Leinster have development issues too.scrumncoke wrote: ↑Tue Jan 10, 2023 9:04 amSquad not good enough to gaurantee a win versus Leicester, away from home. To come within a point last season over two legs vs Toulouse then European champions and a £20mil - £30mil annual budget is nothing to be sniffed at.
Soda makes a great point, youth development pathway is pure dung, a la Henderson the only forward from here capable of gaining an Irish cap in over 10 years.
Sad truth is Leinster have a dozen forwards of Henderson standard and don't win the European Cup every year, they then add NIQs like Fardy into that, indeed didn't win the league last year.
The fact the current squad and coaches have been probably over achieving over the last few seasons has painted over the cracks. Everything now brought into question as we've lost games.
Their 2nd choice backline is nothing to rave about and their 1st Choice backline consists of Connacht product Henshaw & two kiwis in Gibson-park and James Lowe, as well as a 38 year old outhalf. Ringrose struggles to pass, I certainly wouldn’t swap Larmour for Baloucoune or Stockdale and Keenan is solid, great defender, but hasn’t shown the power/pace to cut quality teams apart.
They can produce quality forwards galore, although if they can’t win a Hcup at home this season, then they never will for a long time to come.
JGP and Sexton aren’t getting younger. For all the talk of Ulster choking under pressure, Leinster done so last season in both the league and Hcup final.