As a Leinster fan I was so comfortable sipping my Guinness in the first... and second until after Mr. Lowe's 3rd try! I was on the edge of my seat for much of the second half. Ross Byrne missing 4 not so difficult kicks that could have put the Saints away didn't help. Full credit to them for having us Leinster fans biting our nails, however after the second Saints try, they didn't look like they were going to score again, Leinster seemed to eventually shut them down. Excellent analysis Tim !
Cheers Tim, great analysis as usual. Regarding your point about Croke Park. I think most Irish people would love to see more rugby played there. If every Englishman was as knowledgeable and respectful as you are about our history, things would be much easier. From my perspective, it’d be great to see more internationals played there.
On Croke Park, as the RDS is getting a new stand next season Leinster already planning on using Aviva and possibly Croke Park next season. Another new GAA stadium in Cork city, Pairc ui Chaoimh (prononced Park e Queve) has recently hosted Crusaders v Munster and South Africa v Munster. That stadium needs to repay the debt to build it so GAA happy to get more rental income. One good thing about being there yesterday compared to Aviva is the ERC implemented the GAA rule of no drink in your seat as in Aviva very annoying bring interupted by people going back and forth to bar during game.
+1 on the no drinking in seat rule. Really annoying with a triplet of drinker 'supporters' in the row in front of me at the La Roche match.Annoying for the folks who had to stand up in that row every fewminutes just because those guys couldnt go 40 mins without a pint.
You can’t miss so many kicks in such important games. Byrne nearly lost that game for Leinster , some really good fly half’s coming through but for now it looks like byrne will be the choice.
Happy to be going to a final with Leinster v Toulouse with my 2 kids... First time they will be at a big match and hoping to kindle that fire and love for the sport
As a Saints fan, I'm pleased to see people crediting Chris Boyd. Like you say, he didn't have the immediate success but he initiated the style of play we now see. Well done to Dowson and Vesty to for nurturing it. Good punditing. Keep up the good work
Great commentary as usual. As most of the Leinster team are Irish Internationals, many on central contracts. This means it is the IRFU that dictate the minutes they can play, and it is measured in minutes. Keep up the great work!
Tim, as another Leinster (and Connaught) fan, I agree with you totally about Ross Byrne. In effect Leinster are playing without a Fly-Half. He cannot hack it in the big games and is dependent on the back three and centres for exits and tactical kicking. I also agree with you about using Croke Park more often for rugby. Keep up the good work!!
Good review thanks, hopefully Leinster get the wake up call they need. Agree Park has been amazing, he might get European player of the year, but Dupont is playing his own game.
From an Irishman, cheers for the respect you've shown towards our national stadium. If you think its spectacular for rugby, be there on All Ireland Fianl Day! What an event!! ☘️🏐🏑
@@BrendanDufftronicAgree. Up to a point. I was in the lower Cusack and had a great view. If people were in the Davin or Hill 16, I imagine you were feckin miles away from the action. If anyone here has pull with GAA HQ, rustle up a ticket for a provincial hurling final or All Ireland Semi-Final for Tim, here. As a sportsman I’m sure he’d appreciate it and he’s done stirling work advertising Croker and building bridges.
@@BrendanDufftronicUntil they find some way of demolishing the eye sore that is hill16 and replacing it with a proper stand it will always be a bit of a shite stadium.
Posted this on a reply to a post below but if anyone has pull with Croker HQ maybe you could rustle up a ticket for a provincial hurling final or All Ireland semi-final for Tim here. As a sportsman I’m sure he’d appreciate it and he’s done stirling work advertising Croke Park, spreading the word about GAA and building bridges. Fair play, Tim.
Probably. All was fine until Ross Molony was substituted - I thought it might not be a coincidence - he may not be a superstar but he has more leadership & grit than many of the star players.
Jack Conan seemed like the only person who really wanted to give it to saints in that period where Leinster took the foot completely off the pedal. Saw him giving a talk and some of his carries were fierce. Wish they could find a way to fit him in somewhere in that squad but the quality is just so high particularly in the pack
Leo said he’s going to play strong teams right up to the final. Definitely undercooked to see out match. Having said that it was amazing to be there . A match play in great spirit. Northampton are a great team and I really hope they go on to win the premiership I’ll be shouting for them from here in Dublin 💙
Great review Tim. As a Leinster fan I think their substitutions took place too early in the second half Also agree with your comments on Ross Byrne as a goal kicker- too inconsistent.
Absolutely spot on point there Tim. Leo Cullen can’t rest his big players as much as he has been doing. We, the long serving season ticket holders, have been saying this all along. And starting a game, any game, with Jack Conan on the bench is not on. On Ross Byrne, don’t judge him just yet. He is the real deal. Watch him next season.
Ross Byrne is not the real deal. He will be 30 years old next year and has never looked like the real deal. If fit Frawley has to start at 10 or else Leinster will never beat Toulouse.
As a Leinster fan and was there yesterday but could not agree more on Ross Byrne. When someone was needed to calm it all down Ross went missing. On the strength f that performance it has to be a Toulouse win.
Leinster were pretty calm. An error from a lineout and a turnnover from NH in their own 22 cost Leinster. They were doing the right things tactically I felt. He should have kicked better for sure though.
Missed both matches as I am on holiday in a very hot (38-40C) and humid Vietnam. The humidity is killing me, totally knackering. Thanks once more Tim for your reflective and honest opinions. Journos on the BBC are children by comparison.
@@endacisive It’s a team issue. He gets the blame (although the missed kick in front of the posts was bad) because instead of doing a Sexton 2011, he goes into his shell a bit when it starts going wrong. But then, Sexton was there the last few years and didn’t drag them over the line either so I’m not sure what Ross is supposed to do.
Ross Byrne has good games now and then. But more often than not, he goes into his shell in big games. I've said it for a while that Frawley's versatility will be Leinster's undoing in that they haven't built the team with him at 10.
Leinster were utterly dominant until they scored their third try and switched off. Saints weren’t in the game until that point but full credit to them for sticking with it and mounting a great fight back.
Totally agree re Ross Byrne we need to blood Prendergast. Badly shown up for his serious lack of pace with the intercept. Getting an interception like that or throwing a dummy and not having the pace to reach the line could be the winning or losing of a big game.
Prendergast has no real pace either and is all hype atm. Ireland has never produced pacy/athletic 10s. Sexton was slow, ROG was probably even slower. Crowley is the only one who seems to have the right balance.
Crowley is head and shoulders above all just not playing for Leinster. Both lads outta two cents rugby said Crowley reminds them of a man called Dan Carter 😮high praise indeed. He is constantly improving
Just on the subject of Croke Park, and other grounds, its is our place to play our games, its the GAA job to protect Irish games, to see Irish rugby be included is just great. We are proud. Hey, well done to Leinster on the win - congrats, big final to look forward too, from Connaught man, get it done!!!
Leinster were in control but failed to put Northampton away. Had Byrne landed his kicks, Leinster would have been 27-3 on the hour mark. Game over and we’d be having a different conversation. Byrne doesn’t attack the gain line and is too slow. However, Northampton showed great determination to get back in the game. Very clever kicking into the back field to put pressure on Leinster fast up defence. Completely agree that taking time off is not a good idea. Leinster should have been rested but they look rusted, in the second half. With regard to Lancaster and Neinaber: something lost and something gained! As a Leinster fan I’m hoping that they’ll be more at peak match fitness for 24th May. They will need to be or will have to wait another year for the 5th star.
