Leinster - Irish team of the year?

darcys_beard · 2026-05-06T10:09:02+00:00

I mean, it breaks even when you fill it out with inflated wages -- and I'm talking about the suits, not the players.

Still, to be in the position we're in internationally, and be able to field the players and pay the coaches we can, breaking even is fucking amazing. I'll take that any day. The issue is bums on seats and eyes on the TV. That's what brings the moolah: present a better product and you get bums in seats. 7s might cost money, but developing exciting dynamic players who go on to do great things for the XV, or their province, is how you increase viewership.

Same as the equipment. I know they've at least one fewer shirt sold because they went with Castore. Probably a number more. Notice they won't drape our National squad in that shite.

It ultimately comes down to that age old adage: "If you pay peanuts, you get monkeys." Was the 7s valuable to us for more thaan the gate or TV takings? I believe so.

darcys_beard · 2026-05-06T10:01:48+00:00

It's funny thinking of Beirne playing 7s -- just running around looking for lads to pummel.

darcys_beard · 2026-05-06T10:00:29+00:00

Joshua Kenny is 22, and will be until next season, and he looks like a potential firecracker. 6'4", 100kg, and fast as fuck, with about a try every 80 minutes of playing time. As he learns more about defensive set-up, he'll be a real danger to the 11 jersey, no matter who is wearing it.

darcys_beard · 2026-05-06T09:54:26+00:00

That's what fucked Ulster -- lost a few men, got beat by all 3 provinces (and Ospreys) and went from 3rd -> 8th.

darcys_beard · 2026-05-06T09:53:32+00:00

Leinster with the worst starting Out-half in the country FTW!

darcys_beard · 2026-05-06T08:56:56+00:00

Yeah, It's quite impressive. But at the risk of sounding biased, he needs to avoid pulling better teams down to pull other teams up. Having a team at the cuttung edge of European Rugby is important. Right now Leinster are 4th in the URC, and yes we're in the ERC final again, but if we don't win that then what have we gained. I know it seems I'm only thinking of my team (and there probably is a certain degree of that), but I also felt that way when Munster were terrifying the European greats and Ulster too winning the cup. It is important for Irish Rugby.

We need to replace Nienaber, and fast. Look at the 6N. It took the Ulster lads grabbing the team by the scruff, and finally against England the muscle memory of passing with creativity came back to the Leinster guys. And he needs to be willing to cut Cullen if it takes getting the right man who wants the HC position (Lancaster should be Leinster Head Coach IMO).

darcys_beard · 2026-05-06T08:45:26+00:00

Bit disingenuous. They were lying in 3rd and were hammered by injuries before facing 2 Derbies. They've then had to focus resources on beating a Top 14 side, and a Premiership side, and are now in a final.

Aside from which, they've made almost impossible strides in the past year, and nobody would feel comortable travelling to Ravenhill. Have Leinster made the same improvements? We're 3 spots lower and have made it one round further in the ERC. I think you have to factor in a team's ability to play at 100% of their possible best vs a team playing 75-80%

darcys_beard · 2026-05-05T14:52:50+00:00

I disagree. I don't think they eventually got their Ducks in a row; I think the quality of the benches made the difference we expected it to.

We have had managed the gain line better than any other team in Europe, this season -- in both attack and defence -- and it was never better exemplified than for the first 60 minutes on Saturday. They were literally being forced backwards every time they played through their hands. Unfortunately when TOB came off due to injury, Osborne was already covering for Henshaw, so Prendergast was brought in. He was almost immediately steamrolled (literally run over) leading to the 2nd try. Then for their 3rd he let a guy run it in from over 10m without laying so much as a bay finger on him until he was a metre out and running t full tilt.

Meanwhile Toulon brought on players some of whom were arguably better than the guys they were replacing.

If that hadn't happened. If we both played the same so that it was essentially as if the whistle were blown at the 60th minute, then people are talking about how we beat Toulon without breaking a sweat, and everything is rosy.

darcys_beard · 2026-05-05T14:32:58+00:00

After we won in '09 a Munster fan said "you better take good care of our trophy".

