringing us in attack and defence.