Leinster v Ulster: HC Last 16; April 1st

[MylesNaGapoleen]

they could have easily done it in 2019.

didn't stockdale have a "Stuart Hogg" moment in that game? Ulster should have won it, iirc.

[mildlyinterested]

they could have easily done it in 2019.

didn't stockdale have a "Stuart Hogg" moment in that game? Ulster should have won it, iirc.

yep.

same game that ended Leavys career.

[Blueberry]

Haven't been impressed in anyway by Ulster this year. Seems to be some serious pessimism on here about this not being a great draw but not concerned.

Yes if we get shed load of bad injuries in key spots in the run up it could make it uncomfortable but that could be the case for Ulster too, they have 4-5 players they depend on.

As it stands can't see past a Leinster win. Yes two horse race etc etc nothing is guaranteed yadda yadda.The way we physically destroyed them in the second half in the 14 man RDS game is carefully parked in the memory banks and we can go back there if things get tight and post traumatic will strike for Ulster as we bulldoze them It was an absolute shellacking in the second half and if needed we will do so again.

[desperado]

Apologies if this has been asked already but when can we expect fixture details to be announced for this (kick off time and confirmation of venue)?

Last para of an email sent to Season Ticket holders this morning:

Tickets for knock-out games are not included as part of your Season Ticket and further details on ticket sales will be sent in the coming days once we have received confirmation of the venue, date and kick off time of this fixture from the EPCR.


Your sincerely,
Leinster Rugby

[RoboProp]

they could have easily done it in 2019.

didn't stockdale have a "Stuart Hogg" moment in that game? Ulster should have won it, iirc.

yep.

same game that ended Leavys career.

Still gets me that there was no citing for that

[curates_egg]

didn't stockdale have a "Stuart Hogg" moment in that game? Ulster should have won it, iirc.

yep.

same game that ended Leavys career.

Still gets me that there was no citing for that

Not only was there no citing, the culprit was invited back to return to Ulster the following season on a short-term injury joker contract, having left them at the end of that season.

I got talked down here before by a few posters for calling out the incident. Well, Leavy himself talked about it and expressed his frustration with how it was dealt with (or not) in the recent Rugby Pod episode he did.

The absolute very best you can say about the culprit is that he was clumsy and lacked a duty of care. Others might say it was a conscious act (coming in from the side at prone player) that intended to leave a mark.
Either way, it ended the career of a player who was a generational player. He would have been on the Lions tour in 2021.

But, yeah, Ulster should have won that game and played well, leaving that incident aside.

[RoboProp]

yep.

same game that ended Leavys career.

Still gets me that there was no citing for that

Not only was there no citing, the culprit was invited back to return to Ulster the following season on a short-term injury joker contract, having left them at the end of that season.

I got talked down here before by a few posters for calling out the incident. Well, Leavy himself talked about it and expressed his frustration with how it was dealt with (or not) in the recent Rugby Pod episode he did.

The absolute very best you can say about the culprit is that he was clumsy and lacked a duty of care. Others might say it was a conscious act (coming in from the side at prone player) that intended to leave a mark.
Either way, it ended the career of a player who was a generational player. He would have been on the Lions tour in 2021.

But, yeah, Ulster should have won that game and played well, leaving that incident aside.

I know it's petty of me (but I don't care) because of that I'm glad they didn't win. Leavy was truly special.

[wixfjord]

Once again, before you go down this route, have a look at the incident again with a cool head.

Herbst doesn't even ruck Leavy, he binds on Fardy, who moves out of the way and he loses his feet, which traps Leavy's leg and EOS, rucking from the other side does the damage. There's no speed or recklessness at all.

If you want the IRFU/provinces to not give contracts to guys who have caused injury through an unfortunate rucking incident, then Luke McGrath wouldn't be in our squad right now.

This thread doesn't need to be taken off track mere pages after it has started with dragging up (incorrect) grudges from the past.

[RoboProp]

Once again, before you go down this route, have a look at the incident again with a cool head.

Herbst doesn't even ruck Leavy, he binds on Fardy, who moves out of the way and he loses his feet, which traps Leavy's leg and EOS, rucking from the other side does the damage. There's no speed or recklessness at all.