I think ross byrne shouldve come off after 60 minutes, not just for the missed kicks but he just seemed out on his feet again. I saw a lot of similarities between ross' performance in last years final and yesterday
Hi Tim, great analysis and comments, as usual. Quick point on Ross Byrne, I thought he'd turned a corner against La Rochelais, where he played very well. However, he seems to lack urgency with the ball and plays a simple pass to teammate right beside him. Possibly a confidence issue which was evident from his interception. I worry about the final, not much between the teams. I think Leinster are a better side, BUT, they need keep intensity and vitality for 80 mins
Would love to see more games at Croker, it's an iconic stadium steeped in history. In contrast to the corporate blow-in they call the Aviva. Croker is more central and accessible too.
The Saints looked more energetic in the last 20 minutes and it was only Leinster's experience which got them over the line. Saints have a few great years ahead of them at this rate.
If we play like the second half against Toulouse we're done. And we will be punished. I think Toulouse are looking slightly better tbh. Northampton it was a pleasure hosting you and your fans were immense ye played amazingly heads should be held high. Well done.
@@bigdru888 that's true pal, BUT we still fell asleep it seemed in the second half and at this stage of the comp at a semi final that's not good enough in my humble opinion of course
@@one_eyed_odinsemi final and in a packed croke park should have been more than enough fuel for the lads to put in an 80 minute performance on the level they did in the first half. I couldn’t comprehend them falling asleep at the wheel
Toulouse looked better than leinster this weekend. But not by a whole lot. If the injured are okay in a couple of weeks I'd say its pretty even. The question is which Ross byrne will turn up?
I strongly recommend going to Croke Park for either the hurling or football All Ireland Final. I promise it'll live with you forever! For all the right reasons😂 P.s. I'm from Mayo and I still enjoy it😂 Mayo are famous for losing when they play in Croker, I guess we just enjoy it too much;)
As a leinsterman I’m incredibly proud of how this team has achieved success so far this season. Beating the monkeys on their back & reigning champions La Rochelle x2, Leicester x2, Stad Francais, Sale Sharks and now Northampton saints (clear premiership leaders) and it being a World Cup year and we all know the majority of the Irish team are Leinster players, it’s an incredibly achievement to get this stage so far. Bodies are sore. No Garry Ringrose, arguably the best outside centre in world rugby. No Hugo Keenan, arguably the best fullback in world rugby and no James Ryan one of the best locks in world rugby. Despite the criticism from everyone saying Leinster were poor I actually think they were reasonably good. They were flawless in the 2nd half. They didn’t give Northampton a sniff off the ball. Leinster were the 1st to score in the 2nd half. Northampton didn’t score their 1st try until the 60th minute and it was then they managed to find some cohesion & composure. They themselves were almost flawless in the last 20/25 minutes. I think the reasoning for this was because Leinster were not match fit. They didn’t play for 2/3 weeks where as Northampton played the other champions cup semi finalists Harlequins, last week. That’s what kept them in the fight in this game. Match fitness goes a long long way, we all know that. It’s a fine line balancing act between playing too many games and not playing enough games. Having looked at Toulouse vs Harlequins it was very similar in many aspects. Toulouse were brilliant in the 1st half and Harlequins scrambled back in the 2nd. Dupont & Gibson-Park were both exceptional. R Byrne & Ntamack didn’t have great days. 3 weeks rest now until the final. Both teams can figure eachother out. Garry Ringrose & Hugo Keenan to come back in after some much needed game time next weekend and the possibly the weekend after which is huge for Leinster. Having those two players back will be the defining factor in who wins this game imo. I’ve no doubt in my mind Leinster can go and win the completion this year as they’ve been so close for the past few years! I think last year they were so good and they were probably overly confident and too far ahead of themselves and that was their downfall as Dan Sheehan alluded to that earlier this week instead they can go and work on themselves and fix a few little problems for them he finally in 3 weeks time.
Harry...I was with you until you said they were flawless in the second half. They weren't flawless in the second half. There was a look of panic on Gibson Park's face at one point, it's the haunting memory of the game for me. The superhuman, man of the match was panicked about how to regroup. -They nearly lost it. They scraped through the purple patch. If they want to become the team they can be at least they have to admit they didn't 'win' that match -they just didn't lose it. It's brutal, but unless Leinster can figure out how/why they lose their psychological edge so easily they might not win the final either.
@@justme9818 Apologies, I meant they were flawless in the 1st half and that Northampton only showed signs of how good they were in the last 20 of the 2nd half.
Cheers Tim for the balanced review again, as a Leinster fan I agree we are a little week at 10.Well done to Northampton they'll be there again next year.
Tim, the majority of us Leinster fans agree with you about this resting players scheme - the Leinster defense was excellent for the most part. The attack? Considerably less so. Leo & Jacques have a concern with who to play at #10 going forward. We are into the money end of the season and Ross Byrne had a singularly flat performance yesterday. A team cant afford to have its outhalf be so inconsistent, missing vital kicks at goal, struggling to organize the attack. His performance was symptomatic of the team malaise on attack. Options are few at this point - Harry Byrne or Sam Prendergast or Ciaran Frawley. With Ringrose and Keenan still sidelined, Frawley is needed in the back 3. The coaches have to get the squad regulars back up to playing speed or this could well be a repeat of the last few years - NO SILVERWARE!
Absolutely agree with that. The squad rotation needs to be thought out better. Resting all the first team together and therefore not mixing them with the second and third choice does not help with the development of the squad. A few years ago the second choice team would have beaten most other URC teams but not now.
Leinster fan, our attack has been poor since Lancaster left we need to improve there especially against the likes of Toulouse and munster who have strong defences and excellent attacks
Hi Tim , yes we ( home supporters ) would love to see Croke Pk used for the big matches . The GAA are like the Cricket Board in the UK , they want to keep support for their sport ! So I guess we have to understand they are not interested in other sports . However the Government here subsidised to huge amounts the stadiums so they should have a say in it . We Irish are Sports mad , love live sport and are starved of it here hence 82k seats sold for that semi final. Unlike Uk we don’t have a high class Soccer league , even Gaelige Football doesn’t get Hugh crowds except at finals . We re at a magical time for rugby right now , it’s never been so good so hopefully , somehow we can have more matches at Croke Pk so more people can see these matches live , declan Leinster and Ireland fan
Gaelic Football gets big crowds in Croke Park when the games are competitive. The problem is recently too many of Dublin's opposition aren't up to their level so people don't bother going to Croker. Biggest crowds and most excitement in GAA at the moment is Munster hurling championship, any sports enthusiast should try and get to one of those games.
Having fully professional sporting franchises playing weekly at international level is a realtively new experience for the Irish sporting public and rugby continues to make huge strides in this country. i say this as a former CBS man brought up playing and watching Gaelic games.
I agree with you. Leinster need to look at themselves after such a dominant first half performance, and then the second half a bag of nerves. Ross Byrne missed a relatively easy penalty (should have gone to the corner I though) and the Northampton scored a bit later. If they play like that against Toulouse they will lose again.
They are missing an attacking coach. Different attacking opportunities now but It would be amazing to see what a Lancaster could achieve with the opportunities and attacking positions Leinster more likely to find themselves in with a Nienaber defence.
Leinster will definitely have to improve before taking on Toulouse, I don’t think yesterday’s performance will worry Toulouse too much unfortunately. Praying that Keenan, Ringrose and Ryan will be available. I’m always surprised and disappointed to see Conan on the bench, I’d like to see him start. Yes, big mistake giving these guys too much time off, again! Thanks for your take on the game, brilliant as usual.
Leinster beat LaRoche 40-13. When was the last time Toulouse got close to that? If yesterday doesn't worry Toulouse that's fine, that may help Leinster.
