Bath vs Leinster DOUBLE HEADER Teams/Discussion

First topic message reminder :

USING THIS THREAD FOR BOTH GAMES

So Bath went down with a huge fight last week and really put the game to a slightly misfiring Leinster "away" side. Huge performances from Louw and Caldwell in particular and the boot of Barkley giving Bath a lot to cheer about considering the doom and gloom that was felt before the game.

Leinster had a few chances to put the game beyond Bath but didn't take some opportunities they should have. Sexton put in a huge shift which steadied the ship big time, displaying great defence and game management while SOB put in some big carries and great steals.

The game ended 13-18 to Leinster, leaving the pool still somewhat open.

The return game is this Saturday in Lansdowne Rd. Bath fans are expecting the same team out as the injury situation doesn't seem to have changed where as Leinster fans are expecting their "home" team to take the field, introducing the likes of Healy, Toner, Jennings, reddan and O'Malley from the off.

How will the game go?
What are your team perdictions?
What are the vital areas between the teams?
What tactical plans need to be in place for each team?
Will this thread survive without another ROG vs Sexton cat fight?
Score predictions?

Yeah stag he's forced his way back in. He can be error prone at times and not the most physical player but he can be sensational in attack.

He's way behind Kearney and Jones but imo he's worth a wolfhounds cap to keep him available to Ireland.

I agree that he will be in the main squad Rory but I'd rather not have such quick lines drawn.

I'd like to see him get a shot at 12 for the Wolfies as firstly I think that it would be good to see him feature there ahead of the 6 Nations and also the other options are far less desireable.

Peter O'Mahony will in all likelihood be in the main 6 Nations squad. However I'd like to see him play that match. Same with the likes of Hagan.

Ian Madigan is the highest try scoring out half in European professional rugby this season.

Just saying.

red_stag wrote:I agree that he will be in the main squad Rory but I'd rather not have such quick lines drawn.

I'd like to see him get a shot at 12 for the Wolfies as firstly I think that it would be good to see him feature there ahead of the 6 Nations and also the other options are far less desireable.

Peter O'Mahony will in all likelihood be in the main 6 Nations squad. However I'd like to see him play that match. Same with the likes of Hagan.

I'm not saying I rate McFadden highly or anything, but I mean he was part of the RWC squad and has been solid for Leinster, so there is no reason he wouldn't be in the main squad.

So is that wolfhounds match before the six nations?

That a very good point Mick about Madigan.....its a bit of a bollix though that we have IHumph and O'Connor playing 1st team HEC rugby, and at times playing very well to be fair, but there are two potentially better 10's in Keatley and Madigan twiddling their thumbs during the big games.....thats definitely a flaw in the set up

Mick I had actually forgotton about Madigan. No qualms from me if he started that match.

Rodders - the Wolfhounds game is Jan 28th which is the week before Ireland take on Wales. I think its a good chance for a few Senior players to get into the speed of things such as McFadden at 12.

Then there is the likes of Hanrahan and Jackson floating about in the background.. we are certainly set for 10s for the next wee while! Hopefully some will grow and swap to second row!

The only thing draw back for Madigan is his goal kicking, it’s not bad, in fact it could be quite good and he has a huge range but he doesn’t consistently kick for Leinster. Even when he scored his try at the weekend Nacewa stood up to convert it.

Can we move on please.

Us Bath fans will be having nightmares for the rest of the season without this thread rolling on and on.

Merry Xmas my Leinster Friends

HERSH take yer oil sir!

Stag I would take the view that the last thing you'd be doing is risking senior squad players for the wolfhounds a week out from the 6N.

Anyone in the wolfhounds will be on the periphery of the senior squad and with BOD out McFadden will be important come the 6N, regardless of how much gametime he gets.

Hersh, can Bath make the playoffs do you think in the Premiership or is the a HEC spot a more realistic aim?

I was actually impressed how they fronted up against Leinster in the Rec and I think that (on paper at least) a Stephen Donald, Olly Barkley, Dan Hipkiss, Banahan, Abendnon etc backline is seriously good quality.

Although your pack is really shoite, Francois Louw impressed me in Bath a few weeks ago against Leinster.

I actually was very impressed with Bath. They were very exciting with the ball in hand and their skill levels were very high.

I thought the gameplan at the Aviva was very naive though. They were never going to outplay Leinster expansively on their own turf and they played right into Leinsters hands.

red_stag wrote:Jones is still injured. D'Arcy seems to have fallen well out of favour behind Terblanche and even Danielli.

