2022/23 Champions/Challenge Cup

[inactionman]

I just saw a stat from the game that the Leinster 11, 12, 13, 14 and 15 didn't give or receive a pass to each other the entire match. That's extraordinary.

That can't be right, can it?

I've got the match recorded on tivo but not watched it through yet, for that stat to be true I can only assume they've got a seagulling backrower or two getting in the middle of things.

[Slick]

I just saw a stat from the game that the Leinster 11, 12, 13, 14 and 15 didn't give or receive a pass to each other the entire match. That's extraordinary.

That can't be right, can it?

I've got the match recorded on tivo but not watched it through yet, for that stat to be true I can only assume they've got a seagulling backrower or two getting in the middle of things.

I checked with the guy who posted it and he said it was. I've no idea, also find it quite hard to believe tbh

[Tichtheid]

I just saw a stat from the game that the Leinster 11, 12, 13, 14 and 15 didn't give or receive a pass to each other the entire match. That's extraordinary.

That can't be right, can it?

I've got the match recorded on tivo but not watched it through yet, for that stat to be true I can only assume they've got a seagulling backrower or two getting in the middle of things.

I checked with the guy who posted it and he said it was. I've no idea, also find it quite hard to believe tbh

The stat gave me the motivation to watch it again, I'm at half time and so far the stat is correct.

So far when Leinster get the ball they go to a forward pod to bosh it up or Byrne hoofs it into the Dublin sky. When they are in their own half it's JG-P to Lowe who biffs it downfield.

[Uncle fester]

I just saw a stat from the game that the Leinster 11, 12, 13, 14 and 15 didn't give or receive a pass to each other the entire match. That's extraordinary.

That can't be right, can it?

I've got the match recorded on tivo but not watched it through yet, for that stat to be true I can only assume they've got a seagulling backrower or two getting in the middle of things.

It probably is right. Ringrose and Henshaw have many strengths but passing isn't one of them. Like Ireland, they use the backrowers for midfield passing rather than the centres.

Add to that a weaker 10. The ball is never getting outside them!

[Uncle fester]

I just saw a stat from the game that the Leinster 11, 12, 13, 14 and 15 didn't give or receive a pass to each other the entire match. That's extraordinary.

I'm not surprised. LAR are actually fairly limited a team as they were last year in terms of mostly being brawn. The kick them into their half as they make half arsed efforts to attack wasn't an awful idea if the kicking had been any good. It wasn't. I counted 8 awful kicks and was it two or three out on the full giving them the opportunity to roll over us. The startegy was not awful the execution was yuck

Leinster darling. It's Leinster we're talking about being limited.

[SaintK]

I just saw a stat from the game that the Leinster 11, 12, 13, 14 and 15 didn't give or receive a pass to each other the entire match. That's extraordinary.

I'm not surprised. LAR are actually fairly limited a team as they were last year in terms of mostly being brawn. The kick them into their half as they make half arsed efforts to attack wasn't an awful idea if the kicking had been any good. It wasn't. I counted 8 awful kicks and was it two or three out on the full giving them the opportunity to roll over us. The startegy was not awful the execution was yuck

Leinster darling. It's Leinster we're talking about being limited.

[Tichtheid]

Well it played out right enough, no passes between the Leinster backs save 9 and 10.

Leinster came with nothing save a couple of snazzy lineout moves and got beaten soundly up front.

It wasn't as close as I thought it was on Saturday, only the rush out to the massive lead kept Leinster in it.

TBH I thought it was all over after 12 minutes but watching it again there was only going to be one winner after Leinster's third try.

[Uncle fester]

It's coming Fester and it's going to be glorious. Sing with me NIKOSI SIKELEL' AFRIKA

We're just happy to be taking part and hope we don't make a show of ourselves.

[JM2K6]

Well it played out right enough, no passes between the Leinster backs save 9 and 10.

