Leinster Vs Leicester Friday 8pm

[FKAS]

Leinster Rugby (caps in brackets):
15. Hugo Keenan (52)
14. Jimmy O’Brien (67)
13. Garry Ringrose (113)
12. Robbie Henshaw (74)
11. James Lowe (70)
10. Ross Byrne (144)
9. Jamison Gibson-Park (122)
1. Andrew Porter (104)
2. Dan Sheehan (42)
3. Tadhg Furlong (130)
4. Ross Molony (159)
5. James Ryan (70) CAPTAIN
6. Ryan Baird (49)
7. Caelan Doris (64)
8. Jack Conan (128)

16. John McKee (16)
17. Cian Healy (260)
18. Michael Ala’alatoa (43)
19. Jason Jenkins (13)
20. Scott Penny (54)
21. Luke McGrath (191)
22. Harry Byrne (47)
23. Ciarán Frawley (63)

STARTING XV
15 Mike Brown [5]
14 Anthony Watson [13]
13 Harry Potter [63]
12 Dan Kelly [52]
11 Freddie Steward [69]
10 Handré Pollard [11]
9 Jack van Poortvliet [62]
1 James Cronin [13]
2 Julián Montoya (c) [40]
3 Joe Heyes [120]
4 George Martin [55]
5 Cameron Henderson [33]
6 Hanro Liebenberg [81]
7 Tommy Reffell [96]
8 Jasper Wiese [57]

REPLACEMENTS
16 Charlie Clare [75]
17 Tom West [7]
18 Dan Cole [306]
19 Eli Snyman [32]
20 Olly Cracknell [21]
21 Sam Wolstenholme *
22 Charlie Atkinson [15]
23 Jimmy Gopperth [14]

Referee: Nika Amashukeli (GRU)

No openside starting for Leinster and Tigers struggling to find fit centres and wings.

[Puja]

Welp, I don't know as I fancy us to win, but we've got a puncher's chance. Potentially an option to attack the breakdown with Reffell, but I suspect that'll be more last-ditch bailing us out of trouble in our 22, rather than starving them of ball.

Telling that they've got a starting XV so used to playing with each other that no-one's under 42 appearances and 10 of them over 70, while we have just 3 over 70 games and 4 under 15. Suspect the experience gap will tell.

Be interested to see Martin go. Probably the biggest hurdle of his career so far and I'm interested to see how he steps up.

Puja

[Mikey Brown]

A fullback on the wing?! Gosh.

Steward v Keenan round 2. Should be a bloodbath.

Atkinson and Gopperth on the bench seems a bit redundant but I guess it’s not by choice. Dorris at 7 seems odd but you can’t imagine him struggling too much.

[FKAS]

I am concerned by Steward on the wing on a wide pitch. At fullback his acceleration (or lack there of) isn't really noticeable but Leinster will be looking to turn him and put him in a foot race with O'Brien at every opportunity. Hopefully Tigers will make use of him on the left wing and look to isolate the shorter O'Brien under the crossfield kick as well as bringing Steward off the wing to be an extra carrier for Pollard to utilise.

I know what you're saying about the breakdown Puja but it's got to be an area we go after with Montoya and Reffell in the side. The more we slow down any Leinster momentum the more chance our defence has got of dealing with the onslaught. If Leinster get momentum then we're screwed quite frankly.

George Martin had a big game against Leinster coming off the bench last season, let's hope for an encore.

Mikey, you're correct. Gopperth and Atkinson on the bench is a bit of last man standing with injuries and Kelly on his first start back from injury it'll pay to have the cover.

[Puja]

What happens if Watson goes down injured? Do we move Potter to the wing and bring on Methuselah Gopperth at 13? Or do we bring on Atkinson at 15 and have the "Speed Kills" duo of Steward and Brown on the wings?

Puja

[Spiffy]

Leinster Rugby (caps in brackets):
15. Hugo Keenan (52)
14. Jimmy O’Brien (67)
13. Garry Ringrose (113)
12. Robbie Henshaw (74)
11. James Lowe (70)
10. Ross Byrne (144)
9. Jamison Gibson-Park (122)
1. Andrew Porter (104)
2. Dan Sheehan (42)
3. Tadhg Furlong (130)
4. Ross Molony (159)
5. James Ryan (70) CAPTAIN
6. Ryan Baird (49)
7. Caelan Doris (64)
8. Jack Conan (128)

16. John McKee (16)
17. Cian Healy (260)
18. Michael Ala’alatoa (43)
19. Jason Jenkins (13)
20. Scott Penny (54)
21. Luke McGrath (191)
22. Harry Byrne (47)
23. Ciarán Frawley (63)

STARTING XV
15 Mike Brown [5]
14 Anthony Watson [13]
13 Harry Potter [63]
12 Dan Kelly [52]
11 Freddie Steward [69]
10 Handré Pollard [11]
9 Jack van Poortvliet [62]
1 James Cronin [13]
2 Julián Montoya (c) [40]
3 Joe Heyes [120]
4 George Martin [55]
5 Cameron Henderson [33]
6 Hanro Liebenberg [81]
7 Tommy Reffell [96]
8 Jasper Wiese [57]

REPLACEMENTS
16 Charlie Clare [75]
17 Tom West [7]
18 Dan Cole [306]
19 Eli Snyman [32]
20 Olly Cracknell [21]
21 Sam Wolstenholme *
22 Charlie Atkinson [15]
23 Jimmy Gopperth [14]

Referee: Nika Amashukeli (GRU)

No openside starting for Leinster and Tigers struggling to find fit centres and wings.

