Leinster v Toulouse HC SF Sat 14th May 3:00pm

[the spoofer]

I like the English ref's. I think this current batch are the best around at the moment and this team let the game flow and got the big decisions right.

The only real issue I had with him was the penalty against Robbie for encroaching on the lineout that apparently wasn't over (even though the ruck was motoring forward). It was a bizarre call based on the fact that he was slow to lower his arms. Aside from that a couple of decisions went for us, and against us that could be argued but thats the game.

Dupont getting played at the back of the ruck by Ryan after Leinster had gotten two pens for it. Dupont had so ask, wait 2 seconds for Dickson to think before actually awarding the clearest example of playing the 9.

I think it was BOD on co-comms that pointed out Dupont was part of the ruck (he had bound in to protect the ball) when Ryan cleared him out so it was a valid play from Ryan (or was borderline as Dupont may have been truing to disengage). That would explain the hesitation from the ref.

Penalty against Robbie was because he joined the maul behind kelleher without taking the ball. Making kelleher offside. Or are you talking about a different incident?

Nah, he encroached on the 10 before ref dropped his arms.

[D4surfer]

I like to look at other clubs fans forums (or is that fora?) after matches. You get some good bits that we miss here through our blue tinted specs. There is absolute comedy gold on munsterfans with claims that JGP was completely outplayed by Dupont and complaints that Leinster didn't adopt the same tactics as Munster.

[blockhead]

I like to look at other clubs fans forums (or is that fora?) after matches. You get some good bits that we miss here through our blue tinted specs. There is absolute comedy gold on munsterfans with claims that JGP was completely outplayed by Dupont and complaints that Leinster didn't adopt the same tactics as Munster.

The JCB thing is more nuanced than it seems at first glance. It's really about the Ireland team and how this little kiwi scut has taken Murray's (the real World Rugby POTY 2018) No.9 jersey in the eyes of the heavily blue biased Any Farrell. If it was going to go, it should have gone to Casey.

[Oldschoolsocks]

I like to look at other clubs fans forums (or is that fora?) after matches. You get some good bits that we miss here through our blue tinted specs. There is absolute comedy gold on munsterfans with claims that JGP was completely outplayed by Dupont and complaints that Leinster didn't adopt the same tactics as Munster.

The JCB thing is more nuanced than it seems at first glance. It's really about the Ireland team and how this little kiwi scut has taken Murray's (the real World Rugby POTY 2018) No.9 jersey in the eyes of the heavily blue biased Any Farrell. If it was going to go, it should have gone to Casey.

In a nutshell.

[paddyor]

https://twitter.com/ek_rugby/status/152 ... _v3n2_OBrg

Nice breakdwon of the second try.

[El Diablo]

I like to look at other clubs fans forums (or is that fora?) after matches. You get some good bits that we miss here through our blue tinted specs. There is absolute comedy gold on munsterfans with claims that JGP was completely outplayed by Dupont and complaints that Leinster didn't adopt the same tactics as Munster.

The other thing I have been reading and hearing since the final whistle is how tired Toulouse were. I would accept that if they were falling off tackles in the last quarter but this game was won in the 1st 20 minutes. For these world class Toulouse players, they cant blame tiredness after 20 mins!

[D4surfer]

I like to look at other clubs fans forums (or is that fora?) after matches. You get some good bits that we miss here through our blue tinted specs. There is absolute comedy gold on munsterfans with claims that JGP was completely outplayed by Dupont and complaints that Leinster didn't adopt the same tactics as Munster.

The other thing I have been reading and hearing since the final whistle is how tired Toulouse were. I would accept that if they were falling off tackles in the last quarter but this game was won in the 1st 20 minutes. For these world class Toulouse players, they cant blame tiredness after 20 mins!

Very good point. Tiredness is an excuse.

[blockhead]

I like to look at other clubs fans forums (or is that fora?) after matches. You get some good bits that we miss here through our blue tinted specs. There is absolute comedy gold on munsterfans with claims that JGP was completely outplayed by Dupont and complaints that Leinster didn't adopt the same tactics as Munster.

The other thing I have been reading and hearing since the final whistle is how tired Toulouse were. I would accept that if they were falling off tackles in the last quarter but this game was won in the 1st 20 minutes. For these world class Toulouse players, they cant blame tiredness after 20 mins!

That's the arguement I've been making about the entire hardleague/easyleauge excuse they have been moaning about. If you are tired in April/May due to the extra games you have had to play compared to the pampered players of the URC, then surely it's a more even playing field in Nov/Dec when playing in the group phase. Everyone has played about the same amount of games give or take.
What's their excuse when we put 100pts over Prem Leaders Northampton over 2 games for example?

