[quote=âcaoimhaoinâ]Ya, even though i believe you over hype Ulster guys, i think you could be on the nail with Henry, very impressive player.
Heaslip needs a kick up the ass.[/quote]
Please develop this point.
[quote=âBandageâ]You said it, Sid. I think I mentioned on this thread before that I was like any other child around the country growing up. I remember the first time I was old enough to really appreciate the Leinster Schoolsâ Cup was when I was around 7. I have vague memories of my Dad going through the 48 page LSC supplement in that dayâs Irish Independent when I got home from school and telling me to choose my team carefully because I would have to stay with them forever. I picked Belvedere and Iâve never regretted it, ever.
It was gas growing up on a housing estate in Wexford town during the LSC. I was Belvo, my older brother was Clongowes through and through, a group of lads from up the hill were huge Terenure supporters and another gang down the road were Blackrock to the core. The banter in school was tremendous and then weâd re-enact the action from the previous dayâs LSC fixtures in the yard at lunchtime. Great memories.[/quote]
I think every kid in Leinster dreams about ascending those famous Lansdowne steps on St. Patrickâs Day to get the trophy and a hug and kiss from their mum. Obviously those steps are now gone, but a new set is emerging from the rubble as we speak. And within weeks weâll see a new field emerge, a new hallowed sod. Dreams will be fulfilled, dreams will be broken on that new sod. Stories will unfold that will still be told when those cubs have reached old age.
Same as it ever was with this grand old competition. Itâs true what George Hook says, thereâs no other competition like it in the world. And itâs a comfort to think that in an Ireland and indeed a world seemingly in a state of chassis, our dear old Leinster Schools Cup is âconsistency in a world gone madâ. Hereâs to St. Patrickâs Day 2011. But before then of course, we have he class of 2010 to focus on. Itâs going to be a great Spring.
If someone else (cue Mac) asks me i might.
what do you mean Kev, any time i have seen heaslip this season he has been decent, seems to be developing into a bit of a leader and looks a future leinster captain to meâŚ
He is looking leadership material alright, and he isnât playing bad or anything. Its just he needs to be under pressure for his place with Ireland. Since Leamy has been back he has upped it again, i felt he dropped off a bit once he became a regular with Ireland. And only a little bit.
Basically heâs a guy who needs the competition. There are many players like this, Oâ Gara is one that comes to mind. Paul Oâ Connell isnât.
Look at BOD last season, once i said he was in trouble he really pulled up his socks.
Well said. Heâs been consistently outstanding for over a year now and got a thoroughly deserved nomination for IRB Player of the Year. Fair enough if Kev thinks competition is welcome to keep him honest and on his toes - thatâs healthy - but his choice of words implies thatâs heâs been lazy or something.
[quote=âcaoimhaoinâ]Ya, even though i believe you over hype Ulster guys, i think you could be on the nail with Henry, very impressive player.
Heaslip needs a kick up the ass.[/quote]
Sorry now Kev but Heaslip is the best form forward in the country almost at the moment. Playing some unreal stuff. Despite the yellow boots and the D4 attitude he is well up for getting stuck into the dirty stuff. Massive massive fan I am.
BTW, gas reading the thread here and seeing Bandage hail me as a rugby genius, thanks Bandage but never was a pat in the back so close to a kick in the arse 
Les Kiss spoke very highly of Henry recently, heâll get a sniff if he continues his form.
Munster team for the weekend
Felix Jones; Denis Hurley, Tom Gleeson, Jean de Villiers, Ian Dowling; Ronan OâGara capt, Peter Stringer; Julien Brugnaut, Damian Varley, Tony Buckley; Mick OâDriscoll, Donnacha Ryan; Billy Holland, Niall Ronan, N Williams
Replacements: Mike Sherry, Wian du Preez, James Coughlan, Tommy OâDonnell, Duncan Williams, Paul Warwick, Scott Deasy
Henry is form Ulster backrower at the moment and is a proper 8 yes. He will be captaining team on Saturday. Very much an understrength team with Humps, Schifcoske, Trimble all missing out as well as Irish squad regulars. Looking forward to seeing how OâConnor does nonetheless and to see if Botha can destroy Healy in the scrum once more.