Leinster and Ireland have a problem putting games to bed. They've lost that extra gear in the second half that they use to be able to rely on. There's no X factor in Rose Byrne. Northampton's defense was epic and kept them in the game.
Leo Cullen said the players will see game time between now and the final. I'd say a game and a half each through rotating the team would give them enough edge and still remain fresh.
You two are entitled to your opinion about the his history of croke park and I'm sorry if it makes ye cringe but unfortunately that's more of a bad reflection on both or ye..show some integrity and show some respect to those who lost their young lives on that horrible Sunday....so I believe some telling people to shut up about it already should either keep their snobby opinion to themselves or stick to the rugby all together..
As an retired Gaa player & rugby fan, international matches should be played here at special events, why not, yes 99% of Ireland north and south have moved on & why not, the bond between rugby supporters is fabulous even when the rivalry is great
Hi Tim, great analysis. I agree with you across the board. Leo did go lite with the squad he sent to RSA for the mini-tour, but what one mustn't forget is, the minutes his Irish internationals can play is partially dictated to him by the IRFU. They already have huge Test miles on the clock this season due to RWC & 6 Nations. Re outhalf, IMO, Harry Byrne has the elite potential Ross lacks, they just need to give him more game time. Love Eggchasers, keep up the good work. R
Tim, as usual, a very balanced match report. Northampton played with real skill and grit to comback like they did innthe 2nd half. They seem to have a good coaching crew and team esprit de corps. Leinster were dead lucky not to lose this game. Did not play the full 80, which you have to do in any professional game. Northampton had the opposite problem. They didn't start playing to their ability until the 2nd half, and rhe game qas out of reach by them. They nearly pulled it off.
Ireland have play senior internationals at the Aviva afaik. They labeled a non-capped international against Fiji a few years ago so they could play elasewhere (THomond Park I think), to get around this. A special mention to Tommy Freemlan, who said they'd come in "All guns blazing" in a video in the lead up to the game :D (no malous inatended I'm certain)
Leinster were stunned by North Hampton's defense. I mean Leinster throw everything against them including some kitchen sinks full of yesterdays dishes.
Leinster came in undercooked 100%. TBF Leinster stopped playing in the 2nd half .maybe because they were undercooked.Aviva is partly owned by the IRFU so rugby games will be played there.. Northampton nothing to be ashamed of going that close to a team like Leinster. They should be proud of themselves well done.
Leinster need to find a decent 10. They will struggle with Byrne. He’s got snails pace, sits too deep and his kicking is too inconsistent. Not at the level of his teammates.
I think the scare was needed to remind leinster that they didn't get away it it the last few mins. Hopefully leinster can fix the issues that let the saints back in. I say leinster will improve for the champions Cup final. Cullen said after the game he will play his Frontline players for the next 2 rds of urc. Regarding ross byrne he blows hot and cold harry Byrne is good but gets injuries alot. Prendagast still young but maybe in the future he might do well. Plus a hurricanes coach will be joining leinster there attaint coach.
NZ got the resting big players balance perfect in the RWC. All played a high intensity role in most games. You can also try a few things in matches even with the bigger match in mind. Two weeks with no matches is fine but 3 weeks you start to lose the specific match day edge that can't quite be replicated in training.
From a Leinster supporter. Ross is a stop-gap 10 between Johnny and Sam Prendergast who needs another season of experience before he's equipped for the big champions cup games.
Heya Tim - great review of the game IRFU co-own the aviva stadium so they're not going to rent out Croker unless they cannot actually stage games at the Aviva due to double bookings or indeed stadium works are under way.
@@Camcolito , Just like most Wingers. He kicks a long ball, but most of those kicks are just clearance kicks…call me a hater, but I’m not convinced by him. He does what wingers are supposed to do. He over celebrates penalties too,, 🤣🤣
@@Camcolito does nothing that any international winger couldn't do. I have no issue with Lowe himself I just can't stand pundits saying he's the best in the world, he's bang average just plays in a great team.
Northampton's experience in not haven't won a Major Trophy in about a decade was very much apparent! Great 2nd half performance, but there's still room for improvement! Should go on to win the Premiership to send off the likes of Courtney Lawes in style! Is it worth Leinster trying to get Joey Carbery back as their #10?
Great analysis Tim. Regarding Croke Park, The Aviva stadium has the rights for rugby games and won't give it up to Croke Park ( gaa) because... Money plain and simple. What could happen however is if the organisers of The champions cup told the Irish provinces they could no longer use the Aviva for a home semi final as the rules say you cannot use your home stadium during a semi final. This is something they could enforce meaning the Irish provinces could make a deal with the gaa and any of the 4 provinces could use Croke Park for their home semi final should they be lucky enough to qualify for one. This would be a win win for the fans, the teams would get the added reward of playing in Croke Park and it gives the teams more to play for. Plus it means you would only potentially have 1 game there per year ensuring that any team that ever gets to play there will be rewarded with a special occasion and a great day out. Such was last night's game. I absolutely loved the occasion of having a rugby match played there and can only imagine that players and fans feel the same.
Think the 3 week bread needs to be revisited for these players. Last few years they have started these games flying and drop off .. clear mental drop off that they lose without the intensity of consistent hard games
Tim, Leinster fan and was at match . Agree with every point. Leinster undercooked ,lack of match fitness and shows in last 20. Without Ringrose and Keenan there is serious lack of speed in Leinster. Northampton took decision on Fin Smith , a young 10 over more established players in the squad . The Byrnes are decent players but not clutch players . Leinster need to bite the bullet and play Pendergast or start Frawley at 10. James Ryan is missed as well. Leinster are more defence minded ; probably more a big game team now but, they have certainly gone back a couple of steps in the attack plays. Looked blunt for large parts of the game . Basically, failed to score for all of second half apart from try in 42nd min. It was not about Northampton scoring 17 points . It is all about why Leinster did not have 40 on the board. Yes , Leo did say after match that rest of URC games would be a mix of players . Remember , Leinster at not at all secure in URC as most people think. They need big performances and need to win all remaining matches . Great points made Tim and keep up great work
Leinster were definitely under cooked. Players not playing for 3 weeks before a match is a huge mistake. If they rest the players again for 3 weeks before playing Toulouse they will lose another Final
Taking the Leinster hat off and putting in the Ireland hat...begrudgingly, you can see a clear difference between Ross Byrne and Jack Crowley now, hoping Prendergast can become the player we hope he can be and gets the opportunities over the 2 Byrnes brothers to bring this team forward
Crowley has 0 European knockout wins in the last two seasons and can't tackle in any sort of line break scenario. Munster are welcome to him. I'll take the player who has brought his team to back to back European finals.
@@danielokeeffe6358 Crowley has 1 international in the backline with him, Byrne has an international team in front and behind him, Crowley has to do more and is far more capable, its OK for us Leinster fans to admit not all 15 players we have are the best at their position
Yes I have been arguing that very same point about Ireland playing big games at croke Park, gives more supporters a chance to see the games and the extra revenue surely would be a big benefit to the game
There would be less Revenue for the IRFU for games in Croke Park over Lansdowne Road. Between the Aviva sponsorship and the fact they would have to pay significant rent to the GAA, they’d actually make less money despite the additional 30k tickets.
I agree with your Ross Byrne appraisal mate. He's just not at that same level as Ntmack or Russell or Crowley. He's far too passive. We need a playmaker out-half to release our excellent backs. It's the one position we're sadly lacking.
