Glasgow Warriors vs Leinster - game 5, pool 3, Heino

First topic message reminder :

Pos Team Pl W D L Pts
1 Leinster Rugby 4 3 1 0 16
2 Glasgow Warriors4 2 1 1 10
3 Bath Rugby 4 1 0 3 6
4 Montpellier HRC 4 0 2 2 6

Leinster will be keen to ensure a home fixture for the quarters with two wins in the final matches, but Glasgow are first up to stand in their way. Taught a lesson at the RDS, hopefully the Warriors will be keen to exact some revenge at Firhill, with the lure of going thru as a best qualifier for the first time ever to the quarters (or at least ensuring an Amlin Cup QF spot)

KiaRose wrote:Oh and by the way, what follows below should not be construed as an apology for my earlier comments.

I sat down to watch the Leinster match in anticipation of some really good rugby. I KNOW Fir Hill is a difficult place to play in (small pitch etc) and also that Leinster have history of coming to grief there, but ...

I was stll expecting something to cheer about, something to enthuse about. There was very little there. So JS kicked some good position and managed it despite the narrow pitch and amde a lovely run in the first minute or so; Cronin made some good runs (wonder where he learnt his rugby basics? ). I am stting here 36 hours after the game and that's about all I can remember of it.

I will accept that you won, even though you didn't play well, and that is a considerable improvement over the Leinster side of not many years ago where they played cracking rugby but forgot that to advance in a competition you had to win your games, even when you play ugly.

I just remember it being a very dull game. My son came around today to watch the various matches we had recorded over the w/e and I told him not to bother watching this one cause it wasn't worth it.

For the record, I advised the same re the Munster game. He thought Ulster were cracking.

Fair play for watching it back, I missed the game and saw the shortened highlights on ss european rugby special. Those 'highlights' were so poor I just deleted the recording of the full game.

It was definitely a fixture to get through and not a match for highlight reel. Connacht away, Glasgow away, Edinburgh away are all games each year where no matter the comp - Pro12/HC - Leinster struggle and don't get their usual performance onto the field. [I mention Connacht here because while some teams put up numbers on Connacht, when they see a Leinster jersey on their field they produce an extra bit]

Well Kia, I do agree with you that it was a bad game, but I think to say that we were rubbish is doing us a disservice, and doing Glasgow a bigger disservice.

If you sat down expecting to be entertained then it was certainly wide of the mark, but as a neutral then you can demand entertainment from these games, for me and the Leinster posters on here, we saw our lads plug away, play some clever rugby when it mattered, and come away from a “potential banana skin” with all of our limbs and shot to wrap things up with a home game next week. that’s why we’re happy about it, and you aren’t.

In terms of the analysis of who’s played where, what I can see from that is what I already knew, Damien Brown starts only in away games, Boss starts only in away games, VDM started in both but only because Healy was injured (last year he started the 3 away pool games and Healy started the 3 home ones). While minutes on the pitch might not exactly tally and provide a conclusion that we have 2 completely distinct home and away starting XVs there is evidence to suggest that since JS has been in charge we have 2 units of 5 or 6 players that can be deployed depending on the venue. It’s always in evolution and always depending on other variables (injury etc) but in general there is a larger more physical side who play away, and a smaller quicker side that play at home. It’s not a myth, it happens right in front of our eyes.

Mikado is right. Glasgow fans will tell you that sides always come to Glasgow and end up by saying how poorly their side played, and that Glasgow were lucky their side wasn't firing on all cylinders. This is a reoccuring theme. The fact is that Glasgow make life very hard for visiting teams. The fitness of the Glasgow squad is exceptional and the work ethic astonishing. Very much and deliberately modelled on Saracens. There is very few stars in the Glasgow team, and those like Richie Gray are complete work horses. Every breakdown is challenged, every lineout, and since Cuscack's arrival (and Low's return to form), scrums are now competitive as well. Add to that the fact that the Firhill pitch is on the narrow side and you can start to see why even exceptional teams like Leinster can't manage to "play well" against Glasgow.

Look at the Rabo12 table. Glasgow are 4th, above Ulster, Cardiff and the Scarlets - all good teams. That is no fluke, and there are only two better defences in the league.

Mickado wrote:Well Kia, I do agree with you that it was a bad game, but I think to say that we were rubbish is doing us a disservice, and doing Glasgow a bigger disservice.

If you sat down expecting to be entertained then it was certainly wide of the mark, but as a neutral then you can demand entertainment from these games, for me and the Leinster posters on here, we saw our lads plug away, play some clever rugby when it mattered, and come away from a “potential banana skin” with all of our limbs and shot to wrap things up with a home game next week. that’s why we’re happy about it, and you aren’t.

