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Irish Times
3 days ago
- Lifestyle
- Irish Times
Why James Lowe is determined for Cian Healy and Ross Byrne to leave Leinster with a medal this season
Maudlin is permissible as an emotion at this time of year. Players retire or move on to fresh challenges. Despite the promises, friendships are never exactly the same for those who depart. They can't be when a player is not among the group every day. Retirees often cite the camaraderie and dressingroom banter as aspects of their former life that they come to miss most. They stay in touch, but are not in touch with that daily working intimacy. It is therefore not a surprise that James Lowe alighted on two players, one from either category – Cian Healy who retires at the end of the season and the Gloucester-bound Ross Byrne – when speaking about Leinster's motivation in trying to win a United Rugby Championship title, the first step towards which is to beat the Scarlets at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin on Saturday (3pm). 'When I look around the changing-room and the people who aren't going to be here next year, the two you obviously think of are Ross Byrne and Cian Healy. Some of the best days of your life are when you win silverware together,' the Leinster wing said. READ MORE 'For Ireland we have been able to do that in recent years, but we haven't been able to transfer that with Leinster. It doesn't mean that because you have won with Ireland you are going to win with Leinster. 'You still have to come back here and perform on the biggest of days and under the most amount of pressure. That's what we want to do. We can't let Cian Healy leave Leinster without another medal around his neck. It's not doing him justice; it's not doing Ross Byrne justice. Those boys watched Leinster at Donnybrook years and years ago.' Lowe also appreciates that it is the wider Leinster squad who have propelled the province to this point of the season in the URC, and for many they will not get a chance to play through the knockout phase should they progress to the final. He said it was one thing to be disappointed after losing a match, but quite another to look at the faces of those who did not even get the opportunity. Empathy builds a strong bond. Lowe learned a couple of other important life lessons over the weekend. Dublin Zoo is much bigger than he realised, armed with one buggy and two children, and that his son Nico probably needs a couple of footwork drills to keep him upright when given a taste of freedom. Lowe also got a first-hand appraisal of the sheer size of the circus that he would be joining as a Lion for the upcoming tour to Australia . The recent orientation day in London saw him 'introducing myself to people, like, three times a day. I was just, like, 'I'm so sorry I've got no idea who you are or what you do, but you're sitting there, and you look like I should introduce myself'.' There are 38 players in an official travelling party that will probably hit the 90-mark. Lowe's eloquent rebuttal of the criticism, from some quarters, of southern-hemisphere-born players wearing the red jersey hit its mark last week. But he demonstrated a lighter touch in getting all touchy-feely emotionally with erstwhile enemies and soon to be team-mates. 'It was awesome, though, even just to mix and mingle on a social level with players that on the weekend you hate. You genuinely have a serious hate for these people and then to meet them in a context of [the fact] we are on the same journey together [and] about to tour Australia. 'You need to break down these barriers because we're all in the same boat, going in the same direction and we want to succeed. It was cool in that sense.' To more pressing matters and a game against a Scarlets team that recently beat Leinster in Llanelli, west Wales. A superior kicking game was central to the Welsh club's victory. Lowe offered the 'skinny' on the Scarlets detail, saying: 'On paper the team is very good. The back three is young, but they are all international players. 'Their midfield is big and abrasive, ball in hand, able to put little kicks in. Nine and 10 axis, you have a 10 there that wants to ping corners and that's what they did.' The Scarlets won that kicking battle, so Leinster must come with a plan. 'That's how they beat us last time so it's about us as a back three trying to nullify that,' Lowe said. 'If we can take that away with good kick pressure and pressure at the ruck, make [Scarlets scrumhalf Gareth] Davies at nine have to scrap for everything, make it a real tough day for him, I think it will go a long way. 'If we force them into bad kicks or read cues as a back three, if we can shut down kick angles with good pressure, that can make our lives so much easier. We can look after each other.'
