European Rugby Weekend, April 30th

[ASMO]

I am betting the swarm on PR are going mental

[Torquemada 1420]

Thanks for coming Leinster.

PS I believed and picked them in the FR. Just don't f**k it up and win the damned final now.

[JM2K6]

Does James Lowe have a pithy nickname? Writing out James "Jimmy" "bed-shitting disaster waiting to happen" Lowe is too much effort every time.

Turning into a drubbing now. La Rochelle not at their best today.

[sockwithaticket]

Scoreline actually reflecting the way the half's gone now. Leinster haven't really had a sniff for most of the second 40.

[Torquemada 1420]

Does James Lowe have a pithy nickname? Writing out James "Jimmy" "bed-shitting disaster waiting to happen" Lowe is too much effort every time.

Turning into a drubbing now. La Rochelle not at their best today.

I think you understate just how hard it is to beat Leinster. For me, bar Leyd's brainfarts, they've played an almost perfect game.

[JM2K6]

I don't think they've been bad or anything, I just think they've been a bit too inaccurate at times. They can improve. Doesn't feel like one of those times when a team just raised their game to an incredible level.

[Niegs]

I am betting the swarm on PR are going mental

Lots of complaints about the ref but also Lowe.

Had a chuckle at the two who trolled with “Leinstertamed” and “Leinstershamed”

Almost getting choked in the maul, having the ball ripped and (unlucky not to) score would have been some big coffin nail there!

[Torquemada 1420]

I don't think they've been bad or anything, I just think they've been a bit too inaccurate at times. They can improve. Doesn't feel like one of those times when a team just raised their game to an incredible level.

Maybe. They have no real experience this deep so I think they are expected to have some nerves. Thought they were the only Frog side who had any chance of beating Leinster so relieved!!!

[JM2K6]

Enjoyed the mocking whoops at that penalty

[ASMO]

Good guys won

[Torquemada 1420]

Of course, the joke now is an all French final.......... in London.

[Torquemada 1420]

Enjoyed the mocking whoops at that penalty

[JM2K6]

I don't think they've been bad or anything, I just think they've been a bit too inaccurate at times. They can improve. Doesn't feel like one of those times when a team just raised their game to an incredible level.

Maybe. They have no real experience this deep so I think they are expected to have some nerves. Thought they were the only Frog side who had any chance of beating Leinster so relieved!!!

Yes that's fair. For some reason French sides suffer less from lack of experience of the knock out stages, I find.

Can't see how Toulouse would have lost to Leinster though. That back three vs Lowe would been an absolute car crash.

[Torquemada 1420]

I don't think they've been bad or anything, I just think they've been a bit too inaccurate at times. They can improve. Doesn't feel like one of those times when a team just raised their game to an incredible level.

Maybe. They have no real experience this deep so I think they are expected to have some nerves. Thought they were the only Frog side who had any chance of beating Leinster so relieved!!!

Yes that's fair. For some reason French sides suffer less from lack of experience of the knock out stages, I find.

Can't see how Toulouse would have lost to Leinster though. That back three vs Lowe would been an absolute car crash.

ST have too many injuries at the moment and you forget that Merde-ard at least evens up any f**kwitedness by Lowe.

[ASMO]

Surely its Merde-tard Torq

[salanya]

I am betting the swarm on PR are going mental

Lots of complaints about the ref but also Lowe.

Had a chuckle at the two who trolled with “Leinstertamed” and “Leinstershamed”

Almost getting choked in the maul, having the ball ripped and (unlucky not to) score would have been some big coffin nail there!

Shame on you Niegs - laughing at trolls

[laurent]

Good 15 by Leinster then nothing much La Rochelle were patient and took over once they got the weird reffing spell figured out.

Crazy win last night by Montpellier (trouble is I dislike the upstarts as much as Leicester...

[fishfoodie]

Good 15 by Leinster then nothing much La Rochelle were patient and took over once they got the weird reffing spell figured out.

Crazy win last night by Montpellier (trouble is I dislike the upstarts as much as Leicester...

Deserved win by Montpellier today, but I think the big gap between games really fucked up Leinster.

They had things just right with Exeter; with a tough inter-pro against Munster a couple of weeks before; & everyone was in tune; today they never looked up to their usual pace; & they never got in tune with Carley, & they suffered as a result.

It's really shite, because they had a squad of players this year that could, & should have delivered.

[Torquemada 1420]

Gracious by the Irish Times

By the end, in truth, Leinster were well beaten. Despite a promising start which saw them strike first, they were already hanging onto the slenderest of leads at half-time before being blown away by La Rochelle’s power and potency. Damn, they’re good.

[Uncle fester]

Good 15 by Leinster then nothing much La Rochelle were patient and took over once they got the weird reffing spell figured out.

Crazy win last night by Montpellier (trouble is I dislike the upstarts as much as Leicester...

Deserved win by Montpellier today, but I think the big gap between games really fucked up Leinster.

They had things just right with Exeter; with a tough inter-pro against Munster a couple of weeks before; & everyone was in tune; today they never looked up to their usual pace; & they never got in tune with Carley, & they suffered as a result.

