r/leinsterrugby • u/Some-Speed-6290 • 6d ago
Team for Lions URC QF
Element of what are they doing here with this.
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u/Roanokian 6d ago
Very good subtext line. Totally agree. It’s a team picked by raffle.
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u/Some-Speed-6290 6d ago
I actually understand a few decisions.
E.g. Prendergast. Despite the defensive issues is the only 10 who's actually won anything and has gotten the backline moving cohesively this season. Penny who's been playing really well.
Ioane at 13, Deegan, Gus, JGP on the bench are the ones I'm really struggling with.
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u/Oisinlaighin 6d ago
I don’t agree with Prendergast at the moment, I just feel the cons outweigh the pros. It’s a knock out game, I think Frawley or Byrne starting gives us a better chance of winning. I hear Frawley may have been unavailable so wait and see on that.
On Ioane, I think Ringrose is struggling with his knee at the minute. It’s heavily strapped and I’ve seen him grimace and hold it in games a bit. I don’t think he’s fully fit.
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u/Duke_of_Luffy 6d ago
prendergast will be fine in the 10 channel or at least just as good as Byrne based off what we saw vs UBB. prendergast has seen most of his defence exposed in the wide channels more recently
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u/Some-Speed-6290 6d ago
Byrne was a shit show in defence yet again (despite the likes of Fitzgerald claiming otherwise) and proved he cannot run an attack or turn up when the pressure is on. Sam can at least run an attack.
Ringrose point is fair. But Ioane and JOB as a combination at 13/wing have been exposed repeatedly.
I'd have gone with Henshaw 12, Osborne 13 and Rieko in the 23 shirt.
Frawley's gone at this point. Wasted minutes putting him at 10.
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u/pauli55555 6d ago
Frawley “wasted minutes”??? What in God’s name are you on about??
He’s still a Leinster player. It’s about winning this season not next season, with the best available team ffs.
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u/Oisinlaighin 6d ago
I think that approach to Frawley is stupid. We have a trophy to win, he’s available until the end of the season. Pick him if he’s the best man for the job. We can worry about next season, next season.
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u/Oddlyshapedballs 6d ago
Byrne put in a try saving tackle on Woki. Based on previous showings (and I sincerely hope he proves me wrong) I can't see Prendergast doing the same thing.
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u/perplexedtv 6d ago
Byrne put in a try-saving tackle on Woki.
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u/Puzzleheaded_Lime632 6d ago
His tackle completion percentage was <60% in the Champions Cup knockouts this year.
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u/IrishLad1002 6d ago
Byrne takes away our chance of winning. He’s awful in attack, awful in defence and has proven his mentality and kicking can’t stand up to pressure games
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u/darcys_beard 6d ago
Prendergast completely unravels the Nienaber defence. It relies on everyone doing their job with precision. That's how it's able to cover so many methods of attack.
There is a conflict of interest that they can live with, and fuck how the fans feel. We're treated like a feeder project for the NT. And that's ultimately all they care about.
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u/zenrobotninja 6d ago
I think it's more the whole team unravels the Nienaber 'defence', or the Nienaber defence unravels the whole team. One or the other
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u/Zealousideal-Mud-381 6d ago
The other team simply showing up seems to completely unravel the Nienaber defence.
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u/IrishLad1002 6d ago
Did great last week without Prendo didn’t it ?
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u/darcys_beard 6d ago
There's other things the French clubs have done since 2023 to counter this, such as contested kicks and offloading.
Point remains having him and Nienaber shows Cullen is clueless.
Let's not try to be so reductive. It doesn't help discussion.
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u/IrishLad1002 6d ago
I like our chances with Prendo way more than I do with Byrne. Byrnes attack is awful and we look awful going forward with him at 10, his defence isn’t the greatest in the world and his kicking and mentality has shown they both fail under pressure.
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u/Zealousideal-Mud-381 6d ago
Completely agree with Prendergast. Time to start investing in him too. With Frawley gone next year and Harry clearly not the answer, time to get him back in the saddle and his confidence back.
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u/AdministrativePop824 6d ago
Deegan provides quality lineout. Both Ryan and McCarthy are really 2 jumpers in the traditional sense. We really miss Baird in this regard. I'd prefer to see Conan used as impact sub ideally because he makes such an impact off the bench. The others are probably carrying a few Knocks. Inane will be fine at centre he just no good on the wing when he can't catch a high ball. Delighted to have J o brien back, he was the form winger coming into the final and it was criminal he got dropped. Lowe is there because he really gives you distance in the kicking game and is arguably as good as T o brien in the air.
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u/WilsonWaits2 6d ago
We’ve been rotating players all season. Surely you just play your best team for every game from here on? Otherwise what’s been the point?
