Treviso vs Leinster Sat 2pm Teams/Discussion

First topic message reminder :

Right guys,

League action re-commences after a pretty solid HCup opening for us.
Smal has come out and said that the Irish player welfare prog will have an impact on this game, but at the same time Treviso have made huge improvements this year, will we get another shock like last year?

We didn't even get a LBP last year in Treviso if my memory serves me well. I think it is safe to say that certain players who played the last 3 games and were on RWC duty will be rested, I am thinking of Sexton, Kearney, Darcy, Ross and maybe Cullen. Fitzgerald has also played in every game so far this season will he be rested?

What are your thoughts on the opposition?
Do you think we can get out with a win?
What will our team look like?
Areas we should exploit against them or areas where we may be exploited?

All your thoughts on the game, lay them bare!

Leinster team:
15: Luke Fitzgerald
14: Fergus McFadden
13: Eoin O'Malley
12: Gordon D'Arcy
11: Fionn Carr
10: Ian Madigan
9: Eoin Reddan

1: Cian Healy
2: Sean Cronin
3: Jamie Hagan
4: Damian Browne
5: Devin Toner
6: Rhys Ruddock
7: Shane Jennings CAPTAIN
8: Leo Auva'a

REPLACEMENTS:
16: Aaron Dundon
17: Jack McGrath
18: Nathan White
19: Kevin McLaughlin
20: Jamie Heaslip
21: Isaac Boss
22: Noel Reid
23: Brendan Macken


BENETTON TREVISO:
15: Luke McLean
14: Benjamin De Jager
13: Tommaso Benvenuti
12: Alberto Sgarbi
11: Brendan Williams
10: Kristopher Burton
9: Tobias Botes

1: Michele Rizzo
2: Enrico Ceccato
3: Lorenzo Cittadini
4: Antonio Pavanello CAPTAIN
5: Valerio Bernabò
6: Paul Derbyshire
7: Alessandro Zanni
8: Robert Barbieri

roddersm wrote:

thebandwagonsociety wrote:At some stage in the next 4-5 years, coaches are going to spot that all centres are big straight line runners looking for contact and crash ball lines. .

Thats just it Rory they aren't. They are big powerful clever players who can run into space or take contact when that is the best option. They know when to offload and when to recycle. The day for one dimensional crash ball centres is over but inside centres more than ever need the size to power over the gainline and win the contact.

The big difference now is that defences have to stand deeper due to the law changes meaning the best way over the gainline is the 12 channel as opposed to out wide. SBW, Nonu and Roberts are the perfect inside centres in the modern game. For a smaller player to excel in that role now they have to be exceptional.

Eddies O'Sullivan wrote a really good article about it a while back.

+1
Completely agree with this

roddersm wrote:

thebandwagonsociety wrote:At some stage in the next 4-5 years, coaches are going to spot that all centres are big straight line runners looking for contact and crash ball lines. .

Thats just it Rory they aren't. They are big powerful clever players who can run into space or take contact when that is the best option. They know when to offload and when to recycle. The day for one dimensional crash ball centres is over but inside centres more than ever need the size to power over the gainline and win the contact.

The big difference now is that defences have to stand deeper due to the law changes meaning the best way over the gainline is the 12 channel as opposed to out wide. SBW, Nonu and Roberts are the perfect inside centres in the modern game. For a smaller player to excel in that role now they have to be exceptional.

Eddies O'Sullivan wrote a really good article about it a while back.

I didn't say that bro wrong quote!

Also I am not sure about SBW yet, I don't think he is as good as Nonu. I think Nonu is the exception, he is big and physical but his main attribute is his distribution and ability to open up defences with his runs, then get the ball out quickly and effectively. Roberts is pretty one dimensional as a player, but very very good at it. He is a rare type of centre. To me the best inside centres must be clever playmakers who can break the gainline and distribute the ball effectively. Nonu fits the bill perfectly. I don't think they need to be big, but strong.

Yeah sorry rory! Realised that earlier!