[LeRouxIsPHat]

Anything I've heard, or said myself, about Toulouse being tired was to do with the extra time and travelling they had to do, not the demands of the Top14. It might pop up in relation to the league next week though because we'll be resting players this weekend and La Rochelle are unlikely to be. I don't think that's a good excuse though. For a start I've seen Toulouse put a lot of their players on the bench recently, it's not as if they've been flogging them for 80 minutes every week so it can be managed and they've been doing so. Secondly, we were the only URC in the semis so if things were that much easier for us then you'd expect more than that. Some clubs get it right and some don't, this time we got it right.

[Blueberry]

I like to look at other clubs fans forums (or is that fora?) after matches. You get some good bits that we miss here through our blue tinted specs. There is absolute comedy gold on munsterfans with claims that JGP was completely outplayed by Dupont and complaints that Leinster didn't adopt the same tactics as Munster.

I know - was reading Munsterfans last night and nearly choked larphing......apparently Murray is a much better Scrumhalf and dominated Dupont in their game but JGP and Leinster got played off the park by him......he can happily play us off the park every week if we win 40-17 !!

and predictably of course Toulouse were knackered which is why we beat them due to the heroics of the Munster 'Rourke's Drift' last stand the previous week........

Comedy gold it is......

[curates_egg]

https://twitter.com/ek_rugby/status/152 ... _v3n2_OBrg

Nice breakdwon of the second try.

Molony’s no-look 90-degree pullback pass is astonishingly good.

[Oldschool]

I like to look at other clubs fans forums (or is that fora?) after matches. You get some good bits that we miss here through our blue tinted specs. There is absolute comedy gold on munsterfans with claims that JGP was completely outplayed by Dupont and complaints that Leinster didn't adopt the same tactics as Munster.

The other thing I have been reading and hearing since the final whistle is how tired Toulouse were. I would accept that if they were falling off tackles in the last quarter but this game was won in the 1st 20 minutes. For these world class Toulouse players, they cant blame tiredness after 20 mins!

Wouldn't underestimate the impact of the Munster game on their fatigue levels.
They were already blowing a bit after 20 minutes.
We recognised that possibility and exploited is all.
It's been said before but French teams seem to place in surges or bursts of 4 minutes and then they need/take a breather.
We've shown that we can exploit that.

[Ruckedtobits]

The French rugby correspondents (Midi Olympique & Sud Ouest) are full of praise for the quality of Leinster's rugby and widely quote Ugo Mola who was equally effusive about Leinster skill levels and intensity.

Former French captain Fabien Pelous has a full page interview in MO, which is behind the pay wall but I'll do a translation tomorrow. The headline however is Leiinster are leading Rugby into another Dimension. Once again, no excuses about tiredness but focused on the skill levels of all Leiinster players, forwards & backs and how patient Leinster are in developing their Academy players and not breaking them before they have acquired the skills to play at the highest level.

French commentators are happy to write a out what they saw on the pitch, rather than bitch about what their own players didn't, or couldn't, do. All in all coverage is as complimentary as possible and they, almost unanimously, consider LAR have a bigger challenge in the final this year than last year.

[Logorrhea]

I like the English ref's. I think this current batch are the best around at the moment and this team let the game flow and got the big decisions right.

The only real issue I had with him was the penalty against Robbie for encroaching on the lineout that apparently wasn't over (even though the ruck was motoring forward). It was a bizarre call based on the fact that he was slow to lower his arms. Aside from that a couple of decisions went for us, and against us that could be argued but thats the game.

Dupont getting played at the back of the ruck by Ryan after Leinster had gotten two pens for it. Dupont had so ask, wait 2 seconds for Dickson to think before actually awarding the clearest example of playing the 9.

I think it was BOD on co-comms that pointed out Dupont was part of the ruck (he had bound in to protect the ball) when Ryan cleared him out so it was a valid play from Ryan (or was borderline as Dupont may have been truing to disengage). That would explain the hesitation from the ref.

Penalty against Robbie was because he joined the maul behind kelleher without taking the ball. Making kelleher offside. Or are you talking about a different incident?

Nahhhh he blew before Robbie joined the maul and said "my arms are still in the air and players moved forward ................. 12 moving in" pointing right at Robbie.

Not making a big deal of it, I just havent really seen it called before and he didn't need to blow it, the lineout was well over. I'm talking about the penalty on our attacking maul, just before half-time. Anyhoo, thought the ref had a good game over all.

[Twist]

I was looking for a non-Irish rugby podcast and decided to give The Ruck a try. Won’t make that mistake again.