Leinster came with nothing save a couple of snazzy lineout moves and got beaten soundly up front.

It wasn't as close as I thought it was on Saturday, only the rush out to the massive lead kept Leinster in it.

TBH I thought it was all over after 12 minutes but watching it again there was only going to be one winner after Leinster's third try.

I think that's hindsight talking a bit, there was no guarantee the French would stay in the fight or have the fitness to keep up with the intensity for long enough

[Tichtheid]

Well it played out right enough, no passes between the Leinster backs save 9 and 10.

Leinster came with nothing save a couple of snazzy lineout moves and got beaten soundly up front.

It wasn't as close as I thought it was on Saturday, only the rush out to the massive lead kept Leinster in it.

TBH I thought it was all over after 12 minutes but watching it again there was only going to be one winner after Leinster's third try.

I think that's hindsight talking a bit, there was no guarantee the French would stay in the fight or have the fitness to keep up with the intensity for long enough

It's a clear eye without the emotion of the moment talking.

The momentum was pretty much all one way from minute 12 to minute 75.

Leinster could still have stolen it at the end before their prop got sent off, but it would have been against the run of play for the vast majority of the game.

[laurent]

Well it played out right enough, no passes between the Leinster backs save 9 and 10.

Leinster came with nothing save a couple of snazzy lineout moves and got beaten soundly up front.

It wasn't as close as I thought it was on Saturday, only the rush out to the massive lead kept Leinster in it.

TBH I thought it was all over after 12 minutes but watching it again there was only going to be one winner after Leinster's third try.

I think that's hindsight talking a bit, there was no guarantee the French would stay in the fight or have the fitness to keep up with the intensity for long enough

Well this fitness thing is getting rather old these days though.

[JM2K6]

Well it played out right enough, no passes between the Leinster backs save 9 and 10.

Leinster came with nothing save a couple of snazzy lineout moves and got beaten soundly up front.

It wasn't as close as I thought it was on Saturday, only the rush out to the massive lead kept Leinster in it.

TBH I thought it was all over after 12 minutes but watching it again there was only going to be one winner after Leinster's third try.

I think that's hindsight talking a bit, there was no guarantee the French would stay in the fight or have the fitness to keep up with the intensity for long enough

It's a clear eye without the emotion of the moment talking.

The momentum was pretty much all one way from minute 12 to minute 75.

Leinster could still have stolen it at the end before their prop got sent off, but it would have been against the run of play for the vast majority of the game.

I think there's a big difference with watching that game knowing the comeback happens, and watching it well after the first 15 minutes when Leinster are still absolutely hammering the LaR runners back and letting them get nowhere near at the breakdown by hook or (primarily) by crook.

Can't imagine many people watched that live and thought halfway through the first half that LaR were the only winners

[JM2K6]

Well it played out right enough, no passes between the Leinster backs save 9 and 10.

Leinster came with nothing save a couple of snazzy lineout moves and got beaten soundly up front.

It wasn't as close as I thought it was on Saturday, only the rush out to the massive lead kept Leinster in it.

TBH I thought it was all over after 12 minutes but watching it again there was only going to be one winner after Leinster's third try.

I think that's hindsight talking a bit, there was no guarantee the French would stay in the fight or have the fitness to keep up with the intensity for long enough

Well this fitness thing is getting rather old these days though.

No slight intended. We've seen them gassed before and they had to dig deeper than they had all tournament. They're huge blokes having to play at a ridiculous intensity playing with a huge deficit. There's not a side on the planet where the fitness wouldn't be a doubt in that scenario.

[laurent]

I think that's hindsight talking a bit, there was no guarantee the French would stay in the fight or have the fitness to keep up with the intensity for long enough

Well this fitness thing is getting rather old these days though.

No slight intended. We've seen them gassed before and they had to dig deeper than they had all tournament. They're huge blokes having to play at a ridiculous intensity playing with a huge deficit. There's not a side on the planet where the fitness wouldn't be a doubt in that scenario.

