'Damaging for Irish rugby' - Ex-Munster star blasts protected Leinster

Powder puff,yeah right, it got us to the world cup final where they were blatantly robbed by the dodgy TMO. Oh and who did the All Blacks knock out of tournament. Ireland. Take that you losers.

Dominating the European teams ? what are you talking about they haven't won one European cup as yet , there are at least three teams in France that are better than any SA franchise currently and if you weren't so ignorant on European rugby you wouldn't have embarrassed yourself with such a one eyed statement.

Maybe you don’t quite understand the effect of the travel that was required of the SA sides in Super Rugby.

Anyway, I’m glad we’re in the URC. Closer, same time zone, much more interesting places to visit as a travelling supporter.

This isn’t the odd loss. Leinster have not won silverware in years. The chief charge made by O’Callaghan is that Leinster do not travel with their best team. This is true. Agree? Disagree?

Difference between NZ sides and Leinster is that you didn’t essentially have the entire national side pooled in one team. If memory serves the All Blacks were spread across all the Super Rugby franchises which meant that a loss for, say, the Hurricanes, had little bearing on how the ABs would perform. The Leinster side that lost on Saturday was essentially the Irish side - and they lost to a Bulls team without a single current Bok starter and missing world-class gamebreakers like KLA and Canan Moodie. Throw in the fact that Munster lost at home and it wasn’t a great day for Irish rugby.

I think what the game revealed is damaging. The attack is blunt. Has been all season. That is mortal damage to Leinster and potentially Ireland.

Given the fact that Ireland will play the Boks in Pretoria in a few of weeks I think the result could well be damaging to Irish confidence. The Irish front row was destroyed by props who are down the pecking order in South Africa behind the likes of Ox Nche, Frans Malherbe and Vincent Koch, which doesn’t bode well for the Test matches. The Leinster backrow was also outplayed by rookies like Elrigh Louw and Cameron Hanekom while the Leinster/Ireland’s ‘enforcer’ Joe McCarthy had very little impact. Yes, Ireland is a much better coached side and there are some quality players from other Irish URC teams to be drafted in but the fact that a Leinster team with so many Irish stars were outplayed by a Bulls side with no current Bok starters has to be worrying to the Ireland management.

Yes, I think he’s going a bit far to make his point. He sounds like he’s thinking Leinster are a better side. While his point I think has a lot of merit, it would simply have seen them be somewhat competitive. They would not have beat this Bulls team even if they had of gotten close to their CC final effort.

Even if they are confrontational enough, can they score enough points to beat SA? The past season would indicate , no.

Stop talking sh1te please

It’s been looked at. Suggested one Byrne goes to Connaught and Prendergast is bumped up to start most games next year