Leinster vs Bath 18 Jan 2025

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mathepac

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Let me start by saying that apart from hurling, there isn’t a field game in the world that compares to rugby, and yesterday’s match was well up there with some of the best for excitement, skill, and sportsmanship. The latter was epitomised by the sight of van Graan and Snyman walking off the field with their arms around each other. Sure, they have a long rugby history together dating back to Snyman’s school days when van Graan was his coach, but even so, it was a sight to behold.

The love poured out from the stands too, in particular when Ross Molony was substituted and brought back on as a replacement, proving we don’t forget. I must admit though I’d forgotten the significant Irish contingent at Bath until I scanned the team sheet pre-kick-off.

So then, where did it all go wrong for Bath after a start that left Leinster supporters and players stunned to be 14-0 down? I think Bath lost it in the dug-out when the brains trust re-introduced Beno Obano after his first yellow card. He was struggling all day against the magnificent but forgotten-at-home Rabah Slimani who lorded it over him at scrum time. I think he should have been subbed, but maybe there wasn’t a ready-made replacement on the bench, which seemed obvious as the Bath scrum was equally ineffective in his temporary absence, but what did they think would change while he was off the field? Bringing him back on was a big mistake.

Van Graan is quoted as saying he sees Leinster right now as the best in the world, Anyone willing to dispute that?
 
mathepac said:
Let me start by saying that apart from hurling, there isn’t a field game in the world that compares to rugby, and yesterday’s match was well up there with some of the best for excitement, skill, and sportsmanship. The latter was epitomised by the sight of van Graan and Snyman walking off the field with their arms around each other. Sure, they have a long rugby history together dating back to Snyman’s school days when van Graan was his coach, but even so, it was a sight to behold.

The love poured out from the stands too, in particular when Ross Molony was substituted and brought back on as a replacement, proving we don’t forget. I must admit though I’d forgotten the significant Irish contingent at Bath until I scanned the team sheet pre-kick-off.

So then, where did it all go wrong for Bath after a start that left Leinster supporters and players stunned to be 14-0 down? I think Bath lost it in the dug-out when the brains trust re-introduced Beno Obano after his first yellow card. He was struggling all day against the magnificent but forgotten-at-home Rabah Slimani who lorded it over him at scrum time. I think he should have been subbed, but maybe there wasn’t a ready-made replacement on the bench, which seemed obvious as the Bath scrum was equally ineffective in his temporary absence, but what did they think would change while he was off the field? Bringing him back on was a big mistake.

Van Graan is quoted as saying he sees Leinster right now as the best in the world, Anyone willing to dispute that?
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There are some who view Rugby in general and Leinster Rugby in particular with an inverted snobbery but as someone who never played it (I went to a Christian Brothers school so it was GAA and Basketball) I agree 100% that Hurling and Rugby are by far the most exciting field sports to watch. It was a brilliant game, possibly not as entertaining as the Munster game which they narrowly lost, and the usual level of sportsmanship and comradery was evident both on and off the field.
I really hope Munster hammer La Rochelle in the next round!
 
I'm sure the likes of Toulose would have a different view of things. Interesting how Bath played in the first half, blitzing Predergast seems to be a clear tactic for teams playing Leinster now (and I assume the same will happen with Ireland if he starts) and get the ball out wide as Leinster defend narrow. 2nd half when Leinster held on to the ball was a different story.

Of course, having €1.5m to throw at Barrett, Dnyman and Slimani helped, + I wonder what they paid the new coach to come in and act as Cullen's latest crutch.
 
Peanuts20 said:
I'm sure the likes of Toulose would have a different view of things. Interesting how Bath played in the first half, blitzing Predergast seems to be a clear tactic for teams playing Leinster now (and I assume the same will happen with Ireland if he starts) and get the ball out wide as Leinster defend narrow. 2nd half when Leinster held on to the ball was a different story.
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Blitzing 10 was the order of the day. I presume Crowley will start for Ireland as he's a better all round player at the moment, though Prendergast may have the potential to be a better player in the medium term.
Peanuts20 said:
Of course, having €1.5m to throw at Barrett, Dnyman and Slimani helped,
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Yep, that's what happens when you are a very well organised and supported club which produces so many of your countries internationals.
Peanuts20 said:
+ I wonder what they paid the new coach to come in and act as Cullen's latest crutch.
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Cullen's humility and the atmosphere he's created within the squad and management does attract very good coaches and players. Munster could learn a few things from him.
 
I agree. Hurling and Rugby are two of the most exciting sports in Ireland and arguably in the world by far and not necessarily in that order..
 
Initially, I thought Leinster was going to pay a heavy price for playing Barrett out of either of his specialist positions, giving the three-quarters line an odd, unbalanced look, but the line settled down to work well apart from the try the gifted Bath approaching half-time. Full of surprises, the Leinster coaches threw a centre into a lineout late in the game.
 
