Leinster v Ulster Easter special

First topic message reminder :

It's here at last.

The winner of this one will have one hand and a few fingers on a home semi.

Leinster in decent shape. Missing Bod, Fitz, Redser, Sexto & Ferg from the top 23. Perhaps a week early for Strauss too.

Form is decent too. Can we keep it going?

Ulster have more injuries and less form. A HC quarter the following week. And lest we forget..... (Yes I'm going to use that phrase again)

LAST TIME THEY BEAT LEINSTER OUTSIDE RAVENHILL WAS IN THE SAME MILLENNIUM AS THE BATTLE OF HASTINGS.

Means feck all though. They are a quality side, and well able to give us a shock.....But will they?

LEINSTER:

15: Rob Kearney
14: Dave Kearney
13: Brendan Macken
12: Gordon D'Arcy
11: Isa Nacewa
10: Ian Madigan
9: Isaac Boss

1: Cian Healy
2: Richardt Strauss
3: Mike Ross
4: Devin Toner
5: Quinn Roux
6: Kevin McLaughlin
7: Shane Jennings
8: Jamie Heaslip CAPTAIN

REPLACEMENTS:

16: Sean Cronin
17: Jack McGrath
18: Jamie Hagan
19: Leo Cullen
20: Rhys Ruddock
21: John Cooney
22: Andrew Goodman
23: Andrew Conway

ULSTER
(15-9): J Payne, A Trimble, D Cave, S Olding, C Gilroy, P Jackson, R Pienaar;
(1-8): T Court, R Best, R Lutton, J Muller, D Tuohy, R Diack, C Henry, N Williams;
Replacements (16-23): R Herring, C Black, K McCall, L Stevenson, I Henderson, R Wilson, P Marshall, P Nelson.

Leinster to win this one and deny Ulster a LBP.

Ulster have their eyes on the HC. We need the PRO12 Title this year. Once we beat Ulster & Munster, secure top spot, we can then concentrate on The ShAmlin.

Wasps wont be easy away though.

Gibson wrote:Leinster to win this one and deny Ulster a LBP.

Ulster have their eyes on the HC. We need the PRO12 Title this year. Once we beat Ulster & Munster, secure top spot, we can then concentrate on The ShAmlin.

Wasps wont be easy away though.

Totally agree Gibbo, I expect a bonus point win for your lads. The primary objective for operation Ulster must be to get in and out of the RDS in one piece.... taking some points with us would be nice though.......

I think Ulster will play Payne at 15 and go as near as possible to the starting XV against Saracens

Olding for Marshall
Lutton for Afoa

other than that the lads who will line up against Sarries

I can't wait for this always love the derbies and important too with just a week before the Saracens game and the Rabo home semi in the balance.
SUFTUM

Shame about afoa missing out and to be honest I think he is going this year. I can't imagine living on the other side of the world from my child. Good to luck to him and the wife for a safe delivery though

I would be shocked if we don't see a Roux/Cullen partnership which has much more balance than Toner/Cullen

pete (buachaill on eirne) wrote:I would be shocked if we don't see a Roux/Cullen partnership which has much more balance than Toner/Cullen

Toner was in Crackin form when he came on at the weekend though, and Roux was off the pace after 30 minutes.

A few of the Ulster lads have been dissen Toner and Cullen. Time to give them something to think about.

Possibly would start Roux though as you can take him off when he tires.

Ulster lads have nowt else to cling on to, Jen.

Be nice. Lie.

Toner and Cullen are both decent players, but too similar and weak where we are weak this week- with three tightheads out, our scrum is potentially fragile. I would be delighted if you started Roux on the bench because Toner and Cullen are not good scrummaging locks.

I agree with Notch putting Roux on the bench would go a long way to nullifying Healys superiority in the scrum.

Please dont select him

Jenifer McLadyboy wrote:A few of the Ulster lads have been dissen Toner and Cullen. Time to give them something to think about.

Cullen is a legend, massively underrated, but you know as well as I do that Schmidt doesn't rate Toners scrummaging ability nor either players ability to lock the scrumaging behind Ross against the top packs. He's stated it publically several times and has cited this as the main reason for bringing in Thorn last season and why Leinster continue to look for NIE locks rather than trust Toner in the big games from the start.

I'm sure that pairing could still hold their own against Zebre but its not combo befitting a Heino winning European powerhouse....

rodders wrote:

Jenifer McLadyboy wrote:A few of the Ulster lads have been dissen Toner and Cullen. Time to give them something to think about.

Cullen is a legend, massively underrated, but you know as well as I do that Schmidt doesn't rate Toners scrummaging ability nor either players ability to lock the scrumaging behind Ross against the top packs. He's stated it publically several times and has cited this as the main reason for bringing in Thorn last season and why Leinster continue to look for NIE locks rather than trust Toner in the big games from the start.

I'm sure that pairing could still hold their own against Zebre but its not combo befitting a Heino winning European powerhouse....

Absolutely Rodders. Toner is never going to be great as a th lock. A 6'11" bloke is always going to lose in the scrum what he gains in the lineout.

