Northampton V Leinster

First topic message reminder :

Big game for both sides. Northampton in decent form. Leinster without the injury list they had at this stage last year. (When they were a lineout away from beating Clermont in Clermont)

Mat O'Connor should have his homework done on NH. NH should have a chip on their shoulder after the 2011 final.

Leinster have never lost at Franklins Gardens. (Beat NH back to back when they were reigning champs)

Last time Leinster lost an away HC Pool game to anyone but Clermont was Wasps in Twickenham 5 years ago. (So no pressure then)

Hopefully a good spectacle with neither winner nor loser having any complaints.

Actual team.

15: Rob Kearney
14: Dave Kearney
13: Brian O'Driscoll
12: Gordon D'Arcy
11: Luke Fitzgerald
10: Ian Madigan
9: Eoin Reddan

1: Cian Healy
2: Sean Cronin
3: Mike Ross
4: Devin Toner
5: Mike McCarthy
6: Rhys Ruddock
7: Sean O'Brien
8: Jamie Heaslip CAPTAIN

REPLACEMENTS:

16: Aaron Dundon
17: Jack McGrath
18: Martin Moore
19: Leo Cullen
20: Shane Jennings
21: Isaac Boss
22: Jimmy Gopperth
23: Zane Kirchner

Saints

15. James Wilson
14. Ken Pisi
13. Dom Waldouck
12. Luther Burrell
11. George North
10. Steve Myler
9. Lee Dickson
1. Alex Waller
2. Dylan Hartley (capt)
3. Salesi Ma'afu
4. Samu Manoa
5. Courtney Lawes
6. Tom Wood
7. Phil Dowson
8. Sam Dickinson

REPLACEMENTS:

16. Mikey Haywood
17. Ethan Waller
18. Tom Mercey
19. Christian Day
20. Calum Clark
21. Ryan Glynn
22. Glenn Dickson
23. Jamie Elliott

Leinster don't even know what he position he plays. They have two bio's on the website, one for a backrow and one for a centre

http://www.leinsterrugby.ie/team/results/squad_leinster_academy.php?includeref=dynamic&filter=yes&searchteam=&searchyear=&searchdecade=&searchinit=C&order=&layout=

thebandwagonsociety wrote:Leinster don't even know what he position he plays. They have two bio's on the website, one for a backrow and one for a centre

http://www.leinsterrugby.ie/team/results/squad_leinster_academy.php?includeref=dynamic&filter=yes&searchteam=&searchyear=&searchdecade=&searchinit=C&order=&layout=

Thats strange isnt it? Surely one profile that says backrow and centre would suffice. Perhaps they need two for statistical record reasons.

Late to the party as usual but just wanted to say well done to Leinster, absolutely bossed the game in every department that counts. The breakdown reminded me at times a little of the 6N game between Wales & England and I think there were instances in the first half where the Saints backs tried little through kicks which were not remotely on because they were almost frightened to take the ball into contact and loose it. The clinical back play was the icing on the cake and would also have been great to watch (against any other team!).

I know BOD (rightly) got the plaudits but thought the Leinster back 5 forwards, especially Ruddock were brilliant. Thought Reddin was good too, seemed to choose the correct decision and really set the tempo. Saying that the platform he had wasn't shabby.

Fearful for next week. Saints will have no choice but to challenge the breakdown in a way they are not used and will probably concede penalties as a result. Said before the game that I felt JM had the team selection wrong in the forwards and stand by that. Wouldn't have made a difference to the result though and as stated earlier in the thread the Saints defence was woeful.

Congratulations Leinster, great result & performance especially for the neutrals. Just a shame I'm not one of them......

Anywhere to watch the whole game online???

You didn't miss much Pete

dying to see the whole thing. saw the 11min highlights but would love to see the whole thing.

Across the tasman

You're ticker would be beating so fast with excitement Pete it could be the end if you, best give it a miss!  

Jenifer McLadyboy wrote:Across the tasman

Do you use it or are you covered with your DVDs? I'm planning to DL every Leinster game from there from now on. Until i get a tv tuner to rip it from live TV that is.

Pete - there are some youtube channels that put up games that I use. PM me for links - but I found the whole game on youtube Can I put links to youtube up on here?