In terms of the analysis of who’s played where, what I can see from that is what I already knew, Damien Brown starts only in away games, Boss starts only in away games, VDM started in both but only because Healy was injured (last year he started the 3 away pool games and Healy started the 3 home ones). While minutes on the pitch might not exactly tally and provide a conclusion that we have 2 completely distinct home and away starting XVs there is evidence to suggest that since JS has been in charge we have 2 units of 5 or 6 players that can be deployed depending on the venue. It’s always in evolution and always depending on other variables (injury etc) but in general there is a larger more physical side who play away, and a smaller quicker side that play at home. It’s not a myth, it happens right in front of our eyes.

Mickado

I think you know that what I consider "entertainment" in rugby is much what many people who are Union fans expect - I love a well-executed rolling maul; I cheered when POC turned the Castres ball over 2m away from the Muinster line - not because it was a Munster player, but for the sheer skill employed; skilfully delivered pick-and-drive is great; a dominant scrum getting the ball over for a try is great. So the entertainment which I am looking for is not solely what our friend Gibbo calls "sekshy rugby". Yes I love it when ANY team does a wonderful passing movement and through skill of passing and good footwork gets a try or relieves their defence.

Perhaps I was spoilt by the Ulster game on Friday. What I saw from all 15 Ulster players (no, all 23) was a desire to get to the ball BEFORE the Tigers' players, whether it was kick-chase or breakdown. They did this very basic thing with much greater enthusiasm than the Tigers' players (surprising when you consider Tigers' modus operandi etc). I did not see this from Leinster. Following many kicks, Glasgow players seem to have an extra half-a-second in which to play the ball; Leinster were not getting quick ball out of the rucks, ok Glasgow slowed it down, but even when it did emerge, Reddan seemed to sit there for an age before passing it out. These are the reasons why I say it was poor (ok I said rubbish) play from Leinster.

This is not about "hiding your hand" and "not showing all your moves" as some posters replying to my original post suggested. This, to a semi-neutral fan - look back in the Dew Drop Inn and you will see that I wished Leinster best of luck - seemed to indicate a team which went into a match fearful of losing (a realistic fear I will admit), somewhat lacking in confidence (and I must ask why?), and because of that fear and lack of confidence retreated into a shell where at times they appeared to have brain freeze.

Leinster were lucky Owens was so accommodating.

Its tough at the very Top.

It is indeed. Be nice to the people you meet on the way up because you are sure to meet them again on the way back down.

I thought it was a great result by Leinster but hey what do I know?...

roddersm wrote:I thought it was a great decent result for Leinster, but hey what do I know?...

That's better.

that

it'd been quite ill.

touch and go.

That or it?

that

it is still quite poorly

Glas a du wrote:It is indeed. Be nice to the people you meet on the way up because you are sure to meet them again on the way back down.

That's actually true. Hope Leinster aren't on the way down just yet though.

Glas a du wrote:It is indeed. Be nice to the people you meet on the way up because you are sure to meet them again on the way back down.

Hope I have that covered Glas, fy ffrind.

Such a true saying. I'll be badly needing ye in 4/5 years so. We'll be easing up by then.

I'm glad we could assist in any small way Gibbo.

I think comparing us to Ulster this week is unfair, they had just played their best game in many many moons.

Isaac Boss provided a match saving tackle, O'Brien made some incredible steals and a great break, Toners defense of our lineout and attack of theirs was something great to watch. The positives were there, at least from my point of veiw. JS said he didn't care how it was won, he was delighted, and that's from a normally VERY picky coach.

Anywho, i'm not going to, or trying to, change your mind. You didn't enjoy the game, fair dos.

Glas a du wrote:It is indeed. Be nice to the people you meet on the way up because you are sure to meet them again on the way back down.

Tell me about it ..... to

You were never nice to anyone on the way up though Blue, that's why I think you're a bollix

BlueMuff wrote:

Glas a du wrote:It is indeed. Be nice to the people you meet on the way up because you are sure to meet them again on the way back down.

Tell me about it ..... to

Munster aren't on the way down are they?......reigning rabo champs, unbeaten in Europe...flip there's no pleasing some people....if that was Ulster there'd be a new public holiday declared!....

Mickado wrote:You were never nice to anyone on the way up though Blue, that's why I think you're a bollix

Biased and Blinkered - Long live the King ROG

Ha, fair play. Should be a nice bit of Irish faction fighting next week.

Man, where would we be without each other to pish off and spur on?
And.. make it taste so much sweeter.