Ulster v Leinster Saturday May 18 7:35pm TG4 / Premier Sports (UK) 1 / Premier Sports (Ireland) 1 / Super Sport / URC TV

[Dharper]

I’m actually going to the euro finals next week, looking forward to it, great stadium too.

Two quality clubs, great squads.
That said genuinely not sure I can take the “off the ball” Leinster smugness…..absolute whallopers, the lot of them.

Hopefully we’ll give a good account of ourselves Saturday, I’m very hopeful.
I’m interested to see how much bite the ulster pups in the pack will show when the usual Leinster forwards start forcing up the aggression in the close exchanges upfront.
Particularly interested in Sheridan & Izzy, as they have a degree of natural size. Sheridan has the aggression no probs. I’m hoping Izzy, will show an increasing abrasiveness as his confidence grows.
Hopefully someone squares off Moloney on Sat. I want to see an “Uncompromising attitude”.

Lastly McCann, a serious prospect, and already showing maturity beyond his experience…nice little barometer of his development coming up. Already a fine well rounded skill set.

[Neill_M]

I’m actually going to the euro finals next week, looking forward to it, great stadium too.

Two quality clubs, great squads.
That said genuinely not sure I can take the “off the ball” Leinster smugness…..absolute whallopers, the lot of them.

Hopefully we’ll give a good account of ourselves Saturday, I’m very hopeful.
I’m interested to see how much bite the ulster pups in the pack will show when the usual Leinster forwards start forcing up the aggression in the close exchanges upfront.
Particularly interested in Sheridan & Izzy, as they have a degree of natural size. Sheridan has the aggression no probs. I’m hoping Izzy, will show an increasing abrasiveness as his confidence grows.
Hopefully someone squares off Moloney on Sat. I want to see an “Uncompromising attitude”.

Lastly McCann, a serious prospect, and already showing maturity beyond his experience…nice little barometer of his development coming up. Already a fine well rounded skill set.

To be fair, one of the weekly podcasts I listen to / watch referenced "off the ball" and even the main Leinster guy on it said they were idiots etc and best avoided.

[justinr73]

Some of these posts make me laugh.

Murphy has shown no more inclination to play the “pups”
than was previously the case and quite rightly so.

Dan slow played McCann perfectly to the extent that he’s been outstanding this season.

We’ve only about 23 fit players left at the moment so selection philosophy is kind of out of the window anyway.

[Neill_M]

(15-9) Ethan McIlroy, Mike Lowry, Will Addison, Stuart McCloskey, Jacob Stockdale, Billy Burns, John Cooney;

(1-8) Eric O’Sullivan, Rob Herring, Tom O’Toole, Kieran Treadwell, Alan O’Connor (C), Cormac Izuchukwu, David McCann, Nick Timoney.

Replacements: Tom Stewart, Andy Warwick, Scott Wilson, Harry Sheridan, Matty Rea, Nathan Doak, Stewart Moore, Jude Postlethwaite.

[Neill_M]

Leinster Rugby (caps in brackets)

15. Hugo Keenan (64), 14. Tommy O’Brien (32), 13. Jimmy O’Brien (77), 12. Charlie Ngatai (24), 11. Rob Russell (30), 10. Harry Byrne (66), 9. Cormac Foley (18), 1. Cian Healy (275), 2. Rónan Kelleher (59), 3. Michael Ala’alatoa (67), 4. James Ryan (79) CAPTAIN, 5. Brian Deeny (16), 6. Max Deegan (110), 7. Will Connors (47), 8. Jack Conan (143)

16. John McKee (26), 17. Michael Milne (38), 18. Thomas Clarkson (38), 19. Ross Molony (179), 20. Scott Penny (69), 21. Luke McGrath (207), 22. Sam Prendergast (15), 23. Ben Brownlee (8)

[Off the Top]

Looks like Leinster have both eyes on Toulouse next week!

With the large crowd behind us we have every chance of winning this game. Keenan and Ryan are there to prove their fitness for the final and only Jack Conan & Tommy O'Brien are realistically trying to play for a place in the starting line up.

It should be a good game - Ulster by 5!

[justinr73]

The fact that Conan is playing means he’ll be on the bench next week.

Jimmy (not Tommy) would likely play 15 if Keenan pulls up lame (as Frawley is even slower than me) and may bench if Leinster split 5 - 3 rather than 6 - 2.

Several of their backs are rapid which will trouble us.

[pip14]

That Leinster team is strong but jees it would have been x10 worse..

Missing

Frawley
Larmour
Lowe
Osbourne
Henshaw
Ringrose
Byrne
JBP
Doris
VDF
Baird
Jenkins
Furlong
Sheehan
Porter

[justinr73]

I’d say it’s no coincidence that Murphy’s appointment was announced this week after three (scabby) wins….

The word from the camp though is that our lads are properly up for the game, as they should be.

That leaves us to ensure that our vocal cords are well lubricated in the sun tomorrow afternoon….

[Off the Top]

Looking forward to see Izzy again at No6. A few rampaging runs at Harry Byrne will get the crowd going!!

[jean valjean]

Should be a good game with relatively evenly matched teams. Just shows how far we have fallen behind when u look at what leinster are missing. Hopefully we can exploit their lack of playing time together but leinster still have enough to best us if they get into a rhythm.

[CIMANFOREVER]

Jean, Us and about everyone else bar Toulouse, Saints, LAR , and the usual suspects.

It's an uneven arms race

[big mervyn]

The bookies have Leinster by just 1 or 2 points now.

Hopefully we'll want it a bit more than them

[solidarity]

Match sold out. Is that Ulster fans coming back or lots of Leinster fans coming north?

[Neill_M]

Match sold out. Is that Ulster fans coming back or lots of Leinster fans coming north?

Both probably and it is a Saturday night game.