Mickado wrote:

Jenifer McLadyboy wrote:Across the tasman

Do you use it or are you covered with your DVDs? I'm planning to DL every Leinster game from there from now on. Until i get a tv tuner to rip it from live TV that is.

I sky plus them all. If I miss one I may use ATT.

I only keep Leinster and Ireland matches now. You saw how big a pile of DVDs you generate if you try too keep them all.

Not to mention the hassle of recording them out to dvd and editing out the ads with dvd shrink.

Edit: I did buy a Scart to usb interface but was not happy with the results. Someone was telling me they have cracked how to lift HD video. I will ask him tonight.

TJ wrote:Pete - there are some youtube channels that put up games that I use.  PM me for links - but I found the whole game on youtube Can I put links to youtube up on here?

Privately..........

Pete - you got PM

cheers guys much appreciated.





legends.


out in the middle east so need something to get the heart pumping in the sandpit

Jenifer McLadyboy wrote:

Mickado wrote:

Jenifer McLadyboy wrote:Across the tasman

Do you use it or are you covered with your DVDs? I'm planning to DL every Leinster game from there from now on. Until i get a tv tuner to rip it from live TV that is.

I sky plus them all. If I miss one I may use ATT.

I only keep Leinster and Ireland matches now. You saw how big a pile of DVDs you generate if you try too keep them all.

Not to mention the hassle of recording them out to dvd and editing out the ads with dvd shrink.

Edit: I did buy a Scart to usb interface but was not happy with the results. Someone was telling me they have cracked how to lift HD video. I will ask him tonight.

From their skybox*?

*other boxes are available

We're bleedin deprived in this country, in America you can rip any of your recordings from your DVR, no worries.

Fock DVD's, put them all on large external hord disks and make them accessible on your home network.

Youtube will probably not just tell you how to 'lift HD video' with a few toothpicks, an old car battery, six rolls of toilet paper an a spring from a gold watch....................
..but alongside those videos you'll probably also see how to make a home made particle accelerator using some blue baling twine, a cigarette lighter, two dozen fresh eggs and some philipshead screws from your kitchen cabinets.

Just watched the game. Great stuff from the lads.

McGrath - 6.5
Hit everything, carried well in heavy traffic. Maybe had a tough time in the scrums (not as tough as Ross) but this was offset by his manic work at the breakdown on our ball.

Cronin - 7
Outstanding work in the loose, great running lines, great support play, great rucking. Only negative were some lost lineouts and a failed hook in one scrum. And that pass.

Ross - 5.5
Had a tough time in the scrums I felt on his side, but was more active around the park in getting to breakdowns and making tackles as opposed to only just managing to make tackles.

McCarthy - 7
Saw him snag North a few times and his tackle stats say 15 out of 15 which is great. Dominated the contact area and shunted a lot of NH lads off our breakdowns.

Toner - 7.5
Is turning into one of our best players. 13 out of 13 tackles. Stole (and lost) a lineout or two. Showed some real meaness getting off the line in defense and aggressive in mauls and rucks.

Ruddock - 7.5
Looked really good carrying in the tight and defended really well too. Hard edged and is a good replica of Locky in many ways. Good game from the lad.

Jennings - 6
SOB off pretty early. Jenno was a nuissance at the breakdown and linked pretty damn well. Also made 13 tackles of 13. Great work.

Heaslip - 8
He is the form player in Leinster in my opinion along with Toner. His work at the breakdown is unreal, be it slowing their ball or quickening ours. Carries well when we are going backward too

Reddan - 7.5
Great game in terms of decision making, passing speed and quickness of service. He had an armchair ride but definitely did well with what the opposition threw at him.

Madigan - 7
Stirred the ship well and brought our backs into the game by attacking the line with some venom and intent. Great passing. Good kicking from hand. Excellent defense.

Fitzgerald - 7
Shows that he does not overrun the ball anymore. Great in contact, defensive and offensive. His skills have improved and he still has that hunger to be constantly involved. Good tries.

Darcy - 6.5
Really solid work, completely safe in defense against a blunt team but also ran some good lines and carried well when we needed a guy in the backs to bring up the ball.