Jamie Smith, Timoci Nagusa, Darren Cave, Ian Whitten, Simon Danelli, Niall OâConnor, Isaac Boss
(1-8) Bryan Young, Nigel Brady, BJ Botha, Ed OâDonoghue, Dan Tuohy, David Pollock, TJ Anderson, Chris Henry (Capt)
Replacements
(16-22) Andy Kyriacou, Declan Fitzpatrick, Ryan Caldwell, Willie Faloon, Cillian Willis, Ian Humphreys, Jonny Shiells
[quote=âdancarterâ]Sorry now Kev but Heaslip is the best form forward in the country almost at the moment. Playing some unreal stuff. Despite the yellow boots and the D4 attitude he is well up for getting stuck into the dirty stuff. Massive massive fan I am.
BTW, gas reading the thread here and seeing Bandage hail me as a rugby genius, thanks Bandage but never was a pat in the back so close to a kick in the arse :D[/quote]
I think he was better last year myself, but he is playing very well. I never mentioned anything about his willingness or lack of to get stuck in. What i should have spelt out is that i think he has upped his game again since Leamy came back to form, he was clearly keeping an eye on Leamy. My point was it would be good for someone to be putting pressure on him in the form of Henry, as i think he may ease off slightly if heâs not under pressure. Slight ease offs against the likes of France could be the difference between another championship or not.
Bandage, i didnât think you were so sensitive to my words.
Kevin, Iâm disgusted by your mealy mouthed attitude towards Leinster players and, I admit, I was seething. The likes of myself and WBY are never slow to dish out the praise to Munster players but you always look to find fault with our lads. Thatâs not even a valid criticism of Heaslip, you âhave a feelingâ he was watching Leamy and âhe might be the typeâ to drop his standards. Youâre a disgrace, Kevin - a fucking disgrace.
Thought Leinster were fortunate to win against Ulster and scoreline definetly flattered them. Considering players missing I though we performed very well. OâConnor and Humps both impressed at 10 while Botha getting the upper hand on Healy once more was pleasing from a parochial point of view but a little concerning from a national perspective. Clancy had a terrible game as ref and reminded me of a secondary school teacher who talks a lot to prove how in control he is but in reality he is missing loads, responds poorly to pressure and likes the sounds of his own voice. All in all I think that considering circumstances we can be pleased enough with the performance and players like Brady and Whitten can gain a lot of confidence from it. Pity Tommy Bowe wont be rejoining us mind
The Ospreys are delighted to confirm that Tommy Bowe has signed a new contract that keeps him at the region until the end of the 2012-13 season.
25-year old Bowe, who can play anywhere in the back three or at centre, has made a huge impact in an Ospreys shirt since arriving in the region in the summer of 2008. Fans favourite Bowe has already made 34 appearances for the Ospreys, scoring 18 tries, including an impressive nine in his last ten outings.
His form in an Ospreys shirt has been replicated on the international scene, where he has established himself as a regular in the green of Ireland, scoring 11 tries in 25 appearances. He enjoyed a hugely successful summer tour with the British & Irish Lions to South Africa, starting all three tests and scoring four tries during the tour.
Bowe, who is also the all-time leading Magners League try scorer, originally signed a two year deal with an option to extend for an extra year, but he has now agreed to commit to a further three years at the Liberty Stadium. Speaking after putting pen to paper on the new contract, Bowe said:
"The Ospreys coaching staff, combined with the rugby programme in place here at the Ospreys, is helping me to fulfill my potential. In addition, as a team I feel we are on the cusp of something special and I want to be part of it. From an international perspective, the Ospreys have been the platform for much of the rugby success I have enjoyed, along with the memories I have banked over an unbelievable last 18 months, and as a result I feel a strong sense of loyalty to them.
"I was flattered by the interest from other European clubs, but after taking advice from my agent, family and friends, it all came back to the fact that I am enjoying my rugby and life in general at the Ospreys.
"Obviously, a return to Ireland had a strong emotional pull and I take enormous pride in the privilege of wearing the Irish jersey. With a father from Munster and a mother from Leinster, who are season ticket holders at Ulster, and having played for Ulster with great friends there, you can imagine the thorough family discussions about the merits of returning to play in Ireland.