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u/Allthesinglefellas 6d ago
You can't play a full team 4 weeks in a row. This is the obvious game you can rotate for. Have the starters on the bench to come on if in trouble. Makes sense to me
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u/Eskimoheels 6d ago
A man in charge who knows he won't be touched no matter what he does
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u/Puzzleheaded_Lime632 6d ago
Frawley have a knock? Byrne has been absolute ass for months, glad to see him not starting. Would have preferred Frawley with Sam on the bench.
Increasingly worried about who will play 9 beyond JGP next year…
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u/bluejackmovedagain 6d ago
We needed to either commit to Gunne and give him the game time to develop this season, or decide that he isn't a long term option and use the time to bed in someone else. Instead, we've just stuck our head in the sand and ignored the problem.
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u/Rathbaner 6d ago
I wonder if all those printers' trim marks on the graphic mean that some players will be cut from the squad?
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u/Character_Pizza_4971 6d ago
What is the point in not having Frawley involved. He's the form #10. Insane.
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u/Previous_Onion6124 6d ago edited 6d ago
I had a feeling frawley would be dropped after his post-match interview where he spilled the beans on not being given a heads up at half time that he'd be going on. Theres bad blood between him and Cullen think.
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u/ProfessionalSky2590 6d ago
What he has learned from leaving his best 12 on the bench in a semi in 2025 is do it again with his best 10 in 2026.
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u/RedditDan00 6d ago
The score flattered us last time we played them. This seriously has the potential to go wrong, especially with a serious lack of dynamism at 22 & 23
What on earth they see in Rieko at the centre I don't know. I'm reasonably confident in saying that once he goes back down south he'll never see another meaningful minute there.
Hoping for a good result, but not expecting anything at this rate
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u/logan_oneill0705 6d ago
I cant agree, the only times lions could actually do anything was when we gave them the ball by kicking it out on the full or giving up scrum penalties, as soon as we stopped doing that, they literally could not score
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u/RedditDan00 6d ago
We weren't clinical for most of the game but unfortunately we are really error-prone this year, so I don't think it'll be as easy as saying to just not doing that
They'll be up for this one and we're coming off a massively deflating loss, if there was ever a chance for an upset it's now
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u/Duke_of_Luffy 6d ago
who else are they gonna play there? ringrose is being rested so who else is there?
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u/RedditDan00 6d ago
I would rather play JOB there to be honest as he's done it in the past, or shift Osborne out there and Henshaw into 12. We've had an entire year of Rieko being much better on the wing than at 13 so I just feel it's madness to keep trying.
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u/davidbro11 6d ago
And they are missing 4 or 5 players since then. They also lost to Munster the week after. I think we will win relatively comfortably
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u/ProfessionalSky2590 6d ago
Frawley is not injured. It's an unforced selection, motivated by some vaguely expressed squad need. From RTE: "Perhaps surprisingly, there is no place for Ciarán Frawley in the matchday squad, despite impressing off the bench in the second half of Saturday's defeat, with Sam Prendergast coming in to start, and Harry Byrne on the bench.
"It's similar to other guys, we're trying to make good choices for the group here," Cullen said, when asked if Frawley was available for selection.
"It's always a balance. And we're lucky with the guys that we have there. And Sam [Prendergast], as you know, he's a super talented young man. And we want to keep giving the guy opportunities."
CULLEN OUT
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u/SkerriesSteve 6d ago
Frawley being punished for saying post match that the reason why he’s moved to Connacht is because of Stuart Lancaster ie he thinks Leinster coaching ticket is inferior.
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u/HumoursOfDonnybrook Leinstertainment 6d ago
Shades of the team we picked against Munster in the 23 semi-final. Cullen could end up with egg on his face.
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u/PuzzleheadedChest167 6d ago
Not sure I agree with that.
5 (+ Furlong) of the 8 in pack from last week, and in backs a lot of people would have gone for Osbourne at 12 anyway.
Agree with Luke and Sam choices though, pretty weak half backs.
I'm presuming Ringrose is injured again hence Ioane at 13.
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u/NoPerformance5377 6d ago
I don't get this. Blitz defense relies on getting ahead and staying ahead. Then you can kick possession away and defend defend defend. What happened last week is we had to chase the game and didn't change the strategy until the half time bollocking
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u/mrskinderbueno 6d ago
I think we’re gonna win, and win well. Most of you are dooming pretty hard in the comments.
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u/MosmanWhale 6d ago
Frawley getting the blame for last week's loss?
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u/Duke_of_Luffy 6d ago
how is that the take away?
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u/MosmanWhale 6d ago
Frawley not even on the bench. Unfortunately Sam should be no where near the team until he spends the summer with sports phycologist and learns to tackle again and not just grab a player.
