Pro12 Final 31/5

First topic message reminder :

The Ladyboys v The Soap Dodgers
At RDS Dublin, 6.15pm.

Live on RTE/BBC ALBA/ BBC WALES/TG4/Mediaset

Referee: Nigel Owens (WRU, 111th competition game)
Assistant Referees: Leighton Hodges, Ian Davies (both WRU)
Citing Commissioner: Maurizio Vancini (FIR)
TMO: Derek Bevan (WRU)

***
Glasgay

15. Peter Murchie
14. Sean Maitland
13. Alex Dunbar
12. Peter Horne
11. Tommy Seymour
10. Finn Russell
9. Chris Cusiter

1. Gordon Reid
2. Dougie Hall
3. Jon Welsh
4. Jonny Gray
5. Al Kellock
6. Rob Harley
7. Chris Fusaro
8. Josh Strauss

16. Pat MacArthur
17. Ryan Grant
18. Moray Low
19. Tim Swinson
20. Leone Nakarawa
21. Niko Matawalu
22. Ruaridh Jackson
23. Sean Lamont

Cuige Laighean

15: Rob Kearney
14: Fergus McFadden
13: Brian O'Driscoll
12: Gordon D'Arcy
11: Zane Kirchner
10: Jimmy Gopperth
9: Eoin Reddan
1: Cian Healy
2: Sean Cronin
3: Mike Ross
4: Devin Toner
5: Mike McCarthy
6: Rhys Ruddock
7: Shane Jennings
8: Jamie Heaslip CAPTAIN

REPLACEMENTS:
16: Aaron Dundon
17: Jack McGrath
18: Martin Moore
19: Leo Cullen
20: Sean O'Brien
21: Isaac Boss
22: Ian Madigan
23: Darragh Fanning

I don't think anyone is blaming him GC - as he's been said it was more just a reminder that he's very raw and inexperienced.

His goal kicking was incredible under pressure.

I thought the result was a combination of Leinsters pack and Glasgow cracking under the pressure a bit. Glasgow hardly put a foot wrong in the semi final but were making schoolboy errors yesterday.

The Fijian Matawalu's white line fever was the turning point. If Glasgow would have scored there it might have been a different story. Leinster scored some nice tries.

The game as a whole was very entertaining. End to end stuff and the best final of the day IMO.

George Carlin wrote:I would hope that nobody is blaming Russell - I'm certainly not. He was playing Prem 1 rugby only months ago - am thrilled with him.

The fact remains that to bring him on in the optimal way requires the mentoring of a 10 who is currently still playing and who is both experienced at international level and has tasted success at least at club level. And if we think a player like that is Scottish, it pains me to say that we are kidding ourselves.

We need to aim high now. Someone like Toby Flood would have been perfect.

The trouble with a player like that is that they may not be happy with a mentoring role and more than likely would see themselves as the out and out first choice player. Russell and Weir would then be left to fight for the scraps of game time left over and I am not sure how that would help them develop.

It all comes down to that old chestnut as to what is the point of the Scottish club sides. Are they purely a stand alone entity or is their primary purpose to produce players for the national side. Scotland have been crying out for a quality FH ever since Townsend retired. Can we really afford to give away one of our club fly half spots to someone who is never going to play for Scotland?

I suppose the best option might be to discover a very good fly half in the southern hemisphere with a Scottish granny but failing that I believe we have to persevere with what we have got. I am not going to write Weir off and Russell's improvement has been exponential and there is no reason to think that it won't continue. Playing in games like these, albeit losing this time, can probably help his development more than any advice from an old sage, he is going to start to get international game time as well now. We have nailed our colours to his mast and I don't see any great reason to change. He controlled the game very well against Munster and other than the 2 bad kicks did not have a bad game yesterday. If we get to the final again next year, with another whole season behind him and a few caps, there is no reason to think that he will not be a very different and better player!

Russell looks a good player. Ever player needs time to reach their potential and they'll make mistakes along the way. Thats just the way it is for Pro 12 teams.

BigGee wrote:

George Carlin wrote:I would hope that nobody is blaming Russell - I'm certainly not. He was playing Prem 1 rugby only months ago - am thrilled with him.