I'd be very surprised to see Ireland games in Croke park in the near future. I don't think the GAA would be fully against it, but the IRFU certainly would unless the Aviva is unavailable again for some reason
I was really confident that Northampton could push Leinster to the limit because they had a brilliant season and won a lot of games. Northampton's attack as well as their defence is also wonderful this season plus the fact that they beat Munster in Limerick this year, gave them confidence to win games in Ireland which is always a hostile place to play even though it is harder to beat Leinster than Munster. To me, it really felt like this year's Northampton could do similar things to Leinster what La Rochelle did to them in the past 3 years.
Im afraid the real difference could be seen in the 9s Mitchell plays so much slower than Gibson park . NH are really good but really good is not enough to beat the very best.
I was surprised at the pre match (and in game commentary) talk of Saints no hope. Always score late points, always play 80mins. Obviously they had a very poor first quarter, although a lot of that is down to Leinsters pressure in both attack and defence, but being only 12 points down after that onslaught was quite something. Anyhow, Leinster deserved winners, and saints will need to improve to get to their level, but it's possible
Great, as always Tim. 32,800 spectators and a spectacle from the players. Great match. Agree with you re Ross Byrne maybe Harry needs more time. Need a solid kicker and that spark of extra intellect in that position. Can you now take on the commentators for both BT/TNT AND RTE. ITS AWFUL. Lots of us now turning the sound down!
Thing is Tim, the Aviva is the stadium for International games both rugby and football both for the respective Ireland teams, where Croke Park is home of county games in Gaelic sports. I'm guessing because Leinster vs Northampton Saints was a club vs club game it was sanctioned and at the moment the Aviva is out of bounds. Croke Park doesn't really host international games. Thats not really its identity.
Leinster need a no 10 who can read & control the game like Sexton did basically a proper leader. Never realised how important he was to the team until he retired. Until they can get that Frawley should be the 10. The 2 Byrne tend to miss kicks they should be able to get. Ross missed 7pts on Saturday 3 of those were in front of the posts. You’re spot on about resting the players & missing Lancaster.
Understanding the role of GAA (Gaelic games) in Irish society it's sort of like non-premier league football in England in terms of how much club & county GAA is linked with the community of towns, the local parish, and each town's identity. I doubt you'll see international soccer matches happen in Croker, and again I'd doubt international matches happening in broker either. What I could maybe see is large provincial rugby matches happening maybe once or twice a year (champions cup SF, Munster vs Leinster) taking place in Croker with a deal in place where ticket revenue gets put back into local GAA clubs. Something worth being aware of is that the effects of the famine were strongest in the south and west of Ireland, where the Irish language was strongest and where I would say still has the strongest GAA communities (Galway, Kerry, Cork, Limerick, Kilkenny are all historically GAA juggernaughts). I think it would take a lot of convincing to have international matches happening here without there being a need for it (i.e. Aviva stadium is still fully functional and there's no double booking), but I could see 1-2 provinicial matches happening a year
Agree completely about Byrne, no harm to him. Has never quite got there, had the potential to, but just missing that x factor unfortunately. Prendergast will be snapping at Crawleys heels soon
I get the whole resting players argument but it wasn't like Leinster rested players for a short trip to Glasgow or Cardiff, it was a long trip to South Africa. People said La Rochelle were tired after travelling to South Africa then up to Dublin a week later and used that as an excuse to why they lost, so why would Leo Cullen pick a full side to play down in SA just to play a match in Dublin a week later?
Leinster are essentially the Irish National Team and this their 3rd time of trying to win Champions cup.Toulouse are also an outstanding side,also French Nat side so should be a great final😊
Leinster fan , we were lucky 3 points . Congrats and respect to Northampton for staying in. and showing real class . What the fx20 why were we not playing Will Connors. And lastly we really need to review the Byrne brothers decision re number 10 frawley needs to start. I really hope Northampton win the premiership. Viz the grounds the IRFU own the Avila and the GAA own Croake park and truth be told I never like crossing the city for Leinster games
You’re absolutely right on Ross Byrne. Simply put he is not good enough. His kicking and decision making are terrible. Prendergast is the future and I would start him on the final. At the very least he converts more kicks. JGP and Lowe are world class and it’s great to see them get the recognition. Speaking of recognition Eggchasees is the best Eugby UA-cam channel. Your ability to call and react to games staying unbiased and commenting on the facts of the game is brilliant
In fairness Tim you can say that Leinster will rue missed opportunities to win the game by 20+ points before the foot came off the gas to allow Saints back into the game. Totally agree about the Leinster tactic of resting players, it didn't work the last 2 years & won't work this year
As a Leinster fan I was so comfortable sipping my Guinness in the first... and second until after Mr. Lowe's 3rd try! I was on the edge of my seat for much of the second half. Ross Byrne missing 4 not so difficult kicks that could have put the Saints away didn't help. Full credit to them for having us Leinster fans biting our nails, however after the second Saints try, they didn't look like they were going to score again, Leinster seemed to eventually shut them down. Excellent analysis Tim !
There is no immediate threat to Jack crowleys jersey anyway
@@Sineadhawk I have to agree !
Ross not up to it time after time , either bring Harry or frawley on
Cheers Tim, great analysis as usual. Regarding your point about Croke Park. I think most Irish people would love to see more rugby played there. If every Englishman was as knowledgeable and respectful as you are about our history, things would be much easier.
From my perspective, it’d be great to see more internationals played there.
On Croke Park, as the RDS is getting a new stand next season Leinster already planning on using Aviva and possibly Croke Park next season. Another new GAA stadium in Cork city, Pairc ui Chaoimh (prononced Park e Queve) has recently hosted Crusaders v Munster and South Africa v Munster. That stadium needs to repay the debt to build it so GAA happy to get more rental income. One good thing about being there yesterday compared to Aviva is the ERC implemented the GAA rule of no drink in your seat as in Aviva very annoying bring interupted by people going back and forth to bar during game.
The GAA has more money than the Vatican!😂😂
Definitely agree about the alcohol rules and the atmosphere was much better because of it.
@@LeinsterExile, the Vatican doesn’t have any money, they are the biggest charity organisation in the world.
+1 on the no drinking in seat rule. Really annoying with a triplet of drinker 'supporters' in the row in front of me at the La Roche match.Annoying for the folks who had to stand up in that row every fewminutes just because those guys couldnt go 40 mins without a pint.
You can’t miss so many kicks in such important games. Byrne nearly lost that game for Leinster , some really good fly half’s coming through but for now it looks like byrne will be the choice.
Happy to be going to a final with Leinster v Toulouse with my 2 kids... First time they will be at a big match and hoping to kindle that fire and love for the sport
As a Saints fan, I'm pleased to see people crediting Chris Boyd. Like you say, he didn't have the immediate success but he initiated the style of play we now see. Well done to Dowson and Vesty to for nurturing it. Good punditing. Keep up the good work
Yes, I thought it was a key point. Good teams & cultures take time to build (unless you have a massive chequebook).
Tim I always appreciate your honest appraisals. A very accurate & balanced point of view
Great commentary as usual. As most of the Leinster team are Irish Internationals, many on central contracts. This means it is the IRFU that dictate the minutes they can play, and it is measured in minutes.
Keep up the great work!
You've nailed that analysis Tim - absolutely nailed it !
Tim, as another Leinster (and Connaught) fan, I agree with you totally about Ross Byrne. In effect Leinster are playing without a Fly-Half. He cannot hack it in the big games and is dependent on the back three and centres for exits and tactical kicking. I also agree with you about using Croke Park more often for rugby. Keep up the good work!!
Good review thanks, hopefully Leinster get the wake up call they need. Agree Park has been amazing, he might get European player of the year, but Dupont is playing his own game.
