Tis a busy weekend for us keyboard warriors, so I hope you’ll forgive me for delegating!
Using Gavin Lumsden’s comment as the official HoR writeup for this match also gives me the opportunity to acknowledge the excellent contributions made by visitors to the Facebook page.
Plus it was refreshing to see a generally positive online response to this match, at least in terms of the result. As a spectacle it was extremely lacking, but as I said in my report on the latest defeat to the Ospreys, we needed to treat this like a cup final and having been the better team and gotten the result we can have few complaints, especially when our defence was so solid in soggy Scotstoun.
Without any further ado, I give you Gavin’s take on the match…
F*** me, Isa is a classy bastard. In the words of Frank Ricard (Will Farrell in Old School), "That's how to debate". Complete composure in difficult conditions.
SOB was obviously rusty but had some nice touches as the game wore on. Hard done by on that high tackle penalty too.
Half backs could have been more accurate with their kicking from hand. Hard to be too critical of Madigan as in the end he was the difference between the 2 sides on the scoreboard. Interesting to see he's place kicking over 80% in the league. DK take note.
Thought the ref (Neil Hennessey-WRU) had a hard night at scrum time. Jamie Hagan can feel really hard done by for those couple of late penalties. He was never binding on the harm. He was consistently binding beyond the armpit of his opponent. Moray Low I think. I was glad to see Martin Moore come on and do a job on Low in the end. I think Moore has earned his start against Zebre next week. Very old school prop. I like that.
Glasgow prop, Cusack, seems highly rated over there but Jack McGrath had him in his pocket the whole night.
Leo tackled himself silly this evening and thought he carried far more effectively than ever before. He seems to have worked on taking the ball and then changing his angle and running at soft shoulders. Very intelligent play.
You'd feel for Quinn Roux at this stage. He was having a fine evening and that injury was cruel luck all told.
Not much you can say about the backs. They were barely in the game. Macken was quiet without a more established 12. Goodman obviously made that lovely line break. More of that please. Dave K had a solid night under the high ball. Obviously wasn't much to work with going forward. Carr was an improvement on the Ospreys match last time out. Fluffed a decent chance of a try but he wasn't alone there.
And well, Isa was Isa....
Only thing I’d wish to add for posterity is that RTE really should show more consideration when it comes to the composition of its studio panel. Daire O’Brien, George Hook & Donal Lenihan? Whatever you say about their abilities as presenters & pundits, they’re all Corkmen!!! Where were Shane Horgan, Victor Costello & Bernard Jackman? Also Brian O’Driscoll & Rob Kearney have done work for the BBC? A Leinster match deserves Leinster opinion, end of.
Thank you again, Gavin, and indeed to all who have offered their opinions on Twitter, Facebook & even Google+ (that means you Dom!) over the past few seasons. Please keep it up, no point in my doing this otherwise! JLP