The fact remains that to bring him on in the optimal way requires the mentoring of a 10 who is currently still playing and who is both experienced at international level and has tasted success at least at club level. And if we think a player like that is Scottish, it pains me to say that we are kidding ourselves.

We need to aim high now. Someone like Toby Flood would have been perfect.

The trouble with a player like that is that they may not be happy with a mentoring role and more than likely would see themselves as the out and out first choice player. Russell and Weir would then be left to fight for the scraps of game time left over and I am not sure how that would help them develop.

It all comes down to that old chestnut as to what is the point of the Scottish club sides. Are they purely a stand alone entity or is their primary purpose to produce players for the national side. Scotland have been crying out for a quality FH ever since Townsend retired. Can we really afford to give away one of our club fly half spots to someone who is never going to play for Scotland?

I suppose the best option might be to discover a very good fly half in the southern hemisphere with a Scottish granny but failing that I believe we have to persevere with what we have got. I am not going to write Weir off and Russell's improvement has been exponential and there is no reason to think that it won't continue. Playing in games like these, albeit losing this time, can probably help his development more than any advice from an old sage, he is going to start to get international game time as well now. We have nailed our colours to his mast and I don't see any great reason to change. He controlled the game very well against Munster and other than the 2 bad kicks did not have a bad game yesterday. If we get to the final again next year, with another whole season behind him and a few caps, there is no reason to think that he will not be a very different and better player!

Yes, of course anyone at that level coming in would expect to play. But for me, that's the point.

I don't think it's automatic that Russell or Weir would be best served as the big fish in the tiny puddle playing week in and week out but without a more experienced player to learn from. That way, one need only be better than the other, regardless of what that standard is. Training matters, as does who delivers it. I think that both the club and national side would be well served by having a player to show what the standard should be. Madigan has said many times that he has learned loads from Gopperth and is a considerably better player as a result. Is Gopperth a better player than Madigan? Nope, but he has five years more experience and a much better all round game than the younger man. Everyone's a winner.

I know how you meant it Gee - but the notion that "we have to persevere with what we have got" stops the development of sides.

I thought Russell played well (two kicks out on the full apart); he's a great kicker, looks lively with ball in hand and is an excellent defender. He looks to be the best option for Scotland and should remain the first choice Glasgow 10 without doubt in my opinion.
Yesterday's game did get away from us and the right team won but if Matawalu hadn't wasted the try chance and perhaps one of the Leinster players had been ,correctly, yellow carded for either the high tackle on Seymour or the comical dive then the game may have been different?

I agree with you about not persevering with what you have got and good coaches have to have the guts and confidence to move players on and bring new ones in. Townsend has done that before and I suspect even the Edinburgh fans will thank Solomans in years to come for the changes he is making there, even if it is not him that sees the benefit of it!

I agree less about the FH position, as I would hope that the two of them have an awful lot of improving to do and I would hope that they are able to push each other on in competition for a starting spot. For Weir, who has fallen quite a long way behind now, this is essential and next season really is going to be make or break for him.

I am actually more concerned about SH, TH and Openside. Cusiter has been exceptional this year and could be a really big loss. Has Niko got it in him to be anything other than a loose cannon, are the youngsters going to step up, a lot of big maybes there.

We certainly need one experienced TH, if not two to be truly competitive, our scrum died a bit when Welsh (who is definitely the first choice now) went off. I still have a sneaking feeling that the good ship Ewan Murray may sail into Scotstoun at some point this summer.

We have got a good back row, but again looked out of balance and lost the breakdown when Fusaro went off. Holmes is solid, but is just a squad player at the end of the day. The jury is also still out on Fusaro. He brings a massive amount of energy, but is gone at 60 mins, I think mainly due to his size. We can get away with it against some of the weaker teams but unless we have another openside on the bench, which is a luxury, it is a huge risk against the top sides. We lost the breakdown hands down in the second half yesterday.

So yes, I agree with you that the team needs to be improved and developed, just not convinced that FH is the main concern. It will be very interesting to see how Russell does with a Scotland shirt on his back, which is going to happen sometime this summer.