From an Irishman, cheers for the respect you've shown towards our national stadium. If you think its spectacular for rugby, be there on All Ireland Fianl Day! What an event!! ☘️🏐🏑
Personally I think it's a shite stadium for rugby. The fans are too far away from the pitch.
@@BrendanDufftronicAgree. Up to a point. I was in the lower Cusack and had a great view. If people were in the Davin or Hill 16, I imagine you were feckin miles away from the action. If anyone here has pull with GAA HQ, rustle up a ticket for a provincial hurling final or All Ireland Semi-Final for Tim, here. As a sportsman I’m sure he’d appreciate it and he’s done stirling work advertising Croker and building bridges.
@@BrendanDufftronicUntil they find some way of demolishing the eye sore that is hill16 and replacing it with a proper stand it will always be a bit of a shite stadium.
@Hometruths29 you're an actual moron if you think that. The Hill is iconic and one of the best places to be on match day. Cop on
@Hometruths29 because the Aviva with its 3/4 stadium design isn't an eyesore? Atleast the hill has historical significance
Great analysis as usual, Tim
Really missed your immediate after match session… have become so used to it, I kept checking! Was getting concerned !
Posted this on a reply to a post below but if anyone has pull with Croker HQ maybe you could rustle up a ticket for a provincial hurling final or All Ireland semi-final for Tim here. As a sportsman I’m sure he’d appreciate it and he’s done stirling work advertising Croke Park, spreading the word about GAA and building bridges. Fair play, Tim.
Leinster need a captain. The last few years there’s been too many second half collapses. They need someone that will make that unacceptable.
Scotland style lack of leadership
Probably. All was fine until Ross Molony was substituted - I thought it might not be a coincidence - he may not be a superstar but he has more leadership & grit than many of the star players.
Jack Conan seemed like the only person who really wanted to give it to saints in that period where Leinster took the foot completely off the pedal. Saw him giving a talk and some of his carries were fierce. Wish they could find a way to fit him in somewhere in that squad but the quality is just so high particularly in the pack
If warren Gatland was coach Conan would start every game
@@alanmulcahy7749 Absolutely Ross Molony was ACE.
Leo said he’s going to play strong teams right up to the final. Definitely undercooked to see out match. Having said that it was amazing to be there . A match play in great spirit. Northampton are a great team and I really hope they go on to win the premiership
I’ll be shouting for them from here in Dublin 💙
Great review Tim. As a Leinster fan I think their substitutions took place too early in the second half
Also agree with your comments on Ross Byrne as a goal kicker- too inconsistent.
Absolutely spot on point there Tim. Leo Cullen can’t rest his big players as much as he has been doing. We, the long serving season ticket holders, have been saying this all along.
And starting a game, any game, with Jack Conan on the bench is not on.
On Ross Byrne, don’t judge him just yet. He is the real deal. Watch him next season.
Ross Byrne is not the real deal. He will be 30 years old next year and has never looked like the real deal. If fit Frawley has to start at 10 or else Leinster will never beat Toulouse.
As a Leinster fan and was there yesterday but could not agree more on Ross Byrne. When someone was needed to calm it all down Ross went missing. On the strength f that performance it has to be a Toulouse win.
Leinster were pretty calm. An error from a lineout and a turnnover from NH in their own 22 cost Leinster. They were doing the right things tactically I felt. He should have kicked better for sure though.
Missed both matches as I am on holiday in a very hot (38-40C) and humid Vietnam. The humidity is killing me, totally knackering.
Thanks once more Tim for your reflective and honest opinions.
Journos on the BBC are children by comparison.
"I'm not convinced about Ross Byrne"
- Even his Mom has her doubts
I heard after the third missed kick she denied he was even hers.
He was unreal against LaRochelle and even highlighted for that. He’s not a Dan Carter but he’s bloody good at what he does
@@endacisive It’s a team issue. He gets the blame (although the missed kick in front of the posts was bad) because instead of doing a Sexton 2011, he goes into his shell a bit when it starts going wrong. But then, Sexton was there the last few years and didn’t drag them over the line either so I’m not sure what Ross is supposed to do.
Ross Byrne has good games now and then. But more often than not, he goes into his shell in big games.
I've said it for a while that Frawley's versatility will be Leinster's undoing in that they haven't built the team with him at 10.
Tim, you are 💯 right about Ross Byrne!
Leinster were utterly dominant until they scored their third try and switched off. Saints weren’t in the game until that point but full credit to them for sticking with it and mounting a great fight back.
Croke Park is very rarely full. Maybe a couple of times a year. The odd game here for Leinster or other Irish provinces would be great.
Great review Tim, we should play our best players as much as possible in the next few weeks and Ross Byrne is not the answer either
Totally agree re Ross Byrne we need to blood Prendergast. Badly shown up for his serious lack of pace with the intercept. Getting an interception like that or throwing a dummy and not having the pace to reach the line could be the winning or losing of a big game.
Prendergast has no real pace either and is all hype atm. Ireland has never produced pacy/athletic 10s. Sexton was slow, ROG was probably even slower. Crowley is the only one who seems to have the right balance.
Crowley is head and shoulders above all just not playing for Leinster.
Both lads outta two cents rugby said Crowley reminds them of a man called Dan Carter 😮high praise indeed. He is constantly improving
I have seen forwards with more pace than Byrne. As for Prendergast, I wouldn't put to much hope on him being the answer to Leinster's no10 problems.
Just on the subject of Croke Park, and other grounds, its is our place to play our games, its the GAA job to protect Irish games, to see Irish rugby be included is just great. We are proud. Hey, well done to Leinster on the win - congrats, big final to look forward too, from Connaught man, get it done!!!
Do we have to allow soccer? Hope not.
Leinster were in control but failed to put Northampton away. Had Byrne landed his kicks, Leinster would have been 27-3 on the hour mark. Game over and we’d be having a different conversation. Byrne doesn’t attack the gain line and is too slow. However, Northampton showed great determination to get back in the game. Very clever kicking into the back field to put pressure on Leinster fast up defence.
Completely agree that taking time off is not a good idea. Leinster should have been rested but they look rusted, in the second half. With regard to Lancaster and Neinaber: something lost and something gained! As a Leinster fan I’m hoping that they’ll be more at peak match fitness for 24th May. They will need to be or will have to wait another year for the 5th star.
I hope people realise how vital Ringrose is now in attack and defense
He is the foil for them and for Ireland
I think ross byrne shouldve come off after 60 minutes, not just for the missed kicks but he just seemed out on his feet again. I saw a lot of similarities between ross' performance in last years final and yesterday
Hi Tim, great analysis and comments, as usual. Quick point on Ross Byrne, I thought he'd turned a corner against La Rochelais, where he played very well. However, he seems to lack urgency with the ball and plays a simple pass to teammate right beside him. Possibly a confidence issue which was evident from his interception.
I worry about the final, not much between the teams. I think Leinster are a better side, BUT, they need keep intensity and vitality for 80 mins
Would love to see more games at Croker, it's an iconic stadium steeped in history. In contrast to the corporate blow-in they call the Aviva. Croker is more central and accessible too.
The Saints looked more energetic in the last 20 minutes and it was only Leinster's experience which got them over the line. Saints have a few great years ahead of them at this rate.
As a stadium used for our unique national sports.....it should certainly be used for our national team on occasions.
Very good analysis
Byrne takes his 9 points, could have been a different game.
Left the door open for them to come back.
Toulouse would have walked away with that.
