So I'm back on the blogging bandwagon, it's been too long and I think it's time to resurrect the blog by giving an account of last night's match. I was at the RDS to witness the Ospreys make Leinster suffer their first defeat at the RDS for a long time now, and at halftime it looked like we were going to cause yet more embarrassement for the Ospreys, to be fair, they haven't had a good run of late, with the Welsh rugby team making their mark as one of the strongest, clinical teams I've seen play with such grace and fluidity for the last while, the regions seem to be suffering and paling in comparison, the opposite happening with Irish rugby.
But boy did they show me how wrong I was. The match started a little flat, to be honest I was more interested in my pint of Bulmers. The first points on the board came from penalties from Biggar and McFadden, soon Leinster had the edge at 9-3. The Leinster crowd seemed a lot more silent than usual last night with the Osprey visitors belting out a few Tom Jones specials, however, a scuffled lineout led to Ian Madigan getting his nose over the tryline for Leinster, he's some kid, and soon it was the Leinster crowd who were silencing "Delilah" with the scoreboard showing 16-6.
The Osprey boys soon closed the gap with a try from George Stowers, a nice little beauty set up by Ashley Beck. With Biggar kicking better than I've seen in a long time, the score was soon 19-16 and the visitors looked hungrier for the win. Unfortunately a TMO decision went against Leinster after Heinke Van Der Merwe tumbled over the line, it looked legitimate but the TMO said otherwise, saying it had been held up.
McFadden's boot opened up the lead to a 6 point difference again but the Ospreys were once again on the warpath, with an unfortunate tackle on Jamie Hagan, the whole crowd were very worried but thankfully he is ok with just a rib injury and I wish him a speedy recovery. The final few minutes were Leinster's demise, a lapse in concentration saw the big man Richard Hibbard soar over the line, the TMO giving the thumbs up for a try.
The final kick from Biggar saw the most bizarre of conversions, the ball hitting the top of the left post and then popping over to give them the one point lead and the win. If we can take anything positive from this match it was this, Captain Cullen is back and the man we've all been missing, Drico. He may have only played for the guts of an hour but he looked fit and sharp, a much needed player for two weeks time for the HC quarter final. And as for the Ospreys, I'd really love to ring that bird's neck ;)
Until next time Cuige Laighean Abú
Here's a player QandA with Leinster's try scorer from last night,Ian Madigan :)
Name: Ian madigan
Nickname: Mads
Age: 22
Hometown: Dublin
Position: 10/12/15
Caps for Leinster: 37
School: Blackrock
how did you first get into rugby? mini rugby with my dad and brother in Belvedere rfc
do you remember your first match with Leinster,and tell us about it?last league game of the 09 season away to the dragons!only lasted a few minutes but I remember being very nervous
funniest person on team? Fergus mcf
funniest experience you've had on the pitch? Took a restart after half time against Connacht this year but the reff hadn't come out yet!got a good reception off the crowd
if you weren't playing rugby what would you be doing? Travelling the world
proudest moment with Leinster?getting to play alongside players like Shane Horgan and b o d who id always llwstched on t.v as a kid
what do you like to do outside of rugby and training? Crazy golf in dundrum!!evening course in college
best prank you've ever played on one of the boys or prank that's been done to you or another? We usually hav to give urine samples before games,Ferg pretended to trip up and spill his piss all over me but it was actually lime cordial!it got a good reception off the other lads
worst injury youve ever had in a game or seen in a game? Dislocated shoulder
Best match you've seen in the last 12 months? Hcup final last year
Most favourite try you've scored so far? V dragons this year!
Saturday, 24 March 2012
Sunday, 8 January 2012
The boys in blue beat the er,boys in blue!!
The match in Cardiff may have seen Leinster get the win over Cardiff but by no means was it straight forward. Leinster started with all guns blazing, taking a quick penalty tap from Eoin Reddan saw Sean O'Brien seal the deal under the posts, Kearney silenced the Cardiff crowd once more by sliding over the line, two lovely tries that Sexton had no problem in converting and giving the away team an advantage of 14-0.
This was short lived however, Leigh Halfpenny's boot was on fire last night, he's a genetic freak when it comes to long range kicking abilities, and hammered over two penalties to change Leinster's early lead to 14-6.
Just before half-time Leinster got lucky with Halfpenny narrowly missing a mammoth of a kick, however, Dan Parks and his sideburns surprised a sleepy Leinster by slicing over a cheeky drop goal to narrow the score to 14-9. Leinster answered back with a penalty successfully kicked over by Sexton.
Gordon D'arcy hasn't had the best of times of late and last night was another blow for him with what appeared to be a smack to the ribs, he was taken off with our boy Isa put on as replacement. Penalties came to both sides with Sexton successfully slotting his over and thankfully to the Gods above Halfpenny missing some of his.
Sexton had to be taken off as a caution due to what appeared to be a leg injury but was later confirmed as cramp, better to be safe than sorry with two HC matches in the next two upcoming weeks.
The Blues reeled in the score to a one point gap with a try by Gethin Jenkins, to be honest I didn't agree with this one, from what I saw the TMO was inconclusive but then again Blues had been pushing Leinster to their limits, they dominated Leinster thereafter and I thought they may have had it for the winning, Halfpenny was given more opportunities and failed to use it to his advantage, McFadden gave Leinster a four point lead with a penalty awarded after Andrew Conway was impeded while chasing his own kick.
The final dying seconds saw Blues have advantage and it seemed the game could have been theirs until McFadden saved the day, resulting in a turnover that saw Kearney kick the ball out to let the final whistle blow with a fulltime score of 23-19, phew!