O'Driscoll and Cullen sign off with a seventh trophy in seven years at a sold out RDS. What a legacy they're leaving.

profitius wrote:I thought the result was a combination of Leinsters pack and Glasgow cracking under the pressure a bit. Glasgow hardly put a foot wrong in the semi final but were making schoolboy errors yesterday.

The Fijian Matawalu's white line fever was the turning point. If Glasgow would have scored there it might have been a different story. Leinster scored some nice tries.

The game as a whole was very entertaining. End to end stuff and the best final of the day IMO.

Agree with you that Matawalu's knock on was the turning point particularly since Leinster were incorrectly allowed to run the length of the pitch and ended up with 3 points. A Glasgow player touched the ball down in goal after Matawalu's knock on meaning the ball was dead - there is no option of a play on advantage in that situation. Should have been a 5 metre scrum to Leinster probably followed by a clearance and Glasgow back on attack.
Not having a go at Owens by the way - he was unsighted - but the Glasgow players should know the laws and should have been telling him the ball was dead.
I think Leinster would still have edged it - great team.

I think Townsend probably paid the price for sentimentality. I think Kellock has been a great servant and is playing an important part in Jonny Gray's development but there is no way he should have been picked ahead of Swinson, Nakarawa or even Tom Ryder for a final, the same with Peter Horne (who I personally think is a decent player but not as good as Mark Bennett), his recovery is remarkable but based on this season alone, through no fault of his own, his performances have not been as good as Bennett's nor has he played enough. The key selection that everyone spoke about was the Hogg/ Murchie selection, Murchie showed last night that he is a solid club player but nothing more, he looked out of his depth and really offered nothing that challenged Leinster at all, Hogg is top class and really could have threatened Leinster's defence. Regardless of whether or not he's fallen out with Townsend or Murchie has played more frequently than him, Townsend should not have let personal issues affect selection and, as we saw from the Zebre performance, whether or not Hogg wants to go, he does seem to care for the club and could have made a massive difference.

Really disspointed by the final result, certainly no doubt that the best team on the day won, but the final score was not a fair reflection. Both teams were out on their feet with 15 minutes to go and had once we fell more than a score behind the wheels came off.

Niko's knock on, was as has been said the turning point. Not saying that had we scored that Leinster could not have come back and won, but the knock on and the subsquent loss of 80m of terriority in the blink of an eye was a real killer for us.

On team selection, only issue I had was Bennett not playing. Hogg was obviously not available for selection, for whatever reason. He never even travelled with the extended 28 man squad on Friday and Toonie might be able justify not selecting him on form from the matchday 23, but he could not say with a straight face that he would not have wanted him at least available to cover any injuries.

For next season, in an ideal World we need a top class, TH and 7 to come into the team. Can't see it happening due to budget and availability reasons. Agree about SH being an area of (relative) weakness, unless of coruse one of the two younger players step up and that is asking alot.

Russell didn't have a good game, goal kicking apart. But its hardly suprsining considering the level of the opposition and the importance of the game. How often do you watch a big final and one of the key guys has what, five or six games experience in the position (at that level)?

I was sceptical when it was announced that we had sold over 2,000 tickets that many of the those had been bought by home fans. But the turnout from Glasgow fans was incredible and the final club figure of us having around 3,000 fans appeared spot on.

Its been a great season and the weekend was a very enjoyable one. RDS is a magnificent venue for club Rugby.

Dorothy_Mantooth wrote:

Its been a great season and the weekend was a very enjoyable one.  RDS is a magnificent venue for club Rugby.

You ignored the Horses protesting outside the gates then??? They don't like their field being broken up by rugby studs. Nope, they don't like it at all.

Well done Leinster - not a vintage year but another trophy in the bag,

Thought Glasgow played some excellent rugby and looked the more dangerous of the sides with the ball but Leinster's composure and ability to take the points was the difference.

As we found in the SF Leinster just know how to win these games and regardless of how they are playing under O'Connor, and its not great, come the big plays under pressure they just pull it out of the bag.

Unfortunate for BOD to limp off but I suppose it proves there really was nothing left in the tank. A 6N title and Pro12 trophy was a fitting way to finish and made it worth grinding out another year I'd think for the great man. End of an era for sure.

