I would have to agree. The big test for these lads and how they perform will be in the B&I cup games. If you compare this performance to that of the one against the Falcons there is no comparison. Even though the score line was similar, the difference in the performance was black and white. Against the Falcons the lads ran themselves ragged to make every tackle they could. I think I remember someone saying on here that he had never seen so many injuries after tackles being made and that the players were "Soft". Soft has got nothing to do with it, they wanted to make the tackles and didn't care if the next tackle was going to injure them. And this was against a team they had a fairly substantial size advantage. They were putting in the hits because they cared. However against Leinster, there were no big tackles or carries that deserve any great mention. They went through the motions. Poor tackling and continuous penalties are what allowed Leinster to take the upper hand.

Really looking forward to the next two games. Its where your really going to see what these lads are made of and if they have hat it takes to compete at this level.

IMO cause it's a meaningless friendly that means nothing. I'll judge these players on their B&I performances not on a game which was set up to give a bunch of lads a run out while the internationals were away. Like I said before it's my opinion and you can disagree if you want.

Id be with PB on this one, what other way can a player show what hes capable of if its not on the pitch?

Why would they be saving themselves?

For eg: wilko is out of the first 23, so he says to himself I better take it handy here, dont want to get injured? or should he be pulling up trees to show mgmt that he has what it takes.

Same with a young player, why would you keep something in reserve ? for what? You get a chance --you should take it.

Still disagreeing!

connachtexile wrote:

Don't buy that

We'll have to agree to disagree then.

Players don't want to get hurt? Come on, it's rugby ffs. And when these lads get opportunities they have to show what they can do

Don't buy that

We'll have to agree to disagree then.

connachtexile wrote: It's a friendly game and I'd say alot of the boys don't want to get hurt etc while the Leisnter A guys were mostly sub-academy so looking to impress and get a contract. Mentality played a big part in how we did. Apparently Leinster also have an even better crop coming up next year to!

Don't buy that

There's alot of those lads out of contract in the summer or on academy/development deals that want to make the step up and they should be breaking their balls to impress when they get the chance. Eric will have the video of that game and I'm sure he won't be happy. I'd also be pretty sure he trusts the opinion of Nigel Carolan. Senior players in that team like Eoghan Grace, Brian Murphy, Jarvis, Wilkinson et al should be doing more for us

It's a friendly game and I'd say alot of the boys don't want to get hurt etc while the Leisnter A guys were mostly sub-academy so looking to impress and get a contract. Mentality played a big part in how we did. Apparently Leinster also have an even better crop coming up next year to!

Couldn't make it due to the K/O time. Dissapointing result to cap a dissapointing evening. I thought we'd fancy our chances in that one but not to be. It was a bad night but the setup deserves until the end of the season to prove themselves. We did beat Munster A twice earlier in the season.This is our first year having a half proper A setup together so there are going to be bad days but you'd hope we should be performing better.

A lot of these lads should be busting a gut to impress with a new coach to come in. Hopefully they'll perform better in the double header in a couple of weeks.

Tom Denton continued his return from injury as Leinster eased their way to victory in a disappointing friendly at the Sportsground in Galway. Denton helped his skipper Conor Gilsenan maul his way over for Leinster's second try on the hour as they put Connacht to the sword.

Leinster led 13-6 at the interval, with Cathal Marsh converting Tadhg Beirne's 10th-minute try and then kicking two penalties. Connacht replied with a brace of penalties from Matthew Jarvis.

Marsh extended Leinster's lead two minutes after the restart with a penalty from 40 metres, but while Jarvis responded with one from in front of the posts, that proved to be their final score.

Gilsenan and Denton combined to drive over, with Marsh adding the extras to open up a 23-9 lead. Andrew Boyle got Leinster's third try 14 minutes from time after Connacht lost possession as they tried to run the ball from deep.

Connacht Eagles – M Jarvis; M McCrea, C Finn, B Murphy, S Macauley; J Carty, P O'Donohoe; B Wilkinson, K O'Byrne, JP Cooney; U Dillane, J Gardiner; D Heffernan, E Grace, A Conneely. Reps: K Haupt for O'Byrne (58); C Lilly for O'Donohoe (58); B McClearn for Dillane (63); O'Donohoe for Lilly (65); T Leader for Finn (72); P Maxwell for Conneely (76); Dillane for Grace (78); C Boland for McCrea (80).

Leinster 'A' – A Byrne; A Boyle, R O'Loughlin, J Coghlan, M McFarland; C Marsh, L McGrath; J Treacy, B Byrne, T Furlong; T Beirne, T Denton; B Marshall, C Gilsenan, J Conan. Reps: S Crosbie for Marsh (72); J Lawless for Furlong (74); J van der Flier for Denton (76); E Masterson for Conan (76); E Quinn for O'Loughlin (78).

Ref – P Haycock (IRFU).

Finished Connacht Eagles 9 - Leinster A 31. Apparently the Leinster boys were very happy with Luke McGrath who impressed them the most.

I meant to say a Munster A pack! Honest! You have to believe me!!!! :lol: :lol:

connachtexile wrote: I know it sounds bad but these guys destroyed a Munster A team last week with 7/8 first team Munster players on it as well. This is a very good Leinster A team and these guys have been playing well.

i thought we covered this!

munster a beat leinster a in donnybrook last week.

I know it sounds bad but these guys destroyed a Munster A team last week with 7/8 first team Munster players on it as well. This is a very good Leinster A team and these guys have been playing well.

Seconded on the ref, the Leinster fans behind me were embarrassed. Very poor performance, especially as Leinster were "ringing round sub-academy kids" during the week to make up numbers, according to parents of some of the lads on the Leinster bench.

On plus points, I thought the starting hooker was good and the lad who came on for him - Kurt Haupt - was a tank, made a great break near the end.

i was at the game today, nice crowd there, everything look professional. handed out team sheet, people at the ticket gate and the chipper was open.

connacht positives on the field- well this is hard! best players were jon gardiner and mathew jarvis and maybe murphy in the centre. they werent good, just our best players.
we had 8 players out there on a full senior contract, if i told that to someone watching it they wouldnt believe me. apart from 3 leinster players i dont know the others.

we camped in there 22 for the first 8mins, attack attack attack. in that 8mins i think leinster touched the ball 3 times.there first real attack, they scored a try.
our defence running back is awful. other times when a player went into contact the ball was ripped out of his hands, that happen 3/4 times.

our scrum got destroyed a few times which wasnt good. simply, brett wilkinson didnt want to be there. i dont know if others felt that way, might be harsh on him but he was walking around the pitch. made a few carrys late in the second which took 2 or 3 players to stop him.

as i said jarvis was ok, he's a tall guy, maybe that worked for him and got 3 from 3 kicking.

last bit--- the ref was shite. countless number of very forward passes missed. another time leinster knocked on under the linesman's noise, he flagged, ref played on, then leinster bundled the ball dead, linesman came in and talked to the ref, leinster lineout. all happened inside 3 seconds. countless out things but wont bother as we were not good enough anways.