I always say a win is a win but Leinster seemed a little sluggish in their last two matches against Connacht and Blues, just hoping their blue magic is back in force this weekend! Until then, Cúige Laighéan Abú!
As we had a Welsh region this weekend, here's a Q and A with Osprey's lock Ian Gough
Name: Ian Gough
Nickname: Goffey , Van, Merv
Age: 35
Hometown: Cwmbran
Caps for Ospreys: 105
Caps for Wales: 64
School: llantarnam
What do you do for fun outside of rugby and training?
motorbikes, surfing, stand up paddle boarding , aerobatic flying and the odd game of squash
How did you get into rugby?
Was it because you were too clumsy for any other sport? ;)
All my mates played soccer but I wasn't that great to be fair! So one Sunday whilst bored my father says right you're going to play rugby , soccer kit in hand went along had my first game and boom that was it!
Who's the dimest player at the ospreys?
Well no ones too dim but Ian Evans does come up with some absolute classics at times, he borders on comedy genius but don't think he means it! (check out yantos yak!)
Gavin Henson, your thoughts??
great talent, too much is said about him , people should just let him play now and cut all this hype crap - when he puts a seasons worth of form together then we can comment
Who's the longest in the shower?
Luke charteris !!!
If you were granted three wishes what would they be?
Wish my plate is always full , glass is never empty and there's always a roof over my head - simple things for simple folk !
Best rugby moment?
Have many , any time we've won anything - leagues, cups , rep honours - 2008 grand slam sticks out though
Worst injury on the pitch? Give us all the gorey details!
Dislocated shoulder and popped ribs wasn't a pleasant experience , although James king having his ear ripped off last week beats my ones!
Worst injury off the pitch? (Clumsy!)
Ripped leg open with a stanley knife trying to cut carpet, almost took a finger off making a Dutch arrow with a Stanley knife - guess I should stay away from them eh!
Best prank you ever played on someone?
3 man lift on a mouthy mate whilst on a stag due in Amsterdam - needles to say he is still distraught
Best prank someone ever played on you?
Was working in Cardiff prison and my dad who was a warden at the time set it up for a prisoner to come in the room and start getting aggressive ! I was 17 and new pants were needed afterwards....
If you and Paddy Doherty the pikey were in a brawl, who would win?
Paddy - I'm a lover not a fighter!
Tell us a random fact about yourself?
Middle name is Mervyn after 70's welsh number 8 mervyn Davies
Funniest thing you've heard in a scrum or during a match?
Alun Wynn Jones chasing a kick running along side his opponent telling him how sexy his red boots looked!
This was short lived however, Leigh Halfpenny's boot was on fire last night, he's a genetic freak when it comes to long range kicking abilities, and hammered over two penalties to change Leinster's early lead to 14-6.
Just before half-time Leinster got lucky with Halfpenny narrowly missing a mammoth of a kick, however, Dan Parks and his sideburns surprised a sleepy Leinster by slicing over a cheeky drop goal to narrow the score to 14-9. Leinster answered back with a penalty successfully kicked over by Sexton.
Gordon D'arcy hasn't had the best of times of late and last night was another blow for him with what appeared to be a smack to the ribs, he was taken off with our boy Isa put on as replacement. Penalties came to both sides with Sexton successfully slotting his over and thankfully to the Gods above Halfpenny missing some of his.
Sexton had to be taken off as a caution due to what appeared to be a leg injury but was later confirmed as cramp, better to be safe than sorry with two HC matches in the next two upcoming weeks.
The Blues reeled in the score to a one point gap with a try by Gethin Jenkins, to be honest I didn't agree with this one, from what I saw the TMO was inconclusive but then again Blues had been pushing Leinster to their limits, they dominated Leinster thereafter and I thought they may have had it for the winning, Halfpenny was given more opportunities and failed to use it to his advantage, McFadden gave Leinster a four point lead with a penalty awarded after Andrew Conway was impeded while chasing his own kick.
The final dying seconds saw Blues have advantage and it seemed the game could have been theirs until McFadden saved the day, resulting in a turnover that saw Kearney kick the ball out to let the final whistle blow with a fulltime score of 23-19, phew!
I always say a win is a win but Leinster seemed a little sluggish in their last two matches against Connacht and Blues, just hoping their blue magic is back in force this weekend! Until then, Cúige Laighéan Abú!
As we had a Welsh region this weekend, here's a Q and A with Osprey's lock Ian Gough
Name: Ian Gough
Nickname: Goffey , Van, Merv
Age: 35
Hometown: Cwmbran
Caps for Ospreys: 105
Caps for Wales: 64
School: llantarnam
What do you do for fun outside of rugby and training?
motorbikes, surfing, stand up paddle boarding , aerobatic flying and the odd game of squash
How did you get into rugby?
Was it because you were too clumsy for any other sport? ;)
All my mates played soccer but I wasn't that great to be fair! So one Sunday whilst bored my father says right you're going to play rugby , soccer kit in hand went along had my first game and boom that was it!
Who's the dimest player at the ospreys?
Well no ones too dim but Ian Evans does come up with some absolute classics at times, he borders on comedy genius but don't think he means it! (check out yantos yak!)
Gavin Henson, your thoughts??
great talent, too much is said about him , people should just let him play now and cut all this hype crap - when he puts a seasons worth of form together then we can comment
Who's the longest in the shower?
Luke charteris !!!
If you were granted three wishes what would they be?
Wish my plate is always full , glass is never empty and there's always a roof over my head - simple things for simple folk !
Best rugby moment?
Have many , any time we've won anything - leagues, cups , rep honours - 2008 grand slam sticks out though
Worst injury on the pitch? Give us all the gorey details!
Dislocated shoulder and popped ribs wasn't a pleasant experience , although James king having his ear ripped off last week beats my ones!