Fair play to Leo Cullen too, another great and underrated player -he'd have got 50 plus caps but for 0'Connell.

P.S cannot believe Kirchener was robbed of man of te match by Donal Lenihan. What a gobshoite....

Well done Leinster on giving Brian and Leo the correct kind of final hurrah as short as both of their contributions were on the day. You have to be careful with those older fellas.
Weegies you've had a hell of a season but don't feel to downhearted, you've another great season to come after the summer break so get ready to do it all again. Well done on having reached the final.

One match too far for Glasgow. The had peaked in the semi. They will be able to look back on this season with pride and they have played some great rugby.

As for the match itself? A decent match especially the first half. Glasgow missed some chances but Leinster were the better side on the day.

rodders wrote:P.S cannot believe Kirchener was robbed of man of te match by Donal Lenihan. What a gobshoite....

I'd have given my Man of the Match to Super Zigzagger-Goin'-Nowheres Kearney!!! Nope, I'm only joking. I'd have given it to McFadden for his heart (and what a firey heart) - or to D'arcy for his ................ well, he was behind virtually everything productive that either saved our bacon or gave us the scores... including getting that ball away for that cinematic breakout of jail stunt. A pigmy Centre (in today's terms!) and an ancient one... still doing the biz.

I thought D'arcy had an awful game actually - he lost the ball 3 times in contact at least. It was nice of the superlative invisible man kirchener to lay a try on a plate to save his blushes but there's no doubt he saves his best stuff for the pilates mat these days.

McFadden was impressive though, as was Heaslip and Jennng's. Toner is Leinster's player of the season for me though.. behind Jimmy Gopporth ....

rodders wrote:I thought D'arcy had an awful game actually - he lost the ball 3 times in contact at least. It was nice of the superlative invisible man kirchener to lay a try on a plate to save his blushes but there's no doubt he saves his best stuff for the pilates mat these days.

McFadden was impressive though, as was Heaslip and Jennng's. Toner is Leinster's player of the season for me though.. behind Jimmy Gopporth ....

Bullshyte Rodders.  3 balls lost is his 'age' and 'size' innit  We keep getting told it's all about age and size in the grand new age, and D'arcy suffers on both counts.  The rest - he was there for the firecracker moments and executed them.

Given the underwhelming response he got upon signing, I think Gopparth has had an excellent season for Leinster. He's no Sexton but his goal kicking is excellent and he has played well at 10.

I'd be delighted if Edinburgh or Glasgow had him!

My mother hates (well...dislikes) the little pomp'n'proud Gopperth.
And he certainly does have that garden bird chirpyness with his little smart walk and his chirping and tweeting orders and conversations with his fellow players. But I've always kinda liked that sunny disposition he has whilst being a little less enthusiastic about him as an actual player that Leinster needed.
I've warmed a little to him in that regard but I still think Leinster players are having a tough time adapting themselves to any other 10 but Lord Sexton of the Sith.

RDW_Scotland wrote:Given the underwhelming response he got upon signing, I think Gopparth has had an excellent season for Leinster.  He's no Sexton but his goal kicking is excellent and he has played well at 10.

I'd be delighted if Edinburgh or Glasgow had him!

They're a fickle bunch down there - no love for Jimmy, Brad or Zane. Only honorary ladyboyz Isa, Rocky and Wagga got their star on the D4 walk of fame. ..... poor old Jimmy, he's got the D4 haircut and everything...  

Interesting interview with O'Connor in the Irish Times today. Says Leinster's academy isn't up to it.

Matt O’Connor knows Leinster need overseas aid for European crusade

http://www.irishtimes.com/sport/rugby/matt-o-connor-knows-leinster-need-overseas-aid-for-european-crusade-1.1816999

I love Zane Rodders! How dare you question my Love life?!

Jimmy is a little divil that's more cuddly toy calibre than Romeo and Juliet stuff.. but Zane, he's auditioning to be Isa's clone if he keeps it up. But he'll of course never remotely eclipse the Predator Isa.

Sin é wrote:Interesting interview with O'Connor in the Irish Times today. Says Leinster's academy isn't up to it.

