RaboP12 (Round 5): Connacht (34) vs Leinster (6) k/o - 20:00 Fri, 28 September 2012 (Sportsgrounds, Galway)

Connacht usually up their game when the men from the east arrive. This might be a game for the avid supporters. I'm expected a hard hitting gritty game with few tries run in by either side. And a typical Galway breeze to keep the kickers honest.

Jenifer McLadyboy wrote:LEINSTER:

15: Rob Kearney
14: Fergus McFadden
13: Brendan Macken
12: Gordon D'Arcy
11: Isa Nacewa
10: Ian Madigan
9: John Cooney

1: Heinke van der Merwe
2: Thomas Sexton
3: Jamie Hagan
4: Quinn Roux
5: Tom Denton
6: Ben Marshall
7: Shane Jennings CAPTAIN
8: Leo Auva'a

REPLACEMENTS:

16: Sean Cronin
17: Cian Healy
18: Mike Ross
19: Devin Toner
20: Jordi Murphy
21: Luke McGrath
22: Noel Reid
23: Fionn Carr

Jenifer McLadyboy wrote:Connacht XV

15. Robbie Henshaw
14. Tiernan O’Halloran
13. Eoin Griffin
12. Dave McSharry
11. Fetu’u Vainikolo
10. Dan Parks
9. Kieran Marmion

1. Denis Buckley
2. Adrian Flavin
3. Nathan White (captain)
4. Michael Swift
5. Mike McCarthy
6. Eoin McKeon
7. Johnny O’Connor
8. George Naoupu

Replacements (from):

16. Jason Harris-Wright
17. Brett Wilkinson
18. Ronan Loughney
19. Dave Gannon
20. Willie Faloon
21. Dave Moore
22. Miah Nikora
23. Mata Fifit

Leinster Squad Update
With a large number of players away at international squad training until Wednesday, a reduced panel took to the field.
Gordon D’Arcy experienced discomfort after sustaining a blow to the ribs during the first half of Saturday evening’s win over Edinburgh but the Ireland centre should be fit to play on Friday night in Galway.

Eoin Reddan (minor quad strain) was a late withdrawal from Saturday’s line up and he too will be monitored by the medical team this week.

Shane Jennings (illness) and Jonathan Sexton (forearm) were both replaced as precautions, but the St. Mary’s College duo are expected to be available ahead of Thursday’s team announcement.

Jamie Heaslip’s next game will mark the Naas number eight’s 150th Leinster appearance.

If Jennings is still unfit, I wonder if Jordi Murphy will get the start? He will have a lot to live up to if that is the case, Jennings has been playing very well so far this season. He has upped his game, he isn't a fan of McLaughlin starting in the back row!

Rory_Gallagher wrote:If Jennings is still unfit, I wonder if Jordi Murphy will get the start? He will have a lot to live up to if that is the case, Jennings has been playing very well so far this season. He has upped his game, he isn't a fan of McLaughlin starting in the back row!

If jordi murphy was to start, i dont think any leinster fan would mind, he has been playing really well for us so far. But i think jenno should be ok.

Rory_Gallagher wrote:If Jennings is still unfit, I wonder if Jordi Murphy will get the start? He will have a lot to live up to if that is the case, Jennings has been playing very well so far this season. He has upped his game, he isn't a fan of McLaughlin starting in the back row!

Who isn't a fan of McLaughlin starting in the back row?

A little joke about Jennings. He will surely want the starting 7 jersey for himself and push O'Brien out to 6.

Rory_Gallagher wrote:A little joke about Jennings. He will surely want the starting 7 jersey for himself and push O'Brien out to 6.

Ah. Sorry.

I think it's a great headache to have. McL, Jeno, Heaslip, SOB is some back row (inc bench) to have. TBH I don't mind which way they combine them. And the guys behind that are pretty decent too. Ruddock, Ryan, Auva'a. Coming behind that again Gilsenan, Marshall, Murphy All of whom have senior caps. They had to convert Coughlan to a Centre because we have so many. In first year in the academy we have Conan, Leavy, Van Der Flier. All excellent prospects.