The Leinster/Bath game was indeed made more special by the on-field players with good sportsmanship and camaraderie. Well Done, Leinster.
 
Rugby as a game , unlike football, simply doesn’t flow.
It’s dull , plodding and its laws are unfathomable .
The ball rarely appears as it spends much of it’s time under scrums or rucks and if you get 5 minutes of running rugby you’re doing well.
Physical attributes rather than skill seem paramount and of course any game where you can control and move the ball with your hands demands less skill than say football !
Interesting to note that what was once a hot bed of the game Wales does not have a team in the European Rugby cup and that three English premiership teams have gone into administration and TV money is now half of what it was seven years ago in the UK .
 
@Deiseblue - regarding:
Deiseblue said:
Physical attributes rather than skill seem paramount and of course any game where you can control and move the ball with your hands demands less skill than say football !
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is something that I would not agree with. The skill level, the lines of running to open the defence, planning what move(s) to execute in seconds before your are tackled etc require a high level of skill. Each type of sport has it's own skill set and always not always comparable to each other.

The laws in rugby are complex, especially on the breakdown, but for a large portion of the game, a basic understanding is all that is needed to allow someone to fully enjoy the game.

If you find watching rugby "dull", then I'd recommend not watching it, but if you are anyway inclinded, give it a chance, learn the basics laws around ruby - a better understanding of such, do help when watching the sport and allowing you to shout your dis-satisfaction at the TV :p Even better, attend a live game! One of the attractions with rugby is the mixing of the fans before, during and after the game.
 
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Deiseblue said:
and its laws are unfathomable .
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Right there, that's your problem.

By football, I think you mean Association Football, or soccer as we and the Aussies, Kiwis, Americans & Canadians call it.

I believe soccer is the most widely played game in the world, which probably means players need little or no training or skill to participate in matches. See the Republic of Ireland team as an example. You can also play it on any grassed area, or even up against a wall with painted goalposts. There are other things you can do up against a wall which I think can be much more rewarding than watching or playing soccer.

Hurling, where you can catch, kick, or propel the sliotar with the camán, hands, or feet is an immensely skillful game, much more so than soccer, and is played by amateurs, simply because they love it.

Wales and England Rugby Union, Wales in particular have not transitioned well into the professional era and certain English clubs seem to have failed to grasp that a professional game needs professional management. Some seem to have tried and failed to run professional teams with the old, amateur organisations they used to have. Their players and supporters have paid a high price for that.

I take it from your post that you don't see it as important in soccer that centre-backs be tall and strong, rather than diminutive and weak or that mid-field players have the speed and physical stamina to marshall games for 90+ minutes, so physical attributes count for nothing in soccer, in your opinion.

The skills of kicking an oval-shaped ball accurately from the hands or from a kicking tee, which are not necessarily innate, demand hours of practice to develop.

Another area where there is an enormous gulf between rugby and soccer is in the sporting attitude of the participants and spectators. When was the last time, or should I say first, you heard of spectators at a rugby match rioting, or of spectators killed or injured during a riot? I observe a number of soccerplayers as highly paid cheaters who feign injury to gain advantage for their team by dint of superb acting. Week on week they show themselves as childish and petulant in the extreme. You probably didn't see the match last Saturday, but if you did you'd have seen the very best in rugby and the best in sportsmanship and camaraderie. Your loss, unfortunately.

There are other areas where I could continue to demolish your thesis about rugby union, but the bottom line is, you cannot criticise what you cannot understand.
 
Oh and I forgot to ask, is there another field game where police must be employed inside and outside of grounds to keep opposing gangs of fans away from each other?
 
Deiseblue said:
And rugby simply flows like players built like fridges and with the same mobility!
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Clearly you don't watch it. It's sad that inverted snobbery keeps some people from enjoying a game that Ireland are actually good at.
Personally I'd rather support my local team at it competes in international competitions rather that supporting a British team owned by some oligarch or the sovereign wealth fund of a despotic oppressive feudal dictatorship. But each to their own and all that.
 
Deiseblue said:
And rugby simply flows like players built like fridges and with the same mobility!
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You have obviously not sat down to watch a rugby game, if such is your impression, but my thoughts now are that you are sitting there with a spoon and stirring ... :D
 
Jazz01 said:
You have obviously not sat down to watch a rugby game, if such is your impression, but my thoughts now are that you are sitting there with a spoon and stirring ... :D
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That’s a distasteful assumption.
I’m not approaching this thread from a position of ignorance of the game of Rugby.
As I have pointed out on many occasions on this site I warrant that I have attended more Irish International Rugby tests than many on this site by dint of entertaining clients due to my previous occupation and have been bored out of my executive box .
My knowledge is such that I , at least , know the difference between laws and rules !!
My argument is that football is a superior game .
 
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