Pro12 Semi Number 2 Leinster v Glasgow

I would go with the 23 that will take the field in the HC final the following week. (below)

Perhaps swap a few guys around. But we want to A/Win and B/Get the systems in place for the following week.

If we do get a lead going then think about getting people off for the following week. But it is a knockout game against a side that have beaten us in the RDS this year. So I am not expecting anything but a tough game from Glasgow. They have no other distractions and will be well focused on the job.

Resting players? Madness at this point in the season (unless they are injured) If we rest players for this, everyone will get a rest in the Pro12 final when we watch Glasgow travel to the Liberty.

Rule 1 in a knockout game. Win.

Rule 2. There is no rule 2.

Healy
Strauss
Ross
Cullen
Thorn
McLaughlin
O'Brien
Heaslip

Redan
Sexton
McFadden
D'Arcy
O'Driscoll
Nacewa
R Kearney

Cronin
Van Der Merwe
White
Toner
Jennings
Boss
Madigan
D Kearney

would you play the same team the week after?

Maybe Jennings in at 7?

Think I would play Vdm, Toner and Boss for Healy thorn and Reddan then reverse it for the HC

Absolutely.

Whatever team Joe picks is the right one.

You would have mcfadden on the wing instead of kearney jr ?

Fo Sho! 2 great players. Great headache to have. Kearney minor has come a long way in the last year, but Ferg is still ahead of him for me. Even on the wing.
11 to 14 Ferg. Have seen Kearney play 11 13 14 and 15.
Would put Dave ahead at 15 only.

Hmm its a tough call alright. I would have kearney jr starting but it really doesnt matter because both are great players. When did u see kearney jr play 13 ? Was he any good?

LeinsterFan4life wrote:Hmm its a tough call alright. I would have kearney jr starting but it really doesnt matter because both are great players. When did u see kearney jr play 13 ? Was he any good?

Finished a few pro12/Magners games there due to injury.

Are any of you guys going? im sitting in the stand behind the try line

VDM – Cronin – White
Toner – Thorn
McLaughlin – Heaslip – Jennings
Reddan – Sexton
Nacewa – Darcy – O’Driscoll – McFadden
R.Kearney

Strauss – Healy – Ross – Cullen – O’Brien – Boss – Madigan – D.Kearney

The bench will frighten the sh1te out of Glasgow to the extent that we’ll have the game won without making 1 substitution.

Mickado wrote:VDM – Cronin – White
Toner – Thorn
McLaughlin – Heaslip – Jennings
Reddan – Sexton
Nacewa – Darcy – O’Driscoll – McFadden
R.Kearney

Strauss – Healy – Ross – Cullen – O’Brien – Boss – Madigan – D.Kearney

The bench will frighten the sh1te out of Glasgow to the extent that we’ll have the game won without making 1 substitution.

Nobody biting then...?

Ah well.

That's still the team i'd put out, but if the one that Joe picked was different from 1 to 15 i could have no complaints. He knows what he's up to.

LeinsterFan4life wrote:Are any of you guys going? im sitting in the stand behind the try line

All 4 stands have seats that are behind the try line.

Yes I will be there. Have me 25% off seats booked.

Mickado wrote:VDM – Cronin – White
Toner – Thorn
McLaughlin – Heaslip – Jennings
Reddan – Sexton
Nacewa – Darcy – O’Driscoll – McFadden
R.Kearney

Strauss – Healy – Ross – Cullen – O’Brien – Boss – Madigan – D.Kearney

The bench will frighten the sh1te out of Glasgow to the extent that we’ll have the game won without making 1 substitution.

I think Joe will go the other way, Have all the HC starters on first and start to haul them off if we are ahead after an hour.

I’d really like to see Thorn and Toner start together. Especially with Gray starting for them and our lineout not firing well last week.

I'd really like to see Gray in a Leinster jersey. But he's going to Sale.

Feckless Rogue wrote:I'd really like to see Gray in a Leinster jersey. But he's going to Sale.

We’ve (you and me specifically) got to stop saying that. It’s a real pisser because we have to bring someone in next year and the easiest way to describe who we need to sign is to say “someone like Richie Gray”.

Still, not going to happen so let’s not torment ourselves.

I presume we’re going to make another signing there, we got Tom Denton from Leeds but it seems he would be replacing Browne (who hasn’t gotten a contract extension). We’re probably going to need a NIQ, but I don’t know who’s available. A Nacewa like (pretty unknown before he arrives, then Jaysus incarnate when he gets here) signing would be most welcome.

Any chance of Leinster retaining Thorn??

rodders wrote:Any chance of Leinster retaining Thorn??