Did not take it as a slight, anyone assuming that a team has fitness issues because they are French lives a few years in the past (or is Welsh ).

[Tichtheid]

I think that's hindsight talking a bit, there was no guarantee the French would stay in the fight or have the fitness to keep up with the intensity for long enough

It's a clear eye without the emotion of the moment talking.

The momentum was pretty much all one way from minute 12 to minute 75.

Leinster could still have stolen it at the end before their prop got sent off, but it would have been against the run of play for the vast majority of the game.

I think there's a big difference with watching that game knowing the comeback happens, and watching it well after the first 15 minutes when Leinster are still absolutely hammering the LaR runners back and letting them get nowhere near at the breakdown by hook or (primarily) by crook.

Can't imagine many people watched that live and thought halfway through the first half that LaR were the only winners

No one would have thought that La Rochelle were the only winners after 20 minutes when watching it live, but what I'm saying is that taking the jeopardy out of it by knowing the result, you can watch it and see where things turned.
Of course there is a bit of confirmation bias when you do this, you know the result, you know that La Rochelle have won this fixture two years in a row and are going for the third, you have read all the prematch stuff about power being the Leinster kryptonite, to be fair it's every team's kryptonite, and you know that the La Rochelle bench is stacked with quality players who are just as big and athletic as the starters - ok few are as big as Atonio, but his replacement Colombe is 1.93m and 135kg, which would be monstrous in any other team. The point being they can keep up the power game.

When you read through some of the stats, it's quite telling, overall LaR had 62% of the possession but it's what they did with it - 11 entries to the Leinster 22 scoring an average of 2.4 points per entry.
146 passes to Leinster's 73, 138 ball carries compared to 72, 292 post contact metres made compared to 134.
98 tackles made, 7 missed compared to Leinster's 189 tackles made with 24 missed.

I'm a big believer that rugby is all about momentum, what I read into those stats is that bar the first quarter of an hour the momentum was with La Rochelle. At 13 minutes the score was 17 - 0, by half time it was 23 -14.
Watching it live I thought it was very tense, these are two terrific sides and they played a stormer of a final, on a second watch by half time there was a degree of inevitability about the outcome, taking into account previous games and what was unfolding before us. "Only one winner" was probably an exaggeration on my part, to be honest on that second watch I was so impressed with La Rochelle's game plan and execution against the might of Leinster in Dublin that I probably overstated it, but it was a great performance from the French side.

[Slick]

That can't be right, can it?

I've got the match recorded on tivo but not watched it through yet, for that stat to be true I can only assume they've got a seagulling backrower or two getting in the middle of things.

I checked with the guy who posted it and he said it was. I've no idea, also find it quite hard to believe tbh

The stat gave me the motivation to watch it again, I'm at half time and so far the stat is correct.

So far when Leinster get the ball they go to a forward pod to bosh it up or Byrne hoofs it into the Dublin sky. When they are in their own half it's JG-P to Lowe who biffs it downfield.

What the hell has our game become

[Sards]

Has Leinster got any trophies yet.

[clydecloggie]

Has Leinster got any trophies yet.

Maybe next year.

The Irish players will have an advantage because their World Cup ends earlier so they have a longer prep period for URC/Heineken success next season.

[Jim Lahey]

Has Leinster got any trophies yet.

Maybe next year.

The Irish players will have an advantage because their World Cup ends earlier so they have a longer prep period for URC/Heineken success next season.

Hasn't worked for the Scots tbf.

[Uncle fester]

third, you have read all the prematch stuff about power being the Leinster kryptonite, to be fair it's every team's kryptonite, and you know that the La Rochelle bench is stacked with quality players who are just as big and athletic as the starters - ok few are as big as Atonio, but his replacement Colombe is 1.93m and 135kg, which would be monstrous in any other team. The point being they can keep up the power game.

