Leinster 2013/14

[BR]

To me it looked AS IF* McCarthy had Evans by the (other) leg. Now McC may say, "Of course I had him by the bloody leg, I was try to stop him dancing on my face." And Evans might say, "I knew there was no ball, but I was trying to free my leg without seeing the head."

* I say that because I did not see any visual evidence, but that was the manner in which Evans was stamping. It was a get-off-me stamp rather than a ruck-the-ball stamp. Of course it could also have been a I'm-intent-on-ABH stamp, but I prefer to see the good in people (even Welsh people)

Does not matter in the eyes of officials though, stamping around the head is a big no.
Intent or excuses do not come into it he was stamping and that is all that will count, the days of "he deserved a good rucking/kicking/digging " are over.

Absolutely! May be mitigation before the beak though.

Doubt it seeing as it is an ERC match unless he has a nice suit and calls him sir.

The appeal will have to say it can't be the highest sanction, because that is reserved for the most serious stamping offence, and they could envisage it being more serious if McCarthy had been so incensed he'd spoken to some Dublin people and taken out a contract on the whole Ospreys squad.

[Dublin4]

Evans deserves every punishment he gets.
That sort of behaviour puts parents off their kids playing the game.
From where I was, McCarthy looked pretty shook up.

Best of luck to Ulster this evening.

[browner]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4-q51kjNec4

[stickinout]

We thought of signing that tramp.............

Who McCarthy? I'll get my coat.

Though i don't condone what happened at all, both Munster and Leinster are experts at killing mauls in this illegal fashion. Don't go down there to kill the maul while it's forming and it won't happen to you. McCarthy is learning well from Leo "the cheating hallion" Cullen.

[ColinM]

Jay-me stays

Commenting on the new contract Jamie Heaslip said: "It is great to have signed on for another three years with Leinster. Leinster is where I wanted to continue playing and I am happy that the process is now at end.
I am looking forward to playing my role in driving success for both Leinster and Ireland."

Jamie made his senior debut for Leinster against the Ospreys in March 2005 and has since made 176 appearances for Leinster scoring 34 tries.

He made his Ireland debut in the 61-17 win over the Pacific Islands in November 2006. The 30 year old has won 60 caps for Ireland scoring 8 tries.

His last appearance for Ireland was in the 22-20 loss to New Zealand in November.

Heaslip has twice toured with the British & Irish Lions in 2009 and 2013 playing in 5 Tests. He has won a Grand Slam with Ireland and three Heineken Cups, an Amlin Cup and two Pro12 league titles with Leinster.

Jamie was shortlisted for the IRB Player of the Year Award in 2009 and for the ERC Player of the Year Award in 2013.

IRFU CEO Philip Browne said: "We are delighted that Jamie has committed his future to Leinster and Ireland for the next three years.

He has been one of most consistent performers and top number eights in world rugby for many years and has played a starring role for Leinster, Ireland and the Lions."

Leinster CEO Mick Dawson said: "We are delighted that Jamie has signed a new IRFU contract which keeps him at Leinster up to the end of the 2017 season.

Jamie has played a massive role in Leinster's success over the past six or seven years, he is a key leader within the squad and he will play an integral part in the club's plans to compete for silverware in the years to come."

[Russ]

Wee Mads having an absolute nightmare

[Jockster]

Thought Jack McGrath was excellent.......can we sign him please.

[Setanta]

We really need better referees. Match ruined; turned it off at half-time. Dragons robbed. Forecast what would happen and it did.

[Russ]

We really need better referees. Match ruined; turned it off at half-time. Dragons robbed. Forecast what would happen and it did.

He was terrible

I like WestDr. He is my favourite

[Rovi Snave]

We really need better referees. Match ruined; turned it off at half-time. Dragons robbed. Forecast what would happen and it did.

He was terrible

I like WestDr. He is my favourite

Completely agree - Dragons were up for it and doing well despite the ref - if their discipline had been better they could have beaten what was a poor Leinster team!

On a different note, the RDS pitch looked in perfect condition, despite having had as much rain as we did yesterday. I'm beginning to think there is a lot of truth in the questions posed by Kofi re. drainage and the three new stands on the pitch inspection thread, especially after Shane Logan's quote on the BBC website that no one remembers a game being cancelled in the last 30 to 40 years because of rain!

[Rooster]

We really need better referees. Match ruined; turned it off at half-time. Dragons robbed. Forecast what would happen and it did.

He was terrible

I like WestDr. He is my favourite

Completely agree - Dragons were up for it and doing well despite the ref - if their discipline had been better they could have beaten what was a poor Leinster team!

On a different note, the RDS pitch looked in perfect condition, despite having had as much rain as we did yesterday. I'm beginning to think there is a lot of truth in the questions posed by Kofi re. drainage and the three new stands on the pitch inspection thread, especially after Shane Logan's quote on the BBC website that no one remembers a game being cancelled in the last 30 to 40 years because of rain!

They had the rain far earlier than Belfast, would be similar to looking at Ravenhill this morning and as well they didn't have nearly as much rain this week.
If memory serves me right by the end of the Glaws HEC match there was water lying on the pitch, remember some of the lads body surfing down it at the end

[BR]

Aye there's been a couple of games that FINISHED with an 'unplayable' pitch, but I can't remember too many called off. I honestly think that 3 hours if relative dryness would have had it ok by ko, but a decission had to be made early. Nobody was going to drown, so Warden's only concern would have been scrum safety. Now they may have ended up difficult to ref, but would they have been dangerous?

Is the grass shorter at Ravenhill than of old?

[eeyore]

We really need better referees. Match ruined; turned it off at half-time. Dragons robbed. Forecast what would happen and it did.

I agree. And I think that the Dragon's frustration at the ref's performance led to that cheatin wee sh1te Boss being dumped right at the end. Didn't see him going off but I hope they set up the screens round him, put one in the head, trailed him off by the ankles and dumped in a skip for the knackers yard. Dirty, hateful, cheating wee git.

[Russ]

We really need better referees. Match ruined; turned it off at half-time. Dragons robbed. Forecast what would happen and it did.

I agree. And I think that the Dragon's frustration at the ref's performance led to that cheatin wee sh1te Boss being dumped right at the end. Didn't see him going off but I hope they set up the screens round him, put one in the head, trailed him off by the ankles and dumped in a skip for the knackers yard. Dirty, hateful, cheating wee git.

That little Warren Gatland has no idea how to feed a scrum


I like WestDr. He is my favourite

[for dog and ulcer]

7 17 up at Carpet Arms Park after 30. On RTE and BBC Wales now.