I wonder will our lads who were at carton be included for this one to as much of an extent

Think both teams will be at full strenght builing up to H-cup now,

Does anyone know when Pooleman arrives, and Parks is fit again?

It appears Connacht have rested most of the fisrt team over the last two games, so I expect them all back for this one, tough game for Leinster.

Connacht always target this fixture, they won't be resting anyone.

If only some of the Leinster backrow lads in the academy would just grow 3-4 more inches and become second row options. Think they need to increase the level of red meat when in school to kick an extra growth spurt out of them.

Looking forward to this, might venture down for the match.

You could be on to something bandwagon.Is it the Dutch are the tallest guys around? A long time ago I spent a week in Holland on a training course for work so I had breakfast lunch and dinner with our leggy hosts. Is it a lack of grain growing in the lowlands which accounts for the scarcity of carbs at meal times?
Serious dose of the meat sweats all day long. If you wanted a sandwich you could have ham and chicken between two slices of salami. The closest thing I came to finding a sliced pan was thick slices of cheese. Also almost every Dutch person I met wore glasses. A lot of them put both the gigantism and myopia down to the additives in the meat.

Maybe the suggestion should be made back into the schools system. I think I remember reading somewhere (great preface for a baseless example) that the Chinese have grown in height a lot in the last 15-20 years as more red meat is introduced into their diet.

Needs a light sprinkling of PCP in the feed to give the growth hormones a kickstart.

LEINSTER:

15: Rob Kearney
14: Fergus McFadden
13: Brendan Macken
12: Gordon D'Arcy
11: Isa Nacewa
10: Ian Madigan
9: John Cooney

1: Heinke van der Merwe
2: Thomas Sexton
3: Jamie Hagan
4: Quinn Roux
5: Tom Denton
6: Ben Marshall
7: Shane Jennings CAPTAIN
8: Leo Auva'a

REPLACEMENTS:

16: Sean Cronin
17: Cian Healy
18: Mike Ross
19: Devin Toner
20: Jordi Murphy
21: Luke McGrath
22: Noel Reid
23: Fionn Carr

Very hard game for Leinster given those teams and the wind and rain that's likely.

Will be there to see it, but not too confident.

Connacht XV

15. Robbie Henshaw
14. Tiernan O’Halloran
13. Eoin Griffin
12. Dave McSharry
11. Fetu’u Vainikolo
10. Dan Parks
9. Kieran Marmion

1. Denis Buckley
2. Adrian Flavin
3. Nathan White (captain)
4. Michael Swift
5. Mike McCarthy
6. Eoin McKeon
7. Johnny O’Connor
8. George Naoupu

Replacements (from):

16. Jason Harris-Wright
17. Brett Wilkinson
18. Ronan Loughney
19. Dave Gannon
20. Willie Faloon
21. Dave Moore
22. Miah Nikora
23. Mata Fifit

Delighted to see Kearney back,along with Nacewa he really makes our back 3 a dangerous prospect.

I'm very happy with the gametime Cooney and Hagan have got so far this year,both players seem to be developing and in positions we need depth.Macken starting in the centre ahead of McFadden is also a plus in my book,I hope he can kick on from last weeks strong showing.

On a more negative note I'm concerned with our 2nd row,we look very light there after Cullen and Toner.I hope those 2 stay fit for all the big games or we could really be targeted in that area.

Tis a strange team I think. It's kind of a mish mash of players.

Great to see such a strong back 3 I wonder how Ferg feels about being put on the wing with Macken at 13 although they needed to give Conway and Carr a break of some sort.

Delighted Marshall is getting another game he looked good. Avuva'a also is a strong man and we don't lose much with him there with the ball but maybe lose a bit in defence.

I quite like that 2nd row pairing I have to say has a nice balance to it although still have a lot to learn about the pair I really.

Delighted Hagan is getting so much time. Our tight 5 bench is very good and should inflict a fair bit of damage early on.

Tactic for Friday: Everyone run at Dan Parks.

Nathan White captaining against his old team.

Just looking and Leinster have conceded 13 tries this season, the worst defensive in the league, Zebre have conceded 12!!
104 points conceded only better than Zebre who conceded 108!