âI just feel all the ingredients are here for long-term success and I wanted to give Mike Cuddy, Roger Blyth, the coaches, my team-mates and the Ospreys supporters my commitment for three years. Iâm very excited about what we can achieve in that space of time. I love the way we play rugby here at the Ospreys and Iâm excited about being involved in the Christmas derby games and upcoming crucial European fixtures.â
Ospreys Head Coach, Sean Holley, said:
"This is clearly excellent news for all concerned at the Ospreys, and is the perfect Christmas present. Tommy is a vital part of what we are trying to create here from a playing and a cultural point of view, and the fact that he has opted to extend his stay with us is a clear indication that he believes in what we are trying to do.
"When we originally targeted Tommy as a potential signing, we felt that as well as him bringing his obvious strengths to the team, that we could also offer him the opportunity to develop his own game and his career. This has certainly rung true, Tommy and the Ospreys have complimented each other fantastically over the last year and a half, and we are very proud of his achievements on the international stage. The fact that he is a proven try scorer, can play in a number of positions and exhibits good leadership qualities are an obvious bonus to the team.
âHis performances so far this season have shown that there is even more to come from him and we are delighted that we are now able to call on his services for an additional three years. He is a genuine world-class talent, who is much sought after and still very young. The fact that he has opted to stay in our environment for as long as he has committed to as he feels that it is the best place for him at this moment in time, is a great boost for the players, coaches, administrators and supporters alike.â
Ospreys Elite Performance Director, Andrew Hore, added:
"Once again the Ospreys board have clearly shown their support for the ambitions we have here as a coaching team and playing squad, and we are grateful as always for that backing. They share our long-term vision for the future of the region, and continue to back that up with their commitment and investment, on and off the field. The Directors have worked hard to secure Tommyâs future with the Ospreys in the face of some intense competition, and for that they should be congratulated. His re-signing is a tremendous coup for the region and we look forward to seeing him in an Ospreys shirt over the coming seasons, as well as continuing his excellent work off the field to assist with the ongoing development of his fellow Ospreys.
âWhile we are committed to the development of local, young talent, and are proud of our enviable record of doing so, we have always maintained that we need to supplement this with a handful of top quality non-Welsh players who will add to what we are trying to create, on and off the pitch, and there is no doubt that Tommy certainly fitâs the bill in that respect.â
Gutted to see us miss out on Bowe too but our academy is vastly superior to those elsewhere in the country so weâll just have to pluck someone off the conveyor belt in the next 12 months or so.
Agreed on Clancy, larry. Heâs a shockingly poor referee and I posted on here at the time about his disgraceful handling of the Challenge Cup final last May/June where his bias against the French side was sickening.
I also see Shannon are in trouble for some of their members seeking him out after the recent game against Cork Con in the refereeâs dressing room. That said, my sources indicate he was correct on that occasion to award Con a last gasp penalty, which they won the game from.
[quote=âBandageâ]Gutted to see us miss out on Bowe too but our academy is vastly superior to those elsewhere in the country so weâll just have to pluck someone off the conveyor belt in the next 12 months or so.
Agreed on Clancy, larry. Heâs a shockingly poor referee and I posted on here at the time about his disgraceful handling of the Challenge Cup final last May/June where his bias against the French side was sickening.
I also see Shannon are in trouble for some of their members seeking him out after the recent game against Cork Con in the refereeâs dressing room. That said, my sources indicate he was correct on that occasion to award Con a last gasp penalty, which they won the game from.[/quote]
I heard he was right too, and also heard the Shannon lads were well out of line, although that did all come from Con players.
I find him generally an average ref, but havenât seen the games ye point to.
Larry your some man for the excuses as to why ye donât win though, blame the ref, Leinster were flattered blaa blaa blaa. Its funny at this stage.:rolleyes:
[quote=âcaoimhaoinâ]I heard he was right too, and also heard the Shannon lads were well out of line, although that did all come from Con players.
I find him generally an average ref, but havenât seen the games ye point to.
Larry your some man for the excuses as to why ye donât win though, blame the ref, Leinster were flattered blaa blaa blaa. Its funny at this stage.:rolleyes:[/quote]
Did you see the game caoimhaoin? General consensus I heard after the game from talking to people and media reaction was that Leinster were at the very least flattered by the score. Some of that comes down to poor execution on our part but we really werenât helped by Clancy who had a shocking game. His lack of consistency when he yellow carded Anderson at breakdown yet then let Leinster infringe after this was one clear example. I have criticised some of our performances like Glasgow at home couple of weeks back but this wasnât a time to criticise. We outplayed a full strength Leinster team for much of the game with all our stand out players missing with the exception of Botha.