Nah, he's still in contract with Sanix Blues (i think i use that in the shower by the way...).

Would be good to hang on to him, he hasn't lost it. At all.

It seems a bit silly that the IRFU wouldn't let us re-sign Hines because he wasn't Irish. Then we had to get Thorn on a short term contract, now you reckon we'll be getting another NIQ player. Why couldn't we just keep Hines in that case? He wanted to stay. Joe wanted to keep him.

I guess we'll have more similar incidents with the new IRFU rules coming in. But in the long run they're right to want provincial squads full of IQ players. Maybe we'll sign an uncapped foreign lock again. Hopefully it'll work out better than Sykes.

To be fair to Toner he has really improved far more than any of us expected. Hopefully the rate of improvement will continue next year.

If I were yous I'd be hiding Brad Thorns passport.....

It’s the same (stupid IMO) reason Ulster couldn’t re-sign Wannenburg or Munster couldn’t re-sign Warwick.

I see Thornley has another article about it this morning. He reckons Isa should get another 2 year extension and be allowed finish his career here. that would be great, but they won’t allow it.

Hines was offered a year but got 2 at clermont. probably better money too. we signed sykes. who brad has replaced.

the issue is foreign players over 30.

If we could lure brad from sanix, i would say the irfu could be talked into a 1 year.

Not sure we could match the money in Japan though.

Right you Glasgow boys give them a good kicking so they are suitably battered and bruised before next weekend

Just like the favour youse did northampton last year?

We still won though.

Is it a good thing or a bad thing though?

Depends on the spin you put on it I guess....

It could be a good work out before a tough match, or, a grueling, tiring contest which will knock the stuffing out of us....

Not sure which one to believe..

At this stage of the season, I am leaning towards the latter..

Advantage Ulster, bigtime.

Ulster by 10.

Ulster have quality all over the park.

Ulster by 11.

Too excited. No more posting for me. Back to rattling the bushes.... scuttle scuttle...











Ulster by 12..

Tom Ryder certainly weighed in v Connought !

Mickado wrote:

Feckless Rogue wrote:I'd really like to see Gray in a Leinster jersey. But he's going to Sale.

We’ve (you and me specifically) got to stop saying that. It’s a real pisser because we have to bring someone in next year and the easiest way to describe who we need to sign is to say “someone like Richie Gray”.

Still, not going to happen so let’s not torment ourselves.

Richie's little (i.e. only 6'6'' at the moment, but he's only 18 so plenty of growing time left) brother Jonny has just been awarded the MacPhail Scholarship and will spend 18 weeks next year in New Zealand with Canterbury. So there's still plenty of chance for you to sign a Gray. Provided you can convince Glasgow to tear up his elite development contract. Popular wisdom has it that Jonny was always the better player at school.

Referee: George Clancy (IRFU, 47th competition game)
Assistant Referees: John Lacey, Leo Colgan (both IRFU)
Citing Commissioner: Tom McCormack (IRFU)
TMO: Marshall Kilgore (IRFU)

Is it just me or do other posters think 4 Irish officials is a feicing disgrace? Even if they are spot on, the accusations will fly - why open the game up to this? Makes ZERO sense to me

AsLongAsBut100ofUs wrote:Referee: George Clancy (IRFU, 47th competition game)
Assistant Referees: John Lacey, Leo Colgan (both IRFU)
Citing Commissioner: Tom McCormack (IRFU)
TMO: Marshall Kilgore (IRFU)

Is it just me or do other posters think 4 Irish officials is a feicing disgrace? Even if they are spot on, the accusations will fly - why open the game up to this? Makes ZERO sense to me

I agree.

Mickado wrote:

AsLongAsBut100ofUs wrote:Referee: George Clancy (IRFU, 47th competition game)
Assistant Referees: John Lacey, Leo Colgan (both IRFU)
Citing Commissioner: Tom McCormack (IRFU)
TMO: Marshall Kilgore (IRFU)

Is it just me or do other posters think 4 Irish officials is a feicing disgrace? Even if they are spot on, the accusations will fly - why open the game up to this? Makes ZERO sense to me

I agree.

I agree too. It leaves them open to accusations of bias. But in reality I don't think any official would deliberately favour a team out of some patriotic need to get teams from his nation to win. It's a terrible insult to their integrity and professionalism to make that accusation. But I agree that they should have Welsh or Italian officials to avoid the potential for these false accusations. It does make ZERO sense in that regard.

Apart from the nationality issue, Clancy is a total idiot !

Clancy was a very good official 21st... I dont know what has happened to him since the RWC though as he has been very poor in this period.