Thats surprising,

Back to game, good to see Parks start, lets see how well he fits into the Sportsground,

pretty much Connachts best team, except having Marmion and Henshaw in,
don't know much about them. Don't think even Connacht know their best back row unit yet, with Falloon on bench, a headache Elwood must be enjoying and hopeing there are more of.

Leinster are finding thier stride now and should win, however Connacht will not be easy, and a win for Connacht would not be a surprise result.

It should be close with Connacht letting Parks kick every penelty, leinster disapline will be key here.

Maybe Leinster should get a defence coach - Schmidt isn't up to this treble jobbing

Sin é wrote:Maybe Leinster should get a defence coach - Schmidt isn't up to this treble jobbing

You know some of us were worried about that when Schmidt took over. The Excellent Kurt McQuilkin had us the meanest defence in the League.

Perhaps it has just taken a couple of years to lose it.

All the "unKURTed" youngfellahs just filtering through now.

I think Joe is predicting a bruising forwards battle and is pulling his first choice pack out of unnecessary danger. It is a dangerous Leinster back line and deadly back 3 but how often will the ball get that far. Considering it will be a pack based battle, I'm thinking Connacht by less than 5 points.

Our pack isn't full strength but even with 40% possession I'd fancy our backline to score a try

Clear night, low breeze and I'd agree with you. But if it is a gale and any kind of rain, it will make the ball 2 greasy and we won't have enough possession to take those chances.

Yeah band I agree.

Think our scrum should be a bit stronger than theirs but can see us getting bested at the breakdown possibly

Sure Johnny Concrete should be a crumbling wreck at this stage. The lad has been around for ages, he made Dayglo look young in the Wasps backrow.

How is Willie Faloon only on the bench? He was meant to be a growing force coming through in Ulster. Then seemed to fall back slightly, shifted to Connacht and can't muscle a starting position. Future doesn't seem bright there.

That Connacht centre partnership could turn into something special.

Is this Parks first start for Connacht? Can we get an over/under on how many times he passes the ball into that backline?

Yeah thought Falloon would be getting in there especially seeing as Muldoon isn't in the picture at the moment.

Totally agree re: centre partnership they look good. The 12 cut an insane line last week and made a line break and Griffin is pretty damn good too.

Yeah this is Parks's first game for Connacht

sitting in the team hotel in Galway. Leinster team just left looking focused. weather not bad but traffic shyte.

Always enjoy this one. The fear on the Leinster teams face after about 60 mins is always hilarious. Neil Francis summed it up nicely in terms of getting the sh1t kicked out of you as a leinster player. He said it was 2xs as bad as playing Munster...

Gotta say I'm liking Cooney at 9.

D'Arcy's just gone off after 10. Replaced by Noel Reid.

Who is Carr playing instead of?

Carr is playing instead of Nacewa. Don't know why though.

House of pain....

Midfield is weak with D'Arcy gone,that was a bad try to give away.

Commentator keeps saying Finn Carr

Oh the pain.

Oh the pain.

Leinster are atrocious

O'Halloran looks menacing yet again

sean.c wrote:Leinster are atrocious

Nope, connacht are very good..

Oh oh oh...this is almost better than sex

DOD wrote:

sean.c wrote:Leinster are atrocious

Nope, connacht are very good..

That too.

Mcsharry and Griffin make a great partnership. Classy players

This is why the Pro12 needs major changes. These smaller sides just can't cope with sides of the Prowess of Leinster.

Leinster are killing these guy, it's actually embarrassing. Not sure about that new green away strip mind you. But Connacht..... it's just a Province that doesn't work.

What's the score? Last I heard Connacht were winning. Good on them. I just watched Ulsters thrashing of the Blues, it was classy.

There's a thrashing going on here too Morg.....

22-6 to Connacht

Leinster 3 tries down according to live score page? Wow.

HAve to be honest, I'm glad in a sporting way, as it stops Leinster from getting one of their usual strangle holds on the league with like 10 games to go before the end. With that said, Ulster are now top with a game in hand.

Dan Parks, who would have thought..