Caoimhaoin, itâs well established that at this stage that larry is a blinkered crank.
I didnât watch the game, but 15-3 is pretty damming. Iâm sure Leinster made many mistakes as well. When Leinster hammered Munster earlier in the year there was also alot of little things Munster messed up on, but its the little things and basics that count. Leinster were superb in the little things that night, Munster werenât. That eventually opened the game for Leinster. Roy Keane had a mantra, do the basics and the fighting in the first half, play ball in the 2nd. This is what all the very good sides do.
you only look at your own team, which is what makes you so unbalanced.
Look Ulster are a massively improved team, from last year. But they are still someway off Leinster and Munster, and a few other ML teams, and a mass of teams in the HC. There is no shame in this, as everyone has to start somewhere. The really big and successful teams manage to keep the transitional periods to the minimum, and are only out of the running for short periods of time. Iâm talking Munster Leicester, Toulouse, WASPs here, i wouldnât even put Leinster in there yet. Leinster will have to build on last years win for that. Ulster though are miles off it, they seem to be âin transistionâ for an age. Until they get stable with coaching and players for 3 straight years this will continue. But they can attract players, and they have great support, so it is very doable, and a HC is possible within 3-5 years all going well.
But until then larry, take your head out of your ass.
I didnât watch the game, but 15-3 is pretty damming. Iâm sure Leinster made many mistakes as well. When Leinster hammered Munster earlier in the year there was also alot of little things Munster messed up on, but its the little things and basics that count. Leinster were superb in the little things that night, Munster werenât. That eventually opened the game for Leinster. Roy Keane had a mantra, do the basics and the fighting in the first half, play ball in the 2nd. This is what all the very good sides do.
you only look at your own team, which is what makes you so unbalanced.
Look Ulster are a massively improved team, from last year. But they are still someway off Leinster and Munster, and a few other ML teams, and a mass of teams in the HC. There is no shame in this, as everyone has to start somewhere. The really big and successful teams manage to keep the transitional periods to the minimum, and are only out of the running for short periods of time. Iâm talking Munster Leicester, Toulouse, WASPs here, i wouldnât even put Leinster in there yet. Leinster will have to build on last years win for that. Ulster though are miles off it, they seem to be âin transistionâ for an age. Until they get stable with coaching and players for 3 straight years this will continue. But they can attract players, and they have great support, so it is very doable, and a HC is possible within 3-5 years all going well.
But until then larry, take your head out of your ass.[/quote]
Who gives a fuck what Roy Keane thinks or says? Iâd put more store in it if it was something Brian OâDriscoll said, or a mantra from someone else whoâs actually been on the pitch and contributed during a European Cup final.
On another note, I would like to wish Josef Schmidt all the best at Leinster. But weâve plenty of work to do before we look that far ahead. In the meantime, Iâm disgusted that Shane Jennings is nearing a return to the squad.
I didnât watch the game, but 15-3 is pretty damming. Iâm sure Leinster made many mistakes as well. When Leinster hammered Munster earlier in the year there was also alot of little things Munster messed up on, but its the little things and basics that count. Leinster were superb in the little things that night, Munster werenât. That eventually opened the game for Leinster. Roy Keane had a mantra, do the basics and the fighting in the first half, play ball in the 2nd. This is what all the very good sides do.
you only look at your own team, which is what makes you so unbalanced.
Look Ulster are a massively improved team, from last year. But they are still someway off Leinster and Munster, and a few other ML teams, and a mass of teams in the HC. There is no shame in this, as everyone has to start somewhere. The really big and successful teams manage to keep the transitional periods to the minimum, and are only out of the running for short periods of time. Iâm talking Munster Leicester, Toulouse, WASPs here, i wouldnât even put Leinster in there yet. Leinster will have to build on last years win for that. Ulster though are miles off it, they seem to be âin transistionâ for an age. Until they get stable with coaching and players for 3 straight years this will continue. But they can attract players, and they have great support, so it is very doable, and a HC is possible within 3-5 years all going well.
But until then larry, take your head out of your ass.[/quote]
A mantra he has transferred to those players he has managed successfully at Sunderland and Ipswich :rolleyes: A mong statement of epic proportions