Billy,

he was poor before that viz the astonishingly bad combo of him and Barnes in Paris (France v Scotland 3 years ago?) when a perfectly good try by Scotland was ruled out by Clancy the Clown !

He has had his off days granted but up to the RWC i thought that Clancy was one of the better refs out there.

Since the RWC he has been very poor though.

BUMP!

Teams are out today.

Gotta be Dave Kearney on the wing, playing for his place.

Would love to see Kearney start alright.

I'd hope to see:

VDM - Cronin - White
Toner - Thorn
Jennings - Heaslip - McLaughlin
Reddan - Sexton
Nacewa - McFadden - BOD - D. Kearney
R. Kearney


It's unlikely though, nobody can guess what Joe's next move is.

GLASGOW WARRIORS TEAM TO PLAY LEINSTER IN THE RABODIRECT PRO12 SEMI-FINAL AT THE RDS ON SATURDAY 12 MAY (KICK-OFF 7.35pm, LIVE ON BBC ALBA)
15 Stuart Hogg
14 Federico Aramburu
13 Alex Dunbar
12 Graeme Morrison
11 DTH van der Merwe
10 Duncan Weir
9 Chris Cusiter
1 Ryan Grant
2 Pat MacArthur
3 Mike Cusack
4 Richie Gray
5 Al Kellock (CAPTAIN)
6 Rob Harley
7 Chris Fusaro
8 John Barclay
SUBSTITUTES
16 Dougie Hall
17 Jon Welsh
18 Moray Low
19 Tom Ryder
20 Henry Pyrgos
21 Johnnie Beattie
22 Ruaridh Jackson
23 Peter Murchie
Not considered for selection due to injury: Rob Dewey (shoulder), Rory Lamont (leg), Fergus Thomson (shoulder), Ryan Wilson (knee).

A winning XXIII if ever I saw one

As - Jon Welsh makes the team of the season and they stick him on the bench. 'sup with that?

I think it's almost a coin toss with the Glasgow props at the moment, real strength in depth there, very little to choose between Grant and Welsh or Low and Cusack - all pretty fearsome scrummagers on current form

Which is why i suggested that we start with VDM and White, arguably (probably) better technical scrummagers than Healy and Ross.

Barclay at 8? I know I haven't watched Glasgow play much this season, but he doesn't usually play there, does he?

AsLongAsBut100ofUs wrote:I think it's almost a coin toss with the Glasgow props at the moment, real strength in depth there, very little to choose between Grant and Welsh or Low and Cusack - all pretty fearsome scrummagers on current form

Say, seeing as we're giving you Sean Lamont back, how's about you give the Scarlets a prop in exchange? Not too much to ask?

rugbydreamer wrote:Barclay at 8? I know I haven't watched Glasgow play much this season, but he doesn't usually play there, does he?

No, he doesn't, but with Wilson injured and Beattie still not flavour of the year/arguably not in form, and with Fusaro playing out of his socks at 7, and plenty of other willing ball carriers around, there's a certain logic to including Barclay at 8 - gives an extra spoiler/fetcher type

rugbydreamer wrote:

AsLongAsBut100ofUs wrote:I think it's almost a coin toss with the Glasgow props at the moment, real strength in depth there, very little to choose between Grant and Welsh or Low and Cusack - all pretty fearsome scrummagers on current form

Say, seeing as we're giving you Sean Lamont back, how's about you give the Scarlets a prop in exchange? Not too much to ask?

Sure ting - Ed Kalman - can't say fairer than that, done deal

AsLongAsBut100ofUs wrote:

rugbydreamer wrote:

AsLongAsBut100ofUs wrote:I think it's almost a coin toss with the Glasgow props at the moment, real strength in depth there, very little to choose between Grant and Welsh or Low and Cusack - all pretty fearsome scrummagers on current form

Say, seeing as we're giving you Sean Lamont back, how's about you give the Scarlets a prop in exchange? Not too much to ask?

Sure ting - Ed Kalman - can't say fairer than that, done deal

Ah but see now, he wasn't one of the four fearsome scrummagers you mentioned!

Barclay at 8

This has been a terrible experiment from day one.

None the less, come on Glasgow!! I hope my Weagie bretheren can do a number on this Leinster outfit, I'm pretty sick of them winning everything.

RuggerRadge2611 wrote:I hope my Weagie bretheren can do a number on this Leinster outfit, I'm pretty sick of them winning everything.

No one likes a team that wins everything. We'll just have to learn to live with that I suppose/hope.

That Glasgow team looks like it will cause us some problems. But we want revenge for the team that broke our 3 year regular season unbeaten run in the RDS.