Having said that The scrum actually improved when he came on last week. May say more about Bent v Hagan, but tbh I don't think there is much between them. Probably just Bent, and especially Roux, tired.

Yeah we can go after the Ulster scrum on Friday that should now be a target. Let's attack it and win the penalties that could result from it.

Roux is still building match fitness and slipped off the two tackles that resulted in tries last week but he will have learned from this and like I said is still getting up to speed.

I like Toner actually but he really is a bean pole, he makes Donnacha Ryan seem like a WWE wrestler.

Its a pity he couldn't add bulk to his frame but he just doesn't have the skeletal system I think, his shoulders are very narrow for example.

He's really improved his work in the loose alot and has great hands for a lock.

Hi Jen whats the weather like down there, seems like you guys have got a lot of snow is there any chance this won't go ahead?

rodders wrote:I like Toner actually but he really is a bean pole, he makes Donnacha Ryan seem like a WWE wrestler.

Its a pity he couldn't add bulk to his frame but he just doesn't have the skeletal system I think, his shoulders are very narrow for example.

He's really improved his work in the loose alot and has great hands for a lock.

Yeah I like him too. I really think his skills are good, very good for a tight 5 player. He also makes good decisions in play. His body position has improved hugely and obviously he is good in the lineout. He comes on to the ball at pace as well which is such a precious commodity in Ireland and particularly forwards.

His height does mean that he rarely makes big offensive tackles or is that destructive at the breakdown. It also means that when he wins lineout ball he generally gives it off the top as he is not good when used as the source of a maul.

rodders wrote:Hi Jen whats the weather like down there, seems like you guys have got a lot of snow is there any chance this won't go ahead?

Lot of snow but not cold enough near the coast for Ice.
Ice is what would close it rather than snow

pete (buachaill on eirne) wrote:

rodders wrote:Hi Jen whats the weather like down there, seems like you guys have got a lot of snow is there any chance this won't go ahead?

Lot of snow but not cold enough near the coast for Ice.
Ice is what would close it rather than snow

It's grand. Snow may well be gone by Saturday too. Today is the first time snow has actually stuck on the ground, but it's a light enough dusting in the RDS area.

I believe it has been bad up there. (Grim up north I mean)

Lord Stark would agree

Winter is coming.........(in late March........)

Jenifer McLadyboy wrote:
I believe it has been bad up there. (Grim up north I mean)

Only in the East Jen, North West has hardly seen any..... Belfast hogs everything as usual....

Ulster have been ravaged by injuries and are in freefall at the moment. They really need to win this or at least have a really strong performance going into to the Sarries match (who are flying) to have any sort of momentum.

They will have a lot of Munster support though in Twickers. 17 of us going to both matches.

rodders wrote:

Jenifer McLadyboy wrote:
I believe it has been bad up there. (Grim up north I mean)

Only in the East Jen, North West has hardly seen any..... Belfast hogs everything as usual....

Those good hard working lads have been hogging industry for the last 150 years. Us lazy types festered after 1800.

pete (buachaill on eirne) wrote:Lord Stark would agree

Winter is coming.........(in late March........)

I like this.

It's back this weekend I think?

BlueMuff wrote:Ulster have been ravaged by injuries and are in freefall at the moment. They really need to win this or at least have a really strong performance going into to the Sarries match (who are flying) to have any sort of momentum.

They will have a lot of Munster support though in Twickers. 17 of us going to both matches.

A very different team will be playing Leinster, and even more so Saracens - we will have 11 first XV against Leinster (probably) and 13 against Saracens (and even then the 2 none first teamers are the best replacement for the guy missing Gilroy for Bowe, Henderson for Ferris)

Since the Castres game we have had less than half the first XV available and in many positions down to 3rd and 4th choices.
This should be a very different outfit from here on in.

I would have hoped for a win with Afoa. I don't see it now unless Lutton manages to show something we haven't seen before. Injjury free and a good tough performance will do me from this one

Have to say my gut feeling is a much improved performance but coming up short, I fear the same against Saracens (players cant just return and be up to speed immediately)

Hope I am wrong.
Having said that, provided no additional injuries, I can see the same team winning the last 3 Rabo games and securing a home SF and being in good shape for the title.

Mickado wrote:

pete (buachaill on eirne) wrote:Lord Stark would agree

Winter is coming.........(in late March........)

I like this.

It's back this weekend I think?

Sure is. You were reading it weren't you? I remember doing a Game of Thrones XV and you mentioned it!?

I'm not reading it Pete, my GF loves the books though, I'm just very much loving the TV show. It will be downloaded hours after it's US premier. Like a BOSS!

Mickado wrote:I'm not reading it Pete, my GF loves the books though, I'm just very much loving the TV show. It will be downloaded hours after it's US premier. Like a BOSS!

Mate you got to read it, the series is good but it is a good step or two down from the books. The series changes a few things and not for the better IMo.

It's on Sunday night on Sky Atlantic. just remote recorded & series linked it while sitting in my car

cool or wha?

Yeah, cool. In a conventional way.

I set my "internet PVR" to grab episodes (in HD) as soon as they were aired anywhere in the world. But whatever you know. Cool.

Mickado wrote:Yeah, cool. In a conventional way.

