At full time in every Leinster & Ireland match, we invite readers to comment on what they have just seen via the HarpinOnRugby Facebook page. Our "Feel free to leave your thoughts..." posts have become a decent enough gauge of general opinion as the result sinks in.
Earlier in the season after the Christmas defeat at Thomond Park, a significant flashpoint of Leinster's 2014/15 campaign, we posted a cross section of the comments here on the site, and after defeat in Newport today which effectively ended our chances of reaching the Pro12 final four, we feel it's a good time to do it again.
Hopefully we have managed to find a decent spread of the various opinions out there. Of course we appreciate all contributions. JLP
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MOC AND Leo Cullen need to go. Why was Leo Cullen given a coaching job in one of the best (supposedly) teams in Europe with no coaching experience at all!!
It's all a complete disgrace!!
Orin Forshaw
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And with that, our season, along with our place amongst Europe's elite, comes to a gutting, disheartening and humiliating close...
Darragh Faughnan
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A pathetic capitulation in a game where Leinster were in total control. Matt O'Connor has to go. Imagine the damage he'll do to Johnny Sexton's game playing that kind of idiotic zero percentage "hoof it away" rugby. No chance of a top 4 finish & that means a low seeding draw in Europe next year. Bin this clown before he destroys everything Schmidt & Cheika built
Derek McGee
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Gutted .. Words can't describe how I feel .. Teo in sin bin definitely changed the game .... Very disappointing guys
Michelle Mowlds
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Was thought if I can't say anything negative nice, say nothing at all - so I better stay quiet.
But here goes - well done Dragons for a strong comeback but our ability not to kill off teams when we have the lead is what's killing us this season. It appears we are back to the days of A team will win but B team won't. Don't have the shape in attach & defence has fallen back bs last year
Richard Collumb
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When Leinster played with the ball in hand because of the wind we looked half decent. Second half we went back to MOC ball ie kick it in the air for nothing really and we lost.
Why they do not have trailing runners for Ben looking for the off load is beyond me.
With two thirty plus scrum halfs playing poorly you would wonder why they kept them both and not give DArcy a contract instead.
Andrew Potts
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Jaysus, semi final of the EPRC, that's a damn good season by anyone's measure. If Leinster fans had been given the option of leading the Pro12 or EPRC at this stage of the season, which would ye have taken? We (Munster) got rid of a coach that brought us to two semi's for some godforsaken reason. Better the devil you know.
Eddie Murphy
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Leinster are a quality club, but as an Englishman who really admires Irish rugby, I feel that with the nation team, Munster and Leinster Irish rugby has become too defensive and needs to find the attacking spark again. Defense is great but where is plan B. I do feel thet Irish rugby is one of the best coached in the world, believe!!
Neil Hargreaves
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The whole Madigan imbroglio is an indicative of MO'C's ass-wayed approach. George Hook is right. O'Connor neglected Madigan in favour of Gopperth. He wouldn't listen. Insisted on his way. Failed to bring A players through. Moaned about not being able to buy in big. The result is a disaster. I'd love to see us beat Toulon, but one, they are more than likely not going to let that happen, and two, if we lose maybe the current "regime" can be disposed of and we can get off to a fresh start. Skill's coach Richie Murphy for example should be held responsible for the never ending substandard throwing in of our hookers!!!!!!!
Riocard Ó Tiarnaigh
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On the plus side we have Zero expectations going into next week v Toulon. So who knows we might be pleasantly surprised. 😕
Al Delaney
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This constant kicking the ball away under O'connor by reddan and Gopperth is soul destroying.
I though after reddan's blockdown last week that almost knocked us out of Europe he'd have learned from that and make sure it doesn't happen again.
after the Glasgow game where he was told to put the ball in straight directly after the Glasgow 9 got pinged was bad as it gets but in dumb and dumber style just when you can't get anything more dumb he goes and gets blocked down again and costs us the game and any chance of the league.
Chris McDonnell
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22 to 8 up in full control Gopperth kicks from halfway and it goes dead and goal. From the resulting scrum Dragons move the field and score. This was the turning point in the game, if the ball had made the touchline instead we would have won with a bonus point in my opinion.
Dave Carton
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Over 2 seasons of transition from the departure of J10, Isa, BOD, and the likes of Rocky, Thorn, and Hines and the arrival of a coach that seems intent on doing his own thing, I think we've done reasonably well. A bit of silverware over the last 2 years and a Champions Cup semi next weekend.
What have other clubs in transition achieved, Sweet Fanny Adams !!
Roll on next weekend, and what may follow, roll on the RWC, roll on the return of J10 and Isa.
That is all !!
Ciaran Kelly
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Both players and coach need to take responsibility for the way the team has played this season! It is not outside the bounds of possibility that we will win next week!
Colette Carter
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Well, I'm a happy Ulster fan. If we beat Leinster in our next game it's guaranteed we're in the playoffs with two games left to try and secure second place. But much better than that, our bogey team looks likely to not be involved in the same playoffs! For Ulster, every season since 2011 has ended with us losing a final or semi-final to Leinster. I will be delighted if they aren't involved.
Hopefully they will shock Toulon away. I have no ill-will towards them, and it would be very sweet to cheer on an Irish side in the first 'new' European final.
Andy Harrison
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Ok an open request to the Irish media who have defended Matt O'Connor all season and referred to any Leinster fan that gave out about how we are playing labelling us as "spoiled brats". Given we're now likely to finish out side the top four for the first time in a decade, can I please give out about Matt 'no game plan' O'Connor!
Jonathan Leonard
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Just wondering if I am the only Leinster fan left who isn't busy sharpening the guillotine for Matt O'Connor's head. Loyalty seems a very rare commodity around these parts for the same coaching ticket that won us the league last season and has us in the last four in Europe.
Of course, Toulon may beat us next week and I'm sure the choruses of "I told you so's" will become deafening.
But as Kevin Keegan would say, I would love it, just love it, if we beat them. And if that happens I hope all those "fans" calling for Matt O'Connor's head, and Leo Cullen's head, and Leo the Lions's head, will either grudgingly or humbly apologise. #ItsPalmsAtYourFeetOneWeekAndNailsInYourPalmsTheNext
Gavin Doyle