The power thing is being overstated. Yes, Colombe is big but he's uncapped at international level at the age of 25 so he's not a superstar sitting on the bench. He's just a good player who is part of a well-drilled and coached team.

[Uncle fester]

Only 8 of the LaR 23 have more than 10 international caps.

[clydecloggie]

Has Leinster got any trophies yet.

Maybe next year.

The Irish players will have an advantage because their World Cup ends earlier so they have a longer prep period for URC/Heineken success next season.

Hasn't worked for the Scots tbf.

You still need the innate quality, prep alone won't get you there.

[Kawazaki]

I wouldn't expect any other fans to remember Leinster v LAR last year but once they scored and Ryan went off we were goosed. We can't play rugby against them as they are straight up too big

I wouldn't want to be a fan of a team that is relying on Ryan to provide the grunt and biff.

He's Itoje's plaything.

[Sards]

Has Leinster got any trophies yet.

Maybe next year.

The Irish players will have an advantage because their World Cup ends earlier so they have a longer prep period for URC/Heineken success next season.

I think you will find that the South African sides, with increased salary caps to accommodate more players, and valuable lessons learnt, are going to be up for it. I just wish the Lions would find another stadium. With their increased salary cap they might even be competitive.

[Tichtheid]

third, you have read all the prematch stuff about power being the Leinster kryptonite, to be fair it's every team's kryptonite, and you know that the La Rochelle bench is stacked with quality players who are just as big and athletic as the starters - ok few are as big as Atonio, but his replacement Colombe is 1.93m and 135kg, which would be monstrous in any other team. The point being they can keep up the power game.

The power thing is being overstated. Yes, Colombe is big but he's uncapped at international level at the age of 25 so he's not a superstar sitting on the bench. He's just a good player who is part of a well-drilled and coached team.

Well, after two watches now I can't say I noticed a drop off in LaR's scrum, maul and ball-carrying after the hour mark when the substitutions were being made

[PornDog]

Has Leinster got any trophies yet.

Maybe next year.

The Irish players will have an advantage because their World Cup ends earlier so they have a longer prep period for URC/Heineken success next season.

Here fuck off will ye I mean we deserve to take an awful lot of shit for our WC performances, but Scots lobbing grenades around their glass houses is a bit much

[SaintK]

I wouldn't expect any other fans to remember Leinster v LAR last year but once they scored and Ryan went off we were goosed. We can't play rugby against them as they are straight up too big

I wouldn't want to be a fan of a team that is relying on Ryan to provide the grunt and biff.

He's Itoje's plaything.

You don't watch much rugby I see. Ryan is a very very different player these days. Probably Irelands best overall player

I watch a lot of rugby. He has certainly improved a lot this season but I worry for him with the number of head injuries he picks up

[Hellraiser]

Avoided the thread during after after the match because of the incessant ref complaints.
Well done LR best team won. It seems Mr Sexton has lost it again after his post match tantrums.

The incessant whining, the booing of a La Rochelle player when he was sparked by an illegal action, the Sexton on the pitch. It's disappointing you have to say.

Said it before and I’ll say it again, absolute worst fan base in European rugby.
Good game, just watched the highlights. The result very much sparked joy. No idea what Leinster fans would have to complain about in the round from Peyper.

Most of them are know-nothing, bandwagoning, event junkies, who've only started casually supporting them since 2009. Part of the reason why the atmosphere at home internationals is awful too. Half of them will fuck off as soon as Leinster start losing regularly. But at least they have a fan base.

[JM2K6]

In fairness I can't bring myself to condemn the Leinster fans too much for the booing of an injured player. We all know it was the Ulster fans that started all this trend off, and it's important we never forget the damage they've done.

[Hellraiser]

But we're Irish, everyone is meant to like us.

Are you Irish, Biffer?

fuck... I had you down as....

well, not that.

Scot.

Also know as Wish.com Irish.