Worst injury off the pitch? (Clumsy!)
Ripped leg open with a stanley knife trying to cut carpet, almost took a finger off making a Dutch arrow with a Stanley knife - guess I should stay away from them eh!
Best prank you ever played on someone?
3 man lift on a mouthy mate whilst on a stag due in Amsterdam - needles to say he is still distraught
Best prank someone ever played on you?
Was working in Cardiff prison and my dad who was a warden at the time set it up for a prisoner to come in the room and start getting aggressive ! I was 17 and new pants were needed afterwards....
If you and Paddy Doherty the pikey were in a brawl, who would win?
Paddy - I'm a lover not a fighter!
Tell us a random fact about yourself?
Middle name is Mervyn after 70's welsh number 8 mervyn Davies
Funniest thing you've heard in a scrum or during a match?
Alun Wynn Jones chasing a kick running along side his opponent telling him how sexy his red boots looked!
Thursday, 29 December 2011
Feeling Blue this Christmas? I certainly was!
Well it's been a while since I've done a blog, bloody work has kept me so busy! The Leinster boys however have kept me thoroughly entertained for the last few weeks, their work during their Heineken Cup campaign has been fluid, I was at the Aviva to witness the hammering they gave Bath,Sexton was phenomenal,Luke Fitzgerald was undeniably one to watch for the 6 nations, he seems to have a score to settle after missing out on the RWC, and try after try I'm thinking no words were required to show Declan Kidney that the number 11 spot is still under threat. The one thing I noticed was that the entire team worked incredibly well as a unit, they were outstandingly solid, the rugby was undoubtedly world class, playing with ferocious speed and passion. The last few matches have seen Leinster finish with a very high score, crossing the 50 point barrier against both Cardiff and Bath, and more recently smashing Ulster at the RDS 42-13. The one thing that worries me is though, with still approx 5 months of the season to go, have Leinster peaked too early?? I certainly hope not, and the stuffing they gave Ulster on the 26th showed that if they keep rolling with the punches like they are, the potential to "do the double" this year may become more reality than fantasy. McFadden's kicking abilities against Ulster was better from what I've seen from him in a long time, with tries coming from all angles, the boys in blue certainly lifted the Christmas spirits, they certainly lifted mine as I toasted a G&T in their honour ;) Now let's hope they can take on Connacht in a similar fashion on New Year's day, I'll hopefully be on better blogging form :) until then Cúige Laighean Abú :)
oh and before I go, check out my Q&A with one of last weekend's try scorer's, Jamie Hagan :)
Name: Jamie hagan
Nickname: hago
Age: 24
Hometown: Balbriggan
Position: prop
Caps for Leinster: 10 I think
Caps for Connacht 50
School: Gormanston College
how did you first get into rugby?
In fourth year, went to play touch with balbriggan and went from there
do you remember your first match with Leinster and tell us about it?
Yeah it was against the dragons three seasons ago, 10 mins off the bench,was a good experience
Funniest person on Leinster team? Tom sexton (hooker) doesn't even know it!
Funniest experience you've had on the pitch or in a scrum?
While playing for Connacht Mike McCarthy told Luke Charteris he was a very naughty boy!
If you weren't playing rugby what would you like to do?
A teacher
Proudest moment with Leinster/Connacht?
Playing with Connacht was playing in the Amlin semi final against Toulon,with Leinster it was my try against Ulster
What do you like to do outside of rugby and training?
I like to cook and play guitar
Best prank you've ever played on one of the boys or prank that's been done to you or another?
Eh can't say.....!
Worst injury youve ever had in a game or seen in a game?
I've subluxed my knee cap was very sore.
Ever thought about becoming a wing after that cracker of a try against Ulster?
Eh I'd play anywhere but I think the wing is defo not for the likes of me :)
oh and before I go, check out my Q&A with one of last weekend's try scorer's, Jamie Hagan :)
Name: Jamie hagan
Nickname: hago
Age: 24
Hometown: Balbriggan
Position: prop
Caps for Leinster: 10 I think
Caps for Connacht 50
School: Gormanston College
how did you first get into rugby?
In fourth year, went to play touch with balbriggan and went from there
do you remember your first match with Leinster and tell us about it?
Yeah it was against the dragons three seasons ago, 10 mins off the bench,was a good experience
Funniest person on Leinster team? Tom sexton (hooker) doesn't even know it!
Funniest experience you've had on the pitch or in a scrum?
While playing for Connacht Mike McCarthy told Luke Charteris he was a very naughty boy!
If you weren't playing rugby what would you like to do?
A teacher
Proudest moment with Leinster/Connacht?
Playing with Connacht was playing in the Amlin semi final against Toulon,with Leinster it was my try against Ulster
What do you like to do outside of rugby and training?
I like to cook and play guitar
Best prank you've ever played on one of the boys or prank that's been done to you or another?
Eh can't say.....!
Worst injury youve ever had in a game or seen in a game?
I've subluxed my knee cap was very sore.
Ever thought about becoming a wing after that cracker of a try against Ulster?
Eh I'd play anywhere but I think the wing is defo not for the likes of me :)
Monday, 21 November 2011
Leinster win the battle against Warriors: Post match views
I stand corrected.
I said that Brian O' Driscoll was a central cog in the Leinster team but he certainly wasn't missed on Sunday. Eoin O' Malley stepped up to the mark and stood his ground as the number 13 for Leinster going over the line not once but twice for the boys in blue. The game opened with a penalty awarded to the Warriors against the Leinster scrum with Duncan Weir putting the first three points on the board with a belter of a kick.