7 points (2+2+3)
Two difficult touchline conversions, but the penalty was very kickable so he'd be disappointed to miss that one.
Northhampton are better than Harlequins. The final will be won in the breakdown.
If we play like the second half against Toulouse we're done. And we will be punished.
I think Toulouse are looking slightly better tbh.
Northampton it was a pleasure hosting you and your fans were immense ye played amazingly heads should be held high. Well done.
Its not that you were bad, saints just didn’t turn up until 50-60 mins
@@bigdru888 that's true pal, BUT we still fell asleep it seemed in the second half and at this stage of the comp at a semi final that's not good enough in my humble opinion of course
You're absolutely right. I think it's theirs Toulouse 🥴
@@one_eyed_odinsemi final and in a packed croke park should have been more than enough fuel for the lads to put in an 80 minute performance on the level they did in the first half. I couldn’t comprehend them falling asleep at the wheel
@@ItsBellers you're bloody telling me pal.
Toulouse looked better than leinster this weekend. But not by a whole lot. If the injured are okay in a couple of weeks I'd say its pretty even. The question is which Ross byrne will turn up?
I strongly recommend going to Croke Park for either the hurling or football All Ireland Final.
I promise it'll live with you forever!
For all the right reasons😂
P.s. I'm from Mayo and I still enjoy it😂
Mayo are famous for losing when they play in Croker, I guess we just enjoy it too much;)
Wouldn't waste my team with the football. The game is dirt these days. Hurling though, awesome stuff
As usual - thank you very much for your fair, informed, and respectful analysis - I'm impressed. Poor Ross Byrne ... mmmm. Leinster man Leinster fan.
Couldn’t agree more Mark. Northampton were fired up in the second half because Leinster started to fade. Should not have rested the squad twice
As a leinsterman I’m incredibly proud of how this team has achieved success so far this season. Beating the monkeys on their back & reigning champions La Rochelle x2, Leicester x2, Stad Francais, Sale Sharks and now Northampton saints (clear premiership leaders) and it being a World Cup year and we all know the majority of the Irish team are Leinster players, it’s an incredibly achievement to get this stage so far. Bodies are sore. No Garry Ringrose, arguably the best outside centre in world rugby. No Hugo Keenan, arguably the best fullback in world rugby and no James Ryan one of the best locks in world rugby.
Despite the criticism from everyone saying Leinster were poor I actually think they were reasonably good.
They were flawless in the 2nd half. They didn’t give Northampton a sniff off the ball. Leinster were the 1st to score in the 2nd half. Northampton didn’t score their 1st try until the 60th minute and it was then they managed to find some cohesion & composure. They themselves were almost flawless in the last 20/25 minutes.
I think the reasoning for this was because Leinster were not match fit. They didn’t play for 2/3 weeks where as Northampton played the other champions cup semi finalists Harlequins, last week. That’s what kept them in the fight in this game. Match fitness goes a long long way, we all know that. It’s a fine line balancing act between playing too many games and not playing enough games.
Having looked at Toulouse vs Harlequins it was very similar in many aspects. Toulouse were brilliant in the 1st half and Harlequins scrambled back in the 2nd. Dupont & Gibson-Park were both exceptional. R Byrne & Ntamack didn’t have great days.
3 weeks rest now until the final. Both teams can figure eachother out. Garry Ringrose & Hugo Keenan to come back in after some much needed game time next weekend and the possibly the weekend after which is huge for Leinster. Having those two players back will be the defining factor in who wins this game imo. I’ve no doubt in my mind Leinster can go and win the completion this year as they’ve been so close for the past few years!
I think last year they were so good and they were probably overly confident and too far ahead of themselves and that was their downfall as Dan Sheehan alluded to that earlier this week instead they can go and work on themselves and fix a few little problems for them he finally in 3 weeks time.
Harry...I was with you until you said they were flawless in the second half. They weren't flawless in the second half. There was a look of panic on Gibson Park's face at one point, it's the haunting memory of the game for me. The superhuman, man of the match was panicked about how to regroup. -They nearly lost it. They scraped through the purple patch. If they want to become the team they can be at least they have to admit they didn't 'win' that match -they just didn't lose it. It's brutal, but unless Leinster can figure out how/why they lose their psychological edge so easily they might not win the final either.
@@justme9818 Harry is biased. If Leinster were flawless in the 2nd half how did they almost lose the game? lol
@@PB22559 I'm biased myself, I've been following Leinster all season! But there's bias... and then there's Harry's comment! 😉
@@justme9818 Hahahaha Harry wrote a thesis but forgot to proof read it.
@@justme9818 Apologies, I meant they were flawless in the 1st half and that Northampton only showed signs of how good they were in the last 20 of the 2nd half.
Cheers Tim for the balanced review again, as a Leinster fan I agree we are a little week at 10.Well done to Northampton they'll be there again next year.
Tim, the majority of us Leinster fans agree with you about this resting players scheme - the Leinster defense was excellent for the most part. The attack? Considerably less so. Leo & Jacques have a concern with who to play at #10 going forward. We are into the money end of the season and Ross Byrne had a singularly flat performance yesterday. A team cant afford to have its outhalf be so inconsistent, missing vital kicks at goal, struggling to organize the attack. His performance was symptomatic of the team malaise on attack. Options are few at this point - Harry Byrne or Sam Prendergast or Ciaran Frawley. With Ringrose and Keenan still sidelined, Frawley is needed in the back 3. The coaches have to get the squad regulars back up to playing speed or this could well be a repeat of the last few years - NO SILVERWARE!
Absolutely agree with that. The squad rotation needs to be thought out better. Resting all the first team together and therefore not mixing them with the second and third choice does not help with the development of the squad. A few years ago the second choice team would have beaten most other URC teams but not now.
Agree. And Harry Byrne isn't good enough either.. Sam needs a year or 2.
Spot on re Ross Byrne.
Jgp is by far the...second best scrum half in the world. No shame in that.
3:04 Leo Cullen has already said the focus is all on the ospreys now, and it will be a strong team up until the Champions Cup final
Leinster fan, our attack has been poor since Lancaster left we need to improve there especially against the likes of Toulouse and munster who have strong defences and excellent attacks
Hi Tim , yes we ( home supporters ) would love to see Croke Pk used for the big matches . The GAA are like the Cricket Board in the UK , they want to keep support for their sport ! So I guess we have to understand they are not interested in other sports . However the Government here subsidised to huge amounts the stadiums so they should have a say in it .
We Irish are Sports mad , love live sport and are starved of it here hence 82k seats sold for that semi final. Unlike Uk we don’t have a high class Soccer league , even Gaelige Football doesn’t get Hugh crowds except at finals . We re at a magical time for rugby right now , it’s never been so good so hopefully , somehow we can have more matches at Croke Pk so more people can see these matches live , declan Leinster and Ireland fan
Gaelic Football gets big crowds in Croke Park when the games are competitive. The problem is recently too many of Dublin's opposition aren't up to their level so people don't bother going to Croker. Biggest crowds and most excitement in GAA at the moment is Munster hurling championship, any sports enthusiast should try and get to one of those games.
@@peterross1071never a truer statement uttered
Having fully professional sporting franchises playing weekly at international level is a realtively new experience for the Irish sporting public and rugby continues to make huge strides in this country. i say this as a former CBS man brought up playing and watching Gaelic games.
I agree with you. Leinster need to look at themselves after such a dominant first half performance, and then the second half a bag of nerves. Ross Byrne missed a relatively easy penalty (should have gone to the corner I though) and the Northampton scored a bit later. If they play like that against Toulouse they will lose again.