O'Driscoll - 7.5
Good kicking from hand and much better defense than in previous weeks. His handling was good and when he attacked the line he made yards really well.

D. Kearney - 5
Carried well and did the basics but didn't show the same hunger to get off his wing. Dealt with North comfortably but was not involved in the game all that much.

R. Kearney - 7
Had a very positive game running the ball back and fielding kicks. Also kicked well himself and made himself a creative attacking threat rather than an individual attacker.

.....all 7ishes?

You're a tough man! That's some team indeed if they ever hit the 9 ratings this season ...that would be around 20% above AB's usual standards!

One sweet thing Ive noticed over the last few games and it happened again on Saturday. The telepathic connection developing between Fitz & Kirchner did serious damage again. They run excellent support lines and see the same spaces. Always expecting to be on each others shoulder. And they are. Ya cant buy that kinda ting. It happens or it doesn't. They are going to give the Kearney bros a hard time. They are brilliant together. Reminiscent of BOD and Felipe in their pomp at times. Its Leinster all over. Love it.

I was wondering why Rob has upped his game hugely... He needed this kick in the orse.

On the rankings, BOD was right. Fitz was magnificent. 9.5.

Gibson talking about telepathy. I saw Sexton throw a no look pass in the Racing game. His team mate dropped it. I also saw him play a really well weighted cross kick to his winger. Who seemingly didn't want to bother running for it. Hope he's regretting his decision and will come home.

I think Sexton must be feeling sick at his choice...and probably a little annoyed at whatever agent/intermediary advised him.
I don't think he's a money led player at all - I love his grim passion - kind of a Keane figure, and you always need some of those guys in a team.  You mightn't get a bundle of laughs out of them, but you'll get fire when you need it.

It's difficult to say how he'd get back now before his contract ends...it's three years is it?  But I'm sure it stirred his senses to see Leinster in action and all his old mates 'enjoying' their rugby so much.

Feel sorry for him, and in a sense I do say the IRFU had a job to do, but saying his worth was less than Heaslip was probably an insult even I would feel impelled to move away on.

SecretFly wrote:I think Sexton must be feeling sick at his choice...and probably a little annoyed at whatever agent/intermediary advised him.
I don't think he's a money led player at all - I love his grim passion - kind of a Keane figure, and you always need some of those guys in a team.  You mightn't get a bundle of laughs out of them, but you'll get fire when you need it.

It's difficult to say how he'd get back now before his contract ends...it's three years is it?  But I'm sure it stirred his senses to see Leinster in action and all his old mates 'enjoying' their rugby so much.

Feel sorry for him, and in a sense I do say the IRFU had a job to do, but saying his worth was less than Heaslip was probably an insult even I would feel impelled to move away on.

its a tough one.

sexton for me is top5 FH in world rugby, and top 2 in NH for his all around game, especially tactical kicking, so he is always going to be tempted by the 700k per annum kind of numbers. especially with the change in irish tax laws that mean he can still claim tax paid back if he plays overseas. these are life-changing amounts of money, and very hard to turn down, and very hard (impossible) for any unions to match.

but i do think he as a person will be enriched by the experience. and he will have no regrets. playing in another league adds so many dimensions to a player's perspectives and future appeal. look at who has done it in sports. Lineker (highest paid commentator), Beckham (gonna get knighted with a couple of years mark my words, and not for his swordplay ), Jiffy, Wilko, etc. Adds real strings to an individual's bows for the future. who can begrudge them that?

there are surprisingly few english players who play in france and then come back to england. so obviously the french teams are doing something right (can't just be the money). apart from Racing who are doing things perfectly (in losing to Quins. )

France is a glorious place to live. If i could earn the same, after tax (big if), and be in France, i'd move the family there tomorrow. at least for a while.

TJ wrote:Pete - you got PM

TJ, can you pm me the same links? thanks!

Well some players go and it doesn't burn in their psyche.  

I'm not really talking about players going to other Leagues though, quins. That would be a whole different topic for me.  