Matt O’Connor knows Leinster need overseas aid for European crusade

http://www.irishtimes.com/sport/rugby/matt-o-connor-knows-leinster-need-overseas-aid-for-european-crusade-1.1816999

Do the Academy coach 'coaching'?  Maybe we should add Head Coach to the Look-See Overseas List too?  His clock is ticking and he might very well be another of those coaches that aren't actually required (like Plumtree and stuff)

Sin é wrote:Interesting interview with O'Connor in the Irish Times today. Says Leinster's academy isn't up to it.

Matt O’Connor knows Leinster need overseas aid for European crusade

http://www.irishtimes.com/sport/rugby/matt-o-connor-knows-leinster-need-overseas-aid-for-european-crusade-1.1816999

He probably won't last with that attitude but his honesty is refreshing at least. I think he has a point but it won't wash with the IRFU or go down well with the public. He doesn't seem to totally understand his place - that he has a dual mandate to win for Leinster but to produce players for Ireland.

The provinces are handicapped a bit against the likes of Toulon but that's the gig. He needs to stop moaning about the resources he doesn't have and use the ones he does have better in my opinion. That probably still won't be enough to win Europe but hey that's life... its tough at the top.

To me O'Connor has gotten an armchair ride to the Pro12 final by players operating on auto-drive.  And the time when you really do need a coach with a genuine high grade coaching brain (HEC) well,......................... just my opinion, but he was found wanting.

Maybe he'll learn.  Maybe this season will teach him.  Maybe he'll become the kind of coach Leinster require.  But for now, I've seen him on the field coaching, and I've seen Schmidt, and he ain't no Schmidt (or Cheika before him!).  Leinster players probably have a high regard for themselves and their abilities and they need constant harrasing to stop them sitting on their asses dreaming of how fancy their haircuts are or what tracks they'll play at the weekend.  Sexton realised this when he was there - they need to be constantly challenged to get better, to keep their minds on the job - I'm not certain that's the kind of coach O'Connor is.

I think he initially came to Leinster with an outsider's view of the Irish scene, the Pro12 scene, the European scene and Leinster's place in it.  I think he watched far too much European Leinster and far too little Pro12.  I think he had a veiled contempt for the standards of rugby in Pro12 and felt he had a bit of an armchair in Pro12 terms and would only need to concentrate on the HEC (and the players he'd be using to cruise in HEC)  He needs to realise the Academy players aren't sitting around waiting to be sold to the highest bidder as journeymen in AP.  They're there for him to teach and train...and use...in the Pro12.... to prepare them for Europe.... in the future.... when he might be long gone.

Just teach and train, Matt.  Teach and train.  That's why you were hired... for your knowledge not for your purchasing managerial skill.

The players seem to like him fly, that's one thing - McFadden, who you'd imagine is pretty influential had a lengthy embrace with him at the end so he must be doing some things right.

Joe Schmidt was a real pragmatist but in a more positive way. Do the basics, retain the ball and play through teams, rather than around them.

O'Connor seems to have a similar mindset but without the tactical nous or innovative streak Joe had. There seems to be individual ambition but the team plays seem to be very risk averse, percentage rugby which works very well until they come up against the big guns of Europe and you end up with less ball and you need a few extra gears to get the points.

rodders wrote:The players seem to like him fly, that's one thing - McFadden, who you'd imagine is pretty influential had a lengthy embrace with him at the end so he must be doing some things right.

Joe Schmidt was a real pragmatist but in a more positive way. Do the basics, retain the ball and play through teams, rather than around them.

O'Connor seems to have a similar mindset but without the tactical nous or innovative streak Joe had. There seems to be individual ambition but the team plays seem to be very risk averse, percentage rugby which works very well until they come up against the big guns of Europe and you end up with less ball and you need a few extra gears to get the points.

Let me put it this way, Rodders...delicately as I can... had Leinster Anscombe instead of O'Connor, I really think they'd have been in the HEC final.  Would they have won?  Hmmm...but they would have been in the final.  
When O'Connor was coming to Leinster first, a number of Leicester fans here said practically that we were welcome to him, they were glad to see the back of him.  Not exactly the ringing endorsement you'd expect as a coach is stolen from you.  You'd prefer to hear angry or sad comments rather than "Thank God someone took him"

For now, and I know I'm being extra tough on him... but certainly for now, I just don't think he fits the Leinster picture, if they have ambitions to keep up with the European Jones' that is.  