I think Keatley has got a lot of game time just not in the HEC which to me is fair enough considering how ROG has performed for us. Humphreys is playing very poorly this season.

In relation to Duffy without wanting to antagonise anyone I think only a overexcited halfwit donkey would deny somebody who is performing well a place because he is 30

Ouch

Asbo when I say over excited halfwit donkey Im not specifically referring to the Scots.

Red Bath always start the season slow only to make up ground once the 6 nations, but in all honestly the HC hasn't been our bag since we won it, we'll make it we rarely don't and I expect us to win it within two years.

Fair play. Personally I think your not far off a good team and I had backed you to beat Leinster in the Rec.

I think if you guys bulked up your front five a little bit and made them more competitive it would result in a huge change of results as your backs are good they just quantity or quality of possession needed to really punish teams.

HERSH wrote:Red Bath always start the season slow only to make up ground once the 6 nations, but in all honestly the HC hasn't been our bag since we won it, we'll make it we rarely don't and I expect us to win it within two years.

Good to see us back on topic again!

Mickado wrote:Ian Madigan is the highest try scoring out half in European professional rugby this season.

Just saying.

I hope Sin É isnt around as he will accuse me of being a traitor..but I would like to see Madigan in the main 6ns squad instead of you know who. I think Madigan is going to take over from sexton sooner rather than later, he is a great prospect...

Also POM should make the main squad, definitely ahead of Leamy, as was shown last weekend when we missed him badly.

DOD wrote:

Mickado wrote:Ian Madigan is the highest try scoring out half in European professional rugby this season.

Just saying.

I hope Sin É isnt around as he will accuse me of being a traitor..but I would like to see Madigan in the main 6ns squad instead of you know who. I think Madigan is going to take over from sexton sooner rather than later, he is a great prospect...

Also POM should make the main squad, definitely ahead of Leamy, as was shown last weekend when we missed him badly.

Actually agree with you. Madigan looks to be the real deal - there is some about him - very cool/confident. I understand now why Sexton only got a 2 year deal with Leinster & Ireland.

I'd be more than happy if all the Munster squad missed the 6Ns. We can't deal with any more injuries in Ireland's cause this year!

Madigan would get the backs moving at least I guess.

He has got a lot more gametime than Keatly realistically but Keatly may still get the nod.

red_stag wrote:Fair play. Personally I think your not far off a good team and I had backed you to beat Leinster in the Rec.

Pretty sure you have backed Leinster to lose all their away games so far. Wishful thinking?

They've only played 2 away games. I truly felt that Bath would produce a stunning display and beat them in the Rec. I dont remember backing Montpellier to win (though Leinster did only salvage a draw in last minute).

I sat in the Rec dressed in Blue and cheered on your team. I have no ill towards Leinster at all.

Quarters will be:

Leinster v ulster
Munster v Quins
Saracens v Clermont
Toulouse v Edinburgh


What are the chances?

red_stag wrote:They've only played 2 away games. I truly felt that Bath would produce a stunning display and beat them in the Rec. I dont remember backing Montpellier to win (though Leinster did only salvage a draw in last minute).

I sat in the Rec dressed in Blue and cheered on your team. I have no ill towards Leinster at all.

Bath were wearing blue Leinster wearing White. I see what you did there.

I think your 4 home quarter finalists are spot on.

Pool 2 is very hard to call and you'd have to fancy Ulster and Quins to make it now really. Scarlets have a chance too.

leinsterbaby wrote:Bath were wearing blue Leinster wearing White. I see what you did there.

Grand. I supported Leinster with my Dublin pals. They came to Parc y Scarlets and cheered on Munster.

Semis

Toulouse v Munster
Saracens/Clermont v Leinster

Final

Leinster v Toulouse

Wouldn't that be good?

red_stag wrote:

leinsterbaby wrote:Bath were wearing blue Leinster wearing White. I see what you did there.

Grand. I supported Leinster with my Dublin pals. They came to Parc y Scarlets and cheered on Munster.

I'm only messing with you.

leinsterbaby wrote:Semis

Toulouse v Munster
Saracens/Clermont v Leinster

If Leinster are 1st seed and Munster are 2nd seed then surely they can't be "away" in the semi finals.

Wheres the final this year?

leinsterbaby wrote:

red_stag wrote:

leinsterbaby wrote:Bath were wearing blue Leinster wearing White. I see what you did there.

Grand. I supported Leinster with my Dublin pals. They came to Parc y Scarlets and cheered on Munster.

I'm only messing with you.

Nay bother, sarcasm is hard to get online

There are some serious tw@ts who support the provinces though.