Their lead was short lived however, Sexton made a sweet little kick to Nacewa, the little Fijian then pops it to the beautiful Kearney who dives over the line for an early try, Sexton converts and its now 7-3. Minutes later, Leinster earn themselves a penalty from a maul which Sexton misses, I'm pretty sure after this the whole crowd were thinking "please God, let Jonny have a good game!"
My reckoning is that the RDS's prayers were answered, another penalty comes our boys' way, and this time the foot of Jonny puts another three points on the board, 10-3. Punishment came when Toner is sent to the sin-bin, I always get nervy when a player is sent off, a player down for ten minutes is like losing a limb, although Glasgow didn't seem to take advantage of this, Weir did convert the penalty to make the score 10-6, however the next ten minutes were to see that a new centre saviour had been born and his name is Eoin O'Malley...
A mistake by Glasgow give Leinster possession, Sexton makes a quick ball to O'Malley who sneaks in under the posts, J10 converts it to make the score 17-6. But hold on a minute, O'Malley isn't finished just yet, if there's one way to silence the critics (including myself), it's to score a try in the shirt of Brian O'Driscoll, if there's one way to stun them and give them the finger it's to score a second try approx. seven minutes later while you're a man down, an offload from the Dorce sees O'Malley under the posts and Sexton converts to make it 24-6.
Glasgow are given an opportunily when they're awarded a penalty and opt for a lineout. The ball is turned over by Leinster who gain metres away from their own line, a mistake by Glasgow being offside during a ruck costs them dearly, Sexton opts to kick for a lineout and the result sees D'Arcy go over the line for a try, delighted I must say, it's good to see Dorce play well again, Sexton converts again and the HT score is 31-6, cheeky bonus point in the bag!
Glasgow set the tempo with fire (or possibly the haggis they had for breakfast) in their bellies for the second half only to be cut short by a forward pass, the penalties start to go in their way as both Sean Cronin and Cian Healy, who had been brought on for van der Merwe are punished, Glasgow opt for a scrum, Wilson is just short of the line for Glasgow but the strong Leinster defence hold him off before giving away yet another penalty.
Glasgow drove on but the whistle blows and the Leinster boys get a penalty for their efforts. Leinster make more changes in the second half, but still no score from either side, a far cry from the first half. After more scrappy play from both sides, a try is given to Glasgow for their poor efforts, Pyrgos gets under the posts and is converted to make the score 31-13.
A final try from Boss (obviously his magic powers weren't concealed in his mullet after all) which is converted by Madigan cancels out the try by Glasgow and finishes the match with a final score of 38-13, job done. It really was a one half wonder but with 5 points taken from this game, do we really care?! ;)
I said that Brian O' Driscoll was a central cog in the Leinster team but he certainly wasn't missed on Sunday. Eoin O' Malley stepped up to the mark and stood his ground as the number 13 for Leinster going over the line not once but twice for the boys in blue. The game opened with a penalty awarded to the Warriors against the Leinster scrum with Duncan Weir putting the first three points on the board with a belter of a kick.
Their lead was short lived however, Sexton made a sweet little kick to Nacewa, the little Fijian then pops it to the beautiful Kearney who dives over the line for an early try, Sexton converts and its now 7-3. Minutes later, Leinster earn themselves a penalty from a maul which Sexton misses, I'm pretty sure after this the whole crowd were thinking "please God, let Jonny have a good game!"
My reckoning is that the RDS's prayers were answered, another penalty comes our boys' way, and this time the foot of Jonny puts another three points on the board, 10-3. Punishment came when Toner is sent to the sin-bin, I always get nervy when a player is sent off, a player down for ten minutes is like losing a limb, although Glasgow didn't seem to take advantage of this, Weir did convert the penalty to make the score 10-6, however the next ten minutes were to see that a new centre saviour had been born and his name is Eoin O'Malley...
A mistake by Glasgow give Leinster possession, Sexton makes a quick ball to O'Malley who sneaks in under the posts, J10 converts it to make the score 17-6. But hold on a minute, O'Malley isn't finished just yet, if there's one way to silence the critics (including myself), it's to score a try in the shirt of Brian O'Driscoll, if there's one way to stun them and give them the finger it's to score a second try approx. seven minutes later while you're a man down, an offload from the Dorce sees O'Malley under the posts and Sexton converts to make it 24-6.
Glasgow are given an opportunily when they're awarded a penalty and opt for a lineout. The ball is turned over by Leinster who gain metres away from their own line, a mistake by Glasgow being offside during a ruck costs them dearly, Sexton opts to kick for a lineout and the result sees D'Arcy go over the line for a try, delighted I must say, it's good to see Dorce play well again, Sexton converts again and the HT score is 31-6, cheeky bonus point in the bag!
Glasgow set the tempo with fire (or possibly the haggis they had for breakfast) in their bellies for the second half only to be cut short by a forward pass, the penalties start to go in their way as both Sean Cronin and Cian Healy, who had been brought on for van der Merwe are punished, Glasgow opt for a scrum, Wilson is just short of the line for Glasgow but the strong Leinster defence hold him off before giving away yet another penalty.
Glasgow drove on but the whistle blows and the Leinster boys get a penalty for their efforts. Leinster make more changes in the second half, but still no score from either side, a far cry from the first half. After more scrappy play from both sides, a try is given to Glasgow for their poor efforts, Pyrgos gets under the posts and is converted to make the score 31-13.