If it's Pro12 standards, he just might be good enough for that but he can't start trying to hide behind the excuse that he could'a done more but for the lack of players that coach themselves.  He was hired to do the coaching on the less fancy budgets than might be there in France.  He knew what he was coming to or should have.  He was hired to coach, not to run scared of the task and try to find solutions in the non-coach-needed players he might be able to buy.  Yes, he'll need one or two but no excuses Matt for next season.  Overall you have players plenty good enough to challenege in Europe if you have the ideas required to aid them in the journey.

I get the impression he's not here because he buys into Irish rugby or the structures but to enhance his CV by having the head job at one of Europes premier clubs under his belt.

If he understood what he was getting into he wouldn't be banging on about signing overseas players. I'm not a great fan of him to be honest.

At least Anscombe, who has question marks as well, seems to appreciate and enjoy his position at Ulster. O'Connor seems a bit of a moaner personally.

Fair play to Glasgow making it so far. However it was a typical Scottish implosion that sealed Glasgow's fate. Matalawu was responsible for some suicidal stuff in the last quarter.

rodders wrote:I get the impression he's not here because he buys into Irish rugby or the structures but to enhance his CV by having the head job at one of Europes premier clubs under his belt.

If he understood what he was getting into he wouldn't be banging on about signing overseas players. I'm not a great fan of him to be honest.

At least Anscombe, who has question marks as well, seems to appreciate and enjoy his position at Ulster. O'Connor seems a bit of a moaner personally.

It's true, he has little concept of the role of Leinster not just in winning things but in developing players. They developed a side that won 3 European Cups- we don't want to change it to a Toulon-like structure where they invest in short-term solutions to keep that success rolling we want him to set foundations so that even if they can't compete in Europe for a few years they will be able to climb back to the pinnacle based on homegrown talent.

His frustration is he's arriving after the party has finished in Europe for Leinster and he maybe isn't going to get those European Cups on his CV to springboard him into a Super Rugby job. But the fact we had three teams in the Pro12 playoffs and Heineken Cup quarter-finals is a validation of our structures and our reliance on homegrown players.

Bravo Leinster - in the end, simply just too good, and when playing the game at a level that others struggle to match, a real pleasure to watch.

Loved Glasgow's off-loading game early on, but that needed to be sustained for the full 80 to beat this Leinster side, and ultimately the Warriors couldn't manage that. Agree with others that Big Al's time has probably come, and that the Messiah and Hoggy were sorely missed for their creativity

It was a better game than the top14 final that's for sure.

Thats true - yet again of the three games played the T14 was by some margin the worst.

That has been the norm this year

I enjoyed the Top14 final more if i'm honest.

Why am I not surprised   

The Leinster Glasgow game was slick entertaining stuff...and physical too.  Rugby that people want to watch............ that sponsors want to crow about, that TV chimneys like to spend TV subsrcriptions on and all that jazz.

An Ideal Game of high end high-bucks-attracting rugby actually     Come to where the European Rugby Flavour is, Come to Pro12 country.

Don't get me wrong what I saw of the Pro 12 was good but the Top 14 final seemed to be of a higher intensity, more like an international game.

The best rabo game i have seen was the Glasgow-Munster semi, one of the most intense game i have seen at club level in the last few years. I mean 349 tackles in all says it all.

Fair enough the T14 had more intensity but the Pro12 game had far more entertaining running rugby .

Also with that intensity came an awful lot of mistakes - stop start stop start
That has been the norm of too much T14 this year

Scrumpy wrote:Don't get me wrong what I saw of the Pro 12 was good but the Top 14 final seemed to be of a higher intensity, more like an international game.

The ref definitely blew his whistle with more intensity anyways.

There's a mood taster video up on the Pro12 site about the final - quite good actually in a feel-good way about the whole texture and emotions that the Pro12 has the potential to draw upon even more into the future.  
But the real reason I mention it -if anyone can watch it, who's that O'Driscoll is having the deep words with at about 1.47?  Can't make him out. Feek?

