Heineken European Cup 2012
- Thread starter Bardon
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Nusadan
Chilla Wilson (44)
At least he knows what's it like to score a match winning try, albeit for a min or two!
Nusadan
Chilla Wilson (44)
Think he was only in the UK for a working holiday in the first place and decided to have a go in a game of rugby over in Scotland, the birthplace of his grandparent, and he went on from there...
Bardon
Peter Fenwicke (45)
In fairness Ulster and Clermont have already played each other twice this year also as they were in the same pool eariler in the compeition. But I see your point a France v Ireland final would be more interesting to neutrals.
Still I'm glad Leinster made it there and hopefully we can go all the way again. Hopefully the scare they got at the end will make them more focused for the final. They can't rely on a 2nd half performance like last years final if they start slowly against Ulster.
Bardon
Peter Fenwicke (45)
Hines was a great servant to Leinster rugby and I felt kind of bad for him being on the losing side today. He's one of those players that seems to get better with age and a very likeable guy too.
Played league for the North Sydney Bears out of high school. One of the sensible old stalwarts at the Bears reckoned he was too tall for mungoball (201cm) and suggested he try rugby, which he did at Manly. In 1998 he did a spot of backpacking around Europe and had a run for Gala. The rest is history.
SuperGrover
Darby Loudon (17)
I couldn't understand him getting hooked from the game either.
Nusadan
Chilla Wilson (44)
Brisbok
Cyril Towers (30)
Thanks mate, but only available to be viewed for those in the UK.
Nusadan
Chilla Wilson (44)
the plastic paddy
John Solomon (38)
If Ulster think they can give Leinster 70% of the ball and defend narrow as they did against Munster and then Edinburgh they are going to be routed. Leinster will win the game easily IMO. Ferris looks like he is completely fecked and without Fez, even only 80% fit, the Todgers have not got a chance. Leinster were good for a much more comfortable win than they enjoyed in Bordeaux, they very nearly managed to do the normal Irish trick, when playing in France, of snatching defeat from the jaws of victory. Fitness won it as much as anything but that is not luck on Leinster's part, Schmidt has created a squad of such quality that the seconds could put a half century on the Edinburgh first team a few weeks ago.
Question for any neutrals, how did you think the Clermont V Leinster game stood up quality wise compared to, A test rugby and B super rugby? The second one is harder to judge because the games are reffed so differently and Barnes is very, very slack at the breakdown relative to the super refs. Question for you Bardon, what do you think needs to happen to get Ireland playing as well as the provincial teams and especially Leinster?
Bardon
Peter Fenwicke (45)
Paddy I think there's 4 main things that Ireland need to do to take the provincial form to the national jersey.
1) Clear the air meeting:
When Deccie took over 1st he had a clear the air meeting to get rid of the niggle between the players, especially the Leinster v Munster stuff. Another similar meeting is long over due to get the players involved in improving the performance of the national team. This should help get to the bottom of why players like Sexton don't reproduce their Leinster form for Ireland.
2) A decent backs/attack coach:
Don't care what title they use but Ireland need a decent attack coach. Alan Gaffney was absolutely terrible and Ireland's back play is years behind other test nations. Now he's gone there's an opportunity to get a world class attack coach in. Seeing Leinster consistently rip top quality opposition apart on attack shows there's no problem with the skill level of the players and players like Earls, Zebo, Bowe, Murray are at the same standard as the Leinster guys. They just need the direction and a decent playbook. Also I believe this is part of the problem for Sexton (along with point 1).
3) Player clear out:
There are a number of players who've served Ireland well and who can still do a job for their province, but they should be cut from the national squad. Players like Wallace, Darcy, Cullen, Horan etc. should be retained on provincial contracts as they still have a lot to offer at that level, but they shouldn't be picked in Ireland squads. This will make room for the best of the next generation to start playing regularly in green.
Players like DOC and ROG should be retained in the Ireland squad. DOC is very good from the bench but that's where he should be from now on. Sexton should definitely be first choice fly half but he can still learn a lot from ROG. I'd also move BOD to 12 and rotate Earls and McFadden at 13 based on form.
