Jennings in for O'Brien

Any consensus on pre-match meeting point/pub?

I want to see Heenan and Mata in madigans face all during the game. Just remember to wrap Mata, gotta use those arms !1

Home to Glasgow and Scarlets then away to Edinburgh

2 wins needed in all due respect from them games

But anyway, looking forward the Leinster game, gonna be wet though so hopefully we use our brain and not just do expansive whole time (ergo- Treviso).. Mata gonna have to bring the physicality upfront..

Looking forward to Heenan frustrating the Leinster side

I'm not confident either. Leinster away isn't a game where the majority of sides will return home with points. The Leinster team is strong and its hard to see an area where we can gain an advantage over them but we've seen on many occasions with Connacht at home that reputations are sometimes only that if the lads get the bit between their teeth. All mistakes will be punished so we need the defensive line to be a lot better, our discipline to be up to scratch and we need to know where are the right areas to play rugby. We need to bring the right mentality to away games. Zebre was a step in the right direction in that respect but Cardiff and Treviso were two dire performances.

I'll be happy with a strong performance and build towards the November games which we need to get a good return from if this season isn't going to peter out very early.

After tonight's results, we are now bottom.

Finger out time, no more talk about performances, we need a result in Dublin for the first time since 2002.

Not confident!

I know that, but if he was moved, there are some reasons...(ok, new rules now, but still..)

Just a quick one on Rodney Connachta. Rodney came here as a tight head play th for the first few seasons and was only moved to lh last season. So th is his natural position.

overstrander wrote: Browne is on the bench since he couldn't train properly this week. Makes sense to me.

Didn't realise. Yes makes sense if he couldn't train properly.

I knew I was harsh, because I simplified my views. My point is about lack of regular high level references when I said "Eagles". Don't forget Ah You was still highly criticised three weeks ago, isn't an obvious TH, Ronaldson is not a 12, Fafita was n°13 one year ago, n°8 before, and now n°6, Duffy hasn't made a clean break for a while and was outplayed agaisnt Ospreys, etc..

Ok they all have done well in HCup, but what I pointed out is a global tendency, it's too soon or too late to rely with insurance on these players. I think everyone here would be a lot more confident with White, Buckley, JHW, Browne and/or Faloon (and Heenan as 6 in this case), Mc Keon, Griff, Mc Sharry, Poolman..
That's our real 1st team, the other one will probably not string together 3 good games in a row (don't forget Treviso disaster). And Leinster is not at all the same beast than Zebre, half of our missed tackles will be tries, half of our late arrivals in rucks will be turnovers

Really hope I'm wrong guys, I'm not that pessimistic usally

Browne is on the bench since he couldn't train properly this week. Makes sense to me.

Wonder what gameplan Pat has in mind for this. No point kicking high balls on top of their back 3 as they're all very capable in the air. Browne and Muldowney on the bench suggests we're not going after their lineout. Duffy and Parks both starting inhibits us running the ball from deep.

Very strong Leinster team, arguably the strongest we've faced in years. George needs a massive game at 8.

Only real weakness I see in the Leinster team is in midfield. I would have liked to have seen McSharry at 12 because he made bits of Reid in Galway last year. Reid isn't a good defender so maybe we can hit Henshaw on crash balls at 12. I would also like to see Mata sent up his channel as well. This is where we could get the most joy.

Very hard to see us winning this or even getting an LBP, and with Glasgow up next week we could be staring at rock bottom. Really need to front up tomorrow night.

Is it reasonable to expect we can get the upper hand in the lineout? They have 4 genuine, established line out options and two halves (sob and roux). We have two real options and three halves (heenan swift and fafita). To me putting browne and muldowney on the bench suggests connacht might avoid line outs if possible for the first 50-60 and then perhaps begin to compete in the last quarter against tired opposition. Jennings on the bench most likely means 50 minutes for sob and mccarthy will come on for roux I expect, meaning their options should remain fairly consistent and if in the lead should be in a strong position to close out the game. Just some guesses.

Also although our backs are a little cobbled together at least ronaldson and henshaw have some game time together, unlike reid/fitz. Glad to see TOH back he's looked dangerous so far this season needs to put in a big shift tomorrow.

I would much prefer to see Andrew Browne in at blindside and Mata at 8. I honestly haven't see the form from George to justify his continued selection. We all know he's quality but...

we need to protect the ball with Sean O'Brien playing but if we can get the upper hand at scrum and lineouts this game will be a lot closer than it looks on paper. their back 3 in the forwards and their backs look to have the upperhand but overall we have a better balance in the backline, Ronaldson will need a big game as Madigan will be raring to go and will look to attack the inside channel.

connachta wrote: VERY worried, as Pat is.. Except 2nd and back row, we're outclassed on the paper

12. Craig Ronaldson
11. Matt Healy
3. Rodney Ah You
6. Mata Fifita
16. Dave Heffernan
17. JP Cooney
22. Darragh Leader

Are all "Eagles"

15. Gavin Duffy
10. Dan Parks
4. Michael Swift (captain)

Are too slow for Leinster, and played too many matches as 33+ guys, since August

We've 4 International standard players (13, 9, 7, and 5), Leinstermen have at least 14 out of 23...

I think that's very harsh on a few of our players with your assessment there connachta.

Ronaldson, Fifta, Healy and Rodney may have come from humble beginnings but I certainly wouldn't put them in the Eagles category at this stage especially all having done well at HC level.

Leader and Heffernan have been getting rave reviews so IMO deserve a crack given the injury status.

Swifty is getting on a bit, fair enough, but his job in the team is not to run fast, it's to hit anything that move and hard, a job he does well. Duffy seems to be coming back into a bit form and Parks was immense against Sarries and clinical against Zebre (perhaps a little too clinical). I agree the amount of mins they are racking up isn't great but is down to lack of options.

The Leinster bench is just ridiculous, coupled with our injury list, the worry for me would be we could make a game of this for 60mins and through tiredness let them run away with it in the last quarter of the game.

One thing I am looking forward to though is Heenan against SoB. That's going to be such a good contest.