It's really shite, because they had a squad of players this year that could, & should have delivered.

Dunno. Think there's a few players there who are getting by on reputation/hype rather than form and the opposition in pro 14 is so weak, they don't get shown up until it is too late.

[Tichtheid]

Good 15 by Leinster then nothing much La Rochelle were patient and took over once they got the weird reffing spell figured out.

Crazy win last night by Montpellier (trouble is I dislike the upstarts as much as Leicester...

Deserved win by Montpellier today, but I think the big gap between games really fucked up Leinster.

They had things just right with Exeter; with a tough inter-pro against Munster a couple of weeks before; & everyone was in tune; today they never looked up to their usual pace; & they never got in tune with Carley, & they suffered as a result.

It's really shite, because they had a squad of players this year that could, & should have delivered.

Dunno. Think there's a few players there who are getting by on reputation/hype rather than form and the opposition in pro 14 is so weak, they don't get shown up until it is too late.

How many times did the likes of Sexton and Furlong play in the Pro 14 this season?

[Torquemada 1420]

Can't recall the bookies ever getting the semis so badly wrong before. They had Ulster, Bath and Leinster as heavy odds on favourites and only got Toulouse correct.

[Torquemada 1420]

Rugby Finistere in Fre TV's biased footage: especially when it comes to foul play.

https://www.lerugbynistere.fr/news/cham ... 211234.php

Interesting it the number of Fre posters in the comments who agree.

[salanya]

Good 15 by Leinster then nothing much La Rochelle were patient and took over once they got the weird reffing spell figured out.

Crazy win last night by Montpellier (trouble is I dislike the upstarts as much as Leicester...

Deserved win by Montpellier today, but I think the big gap between games really fucked up Leinster.

They had things just right with Exeter; with a tough inter-pro against Munster a couple of weeks before; & everyone was in tune; today they never looked up to their usual pace; & they never got in tune with Carley, & they suffered as a result.

It's really shite, because they had a squad of players this year that could, & should have delivered.

Dunno. Think there's a few players there who are getting by on reputation/hype rather than form and the opposition in pro 14 is so weak, they don't get shown up until it is too late.

Lots of factors at play here. Some players aren't in great form (Lowe and Larmour for example), and a few are of a certain age that they don't delivery to the heights they once did (thinking of the likes of Toner and Fardy, possibly Healy too). There are also a good number of injuries, mainly impacting the strength in depth and the bench impact.
Then the disruption between matches hasn't helped, and travel probably is more challenging in Covid times. Also felt that the ref didn't help the match, all very stop-start - though obviously La Rochelle adjusted to him well and Leinster did not.

Technically you could just simplify it and concede that La Rochelle played very well, and that Leinster just had a bit of an off-day - even a few percent off can allow a good team like LAR to get on top. The Exeter match (with a very similar selection) is too recent to doubt the potential of this Leinster team. This doesn't mean that Leo and Lancaster haven't got work to do, and the team will need continued development.

So yeah, basically agreeing with your post.

[Uncle fester]

Deserved win by Montpellier today, but I think the big gap between games really fucked up Leinster.

They had things just right with Exeter; with a tough inter-pro against Munster a couple of weeks before; & everyone was in tune; today they never looked up to their usual pace; & they never got in tune with Carley, & they suffered as a result.

It's really shite, because they had a squad of players this year that could, & should have delivered.

Dunno. Think there's a few players there who are getting by on reputation/hype rather than form and the opposition in pro 14 is so weak, they don't get shown up until it is too late.

Lots of factors at play here. Some players aren't in great form (Lowe and Larmour for example), and a few are of a certain age that they don't delivery to the heights they once did (thinking of the likes of Toner and Fardy, possibly Healy too). There are also a good number of injuries, mainly impacting the strength in depth and the bench impact.
Then the disruption between matches hasn't helped, and travel probably is more challenging in Covid times. Also felt that the ref didn't help the match, all very stop-start - though obviously La Rochelle adjusted to him well and Leinster did not.

Technically you could just simplify it and concede that La Rochelle played very well, and that Leinster just had a bit of an off-day - even a few percent off can allow a good team like LAR to get on top. The Exeter match (with a very similar selection) is too recent to doubt the potential of this Leinster team. This doesn't mean that Leo and Lancaster haven't got work to do, and the team will need continued development.

So yeah, basically agreeing with your post.

There's definitely an end of cycle feel to this year. Luckily for them Leinster have already made good progress in blooding players. Will all of them be of the required standard though?
Replacing Sexton is starting to look like a very tricky proposition despite all the players available in that position.
Healy could be a toughie too but moving Porter back there would slap a band aid at the very least on that.

Re my original point, they've been tested so rarely that they've been able to coast without having to change gears. A guy like Lowe looks great in pro12 but lost at upper tier Euro (and international) level. With more of a workout in domestic league, it might have been a different picture.

And yes, players not in tip top form. I had Ringrose and Ryan flagged as not making the lions a good while out. It's quite startling that folks are in such denial about those two, in particular.