A final try from Boss (obviously his magic powers weren't concealed in his mullet after all) which is converted by Madigan cancels out the try by Glasgow and finishes the match with a final score of 38-13, job done. It really was a one half wonder but with 5 points taken from this game, do we really care?! ;)
Other Results
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Saturday, 19 November 2011
Leinster Pucker Up for a Glasgow Kiss: Leinster V Warriors Preview
I'll keep this preview short and sweet as I'm sure I'll have plenty to say in my post match analysis! With Munster making it two from two games in their HC pool,all thanks to ROG's spectacular drop goal technique, it looks like Leinster need to step up their game this weekend or else they'll be left with a face redder than the Munster home jersey. The sweet advantage is that they're on home ground at the RDS, a place where Leinster have punished their visitors, particularly in the HC, if Glasgow can do this, they're doing pretty darn well it has to be said, Leinster haven't lost a HC match to anyone at home in the last two years.
Warriors got the better of Leinster in the Pro12 only a couple of months ago beating them 23-19, but can they give the same performance tomorrow against the current HC champions?? It's hard to predict this, the only thing is, both teams will have players who were away at the time of the RWC when the two teams last met, so there may be different dynamics involved.
Over 17,500 tickets have been sold, so it's sure to have an explosive atmosphere, I unfortunately won't be there as I was supposed to be working but they changed my shift last minute so now I'm not working and ticketless for the game :( If anyone wants to take me though, feel free! :)
This week sees Eoin O'Malley take the number 13 jersey in place of Drico, nothing against O'Malley at all, he's a great player, but I'm just hoping that now that Drico has had the Op that he'll be back well before April and fighting fit please God, he really is an important cog in the Leinster force that keeps them going strong. Other changes from last week see Sean Cronin starting instead of Richardt Strauss, well earned in my opinion, the boy played a stormer against Montpellier and I reckon his try booked him a place in the starting 15.
Reddan starts alongside Sexton, with Boss on the bench, I actually prefer this if I'm honest, Boss its a gutsy player but I just think Reddan starting is a good omen, Boss is a great man to finish what Redser starts, I just feel Reddan's got the XFactor when it comes to the battle of the scrum-halves. One other change sees Toner starting, I think it's only fair considering he was crowned Bank of Ireland Player of the Month, well deserved!
So here's to looking forward to 12.45pm tomorrow, more than likely I'll be sitting on my own in a pub waving a tiny Leinster flag :) Until then Cúige Laighean Abú!!!
LEINSTER:
15: Rob Kearney
14: Isa Nacewa
13: Eoin O'Malley
12: Gordon D'Arcy
11: Luke Fitzgerald
10: Jonathan Sexton
9: Eoin Reddan
1: Heinke van der Merwe
2: Sean Cronin
3: Mike Ross
4: Leo Cullen CAPTAIN
5: Devin Toner
6: Kevin McLaughlin
7: Sean O'Brien
8: Jamie Heaslip
REPLACEMENTS:
16: Richardt Strauss
17: Cian Healy
18: Nathan White
19: Rhys Ruddock
20: Shane Jennings
21: Isaac Boss
22: Ian Madigan
23: Fionn Carr
GLASGOW WARRIORS:
15: Stuart Hogg
14: Tommy Seymour
13: Peter Murchie
12: Graeme Morrison
11: Colin Shaw
10: Duncan Weir
9: Chris Cusiter
1: Ryan Grant
2: Pat MacArthur
3: Mike Cusack
4: Richie Gray
5: Al Kellock CAPTAIN
6: Rob Harley
7: John Barclay
8: Ryan Wilson
REPLACEMENTS:
16: Finlay Gillies
17: Jon Welsh
18: Ed Kalman
19: Tom Ryder
20: Henry Pyrgos
21: Chris Fusaro
22: Federico Aramburu
23: Troy Nathan
REFEREE: Andrew Small (RFU), ASSISTANT REFEREES: Martin Fox, Roy Maybank (both RFU), 4th OFFICIAL: Kevin Beggs (IRFU), 5th OFFICIAL: Brian MacNeice (IRFU), TMO: Graham Hughes (RFU)
Warriors got the better of Leinster in the Pro12 only a couple of months ago beating them 23-19, but can they give the same performance tomorrow against the current HC champions?? It's hard to predict this, the only thing is, both teams will have players who were away at the time of the RWC when the two teams last met, so there may be different dynamics involved.
Over 17,500 tickets have been sold, so it's sure to have an explosive atmosphere, I unfortunately won't be there as I was supposed to be working but they changed my shift last minute so now I'm not working and ticketless for the game :( If anyone wants to take me though, feel free! :)
This week sees Eoin O'Malley take the number 13 jersey in place of Drico, nothing against O'Malley at all, he's a great player, but I'm just hoping that now that Drico has had the Op that he'll be back well before April and fighting fit please God, he really is an important cog in the Leinster force that keeps them going strong. Other changes from last week see Sean Cronin starting instead of Richardt Strauss, well earned in my opinion, the boy played a stormer against Montpellier and I reckon his try booked him a place in the starting 15.
Reddan starts alongside Sexton, with Boss on the bench, I actually prefer this if I'm honest, Boss its a gutsy player but I just think Reddan starting is a good omen, Boss is a great man to finish what Redser starts, I just feel Reddan's got the XFactor when it comes to the battle of the scrum-halves. One other change sees Toner starting, I think it's only fair considering he was crowned Bank of Ireland Player of the Month, well deserved!
So here's to looking forward to 12.45pm tomorrow, more than likely I'll be sitting on my own in a pub waving a tiny Leinster flag :) Until then Cúige Laighean Abú!!!