[Tichtheid]

In fairness I can't bring myself to condemn the Leinster fans too much for the booing of an injured player. We all know it was the Ulster fans that started all this trend off, and it's important we never forget the damage they've done.

Is that in reference to the Payne red card against Saracens when Goode hit his noggin badly off the turf after a high ball collision?

The booing in the URC games (non-South Africans) is terrible, it really pisses me off.

I know how this will sound, me being an Edinburgh fan, I don't think it's as bad there, but it still does happen. Likewise Connacht and the Italians don't seem to be as bad, but the rest of them are shite.

[Jim Lahey]

Would be a tight contest for the World Boo-ing Championship between Glasgow and Ulster, but at least at the end one of us would win a trophy for once.

[Paddington Bear]

In fairness I can't bring myself to condemn the Leinster fans too much for the booing of an injured player. We all know it was the Ulster fans that started all this trend off, and it's important we never forget the damage they've done.

Is that in reference to the Payne red card against Saracens when Goode hit his noggin badly off the turf after a high ball collision?

The booing in the URC games (non-South Africans) is terrible, it really pisses me off.

I know how this will sound, me being an Edinburgh fan, I don't think it's as bad there, but it still does happen. Likewise Connacht and the Italians don't seem to be as bad, but the rest of them are shite.

That red is really amusing in hindsight, I watched it again the other day and it is such a stonewall red it is hard to believe it caused such outrage at the time.

[Tichtheid]

In fairness I can't bring myself to condemn the Leinster fans too much for the booing of an injured player. We all know it was the Ulster fans that started all this trend off, and it's important we never forget the damage they've done.

Is that in reference to the Payne red card against Saracens when Goode hit his noggin badly off the turf after a high ball collision?

The booing in the URC games (non-South Africans) is terrible, it really pisses me off.

I know how this will sound, me being an Edinburgh fan, I don't think it's as bad there, but it still does happen. Likewise Connacht and the Italians don't seem to be as bad, but the rest of them are shite.

That red is really amusing in hindsight, I watched it again the other day and it is such a stonewall red it is hard to believe it caused such outrage at the time.

I think that in context it wasn't so clear at the time, but that was one of the seminal moments of change in that after that it became the stonewall red that it certainly is now.

[Biffer]

Has Leinster got any trophies yet.

Maybe next year.

The Irish players will have an advantage because their World Cup ends earlier so they have a longer prep period for URC/Heineken success next season.

Here fuck off will ye I mean we deserve to take an awful lot of shit for our WC performances, but Scots lobbing grenades around their glass houses is a bit much

Our glass houses were flattened years ago, hence we can lob stuff around without any worries.

[Biffer]

Are you Irish, Biffer?

fuck... I had you down as....

well, not that.

Scot.

Also know as Wish.com Irish.

When you go into some 'Irish' stores in the US you'd think we already were. Half the stuff in them is Scottish.

[PornDog]

Scot.

Also know as Wish.com Irish.

When you go into some 'Irish' stores in the US you'd think we already were. Half the stuff in them is Scottish.

What in name of baby jeebus is an "Irish Store"? Do you mean a pub?

[fishfoodie]

Also know as Wish.com Irish.

When you go into some 'Irish' stores in the US you'd think we already were. Half the stuff in them is Scottish.

What in name of baby jeebus is an "Irish Store"? Do you mean a pub?

Nah, somewhere that sells Barrys Tea, & Tayto to the immigrants

[Biffer]

Also know as Wish.com Irish.

When you go into some 'Irish' stores in the US you'd think we already were. Half the stuff in them is Scottish.

What in name of baby jeebus is an "Irish Store"? Do you mean a pub?

The pubs are bad enough, but you get places that are Irish stores. Shops that (allegedly) are full of Irish products. Often they're just whisky shops. And I mean whisky, not whiskey. But they don't give a shit. I've spoken to people in the US who have asked me where in Ireland Edinburgh is.

[Hellraiser]