Irish Daily Mirror
05-05-2025
- Sport
- Irish Daily Mirror
Leinster broke golden rule of knockout rugby and serious questions must be asked
Name your dog - daschund, beagle, bulldog, alsatian, wolfhound, terrier - they all look while Leinster continue to flaunt their great pedigree, have they forgotten that sometimes it is the hungry mongrel who has the right instincts for the deathly scrap. Because when they needed to get over the line, the ball over the posts, the tie to overtime, they were all catwalk runways without sensible down kickable penalties is merely a fashion with a gun, my are rugby's mechanics of scoring, such is the value of place-kicking opportunities in the last quarter, decision-making has to be taken away from the 'meatheads' who think tries are the only way to win Ross Byrne had only just come on for the penalty out on the right, but both Byrn and Sam Prendergast were on for the 80th minute penalty on the left - more or less from the spot Prendergast had kicked the James Lowe try roll out tells us Leinster had six points on offer via the tee and they, twice, went for five - even Junior Cert maths students, low grade chess players can figure this deal here is very simple, skipper Caelan Doris was off the pitch, Conan was doing stand-in armband and, and was caught looking to the sideline. Not sure what that was about, given RWC 2023 winning coach Jacques Nienaber watched South Africa lose to Ireland at the pool stage because they didn't take their kicks before penalties win each of their three knockout games by a was the quarter-final 29-28 against France, Handre Pollard's 69th minute 53 metres penalty sailing over; England 16-15 in the semi-final, Pollard's 77th minute, 48 metres penalty split the posts; Pollard's penalty from 15 metres inside the left touchline to make it 12-3 against the All Blacks proved the winning of the 12-11 Saturday, the placekicker should already have had the ball in his hand and told the team he was taking the shot - the great players, the great placekickers, have the cojones to force the Sexton, Ronan O'Gara, Owen Farrell, Johnny Wilkinson, Dan Carter, Neil Jenkins would have the tee in their hands, the ball under their arm and face-palmed anyone who tried to take it away from them. Had Leinster got to extra-time, they would have beaten Northampton who, having played 21 minutes with 14 men, were out on their feet, were holding on in that last seven minutes on adrenalin and fumes and as for earlier and with Leinster fighting the clock too in the last quarter they needed to call central casting 1-800-DOG for their Paul O'Connell figure - a man who's profile, determination, bulging neck-muscles, anger, stubbornness would refuse to let his side lose - because if Leinster did dial they got a wong O'Connell reference may be red rag to Blue support and it is unfortunate we won't get The Big Red One's real take on the game as he is part of Ireland when Leinster needed an enforcer/killer/on-field scriptwriter, a Rocky Elson, Sean O'Brien, Johnny Sexton, Brian O'Driscoll, Shane Jennings nobody got to the ramparts. The Cian Healy first-quarter gamble has been discredited too. Given Leinster were behind for most of the game, aside from the 13th to 25th minutes, just start Porter and look to build a Northampton survived three yellow cards, Curtis Langton (26 mins), Josh Kemeny (67 mins) and Alex Coles (79 mins), the results of those 0-14, 7-0 and 0-0 respectively. While there is also the Mother Goose factor, too many eggs in one basket, that the national side is based on Leinster players, full stop. Leinster is their real-time club but it would be unnatural for Ireland not to be their 'uber-club', the dreams-are-made-of-this World Cup unit. Andy Farrell is a big character, loud, visible, very hands on, in the stands, on the remember, those players can't get over the line when it comes to big rugby World Cup (jeez, the RWC 2023 All Blacks quarter-final!) matches. It was striking in the immediate after-match when Northampton players walked on air, Henry Pollock, Tommy Freeman, Fraser Dingwall were positively floating, wide-eyed, and grinning like Garfields. Their coach Phil Dowson, enjoying himself too, kept glancing over at these guys as if he had never seen them before, he had never seen them this happy, this proud, this this is kinda contrasted by Leinster's players' professional air-force pilot delivery after games (there are exceptions, e.g. Jack Conan is always wildly honest and brilliant!). It is hard to gauge just how much pressure there is on Leo Cullen now. Leinster supporters are generally lively on social media but the 'guys' haven't got anywhere near a pile-on and this may have something to do with change not bringing immediate help to any of the provinces there is another trophy in the season, the URC title - albeit that has become a potential rat-trap for the incumbent loss to Northampton, however, does suggest there will be a root and branch review or, at the least, the decision to have a review will be made and, don't be surprised given the academic-type culture