They are missing an attacking coach. Different attacking opportunities now but It would be amazing to see what a Lancaster could achieve with the opportunities and attacking positions Leinster more likely to find themselves in with a Nienaber defence.
Leinster will definitely have to improve before taking on Toulouse, I don’t think yesterday’s performance will worry Toulouse too much unfortunately. Praying that Keenan, Ringrose and Ryan will be available. I’m always surprised and disappointed to see Conan on the bench, I’d like to see him start. Yes, big mistake giving these guys too much time off, again!
Thanks for your take on the game, brilliant as usual.
Leinster beat LaRoche 40-13. When was the last time Toulouse got close to that?
If yesterday doesn't worry Toulouse that's fine, that may help Leinster.
You are a 100% right Ross or Harry are. Not up to the job , Frawley the answer if Barrat can bring him on
Leinster and Ireland have a problem putting games to bed. They've lost that extra gear in the second half that they use to be able to rely on. There's no X factor in Rose Byrne. Northampton's defense was epic and kept them in the game.
Leo Cullen said the players will see game time between now and the final. I'd say a game and a half each through rotating the team would give them enough edge and still remain fresh.
Well done Saints
Tim, as an Irishman living in England for nigh on 15 years i think you've given enough deference to the whole Croke Park thing.
Fully agree, I wish people would shut up about something that happened 104 years ago.
You two are entitled to your opinion about the his history of croke park and I'm sorry if it makes ye cringe but unfortunately that's more of a bad reflection on both or ye..show some integrity and show some respect to those who lost their young lives on that horrible Sunday....so I believe some telling people to shut up about it already should either keep their snobby opinion to themselves or stick to the rugby all together..
As an retired Gaa player & rugby fan, international matches should be played here at special events, why not, yes 99% of Ireland north and south have moved on & why not, the bond between rugby supporters is fabulous even when the rivalry is great
Croke park is not always available. It's very busy with Gaelic games and they also have concerts.
Hi Tim, great analysis. I agree with you across the board. Leo did go lite with the squad he sent to RSA for the mini-tour, but what one mustn't forget is, the minutes his Irish internationals can play is partially dictated to him by the IRFU. They already have huge Test miles on the clock this season due to RWC & 6 Nations. Re outhalf, IMO, Harry Byrne has the elite potential Ross lacks, they just need to give him more game time. Love Eggchasers, keep up the good work. R
Tim, as usual, a very balanced match report. Northampton played with real skill and grit to comback like they did innthe 2nd half. They seem to have a good coaching crew and team esprit de corps. Leinster were dead lucky not to lose this game. Did not play the full 80, which you have to do in any professional game. Northampton had the opposite problem. They didn't start playing to their ability until the 2nd half, and rhe game qas out of reach by them. They nearly pulled it off.
Ireland have play senior internationals at the Aviva afaik. They labeled a non-capped international against Fiji a few years ago so they could play elasewhere (THomond Park I think), to get around this. A special mention to Tommy Freemlan, who said they'd come in "All guns blazing" in a video in the lead up to the game :D (no malous inatended I'm certain)
Leinster were stunned by North Hampton's defense. I mean Leinster throw everything against them including some kitchen sinks full of yesterdays dishes.
Leinster came in undercooked 100%. TBF Leinster stopped playing in the 2nd half .maybe because they were undercooked.Aviva is partly owned by the IRFU so rugby games will be played there.. Northampton nothing to be ashamed of going that close to a team like Leinster. They should be proud of themselves well done.
Leinster need to find a decent 10. They will struggle with Byrne. He’s got snails pace, sits too deep and his kicking is too inconsistent. Not at the level of his teammates.
I think the scare was needed to remind leinster that they didn't get away it it the last few mins. Hopefully leinster can fix the issues that let the saints back in. I say leinster will improve for the champions Cup final. Cullen said after the game he will play his Frontline players for the next 2 rds of urc. Regarding ross byrne he blows hot and cold harry Byrne is good but gets injuries alot. Prendagast still young but maybe in the future he might do well. Plus a hurricanes coach will be joining leinster there attaint coach.
NZ got the resting big players balance perfect in the RWC. All played a high intensity role in most games. You can also try a few things in matches even with the bigger match in mind. Two weeks with no matches is fine but 3 weeks you start to lose the specific match day edge that can't quite be replicated in training.
From a Leinster supporter. Ross is a stop-gap 10 between Johnny and Sam Prendergast who needs another season of experience before he's equipped for the big champions cup games.
Heya Tim - great review of the game
IRFU co-own the aviva stadium so they're not going to rent out Croker unless they cannot actually stage games at the Aviva due to double bookings or indeed stadium works are under way.
Totally agree. Ross Byrne is a 6/10 player, just happens to be on a good team. He adds no 'extra' value.
Unpopular opinion but the same applies to James Lowe...
@@Zomo1553 Lowe has lots of good attributes - strong, big boot, good hands, good finisher.
@@Camcolito , Just like most Wingers. He kicks a long ball, but most of those kicks are just clearance kicks…call me a hater, but I’m not convinced by him. He does what wingers are supposed to do. He over celebrates penalties too,, 🤣🤣
@@Camcolito does nothing that any international winger couldn't do. I have no issue with Lowe himself I just can't stand pundits saying he's the best in the world, he's bang average just plays in a great team.
He won MOTM against La Rochelle a few weeks ago.
Northampton's experience in not haven't won a Major Trophy in about a decade was very much apparent! Great 2nd half performance, but there's still room for improvement! Should go on to win the Premiership to send off the likes of Courtney Lawes in style! Is it worth Leinster trying to get Joey Carbery back as their #10?
Joey Carberry should be brought back.
I don’t know if Joey is the answer. He’s a shadow of the player who left Leinster.
@@michaelvdunneTo late, he is joining Bordeaux next season.
Leinster need to make Nienaber the head coach
No they don't!!
Saffa?
Saints were super but you were right, if Leinster kicks had been converted would have been 10 points difference
Great analysis Tim. Regarding Croke Park, The Aviva stadium has the rights for rugby games and won't give it up to Croke Park ( gaa) because... Money plain and simple.
What could happen however is if the organisers of The champions cup told the Irish provinces they could no longer use the Aviva for a home semi final as the rules say you cannot use your home stadium during a semi final. This is something they could enforce meaning the Irish provinces could make a deal with the gaa and any of the 4 provinces could use Croke Park for their home semi final should they be lucky enough to qualify for one.
This would be a win win for the fans, the teams would get the added reward of playing in Croke Park and it gives the teams more to play for. Plus it means you would only potentially have 1 game there per year ensuring that any team that ever gets to play there will be rewarded with a special occasion and a great day out. Such was last night's game. I absolutely loved the occasion of having a rugby match played there and can only imagine that players and fans feel the same.
Yes, accept that the Aviva is not Leinster's home ground! It's the RDS..
@@johngallagher2007 Yes I'm well aware, but it's not a neutral stadium as per the rules. Leinster play half of their Champions cup games there.
leinster nearly screwed that up royaly
Think the 3 week bread needs to be revisited for these players. Last few years they have started these games flying and drop off .. clear mental drop off that they lose without the intensity of consistent hard games
Is that what it is? Because for me the mystery of the 2nd half disorganisation has been unintelligible. Is it really just down to mental endurance?
Tim, Leinster fan and was at match . Agree with every point. Leinster undercooked ,lack of match fitness and shows in last 20. Without Ringrose and Keenan there is serious lack of speed in Leinster.
Northampton took decision on Fin Smith , a young 10 over more established players in the squad . The Byrnes are decent players but not clutch players . Leinster need to bite the bullet and play Pendergast or start Frawley at 10.