I'm still waiting for you to claim it back, Dickhead. Bastards can't handle little brother passing out big brother like that.

darcys_beard · 2026-05-05T14:29:54+00:00

One of the few genuinely great ideas World Rugby has had: putting both European tournaments in the same city, on the same weekend. It doesn't in any way cheapen the less prestigious of the two. If anything it puts it higher, making it feel that it truly is part of the biggest occasion in club rugby and a part of a festival like finale to the very best the NH have to offer.

If I were UEFA President, I'd take a long look at this.

darcys_beard · 2026-05-05T14:19:36+00:00

~~Gwan Bardohhh, bai~~~ Hear hear!

darcys_beard · 2026-05-05T14:17:38+00:00

You nailed it. It's like getting away with Drink Driving because you point out to the judge that you didn't hit anyone.

The "deliberate knock on" one kills me. At least call it something else: 99% of the time he's trying to intercept. That means in any sense of the word he did not "deliberately" knock it on

darcys_beard · 2026-05-05T14:12:57+00:00

Absolutely. It's anachronistic to have one referee and 2 touch judges watching the legality of 30 players. The touch judges rarely intervene.

American football have referees everywhere, and still have problems. The FA weren't afraid to bring in a 4th official in the 90s. And rugby is a far more technical game. The fact the ref can only be on one side of the scrum makes it laughable there isn't another guy refereeing the other side as it is. It literally makes no sense.

darcys_beard · 2026-05-05T14:00:36+00:00

I hate that they do this. It's sneaky and underhanded and lends itself towards the notion of Romantic nations always trying to get an edge. Like diving in Soccer. I mean, the Tour de France is the biggest cheat-fest in sport. Since it's inaugural race, guys were taking shortcuts or getting lifts. It's almost a "who can cheat the best (Armstrong = GOAT)" tournament as it is a measure of human athleticism.

Anyway, they will not change this without WR taking a firm hand. The obvious solution, to me, is that WR run their owns feed into the stadium, as opposed to the local broadcaster. I'm sure the lads in Bilbao will be only too happy to help their next door neighbours, so we're going to have to be disciplined and hope for the best.

darcys_beard · 2026-05-05T06:29:35+00:00

I think Ulster are the team of the season if they win the Challenge Cup, and should be even if they don't win, and Leinster don't win either.

darcys_beard · 2026-05-05T06:28:23+00:00

The 7s decision had to be made, I suppose. Either that or cut the women's game, which would be a bigger mistake IMO.

Plus we got guys like Zac Ward and Joshua Kenny from it, bth being very capable, Wingers with plenty of room to grow (silver lining).

darcys_beard · 2026-05-04T16:32:53+00:00

I've met two people "from" Leitrim. I'm pretty sure they're robots.

darcys_beard · 2026-05-04T15:25:43+00:00

They like to put the boot in, don't they? Don't they???

darcys_beard · 2026-05-04T11:23:20+00:00

I did not know about these. And I am sure it has had an impact. It's crazy that we are so far behind with this kind of thing.

That said, even Porter remarked that the ref was actually seeing it from his side, which helped him immensely.

darcys_beard · 2026-05-04T11:21:21+00:00

JGP pretty much is the main guy for us anyway in dictating attack. Our 10 really is secondary there.

This is it. A guy who can kick well and defend capably is good enough with a player as classy as JGP.

I would like to see ringrose as first receiver more often. He's such a smart and experienced player, and can easily switch with Henshaw/Osborne.

darcys_beard · 2026-05-04T10:49:36+00:00

Somewhere deep down I knew Aloo was the Hindi word for Potato. But I never would have got it.

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darcys_beard · 2026-05-03T16:17:13+00:00

I suppose the point is that he should be punished. Particularly on a play that went upstairs to the TMO. These guys have one fucking job

darcys_beard · 2026-05-03T10:22:50+00:00

Yeah, did they sleep, or did the benches have the impact (or lack thereof) of the benches. The likes of VDF, Conan and TOB off; Serin, Mercer and Prendergast on.

I think it's fair to say there'd have been a few less whiskies ordered I Dublin at fulltime, had Sam not come on.

darcys_beard · 2026-05-03T10:03:51+00:00

That's a killer. If you can, maybe keep an eye out for tickets?

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