LEINSTER:
15: Rob Kearney
14: Isa Nacewa
13: Eoin O'Malley
12: Gordon D'Arcy
11: Luke Fitzgerald
10: Jonathan Sexton
9: Eoin Reddan
1: Heinke van der Merwe
2: Sean Cronin
3: Mike Ross
4: Leo Cullen CAPTAIN
5: Devin Toner
6: Kevin McLaughlin
7: Sean O'Brien
8: Jamie Heaslip
REPLACEMENTS:
16: Richardt Strauss
17: Cian Healy
18: Nathan White
19: Rhys Ruddock
20: Shane Jennings
21: Isaac Boss
22: Ian Madigan
23: Fionn Carr
GLASGOW WARRIORS:
15: Stuart Hogg
14: Tommy Seymour
13: Peter Murchie
12: Graeme Morrison
11: Colin Shaw
10: Duncan Weir
9: Chris Cusiter
1: Ryan Grant
2: Pat MacArthur
3: Mike Cusack
4: Richie Gray
5: Al Kellock CAPTAIN
6: Rob Harley
7: John Barclay
8: Ryan Wilson
REPLACEMENTS:
16: Finlay Gillies
17: Jon Welsh
18: Ed Kalman
19: Tom Ryder
20: Henry Pyrgos
21: Chris Fusaro
22: Federico Aramburu
23: Troy Nathan
REFEREE: Andrew Small (RFU), ASSISTANT REFEREES: Martin Fox, Roy Maybank (both RFU), 4th OFFICIAL: Kevin Beggs (IRFU), 5th OFFICIAL: Brian MacNeice (IRFU), TMO: Graham Hughes (RFU)
Sunday, 13 November 2011
My Heineken Cup Hangover: A round-up of all four Irish provinces
Ow my head.
I don't know whether it's the after effects of red wine or the sheer panic that Leinster almost suffered a defeat at the hands of Montpellier only for Jonathan "cool as a fish's fart" Sexton's dying seconds penalty to go safely over the posts that has me feeling a little tender today. From the start Montpellier went at it with all guns blazing, the pool C clash saw Sexton edging the lead with two penalties in the first few minutes with a retaliation from the French boys to make it 6-3.
A block from the French side resulted in a try by Fulgence Ouedraogo, the Montpellier captain had now given them the lead, his try being converted by Benoit Paillaugueto give the home side a lead of 13-6 at the half-time break. Their devil-may-care attitude saw them almost go over the line in the first few moments of the second half, Leinster got lucky by turning it in their favour but were severely punished by conceding a penalty and the boot of Trinh-Duc made it 16-6.
If there's one thing about Leinster, it's a good strong comeback, winning the Heineken Cup twice in three years isn't an easy task and Leinster seem to fight tooth and nail when their backs are up against the ropes. At the 66th minute, Sean Cronin, who had come on to replace Richardt Strauss got over the line and with a conversion from Sexton, the boys from our fair city were now just three points down after a dismal first half. It was shit or get off the pot time when a final penalty was awarded to the Leinster lads against Remy Martin, Sexton, the little hero that he is, put another three points on the board from a tight angled penalty to upset the apple-cart and give a final score of 16-16, not the finest of matches by a long shot but better than going home humiliated!
The 11/11/11 saw Connacht open their HC campaign against Quins, they got off to a great start and really put the pressure on, the opening score came with a penalty taken by Nick Evans for Quins, minutes later Nikora levelled the score for Connacht, Connacht were then penalised for being off-side, Evans kicked to make it 6-3 and put Quins back in front.
A try coming from Tiernan O’Halloran and converted by Nikora saw Connacht take the lead at 10-6 before another penalty was awarded to Quins and Evans brought the score back to a one point difference. A try came for Quins when Karl Dickson shot over the line, with Evans' conversion and yet another penalty, the home team took the lead to 19-10 at half-time.
The second half saw Gavin Duffy find his voice and silence the Quins crowd by bringing the team from the whesht of Ireland back into it, O'Connor converted to bring the score to 19-17. Connacht gave away the match by giving away two more penalties, which saw Evans pop them neatly over the posts giving a final score of 25-17.
Over at Ravenhill, Ulster were busy entertaining Clermont, an early penalty for the French visitors saw Parra chip it over, veering over too far, and letting the Ulstermen breathe a sigh of relief. They weren't so lucky when Noa Nakaitachi got through the Ulster defence to put five points on the board. Parra couldn't kick a habit and the conversion didn't come for the Frenchies.
The first points for Ulster came for a penalty on Clermont's behalf when they couldn't hold up in the scrum and Humphries kicked over the posts to make it 5-3. They couldn't hold onto this two point difference however and a penalty awarded to Clermont saw Skrela kick for three points making the score 8-3.Two more penalties on either side saw a half-time score of 11-6.
The second half went in Ulster's favour, after missing one penalty, Humphries made sure he didn't miss the next and brought the score to 11-9. The kicker then went over the line and converted his own try to make it 16-11, final score.
Possibly one of the best matches of the weekend was the meeting of Munster and finalists Norhampton Saints at Thomand Park. If ever there was a man who can handle pressure it's Ronan O' Gara. The game was opened up with a try by Damain Varley and a conversion by ROG, Saints retaliated with Ashton (ugh) going over the line minutes later but Dougie Howlett cancelled that one out just before the half-time whistle blew. Ryan Lamb kicked over two penalties for the Saints in the first half also, leaving the score 14-13 in Munster's favour.
The second half was another scorcher with James Downey going over the line for Saints, no conversion this time and the Saints now led 18-13. The Munster men dug in deep after a lineout taken by Varls and Donnacha Ryan led a strong maul over the line for another try converted by ROG, the score standing at 20-18. The cat and mouse game continued with Lamb throwing over another three points and again Saints led 21-20. The final clincher came when the winking wizard himself did what he does best and pulled a move that we've rarely seen since Ireland beat Wales for the Grandslam in '09, a wonderful drop goal attempt gave the Munster lads a last second victory, winning 23-21 and giving Limerick something to shout about. I had to include the youtube video as I could not stop laughing at the commentating hahahaaa! All in all, two wins, one draw and one loss wasn't too bad for the first matches of the HC, roll on next week I say, better go iron my kilt for our showdown with Glasgae!! ;) Until then Cúige Laighean Abú!!!