James Ryan is missed as well.
Leinster are more defence minded ; probably more a big game team now but, they have certainly gone back a couple of steps in the attack plays. Looked blunt for large parts of the game . Basically, failed to score for all of second half apart from try in 42nd min.
It was not about Northampton scoring 17 points . It is all about why Leinster did not have 40 on the board.
Yes , Leo did say after match that rest of URC games would be a mix of players . Remember , Leinster at not at all secure in URC as most people think. They need big performances and need to win all remaining matches .
Great points made Tim and keep up great work
You mentioned Byrne and Brady in the same breath and I can’t even…
Leinster were definitely under cooked. Players not playing for 3 weeks before a match is a huge mistake. If they rest the players again for 3 weeks before playing Toulouse they will lose another Final
Taking the Leinster hat off and putting in the Ireland hat...begrudgingly, you can see a clear difference between Ross Byrne and Jack Crowley now, hoping Prendergast can become the player we hope he can be and gets the opportunities over the 2 Byrnes brothers to bring this team forward
🇿🇦 Crowley is the business. Better than Sexton but without the emo me-me-me drama.
Crowley has 0 European knockout wins in the last two seasons and can't tackle in any sort of line break scenario. Munster are welcome to him. I'll take the player who has brought his team to back to back European finals.
@@danielokeeffe6358 Crowley has 1 international in the backline with him, Byrne has an international team in front and behind him, Crowley has to do more and is far more capable, its OK for us Leinster fans to admit not all 15 players we have are the best at their position
@richie3208 that's your opinion and you are entitled to it. Have a lovely rest of your BH, let's hope the weather holds up.
@@danielokeeffe6358Crowley has a URC and Six Nations title to his name.
Yes I have been arguing that very same point about Ireland playing big games at croke Park, gives more supporters a chance to see the games and the extra revenue surely would be a big benefit to the game
There would be less Revenue for the IRFU for games in Croke Park over Lansdowne Road. Between the Aviva sponsorship and the fact they would have to pay significant rent to the GAA, they’d actually make less money despite the additional 30k tickets.
I agree with your Ross Byrne appraisal mate. He's just not at that same level as Ntmack or Russell or Crowley. He's far too passive. We need a playmaker out-half to release our excellent backs. It's the one position we're sadly lacking.
Will you be making a video on the challenge cup semis? As a sharks fan i'd love to hear your thoughts on that match!
Ross is normally metronomic with his boot. I think that’s his bad kicking game out of his system.
I'd be very surprised to see Ireland games in Croke park in the near future. I don't think the GAA would be fully against it, but the IRFU certainly would unless the Aviva is unavailable again for some reason
I was really confident that Northampton could push Leinster to the limit because they had a brilliant season and won a lot of games. Northampton's attack as well as their defence is also wonderful this season plus the fact that they beat Munster in Limerick this year, gave them confidence to win games in Ireland which is always a hostile place to play even though it is harder to beat Leinster than Munster. To me, it really felt like this year's Northampton could do similar things to Leinster what La Rochelle did to them in the past 3 years.
Im afraid the real difference could be seen in the 9s Mitchell plays so much slower than Gibson park . NH are really good but really good is not enough to beat the very best.
I was surprised at the pre match (and in game commentary) talk of Saints no hope. Always score late points, always play 80mins. Obviously they had a very poor first quarter, although a lot of that is down to Leinsters pressure in both attack and defence, but being only 12 points down after that onslaught was quite something.
Anyhow, Leinster deserved winners, and saints will need to improve to get to their level, but it's possible
@@davidwalker2402 Yeah Mitchell didn't have a good game.
Great, as always Tim. 32,800 spectators and a spectacle from the players. Great match. Agree with you re Ross Byrne maybe Harry needs more time. Need a solid kicker and that spark of extra intellect in that position. Can you now take on the commentators for both BT/TNT AND RTE. ITS AWFUL. Lots of us now turning the sound down!
Thing is Tim, the Aviva is the stadium for International games both rugby and football both for the respective Ireland teams, where Croke Park is home of county games in Gaelic sports. I'm guessing because Leinster vs Northampton Saints was a club vs club game it was sanctioned and at the moment the Aviva is out of bounds. Croke Park doesn't really host international games. Thats not really its identity.
Could not agree with you more on James Lowe. Similarly Jamison Gibson-Park.
Leinster need a no 10 who can read & control the game like Sexton did basically a proper leader. Never realised how important he was to the team until he retired. Until they can get that Frawley should be the 10. The 2 Byrne tend to miss kicks they should be able to get. Ross missed 7pts on Saturday 3 of those were in front of the posts. You’re spot on about resting the players & missing Lancaster.
Understanding the role of GAA (Gaelic games) in Irish society it's sort of like non-premier league football in England in terms of how much club & county GAA is linked with the community of towns, the local parish, and each town's identity. I doubt you'll see international soccer matches happen in Croker, and again I'd doubt international matches happening in broker either. What I could maybe see is large provincial rugby matches happening maybe once or twice a year (champions cup SF, Munster vs Leinster) taking place in Croker with a deal in place where ticket revenue gets put back into local GAA clubs.
Something worth being aware of is that the effects of the famine were strongest in the south and west of Ireland, where the Irish language was strongest and where I would say still has the strongest GAA communities (Galway, Kerry, Cork, Limerick, Kilkenny are all historically GAA juggernaughts). I think it would take a lot of convincing to have international matches happening here without there being a need for it (i.e. Aviva stadium is still fully functional and there's no double booking), but I could see 1-2 provinicial matches happening a year
100% correct on Ross Byrne, just not the answer for Leinster
I doubt you make that comment after the La Rochelle match.
@@endacisive I have no interest in your doubts
Agree completely about Byrne, no harm to him. Has never quite got there, had the potential to, but just missing that x factor unfortunately.
Prendergast will be snapping at Crawleys heels soon
I get the whole resting players argument but it wasn't like Leinster rested players for a short trip to Glasgow or Cardiff, it was a long trip to South Africa. People said La Rochelle were tired after travelling to South Africa then up to Dublin a week later and used that as an excuse to why they lost, so why would Leo Cullen pick a full side to play down in SA just to play a match in Dublin a week later?
Leinster are essentially the Irish National Team and this their 3rd time of trying to win Champions cup.Toulouse are also an outstanding side,also French Nat side so should be a great final😊
another benefit of playing in croke park is the game opens to a wider audience who may not travel to the south Dublin stadium in Landsdowne road...
Leinster fan , we were lucky 3 points . Congrats and respect to Northampton for staying in. and showing real class . What the fx20 why were we not playing Will Connors. And lastly we really need to review the Byrne brothers decision re number 10 frawley needs to start. I really hope Northampton win the premiership.
Viz the grounds the IRFU own the Avila and the GAA own Croake park and truth be told I never like crossing the city for Leinster games
You’re absolutely right on Ross Byrne. Simply put he is not good enough. His kicking and decision making are terrible. Prendergast is the future and I would start him on the final. At the very least he converts more kicks.
JGP and Lowe are world class and it’s great to see them get the recognition. Speaking of recognition Eggchasees is the best Eugby UA-cam channel. Your ability to call and react to games staying unbiased and commenting on the facts of the game is brilliant
In fairness Tim you can say that Leinster will rue missed opportunities to win the game by 20+ points before the foot came off the gas to allow Saints back into the game. Totally agree about the Leinster tactic of resting players, it didn't work the last 2 years & won't work this year
As a leinster supporter I worry for the final, toulouse won't make the same mistakes Northampton did. Leinster switched off in second half