Golden wrote:Wheres the final this year?

Twickenham

Ah right so a nice home game if an Irish side makes it

Home advantage in the semi final has nothing to do with seeding. It's the luck of the draw.

Next year is the Holy Grail of HEC Finals . . . .Lansdowne Road!!!!

Though it'll probably be another all French final knowing our luck.

leinsterbaby wrote:Quarters will be:

Leinster v ulster
Munster v Quins
Saracens v Clermont
Toulouse v Edinburgh


What are the chances?

That would be awesome....it would be a shame to see Leinster go out in the quarters but hey ho you can't make an omlette without breaking some eggs...

I would rather not play ulster as I'd like to see them get the semis. I do think they will make it to the knockouts though then who knows.

They'll be away from home if they get through. How will they do away to Saracens, Toulouse, Clermont or the other provinces.

leinsterbaby wrote:Quarters will be:

Leinster v ulster
Munster v Quins
Saracens v Clermont
Toulouse v Edinburgh


What are the chances?

You'd have to say Leinster and Tolouse would go though to the semi's if that were to be the 1/4 final lineup.

Munster Quins could go either way though, if Quins get parity up front you'd have to fancy them but beating Munster in Thomond is like trying to hit the devil with snowballs in hell! Granted Quins did it last year! Was quite the snowball!

Saracens vs Clermont I feel would be too tight to call. I think Clermont are by far the better team but with home advantage and with how shaky some of the key men in Clermont can be (James, Skrela) Saracens could win that one!

Semi's are done by a draw in terms of home and away so it is literally luck of the dice

You'd have to imagine that Munster would be incredibly fired up if they met Quins again in Thomond.

red_stag wrote:You'd have to imagine that Munster would be incredibly fired up if they met Quins again in Thomond.

Yeah they really would, you could say that Quinns would have much more belief though as well.
You'd think Munster experience would be able to stranggle Quins' pack and deprive their backs of ball, but if they managed to get ball the Quins backs are lethal

red_stag wrote:They'll be away from home if they get through. How will they do away to Saracens, Toulouse, Clermont or the other provinces.

Yeah we'd be up against it no matter who we get. I'd like to play Leinster actually if only for the fact that I'd head down and it would be a fantastic occaision. Saracens might be the easiest draw.

If we can just get out of this group, which is far from certain then that would be a great achievement for us.

red_stag wrote:

leinsterbaby wrote:

red_stag wrote:

leinsterbaby wrote:Bath were wearing blue Leinster wearing White. I see what you did there.

Grand. I supported Leinster with my Dublin pals. They came to Parc y Scarlets and cheered on Munster.

I'm only messing with you.

Nay bother, sarcasm is hard to get online

There are some serious tw@ts who support the provinces though.

Spose it is. I never use smiley faces. Just can't bring myself to do it.

I support Ireland above all. Leinster comes second.

DOD wrote:

Mickado wrote:Ian Madigan is the highest try scoring out half in European professional rugby this season.

Just saying.

I hope Sin É isnt around as he will accuse me of being a traitor..but I would like to see Madigan in the main 6ns squad instead of you know who. I think Madigan is going to take over from sexton sooner rather than later, he is a great prospect...

Also POM should make the main squad, definitely ahead of Leamy, as was shown last weekend when we missed him badly.

Just love the DOD and Sin Show. Sexton is the best FH in the NH and is getting even better game-on-game . I know it hurts lads but... get real.

The only reason we got Sexton for another 2 years is because he was being hunted down by all the top French sides. He wanted another HC with his province. And we won it on his back. He may even get another one soon. Playing there would hone him even more. He will spend some time in France after this contract imo, and finish his career with Leinster. Best Irish player by far. So much nonsense spoken about him by certain Munster fans.

Madigan is great backup, but he has a long way to go to replace JS.

Just ask the top French, English and Irish teams he has put to the sword.

Sexton and ROG are just as good as each other, but in different ways. ROG is on a downward ark towards the end of his career and Sexton is approaching his peak. Next season ROG will be a committed club player and Sexton will be first choice for Ireland.

Gibson I really think Madigan is going to make the breakthrough soon. He reminds me of Paul Deans in how he can sniff out opportunities and in his distribution. Sexton always looks like a fallback.

Awwww get redstag and leinsterbaby...can you feel the love or what

What's a fallback? Madigan is alright but can't see him hitting the same heights as sexton. He has his work cut out.

He is immediatly hamstrung because he isn't a great goalkicker. That automatically puts him at a huge disadvantage.

his distribution and vision is excellent though