I don't know whether it's the after effects of red wine or the sheer panic that Leinster almost suffered a defeat at the hands of Montpellier only for Jonathan "cool as a fish's fart" Sexton's dying seconds penalty to go safely over the posts that has me feeling a little tender today. From the start Montpellier went at it with all guns blazing, the pool C clash saw Sexton edging the lead with two penalties in the first few minutes with a retaliation from the French boys to make it 6-3.
A block from the French side resulted in a try by Fulgence Ouedraogo, the Montpellier captain had now given them the lead, his try being converted by Benoit Paillaugueto give the home side a lead of 13-6 at the half-time break. Their devil-may-care attitude saw them almost go over the line in the first few moments of the second half, Leinster got lucky by turning it in their favour but were severely punished by conceding a penalty and the boot of Trinh-Duc made it 16-6.
If there's one thing about Leinster, it's a good strong comeback, winning the Heineken Cup twice in three years isn't an easy task and Leinster seem to fight tooth and nail when their backs are up against the ropes. At the 66th minute, Sean Cronin, who had come on to replace Richardt Strauss got over the line and with a conversion from Sexton, the boys from our fair city were now just three points down after a dismal first half. It was shit or get off the pot time when a final penalty was awarded to the Leinster lads against Remy Martin, Sexton, the little hero that he is, put another three points on the board from a tight angled penalty to upset the apple-cart and give a final score of 16-16, not the finest of matches by a long shot but better than going home humiliated!
A try coming from Tiernan O’Halloran and converted by Nikora saw Connacht take the lead at 10-6 before another penalty was awarded to Quins and Evans brought the score back to a one point difference. A try came for Quins when Karl Dickson shot over the line, with Evans' conversion and yet another penalty, the home team took the lead to 19-10 at half-time.
The second half saw Gavin Duffy find his voice and silence the Quins crowd by bringing the team from the whesht of Ireland back into it, O'Connor converted to bring the score to 19-17. Connacht gave away the match by giving away two more penalties, which saw Evans pop them neatly over the posts giving a final score of 25-17.
Over at Ravenhill, Ulster were busy entertaining Clermont, an early penalty for the French visitors saw Parra chip it over, veering over too far, and letting the Ulstermen breathe a sigh of relief. They weren't so lucky when Noa Nakaitachi got through the Ulster defence to put five points on the board. Parra couldn't kick a habit and the conversion didn't come for the Frenchies.
The first points for Ulster came for a penalty on Clermont's behalf when they couldn't hold up in the scrum and Humphries kicked over the posts to make it 5-3. They couldn't hold onto this two point difference however and a penalty awarded to Clermont saw Skrela kick for three points making the score 8-3.Two more penalties on either side saw a half-time score of 11-6.
The second half went in Ulster's favour, after missing one penalty, Humphries made sure he didn't miss the next and brought the score to 11-9. The kicker then went over the line and converted his own try to make it 16-11, final score.
Possibly one of the best matches of the weekend was the meeting of Munster and finalists Norhampton Saints at Thomand Park. If ever there was a man who can handle pressure it's Ronan O' Gara. The game was opened up with a try by Damain Varley and a conversion by ROG, Saints retaliated with Ashton (ugh) going over the line minutes later but Dougie Howlett cancelled that one out just before the half-time whistle blew. Ryan Lamb kicked over two penalties for the Saints in the first half also, leaving the score 14-13 in Munster's favour.
Friday, 11 November 2011
It's Game On at Stade de la Mosson
Bonjour! Bonjour! Here's to my brutal French and to hopefully a great weekend of Heineken Cup rugby. All four Irish provinces go into battle this weekend, my main focus being Leinster overthrowing Montpellier, nobody, especially the current holders, want to lose a first round match, and with France coming second in the RWC, French teams are no doubt riding high on the crest of the rugby wave.
When Leinster lifted the Heineken Cup this year, it will be a day that I will never forget, a few tears were shed for different reasons, 1) I was sitting in a bar where nobody except for myself and Ruth Melody were remotely interested in the match, 2) I was studying for my pharmacy pre-registration exam and I was an emotional and hormonal wreck and 3) I wasn't in Cardiff when I should of been (stupid exam getting in my way!) Nevertheless it was a great day and I went home to my books with a spring in my step.
Now its starting all over again and by no means will Leinster have it easy, Montpellier are the runners up to Stade de France in the Top 14, from watching French teams in the past I've noticed that they are opportunists, they take advantage of every penalty that goes their way, nothing is wasted, I remember being at the Aviva watching Leinster play Toulouse in the HC semi-final, a penalty given to Toulouse, it hits the post and bounces back, a lovely take by Florian Fritz and he pops it over the line for a try while Leinster stand there with their pants around their ankles. A lucky bounce for them some might say but in my opinion there is no such thing as a lucky bounce for those prepared to chase.
Last week's clash with Munster showed that there was still a stale smell of RWC hangover off the boys, the rustiness and the mistakes need to be ironed out or Montpellier will punish us, our scrum set seems mildly weakened by the absence of Nathan Hines, he was such a great asset to Leinster and Devin Toner has some very big boots (or possibly small, the guy is 6ft10!) to fill if he wants to partake in the second row. Damian Browne comes into the side instead of Toner so let's hope he has something to say in the scrum tomorrow.
With Drico out with a shoulder injury until April (that is a very bitter pill to swallow), it looks like McFadden has claimed the centre spot, he partners D'Arcy again with Sexton and Boss acting as 10 and 9 respectively.
