Edinburgh Rugby Supporters Club

[djphilp]

So after a thoroughly disappointing first run out, at home, can we get anything away from home to the reigning champions who have done some serious strengthening over the summer?

[Crichton Gunner]

Hmmmmm......

[Derrick Lee's #1 Fan]

Simple answer: no. Leinster don't let visiting teams boss their home games the way we seem to do at Murrayfield. Ergo, anything we get will be a bonus.
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[djphilp]

I'd like to see the following changes to the back line for the trip to Dublin.

9. M.Blair - Captain and our best back by a mile.
10. D.Blair - More strings to his bow than Godman.
11. M.Roertson - Pace and footwork as good as Paterson and positioning and power better than Paterson.
12. C.MacRae - Performed admirably at 12 inside Dewey (who always was a 13) during the Churchill Cup, and the left foot right foot kicking combo in the midfield with Blair would be a bonus.
13. De Luca - I still feel he is a better 13 than a 12 and although he is growing into the 12 shirt with Cairns at 13 it seems a different prospect when Cairns isn't there.
14. A.Turnbull - Webster has been short of form for over a year and does not deserve to start ahead of Andy.
15. C.Paterson - More accuracy with the boot than Hugo and a better runner too.

20. G.Laidlaw - A better all round player than Meyer.
21. P.Godman - Can make an impact at 10 or perhaps 12 if the weather is in his favour.
22. H.Southwell - Can cover more positions than Webster and has even in poor form shown more than Webster has in the last year (IMHO).

The pack can remain pretty much the same with Callam coming in at 8 and Hogg moving to 7 if MacDonald does not recover. And i might swap Newlands for Mustchin and Mustchin for C.Hamilton, but only cos I really don't rate C.Hamilton

[jamiet]

DJ I am very suprised re your comments about the backs when it was glaringly obvious that our pack were out bullied and out "street wised" so therefore our backs were given the ball on the back foot.

Your comment re Robertson also a bit confusing as his positioning was all over the place ( first start so let's give him time ). Paterson a better runner?Agreed but only if he stops cutting inside every time. Deluca runs the mosty amazing lines , if it was a straight runner we need then we would be playing Scotland's Henderson type crash ball rugby.

[djphilp]

[The Nudger]

Agree with everything you say apart from re Webster. I think we desperately need a fit and confident Webster and he should always play when available.

[Crichton Gunner]

Maybe we shouldn't get too despondent about our chances next Friday. By all accounts Leinster were very fortunate to get away with a draw in Cardiff, and their much-vaunted pack were given a real doing (so much so that they withdrew their starting front 3, and the last 10 minutes were played with uncontested scrums). Our pack did ok against Munster, so shouldn't feel over-awed going into this fixture.

Not saying we'll win, but let's not get too down-hearted. We'll get beter, I have faith.

[ratty]

With regards to the pack I think we need to play players in their best positions even if it means giving away bulk. If your strength is a mobile pack with an excellent fast backrow then use it.

Mustchin's best position is at lock, it's where he's most effective. Also even though he's roughly four or five inches shorter he's a better front jumper than Craig Hamilton.

I would also like to see more of Newlands at eight. He really looks to have the tactical nous and plenty of pace.

[jrp]

[djphilp]

[Arlene]

Leinster squad to face Edinburgh...

BACKS: Chris Whitaker, Chris Keane, Paul O'Donohoe, Jonathan Sexton, Felipe Contepomi, Brian O'Driscoll, Gary Brown, Shane Horgan, Luke Fitzgerald, Isa Nacewa, Fergus McFadden, Rob Kearney, Simon Keogh, Eoin O'Malley, Girvan Dempsey

FORWARDS: Cian Healy, Stephen Knoop, Ronan McCormack, Bernard Jackman, Brian Blaney, John Fogarty, Cameron Jowitt, Malcolm O'Kelly, Devin Toner, Trevor Hogan, Stephen Keogh, Shane Jennings, Sean O'Brien, Kevin McLaughlin, Jamie Heaslip

REFEREE: Tim Hayes (WRU), ASSISTANT REFEREES: M Black (IRFU), J Peake (IRFU), TMO: Brian MacNeice (IRFU), 4th OFFICIAL: Paul Haycock (ARLB), 5th OFFICIAL: Ed Kenny (ARLB)

[JohnB]

It's fair to say that I and many of my fellow Leinster supporters are concerned about the match with Edinburgh. Quite apart from the fact that your lot have become a bogey team for us over the years, we were pretty unimpressive against Cardiff. Tbh, the draw against the Blues represented day light robbery! Our much vaunted backs appeared to have concrete boots and we were murdered in the loose by Martyn Williams et al. There will need to be a big, big improvement if we're not to fall to you guys at home. Stanley Wright, who has been a great signing for us is a big injury loss and CJ Van Der Linde and Rocky Elsom won't be with us for a while. Those 3 would really boost our forward effort if available.

[Legless]

[Arlene]

Leinster's defence coach Kurt McQuilkin's thoughts on Edinburgh:

"They're tenacious. They never say die even when it looked like at one stage that Munster were going to romp home at one stage. They're typical Scots, they dig in and I would consider them one of the better scrambling teams in the Magners League. Even when you breach them they keep fighting and working hard. Attack wise, the conditions didn't help either side in their game last weekend against Munster, but they made the most of their chances and scored tries with their chances.

"Still, Edinburgh were in it right until the end. They can turn any side over on any given day and they're never down. I thought their back-row was one of their main strengths last year, especially from a defensive point of view. They always tend to get into positions where you can't offload or they're putting in an impact and isolating you. I think that Andy Robinson has done a fantastic job with Edinburgh and he has put a really solid structure on their play."