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u/Duke_of_Luffy 6d ago
he was motm against ulster only a few weeks ago. he'll be fine
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u/MosmanWhale 6d ago
I hope so. I'm a massive fan but that effort of a tackle against Toulon makes me believe he should be given the rest of the season off to get his head right.
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u/Duke_of_Luffy 6d ago
He won the URC last year after a few high profile embarrassing tackle attempts in the Northampton game. Maybe he’s more resilient than you think
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u/Some-Speed-6290 5d ago
Yep and the only 10 who's actually won anything and did it on his first attempt.
Unlike Harry and Frawley who choked horrendously when given the chance to do the same
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u/Duke_of_Luffy 5d ago
I don’t want to throw Harry or Frawley under the bus either so let’s not be too harsh
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u/Some-Speed-6290 5d ago
It's not harsh it's factual.
Frawley had a kick in front of the posts to win, and he fucked it spectacularly. He then failed to put any control whatsoever in extra time even when a man up.
Less said about Harry's performance in the semi final and final the better.
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u/Duke_of_Luffy 5d ago
I guess I’m just hesitant because while to my knowledge Sam hasn’t cost us a game or a final yet BUT he definitely could have and it’s more luck that he hasn’t. He has been at fault for several defensive lapses that have given the opposition scores or momentum in games.
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u/zenrobotninja 6d ago
Could say the same about Doris and JGP with some of the tackles this missed last week
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u/Some-Speed-6290 6d ago
Guessing that's more why keep investing minutes in a guy who has checked out
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u/HumoursOfDonnybrook Leinstertainment 6d ago
I don’t buy that narrative when it comes to knockouts. There’s a trophy to be won, you don’t punish guys who are moving on.
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u/MosmanWhale 6d ago
Exactly we can still win the urc. The guy is a professional. Everyone should be acting professionally
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u/Some-Speed-6290 6d ago
You have to look forward and Frawley isn't going to be here, and openly doesn't want to be here. Picking players who are actually bought in isn't punishing someone, it's what's best for the team long term.
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u/HumoursOfDonnybrook Leinstertainment 6d ago
It’s the knockouts. There is no long term. You win the trophy in front of your face, not the one that might exist next season.
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u/Some-Speed-6290 6d ago
It's the knockout of a tournament Leinster, like it or not, don't care that much about as an organisation.
Whichever way you slice it Frawley doesn't want to play for Leinster going forward. That's very difficult to manage in a team environment and he isn't a Luke McGrath who's proven his commitment and is moving on because he didn't get an offer.
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u/JBLookalike 6d ago
I think he pretty much openly said in his interview the other day that he does want to be here, but isn't getting the minutes he needs.
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u/Cliff_Moher 6d ago
Ye, I don't thinks it a case of he doesn't want to be there. He's leaving because he feels that he has a better opportunity to grow and progress elsewhere.
I've been in jobs before in good companies but staying there wouldn't have been good for my career and ambitions. It's not that wanted to leave.
As regards Frawley himself, he clearly has all skillsets and attributes to be a top tier 10. Just needs a chance to focus on putting it all together in a consistent run. From an Irish perspective, really looking forward to seeing how he goes.
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u/Some-Speed-6290 5d ago
He pretty much openly chose to sign a contract elsewhere when Leo has said Leinster wanted to keep him.
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u/JBLookalike 5d ago
Sometimes we HAVE to do things we don't want to. He said he loves Leinster and loves playing for Leinster. I don't know why you're saying that he wants to leave.
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u/Some-Speed-6290 5d ago
I don't know why you're saying that he wants to leave
Because he chose to sign a contract elsewhere. Actions speak louder than words.
Leo has said he had an offer from Leinster. The provinces can't outbid each other. He chose Connacht because he doesn't want to play for Leinster anymore. He could've stayed if he actually wanted to.
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u/Wheaty-Bisks-Gaming 6d ago
This is a game where we need to focus on strength and he’s picked Prendergast?!
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u/IrishLad1002 6d ago
Prendo by far better than Byrne. Byrne is awful in attack, defence and can’t handle pressure as seen by his missed kick off and intercept last week
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u/Wheaty-Bisks-Gaming 6d ago
Byrne isn’t that bad in attack. His overall game including defense most importantly is better than Prendergast.
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u/papasmurf7276 6d ago
I've a feeling we are gonna get ambushed here with the team selection. The lions have stayed up in dublin since our last game purely focusing on us.
I hope most of the selections have been force onto Leo by injury or irfu resting policy because this might be a tough match
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u/omegaxLoL 6d ago
It's almost June and we're still going with Ioane at centre...