Another blow came when Cian Healy gained an injury during training this week, as a caution the Leinster management decided to play Heinke van der Merwe alongside Richardt Strauss and Mike Ross. Final change sees Kevin McLaughlin starting instead of Shane Jennings, with all other players from last week's Pro12 game remaining unchanged.
The other provinces go head to head also with Connacht kicking off their campaign against Harlequins tonight, lets hope the luck of 11-11-11 is with them! Ulster take on Clermont at Ravenhill while Munster take on finalists Northampton Saints at Thomand Park.
So fingers crossed it'll be a positive weekend for the four proud provinces of Ireland and to anyone who speaks fluent French... J'espère que vous apportez votre jeu parce que le Leinster va vous apporter leur bande idiote de grenouilles...ALLEZ LES BLEUS!!! ;)
LEINSTER:
15: Rob Kearney
14: Isa Nacewa
13: Fergus McFadden
12: Gordon D'Arcy
11: Luke Fitzgerald
10: Jonathan Sexton
9: Isaac Boss
1: Heinke van der Merwe
2: Richardt Strauss
3: Mike Ross
4: Leo Cullen CAPTAIN
5: Damian Browne
6: Kevin McLaughlin
7: Sean O'Brien
8: Jamie Heaslip
REPLACEMENTS:
16; Sean Cronin
17: Jack McGrath
18: Nathan White
19: Devin Toner
20: Shane Jennings
21: Eoin Reddan
22: Ian Madigan
23: Eoin O'Malley
Montpellier:
When Leinster lifted the Heineken Cup this year, it will be a day that I will never forget, a few tears were shed for different reasons, 1) I was sitting in a bar where nobody except for myself and Ruth Melody were remotely interested in the match, 2) I was studying for my pharmacy pre-registration exam and I was an emotional and hormonal wreck and 3) I wasn't in Cardiff when I should of been (stupid exam getting in my way!) Nevertheless it was a great day and I went home to my books with a spring in my step.
Now its starting all over again and by no means will Leinster have it easy, Montpellier are the runners up to Stade de France in the Top 14, from watching French teams in the past I've noticed that they are opportunists, they take advantage of every penalty that goes their way, nothing is wasted, I remember being at the Aviva watching Leinster play Toulouse in the HC semi-final, a penalty given to Toulouse, it hits the post and bounces back, a lovely take by Florian Fritz and he pops it over the line for a try while Leinster stand there with their pants around their ankles. A lucky bounce for them some might say but in my opinion there is no such thing as a lucky bounce for those prepared to chase.
Last week's clash with Munster showed that there was still a stale smell of RWC hangover off the boys, the rustiness and the mistakes need to be ironed out or Montpellier will punish us, our scrum set seems mildly weakened by the absence of Nathan Hines, he was such a great asset to Leinster and Devin Toner has some very big boots (or possibly small, the guy is 6ft10!) to fill if he wants to partake in the second row. Damian Browne comes into the side instead of Toner so let's hope he has something to say in the scrum tomorrow.
With Drico out with a shoulder injury until April (that is a very bitter pill to swallow), it looks like McFadden has claimed the centre spot, he partners D'Arcy again with Sexton and Boss acting as 10 and 9 respectively.
Another blow came when Cian Healy gained an injury during training this week, as a caution the Leinster management decided to play Heinke van der Merwe alongside Richardt Strauss and Mike Ross. Final change sees Kevin McLaughlin starting instead of Shane Jennings, with all other players from last week's Pro12 game remaining unchanged.
The other provinces go head to head also with Connacht kicking off their campaign against Harlequins tonight, lets hope the luck of 11-11-11 is with them! Ulster take on Clermont at Ravenhill while Munster take on finalists Northampton Saints at Thomand Park.
So fingers crossed it'll be a positive weekend for the four proud provinces of Ireland and to anyone who speaks fluent French... J'espère que vous apportez votre jeu parce que le Leinster va vous apporter leur bande idiote de grenouilles...ALLEZ LES BLEUS!!! ;)
LEINSTER:
15: Rob Kearney
14: Isa Nacewa
13: Fergus McFadden
12: Gordon D'Arcy
11: Luke Fitzgerald
10: Jonathan Sexton
9: Isaac Boss
1: Heinke van der Merwe
2: Richardt Strauss
3: Mike Ross
4: Leo Cullen CAPTAIN
5: Damian Browne
6: Kevin McLaughlin
7: Sean O'Brien
8: Jamie Heaslip
REPLACEMENTS:
16; Sean Cronin
17: Jack McGrath
18: Nathan White
19: Devin Toner
20: Shane Jennings
21: Eoin Reddan
22: Ian Madigan
23: Eoin O'Malley
Montpellier:
1.Naama Leleimalefaga - 2.Agustin Creevy - 3.Maximiliano Bustos - 4.Mickael De Marco - 5.Thibaut Privat - 6.Fulgence Ouedraogo (capitaine) - 7.Mamuka Gorgodze - 8.Masi Matadigo - 9.Benoit Paillaugue - 10.François Trinh-Duc - 11.Yoan Audrin - 12.Santiago Fernandez - 13.Geoffrey Doumayrou - 14.Timoci Nagusa - 15.Lucas Amorosino
Replacements:
16.Rassie Van Vuuren - 17.Mikheil Nariashvili - 18.Giorgi Jgenti - 19.Drikus Hancke - 20.Rémy Martin - 21.Julien Tomas - 22.Paul Bosch - 23.Martin Bustos Moyano
REFEREE: Dave Pearson (RFU), ASSISTANT REFEREES: David Rose, Paul Dix (both RFU), 4th OFFICIAL: Arnaud Blondel (FFR), 5th OFFICIAL: C. Clave (FFR), TMO: Graham Hughes (RFU)
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