I'm talking about this particular man - and his temperament - and his relationship to the team in blue.  This man that I've been watching for a long time.  
He's a very intense guy - some might say overly so.  O'Driscoll himself said he and Sexton are absolute chalk and cheese.  O'Driscoll has always needed to take a break from rugby in his head - even when young. The intensity of other players attitudes could get to him, even annoy him.  He said Sexton is driven and obsessed emotionally by his sport.
He'll do his time/stint in France - but I have a strong feeling he'll be waiting for the day he returns - IF he gets back in time to still have the bulk of the same Leinster team around him.  He just doesn't think money.  He said it wasn't money but the idea that he wasn't 'worth' the money.  That difference of emphasis is huge.  Personal pride drives him and he's not getting a lot of that so far with his new club.

i dont know him. am sure you are right. but good or bad i bet he will have learned a lot at Racing. i fundamentally believe that change, while hard, is good for us all, and forces us to adapt, evolve and become more resilient.

littlejohn - you have pm

SecretFly wrote:.....all 7ishes?  

You're a tough man!  That's some team indeed if they ever hit the 9 ratings this season ...that would be around 20% above AB's usual standards!

Whoa back up the truck Pete, all that heat's gone to your head man - even from a miserable Ulster man its 10.5s all round!

yeah maybe I was a little bit miserly last night bahumbug etc etc etc.

I do believe it was a very good collective performance though and Northampton were exceptionally poor.

BOD, Cronin, Ruddock, Toner and Fitzgerald were all very, very good though.

TJ wrote:littlejohn - you have pm

thx!

Gibson wrote:Fock DVD's, put them all on large external hord disks and make them accessible on your home network.  

Ah the modular approach. I've only 1 home theatre client, so I've a consolidated system.

Miss you.

pete (buachaill on eirne) wrote:
I do believe it was a very good collective performance though and Northampton were exceptionally poor.

Yeah I don't buy that. Saints were poor because Leinster made them look poor. As in they were shellshocked by the intensity and pace Leinster brought to the game and never quite recovered.

It's easy to criticise their defence but its the speed that Leinster recycle the ball and the precision of their passing and movement that leaves them flat footed.  

I think Saints were a bit complacent maybe heading into this, believing they'd maybe overpower Leinster - who had shown very little form up to this game. I honestly think Leinster will do a number on them in Dublin too.

I know they came back from the shellacking Ulster gave them last year but I think Ulster were a bit complacent in the return leg, thinking it was job done, and got beaten up up front.

Leinster are too experienced to let that happen I think so it will take a massive improvement from Saints to get anything I Dublin. Mallinder and the players looked broken after the game, I really don't think they can turn this tie around in a week.

Pete

Did you find a clip on YouTube for the full ulster match? All I can get is the trys

Sorry Stand I didn't get one, apologies.

Tickets for the weekend are at 42,000 according to the Leinster site so should be a good atmosphere at the game.

If Leinster keep their focus this weekend, then they could put themselves in a very strong position.  We are joint highest points (I think), with tricky away games to NH and Osprey under our belt and 2 of the next 3 games at home.

thebandwagonsociety wrote:Tickets for the weekend are at 42,000 according to the Leinster site so should be a good atmosphere at the game.

If Leinster keep their focus this weekend, then they could put themselves in a very strong position.  We are joint highest points (I think), with tricky away games to NH and Osprey under our belt and 2 of the next 3 games at home.

We're joint top with Ulster at the moment.

Looking like the best runners up could come out of the pool 3, which would be a worry, given Connachts form on the road in Europe this year.

Mickado wrote:

thebandwagonsociety wrote:Tickets for the weekend are at 42,000 according to the Leinster site so should be a good atmosphere at the game.

If Leinster keep their focus this weekend, then they could put themselves in a very strong position.  We are joint highest points (I think), with tricky away games to NH and Osprey under our belt and 2 of the next 3 games at home.

We're joint top with Ulster at the moment.

Looking like the best runners up could come out of the pool 3, which would be a worry, given Connachts form on the road in Europe this year.

Love it.   

Miss you too.

Standulstermen wrote:Pete

Did you find a clip on YouTube for the full ulster match? All I can get is the trys

Stand... its on acrossthetasman.dot.com.  I downloaded the Leinster game in 4 mins.