4) Competition for places:
There are so many young players in Ireland who are ready to step up to International level. Deccie is too loyal to some players meaning players are picked even when they are in poor form. Deccie needs to rotate more often and move players on. Players need to think when they pull on the green jersey "I need to have a bloody good game if I'm going to keep this". That's what happens at the provinces.
There's more competition for a starting place at Leinster than there is for Ireland and it's the same with Muster and Ulster. That's not right. There needs to be a culture where players believe that if they put their hands up for their province then they're in with a shout of being picked to start for Ireland. Ireland should be represented by the players who are in the best form rather than who Deccie is more loyal to.
1) Clear the air meeting:
When Deccie took over 1st he had a clear the air meeting to get rid of the niggle between the players, especially the Leinster v Munster stuff. Another similar meeting is long over due to get the players involved in improving the performance of the national team. This should help get to the bottom of why players like Sexton don't reproduce their Leinster form for Ireland.
2) A decent backs/attack coach:
Don't care what title they use but Ireland need a decent attack coach. Alan Gaffney was absolutely terrible and Ireland's back play is years behind other test nations. Now he's gone there's an opportunity to get a world class attack coach in. Seeing Leinster consistently rip top quality opposition apart on attack shows there's no problem with the skill level of the players and players like Earls, Zebo, Bowe, Murray are at the same standard as the Leinster guys. They just need the direction and a decent playbook. Also I believe this is part of the problem for Sexton (along with point 1).
3) Player clear out:
There are a number of players who've served Ireland well and who can still do a job for their province, but they should be cut from the national squad. Players like Wallace, Darcy, Cullen, Horan etc. should be retained on provincial contracts as they still have a lot to offer at that level, but they shouldn't be picked in Ireland squads. This will make room for the best of the next generation to start playing regularly in green.
Players like DOC and ROG should be retained in the Ireland squad. DOC is very good from the bench but that's where he should be from now on. Sexton should definitely be first choice fly half but he can still learn a lot from ROG. I'd also move BOD to 12 and rotate Earls and McFadden at 13 based on form.
4) Competition for places:
There are so many young players in Ireland who are ready to step up to International level. Deccie is too loyal to some players meaning players are picked even when they are in poor form. Deccie needs to rotate more often and move players on. Players need to think when they pull on the green jersey "I need to have a bloody good game if I'm going to keep this". That's what happens at the provinces.
There's more competition for a starting place at Leinster than there is for Ireland and it's the same with Muster and Ulster. That's not right. There needs to be a culture where players believe that if they put their hands up for their province then they're in with a shout of being picked to start for Ireland. Ireland should be represented by the players who are in the best form rather than who Deccie is more loyal to.
kronic
John Solomon (38)
LEINSTER:
15: Rob Kearney
14: Fergus McFadden
13: Brian O'Driscoll
12: Gordon D'Arcy
11: Isa Nacewa
10: Jonathan Sexton
9: Eoin Reddan
1: Cian Healy
2: Richardt Strauss
3: Mike Ross
4: Leo Cullen CAPTAIN
5: Brad Thorn
6: Kevin McLaughlin
7: Sean O'Brien
8: Jamie Heaslip
REPLACEMENTS:
16: Sean Cronin
17: Heinke van der Merwe
18: Nathan White
19: Devin Toner
20: Shane Jennings
21: Isaac Boss
22: Ian Madigan
23: David Kearney
ULSTER: Stefan Terblanche; Andrew Trimble, Darren Cave, Paddy Wallace, Craig Gilroy; Paddy Jackson, Ruan Pienaar (1-8) Tom Court, Rory Best, John Afoa, Johann Muller (Captain), Dan Tuohy, Stephen Ferris, Chris Henry, Pedrie WannenburgReplacements: Nigel Brady, Paddy McAllister, Declan Fitzpatrick, Lewis Stevenson, Willie Faloon, Paul Marshall, Ian Humphreys, Adam D'Arcy
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