Connacht v Leinster 04/01/14

Just to say that Marmion and Carty were outstanding together for the Connacht 20's when they won the grand slam

If they could rekindle some of that at a higher level, it would be fantastic to see

Kudos to Lam for giving Carty his chance. It was in this game last season that Henshaw announced himself. Step up Leader and Carty

Daunting enough looking Leinster team, keeping in this game early on will be key. Carty and Leader are brave but correct calls. Lam is giving youth its chance, and he deserves credit for that. Things might not go brilliantly all times tomorrow but it's important that these young players of ours learn from playing against top class, experienced internationals like BOD and Gordon Darcy.

From a Connacht point of view it's a very exciting team. Delighted that Jack Carty is getting his chance, hopefully he can help get the likes of robbie and Griffin going. We generally seem to play well against this lot, hard to see a connacht win tomorrow evening but you never know. An improvement from the Munster game is an absolute must, Progress is required and experience will be gained.

Porterbelly wrote: Just to say that Marmion and Carty were outstanding together for the Connacht 20's when they won the grand slam

If they could rekindle some of that at a higher level, it would be fantastic to see

Kudos to Lam for giving Carty his chance. It was in this game last season that Henshaw announced himself. Step up Leader and Carty

Next Stringer - ROG partnership - heard it here first folks

Gavin Cummiskey in today's Oirish Toimes:

"So, Leinster will be welcomed by the wind, rain and six of their academy graduates this evening. Nathan White also moved west two seasons ago while Denis Buckley was on the same Blackrock schools’ side as Jordi Murphy. Dave McSharry, Kyle Tonetti and Craig Ronaldson are others who would be relishing this fixture above all others if they were fit.

It gets worse. Miah Nikora and Ronaldson injuries mean Jack Carty, another local produce, starts at outhalf ahead of Dan Parks."

So: Nathan White bleeds little blue harps, Denis Buckley is a Dub, and Jack Carty is... a vegetable (ok the editing staff have to carry the can on that one).

Here's hoping Monday's headline is something like "Leinsterman Henshaw inspires Leinster B to victory over their betters."

Henshaw is from Westmeath

Bayern wrote: Henshaw is from Westmeath

Sssssshh...

i hate to be bringing bad news but we could be bottom after round 12.

zebre 14 treviso 12 only 9mins to go

edit: zebre won

salmson wrote: It gets worse. Miah Nikora and Ronaldson injuries mean Jack Carty, another local produce, starts at outhalf ahead of Dan Parks."

For me that's pretty much the worst part of the article. Whenever people talk about why are we so slow to give youth a chance in this country, well there's the answer encapsulated in a single comment.

Never mind that Carty has gone through the full academy system, amassed experience at both Ail and Connacht A level, that Marmion and Henshaw were thrown into senior starts with much less experience than him a year ago; Carty starting is the worst aspect of this team.

swift4prez wrote: i hate to be bringing bad news but we could be bottom after round 12.

zebre 14 treviso 12 only 9mins to go

edit: zebre won

Bad for connacht, good for my superbru.

How on earth was that not a yellow for Heaslip, late and no arms.

And don't get me started on that forward pass for the try, can't wait to hear what lam has to say

no BP, but young guys really made the job, good for the future

Any other game/ref that was a yellow for Heaslip. At the same time we didn't look near scoring in the second half, so hard to say the loss was undeserved.
The good points of the game was the young lads, including the subs, Heffernan and TOH both looked sharp and hungry.
Can we please stop using Griffin as a crash ball 12 and/or put Henshaw at 12?

Thoughts on the game:

1. Jude Quinn should never be let near a video monitor again.

2. The difference Carty made to our backline moving was huge he has to start next week against Zebre.

3. Leader is nowhere near the finished product but there is oodles of potential there and he is definitely an option going forward.

4. Clarke and McKeown were everywhere tonight how neither of them was MOM is a mystery.

5. Apart from Parks and Naopou (who wasn't on long enough) our bench made a big impact coming on. Overall I think a BP would have being justified.

6. Parks simply doesn't have it any more and should be eased out when Ronaldson comes back.