Stephen Jones is approaching parody levels now with his love for Sarriesmate. The Toulon v. Saracens game the other night was in the top 2/3 club games he’s ever seen. Toulon are building a great team - I mean they beat his precious Saracens! - and he can tell you now there’s no way Leinster would have beaten Toulon on Saturday evening. And actually the Champions Cup is rubbish. Weakest edition ever.

[blockhead]

I was looking for a non-Irish rugby podcast and decided to give The Ruck a try. Won’t make that mistake again.

Stephen Jones is approaching parody levels now with his love for Sarriesmate. The Toulon v. Saracens game the other night was in the top 2/3 club games he’s ever seen. Toulon are building a great team - I mean they beat his precious Saracens! - and he can tell you now there’s no way Leinster would have beaten Toulon on Saturday evening. And actually the Champions Cup is rubbish. Weakest edition ever.

He's a hoot! Perfect for the clickbait age.
Y'know, if we were like the Welsh, decent, could win a few games and have the occasional fairytale run to a semi-final, that lot would love us. There would be balance in the force.
The idea that we might be better, is an appaling vista, there must be another reason. And resting players is where they're at at the moment.
Leinster went down to RSA without any of their main players because we had the URC already wrapped up, no true of course, but that's their story and they're sticking to it.
Leinster is basically the national team, its not fair.
Ok so, lets see how you get on against Munster or Ulster.
Munster, Leinster and Ulster played Prem teams 9 times this season.
We beat the them 8 games to 1(Munster lost to Exeter in QF 1st leg)
The average score was 33-14 over those 9 games.

[CiaranIrl]

If they think that a scrum half's job is to face down his opposite number and play 'against' him, then they have a longer way to climb out of the massive hole they're in than I thought. Spare me. They're insufferably stupid sometimes.

[Ruckedtobits]

I like the English ref's. I think this current batch are the best around at the moment and this team let the game flow and got the big decisions right.

The only real issue I had with him was the penalty against Robbie for encroaching on the lineout that apparently wasn't over (even though the ruck was motoring forward). It was a bizarre call based on the fact that he was slow to lower his arms. Aside from that a couple of decisions went for us, and against us that could be argued but thats the game.


I think it was BOD on co-comms that pointed out Dupont was part of the ruck (he had bound in to protect the ball) when Ryan cleared him out so it was a valid play from Ryan (or was borderline as Dupont may have been truing to disengage). That would explain the hesitation from the ref.

Penalty against Robbie was because he joined the maul behind kelleher without taking the ball. Making kelleher offside. Or are you talking about a different incident?

Nahhhh he blew before Robbie joined the maul and said "my arms are still in the air and players moved forward ................. 12 moving in" pointing right at Robbie.

Not making a big deal of it, I just havent really seen it called before and he didn't need to blow it, the lineout was well over. I'm talking about the penalty on our attacking maul, just before half-time. Anyhoo, thought the ref had a good game over all.

Nah. The Law says you can't break the 10m gap before the line-out is over, nothing about joining the maul. The referee's signal with two arms in the air is for when he considers the maul has "moved through the line of touch" which is the imaginary width of the two player lines & the gap between them - say about 2m wide.

The wide camera shot from behind the Leinster line-out clearly showed Robbie breaking the 10m curfew early and his facial expression after the whistle & explanation confirms he knew exactly what it was for.

[blockhead]

Re Furlong, Lowe

"Yeah they're not available for this week but I would feel confident that they would both be fit to play next week," said Contepomi.

"Obviously they have a minor injury but we are not overly concerned about them.

"But we'll see, you never know with this, you can have setbacks and the medics will know better probably at the end of the week, how they are progressing."

[TrapperChamonix]

I like to look at other clubs fans forums (or is that fora?) after matches. You get some good bits that we miss here through our blue tinted specs. There is absolute comedy gold on munsterfans with claims that JGP was completely outplayed by Dupont and complaints that Leinster didn't adopt the same tactics as Munster.

The other thing I have been reading and hearing since the final whistle is how tired Toulouse were. I would accept that if they were falling off tackles in the last quarter but this game was won in the 1st 20 minutes. For these world class Toulouse players, they cant blame tiredness after 20 mins!

Meafou & Arnold didn't look as if they could finish the warm up..... That sounds like a (not so) funny line, but it is true. Fitness is still a big issue with these packs. John Beatie on his podcast last Wednesday talked about all the Toulouse forwards were in Burger King Dublin Airport before the flight back after the QF. On same podcast Aki talked about them all going to Trevors bar and drinking Magners and eating Fois Gas.