that's so prized by the club, that it is are specific business-review companies who could get the call or maybe they will just put together a couple of captains of industry who are noted former players (Shane Jennings, BOD, Eoin Reddan types...). Consider this: if this was GAA they could have called in Jim Gavin. Hold the fort there, Leinster SHOULD consider calling in Jim Gavin! Moving slightly sideways, it might be pushing it to suggest the game will overly alter Farrell's homework on the players he feels are right for his squad. As Conan pointed out last Friday, it is more about your work over the last six months than any given it comes to the Lions captaincy Caelan Doris was slightly ahead of Maro Itojo and, maybe, Sione Tuipulotu or Jamie George but he hasn't managed to get his Leinster project, that talent, over the Keenan's poor first-half (two turnovers) won't help his Test side chances on a weekend where Toulouse clearly missed Blair Kinghorn; both Garry Ringrose and Robbie Henshaw won't travel now, just one of them; Tadhg Furlong is still not as convincing as his 2021-23 presence Prendergast's chances of traveling ahead of Fin Smith disappeared and will have to hope Farrell is okay with two 22 year-olds in the three spots open for McCarthy cemented the idea he is on the plane; not sure why there those doubting Josh van der Flier and, not withstanding teeneger Henry Pollock was highly visible, the Irish no7 was excellent on Saturday; Conan, flat-track bully, no8 for three Tests last time did well when he came happy Northampton/England winger, and on the back of scoring in every round of the 2025 Six Nations, nailed down the no14 shirt for the three Tests which may well affect Mack Hansen's chances of traveling .A special mention for Tommy O'Brian who was the only Irish-eligible non-capped senior international in the home side's starting line-up while it is time to work better at using Jamie Osborne who's wide-eyed, floating on air approach is similar to that of the after-match now it is all very well talking about all these senior players training like Tarzan at club level but that's of very little use if they are playing like Jane.I will, of course, make one exception here with a nod to 'Jane' Clohessy, daughter of Peter, who made her Ireland debut against Scotland recently. Check out the pic of the two of them after the game, it is a father/daughter bursting-with-pride picture for the ages. Get the latest sports headlines straight to your inbox by signing up for free email.
The Irish Sun
04-05-2025
- Sport
- The Irish Sun
Rabah Slimani baffled by late referee's decision as Leinster crash out of Champions Cup in semi-final thriller
LEINSTER prop Rabah Slimani admitted there was confusion in the home dressing room after a potential match-winning try in the closing stages was chalked off. 2 Ross Byrne of Leinster touches the ball down on the try line in the last play of the game during the Champions Cup semi-final - but the score was ruled out by the officials 2 Rabah Slimani of Leinster admits that he was left baffled by the decision not to award the score But it wasn't without controversy after referee Pierre Brousset chose not to award the score after replacement Ross Byrne appeared to ground the ball in the corner. It is suspected that Byrne may have been penalised for playing the ball illegally off his legs, but no clear explanation was given through the officials' microphones. Leinster were instead awarded a penalty before Northampton's Alex Coles was shown a yellow card. And Leinster's Slimani was left baffled by the decision as he questioned Brousset's decision. read more on rugby The prop said: 'I don't know, I don't know. 'I don't understand the decision because if it's a penalty and a yellow card, I don't know why it's not a try but that's the ref's decision. "He has his opinion but it's hard.' The France international praised the team's effort but admitted the defeat was a bitter pill to swallow. Most read in Rugby Union He added: 'We lost some focus in defence but we never stopped the effort during the second-half and we were very close at the end. It's very hard for the team but that's the reality. 'No, I could not feel that. Last year the semi-final against Northampton was very close and today too. Ronan O'Gara bizarrely ends press conference after 23 SECONDS amid La Rochelle's continued poor form "I think it's normal that we were a little bit nervous. We didn't make a good start, they scored a lot of points. We lost by three points, that's very disappointing.' And Slimani insisted that the Dublin-based side must bounce back. He concluded: 'The season is not finished and we have the opportunity to win something, the URC this year. "It's been a long time since Leinster won something and I think we need to stay focused on the URC now. It's not pressure, but now we have just one target. "We are disappointed not to make the Champions Cup final but now the target is the URC. We have had a very good season in the URC, we need to continue that.' Leinster face Zebre and Glasgow before the URC playoffs.