I set my "internet PVR" to grab episodes (in HD) as soon as they were aired anywhere in the world. But whatever you know. Cool.

Ah but you have to worry about having a fast enough pc to decode them in realtime, and hooking up to your telly or will your box play the filetype etc etc.
I just have to turn on my george melly and press play.
cool doesn't even get near.

pete (buachaill on eirne) wrote:

Mickado wrote:I'm not reading it Pete, my GF loves the books though, I'm just very much loving the TV show. It will be downloaded hours after it's US premier. Like a BOSS!

Mate you got to read it, the series is good but it is a good step or two down from the books. The series changes a few things and not for the better IMo.

The books are brilliant alight. If only hed hurry up with the next one. He takes 5/6 years to write one.

The shows back just in time for exams

Mickado wrote:Yeah, cool. In a conventional way.

I set my "internet PVR" to grab episodes (in HD) as soon as they were aired anywhere in the world. But whatever you know. Cool.

Mick, whats an Internet PVR? At the minute I just have a PC hooked up to my tv and do the downloads manually. But what you are talking about sounds like a dream!

Clive. I'm on the commute at the moment but ill PM ya when I'm home.

Jen - the raspberry Pi will play anything and bog standard UPC broadband is top notch!

clivemcl wrote:

Mickado wrote:Yeah, cool. In a conventional way.

I set my "internet PVR" to grab episodes (in HD) as soon as they were aired anywhere in the world. But whatever you know. Cool.

Mick, whats an Internet PVR? At the minute I just have a PC hooked up to my tv and do the downloads manually. But what you are talking about sounds like a dream!

Sorry to be a dick but I always wanted to use this.

http://lmgtfy.com/?q=internet+pvr

What he said. You need a usenet subscription (basically its an alternative to torrents) which costs about €7 a month. But it's the dogs danglies. If you're willing to put some time into set up, which is the exact sort of thing I like tinkering around with, but maybe isn't the best option for everyone.

asoreleftshoulder wrote:

clivemcl wrote:

Mickado wrote:Yeah, cool. In a conventional way.

I set my "internet PVR" to grab episodes (in HD) as soon as they were aired anywhere in the world. But whatever you know. Cool.

Mick, whats an Internet PVR? At the minute I just have a PC hooked up to my tv and do the downloads manually. But what you are talking about sounds like a dream!

Sorry to be a dick but I always wanted to use this.

http://lmgtfy.com/?q=internet+pvr

haha! I've always wanted to use that on someone too! Believe it or not, I did google it before asking and found the search results to be somewhat vague!

http://m.lifehacker.com/5601586/how-to-get-started-with-usenet-in-three-simple-steps

Mickado wrote:What he said. You need a usenet subscription (basically its an alternative to torrents) which costs about €7 a month. But it's the dogs danglies. If you're willing to put some time into set up, which is the exact sort of thing I like tinkering around with, but maybe isn't the best option for everyone.

Yeah really cool mick.......If you're a big focking nerd with no social skills who gets a nosebleed just watching rugby.

well played sir

But I have NEVER had a nosebleed.

Is that because you've never watched rugby?

What's a rugby?

I just spend all my time on the internets copying and pasting other people's opinions and such.

I know Bikkies! I know!

Back to the Rugby and I'm beginging to get excited about this game now, think having H-cup the week after does take a little away from this, as both sets of fans are want to get through injury free.

I feel that the Leinster Ulster derbies could become bigger than the Leinster Munster derbies.

The Leinster Munster ones built up there rep as the top two teams in the country, and winner not only had bragging rights but would put them in a position for silverware.

We've already had the H-cup final, and if Ulster could beat Leinster in the Play offs, I think leinster fans would see Ulster as thier main rivals.

We'll finally see how big the considerable gap is between Jackson and Madigan

Big Mac Michael wrote:We'll finally see how big the considerable gap is between Jackson and Madigan

Thats harsh, Madigan is a class act and deserves a chance to develop.

rodders wrote:

Big Mac Michael wrote:We'll finally see how big the considerable gap is between Jackson and Madigan

Thats harsh, Madigan is a class act and deserves a chance to develop.

Jacksons in his 1st full season Madigans in his 3rd?

If Deccie thinks Paddy is the man who are we too argue!

marty2086 wrote:

rodders wrote:

Big Mac Michael wrote:We'll finally see how big the considerable gap is between Jackson and Madigan

Thats harsh, Madigan is a class act and deserves a chance to develop.

Jacksons in his 1st full season Madigans in his 3rd?

If Deccie thinks Paddy is the man who are we too argue!

I think when you have lost as many matches as Deccie has, we have a right to argue

Big Mac Michael wrote:

marty2086 wrote:

rodders wrote:

Big Mac Michael wrote:We'll finally see how big the considerable gap is between Jackson and Madigan

Thats harsh, Madigan is a class act and deserves a chance to develop.

Jacksons in his 1st full season Madigans in his 3rd?

If Deccie thinks Paddy is the man who are we too argue!

I think when you have lost as many matches as Deccie has, we have a right to argue

The mans won 2 Heineken Cups and a Grand Slam not many with a record like that