If you want the IRFU/provinces to not give contracts to guys who have caused injury through an unfortunate rucking incident, then Luke McGrath wouldn't be in our squad right now.

This thread doesn't need to be taken off track mere pages after it has started with dragging up (incorrect) grudges from the past.

I'll park it, scout's honour.

[Schumi]

I come down on the side of this being a bad draw. Considering we won every available point and had a +150 PD I think we’ve gotten scant reward (not for the first time!)

All that top seeding guarantees are home knockout games, not easy opponents. Getting Saracens in the quarter final as top seeds a couple of years ago proves that as does Leicester drawing us as top seeds last year.

[hugonaut]

I come down on the side of this being a bad draw. Considering we won every available point and had a +150 PD I think we’ve gotten scant reward (not for the first time!)

All that top seeding guarantees are home knockout games, not easy opponents. Getting Saracens in the quarter final as top seeds a couple of years ago proves that as does Leicester drawing us as top seeds last year.

Yeah, the tournament starts in earnest once you get into the knock-out stages. The reasons for the pool system [in the first place] is to guarantee matches for the clubs involved, i.e. two games of getting people through the turnstiles for your home games, and to provide programming for the broadcasters. They can't go with a straight knock-out system for that reason.

Thus you have some funny situations, like a team winning one out of four games and getting through to the next round. But knock-out rugby is a difference situation. All bets are off!

[Ruckedtobits]

Looking at who qualified in Pool B and recognising we have a home game, who would you rather was our opponents (from the other three teams who must play away from home)?

[Schumi]

Looking at who qualified in Pool B and recognising we have a home game, who would you rather was our opponents (from the other three teams who must play away from home)?

Ospreys or Montpellier certainly. Munster would be about the same as Ulster for me.

[LeinsterLeader]

Montpellier probably (they seldom travel well). At this moment in time both Munster and Ospreys are better teams then Ulster. That wasn't the case 6 weeks ago and it might not be the case 6 weeks from now but they are right now.

So my pref would have been MontP then Ulster then Munster then Ospreys

[Blue Man]

they could have easily done it in 2019.

But they didn’t.

[pangurban1]

Probably made some errors ourselves in 2019, though none as daft as Dropdale.

[Schumi]

Montpellier probably (they seldom travel well). At this moment in time both Munster and Ospreys are better teams then Ulster. That wasn't the case 6 weeks ago and it might not be the case 6 weeks from now but they are right now.

So my pref would have been MontP then Ulster then Munster then Ospreys

Ospreys are a better team than Ulster at the moment but I don't think Ospreys even at their best would beat us in Lansdowne while Ulster at their best would have a chance IMO.

[joooooe]

Apologies if this has been asked already but when can we expect fixture details to be announced for this (kick off time and confirmation of venue)?

Last para of an email sent to Season Ticket holders this morning:

Tickets for knock-out games are not included as part of your Season Ticket and further details on ticket sales will be sent in the coming days once we have received confirmation of the venue, date and kick off time of this fixture from the EPCR.


Your sincerely,
Leinster Rugby

Muchos

[Flash Gordon]

Montpellier probably (they seldom travel well). At this moment in time both Munster and Ospreys are better teams then Ulster. That wasn't the case 6 weeks ago and it might not be the case 6 weeks from now but they are right now.

So my pref would have been MontP then Ulster then Munster then Ospreys

Ospreys are a better team than Ulster at the moment but I don't think Ospreys even at their best would beat us in Lansdowne while Ulster at their best would have a chance IMO.

The Irish lads all know each other, how we play, weaknesses and vulnerability and of course, you always want to beat your mates. However, if you get yourself in trouble against a team that won one and lost 3 in the pool stages you've no business having aspirations to win the tournament. Of course the team will be well prepared and won't take anything for granted and the reverse of what I said at the start of the post is also true. Any neutral commentator will say that we are clearly favourites.

[curates_egg]

This thread doesn't need to be taken off track mere pages after it has started with dragging up (incorrect) grudges from the past.

Totally agree on getting the thread back on track.
But I think we can let Dan Leavy (and his cool head, four years on) have the last word on the incident, given he finally addressed it, rather than you and your opinion of it:
https://www.therugbypod.com/podcast/epi ... -dan-leavy