They definitely aren’t at that level but Ireland beat France in Marseille and also South Africa in Durban since then.
That’s performance levels that Farrell has still got them to.
I don’t think you have to have Leinster having the same win % as Ireland but what is there is glaring. And the fact is that a higher proportion of those games were in a more favourable environments as so many of them were at home. Again, I don’t see Leinster within an asses roar of winning a big one against a Toulouse or Bordeaux away.
I think there’s probably a time with young prime Porter, Sheahan, Furlong, Ryan, VDF, Conan, Gibson Park, any version of Sexton, Henshaw, Ringrose, Nacewa,Lowe where they probably could have.
The real pomp of the Team was 19-23 and that was when they needed to be striking
Lancaster and Leo were doing a lot right and factors like game state rather than not being good enough determined the two La Rochelle games really.
Like you’re not seeing Jalibert piss through Sexton, Ringrose, Henshaw like he was doing, and a prime Leinster would rinse that Bordeaux scrum as they’re higher level players. Even Dan Sheahan has had a year with injury.
Timing is everything I guess.
If they couldn’t do it as a good young team on the way up, why now should they as an ageing side with huge baggage? Barrett might have maybe been the one to fill the Sexton role and pull them through but we all know what happened.
System didn’t allow for it, but he should’ve been the 10 and played every game. He fitted so well, I’d say he’ll be back post WC, unfinished business there but I don’t know will be have the supporting cast as some of the above are generational players.
You need to stop making excuses for them mate. They’re a team of top level players who are far less the sum of their parts and who consistently fail to delivery on the big day.
Thank god Ireland have farrell who is able to get them playing. When you think about his achievements with these players are even greater, he’s taking a group that can’t beat Northampton and has them competing with and beating the best in the world.
Leo’s reaction was startling really. He seemed to be completely unaware of the fact that reaching semi-finals and finals is the bare minimum with an international level squad. I didn’t think he had much of an ego but surely he can see that 1 European Cup in 11 seasons is well below expectations at Leinster and it’s time to step aside. A dog with a mallet up its hole would’ve won as much.
It’s a rare occasion where I wouldn’t agree with @neilld. It’s not far removed from being the Ireland team. Okay they don’t have Beirne, Crowley, Baloucone and McCloskey but the likes of James Ryan, Sam Pender/Harry Byrne/Ciaran Frawley, James Lowe, Jimmy O’ Brien or Robbie Henshaw aren’t THAT much of a drop off. They have a better selection than Scotland, Wales, Italy and perhaps even Australia and Argentina. Nevermind most club teams.
I don’t know about that. Plenty other teams in top 14 could overpower Leinster but wouldn’t have the class to make it count. Bordeaux had poor start to season caught em in end
I’d say it’s very hard to balance a European Cup run with winning the Bouclier de Brennus. Are Toulouse the only team to do it? And they were blackguarding the Top Quatorze finance rules when they did do it. They nickel and dimed the group stage of the European Cup this year and got caught out, running into UBB away from home.
UBB looked like they were down to the bare bones last night and were fairly fatigued with it.