Leinster have a very good openside, Penny, on the bench, who should get plenty of second half game time. A smallish, but powerful tearaway 7, who is a strong carrier and scores a lot of tries. The starting flankers Doris and Baird, are big, fast and athletic and should be up to the job. I'm sure they will have spent some time on how to nullify Wiese's carrying threat.

[FKAS]

What happens if Watson goes down injured? Do we move Potter to the wing and bring on Methuselah Gopperth at 13? Or do we bring on Atkinson at 15 and have the "Speed Kills" duo of Steward and Brown on the wings?

Puja

Gopperth to 12 and Kelly to 13 I'd assume. Kelly played 13 at age grade level.

Spiffy, I'm aware of the international flankers Leinster are starting with. Big guns physicality wise but a real loss on the jackling side of things VDF normally brings to the party. I was slightly surprised to see Leinster go for that as they are so well known for having a more natural openside. Don't know much about Penny on the bench so thanks for the insight on him, no surprise if he's good with the Leinster production line the way it is.

[Spiffy]

What happens if Watson goes down injured? Do we move Potter to the wing and bring on Methuselah Gopperth at 13? Or do we bring on Atkinson at 15 and have the "Speed Kills" duo of Steward and Brown on the wings?

Puja

Gopperth to 12 and Kelly to 13 I'd assume. Kelly played 13 at age grade level.

Spiffy, I'm aware of the international flankers Leinster are starting with. Big guns physicality wise but a real loss on the jackling side of things VDF normally brings to the party. I was slightly surprised to see Leinster go for that as they are so well known for having a more natural openside. Don't know much about Penny on the bench so thanks for the insight on him, no surprise if he's good with the Leinster production line the way it is.

Penny is a low slung nugget of a flanker. He has scored 25 tries in 49 games, most with powerful, close range drives - a hell of a strike rate.

[fivepointer]

Tigers are missing players but their recent form has been good and they have the capacity to ruffle some feathers.

Interested in how some of the English players go - Heyes, Martin, JVP, Steward and Kelly. Good place and opposition to put down a statement performance.

[p/d]

I would love to be known as a low slung nugget

[paddy no 11]

Really rate penny also. Looking forward to the match, should be entertaining

[p/d]

This should be a belter. Leicester need to be right on the money to compete, and if they are then I can see them taking it to the wire.

As above, looking forward to seeing Penny come on. That is some points return.

England’s last low slung nugget was probably Tom Rees - and on his day was exceptional

[Banquo]

Why was the Penny dropped?

[p/d]

Problem with the copper’s

[loudnconfident]

This should be a belter. Leicester need to be right on the money to compete, and if they are then I can see them taking it to the wire.
[deleted]

I hope so. The bookies disagree - the Tigers are 14/1(!) on Betfair.

(Even I might risk a fiver at those odds)

[Banquo]

Problem with the copper’s

The copper's what?

I heard it was £sd.

[Mikey Brown]

Why was the Penny dropped?

Now that is comic timing.

[FKAS]

This should be a belter. Leicester need to be right on the money to compete, and if they are then I can see them taking it to the wire.
[deleted]

I hope so. The bookies disagree - the Tigers are 14/1(!) on Betfair.

(Even I might risk a fiver at those odds)

I think most Tigers fans would be happy with forcing Leinster to work hard and have to put in an 80 minute performance. Given the Leinster side is nearly the same as the number 1 test side in the world they really should be big favourites for this one.

[Banquo]

Why was the Penny dropped?

Now that is comic timing.

My life is complete.

[stepsider]

Too easy for Leinster, scoring almost at will

[FKAS]

Leinster are playing really dim. The Tigers midfield is struggling with Kelly not fully match fit and Potter with very little experience at centre. Twice now they've been turned over in Tigers 22 when just pounding away at the line. They really should just be generating enough space to set the backs loose. Playing physical really is allowing Tigers to stay in the game.

[Epaminondas Pules]

The breakdown as usual an absolute mess.

[stepsider]

Leinster are playing really dim. The Tigers midfield is struggling with Kelly not fully match fit and Potter with very little experience at centre. Twice now they've been turned over in Tigers 22 when just pounding away at the line. They really should just be generating enough space to set the backs loose. Playing physical really is allowing Tigers to stay in the game.

Dread to think what the score would be if Leinster were playing smart

[stepsider]

Tough call on Tigers' forward pass, considering some that have been allowed elsewhere

[paddy no 11]

Reffell keeping Leicester in it

Kelly being destroyed