I'm getting tired of coaches complaining about needing new players. Fact of the matter is they knew what they were getting into when they signed up for the job. Matt O'Connor hit the jackpot when he got the job. He has a massive squad with loads of talent coming through. The Leinster A team just won the B&I cup comfortably and during the 6 nations Leinster won with many bonus points because they'd a strong squad. If they're not happy then leave.

As a coach MOC has been ordinary. The back play is very predictable and but lucky for him they've a quality pack. In hindsight, Jonno Gibbs should have been given the job and a top backs coach signed to help him out.

profitius wrote:I'm getting tired of coaches complaining about needing new players. Fact of the matter is they knew what they were getting into when they signed up for the job. Matt O'Connor hit the jackpot when he got the job. He has a massive squad with loads of talent coming through. The Leinster A team just won the B&I cup comfortably and during the 6 nations Leinster won with many bonus points because they'd a strong squad. If they're not happy then leave.

As a coach MOC has been ordinary. The back play is very predictable and but lucky for him they've a quality pack. In hindsight, Jonno Gibbs should have been given the job and a top backs coach signed to help him out.

Gibbs has been in the job for 5 years now, I think he fancied a change of scenery and best of luck to him, he's been the constant in the coaching staff through all the success. Disappointed with MOC's comments, but sure, the trophy is some consolation to me.

Hard lines to the Weegies, we weren't 22 points better than ye on the day, your supporters were bang on!

If we take it as read that the three Irish provinces will be still strong next season, I'd really like to see Glasgow maintain this level and Edinburgh join them, all the Son of Rabo needs now is at least one Welsh team to get consistent and we've got a good league.
Leinster were good on the day but kudos to Glasgow who kept them honest and made a competition of it.

Watch the game back again. Very physical match. Glasgow looked like they had the starting 15 to last an hour and planned on the bench to keep the intensity for the final twenty minutes. But then players started to go down injured early on and their bench was emptied too soon. Just ran out of players. Nico can win a game in a moment of magic or lose it just as quickly.

Unfortunate that BOD went off so early, but them the knocks, rugby careers aren't movie scripts there are far more highs and lows in the sport than Hollywood could ever imagine.

I was impressed watching back that the doctor just went to the Ref and stated that Jennings was concussed and must be subbed immediately. Not sure on the timeline or chats building up to it but watching the game back it looked like the correct way for it to be done in future. Maybe the fact that there was a Sean O'Brien on the sideline ready to come on as the substitute took a bit of pressure of the Doc making the call.

Strange question, has Darcy been carrying BOD these last 2 seasons covering more of the defensive line and taking some of the load off the great man?

thebandwagonsociety wrote:

Strange question, has Darcy been carrying BOD these last 2 seasons covering more of the defensive line and taking some of the load off the great man?

I reckon so.  

But then I'd doubt too that BOD would deny a sprinkling of that.  He'd been saying for more than two seasons (to anybody who cared to listen) that the mind was willing but the flesh was weakening all the while. (Do more people than me notice his right hand and arm?  There are times it looks positively arthritic - especially that hand that often looks seized into a crook.  Yep, the body was gone but he hung in there)  So D'arcy played his part in keeping a little pressure off him, as did other players in taking over 'game influence' duties from him too.

But, he's done more than enough in the last two seasons to prove he wasn't a sentimental passenger.  He was a player closing out his career.  Move over BOD, D'arcy has moved into that 'final-run' position now!!! - maybe more than figuratively speaking too if O'Connor is to be believed about who might inhabit the 13 shirt next season.

just looking at the stats http://www.espn.co.uk/rabodirect-pro12-2013-14/rugby/match/191579.html

gray - 20 tackles none missed Glasgow 27 offloads!

Good link TJ, interesting the stat line for big Mike Ross. No passes, no metres gained, no runs, 4 tackles made, 2 missed, 3 penalties.

Also, is Cronin Leinsters next centre? His stats are quite close, if not a bit better than Darcy and he does tend to appear in midfield any chance he can.