Munster Thread

buck65

Just thought I would open up a thread dealing with all things Munster.

Looking at the squad for Ravenhill tomorrow we look to be very threadbare up front with alot of injuries not great preparation for Llanelli game.
Also does anyone have any up to date injury news on O Connell O Driscoll Foley?

OPENROAD

Have Munster backed to win Heineken Cup, thinking of betting on them again, are they strong enough to win this year?

buck65

Mmmm, don't know. Certainly if they get over Llanelli they will take beating. At the moment injuries could cost them dear. Howver having Brian Carney in the backs should be a big boost to them outside. Llanelli are probably the form team in Britain at the moment and will take alot of stopping in their own back yard.
If Munster win this expect their odds to be slashed.

jackbhoy

buck65 wrote:

Llanelli are probably the form team in Britain at the moment and will take alot of stopping in their own back yard.

I think they may have been the form team 2 months ago but have barely played since, as Munsters form was pretty poor pre 6N and Scarlets was exceptional maybe the break might benefit Munster more?

buck65

I'd agree if it wasn't for the injuries.

Erin Go Brath

Munster XV v Ulster: Christian Cullen; Brian Carney, Lifeimi Mafi, Trevor Halstead, Ian Dowling; Eoghan Hickey, Tomas O'Leary; Eugene McGovern, Jerry Flannery, Tony Buckley; Shane O'Connor, Donnacha Ryan; Alan Quinlan, Tim McGann, John O'Sullivan. Replacements: Frank Sheahan, Tim Ryan, Mark Melbourne, Ross Noonan, Brian O'Meara, Jeremy Manning, Keith Earls.


Munster aren't going to beat a full strength Ulster with this team! All the international guys get a rest for the big QF next week against the Scarlets. If anything this game is just interesting to see how the future players are coming on.

jackbhoy

Fair play Munster!!

Still a complete p!ss take of a team selection and an insult to the competition but fair play to lads who did play. As a Leinster supporter i thank you

athtrasna

Erin Go Brath wrote:

Munster aren't going to beat a full strength Ulster with this team! All the international guys get a rest for the big QF next week against the Scarlets. If anything this game is just interesting to see how the future players are coming on.

You were saying

Great game, the Munster side showed some spirit, what a comeback!

Diamondmaker

athtrasna wrote:

You were saying

Great game, the Munster side showed some spirit, what a comeback!

Thank you Munster, and we do. Did us a nice favour at the top of the table:D

Ulster have displayed a real lack of a finishning ability again , worse than the Toulose game where they did the same 3 try lead at HT.

Ulster really have blown it.

Sorry this is a Munster thread, only saw up to HT and the ry at end. Good game. out time the Munster 2nd team started perfoming.

daveirl

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RuggieBear

liked the try for carny. Awesome vision by quinlan. although he probably should have thrown a big pass instead of kicking it.

Nice0ne

great finish to the match, munster are becoming a team that loves the pressure of the run-in to the end of the season. happy days

daveirl

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Diamondmaker

daveirl wrote:

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Was thinking the exat same thing. there was enough time and guys t spare on the wing to make a straight fwd pass that chip was excessively chancy.
Reminded me of a try Italy scored under the post this 6N where twas chipped in and I think a pass made more sense, any ways they both finished ok.

Anyone notice how when Ulster were chasing their 3rd and Bowe was bundled into the RH touch there was such a try on, school boy finishing, the guy who passed to bowe never drew a tackler or came in field and Bowe himself held a straight line to the cornere flag instead of a quick step in field a as the cover scuttled across field. Rookies Backs!

hardCopy

What did people think of Carney?

I thought he looked a bit lost at times, especially around the break down. Definitely a strong runner though, he should impress when he starts to get his head around the finer points on union.

daveirl

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bugler

He had a mixed game, but considering he has barely played in months that's to be expected. He made a terrible decision to chip early on, when he should have just put the head down. He also went way too high and missed the tackle when chasing a garryowen. But when he ran the ball back he did well, made good yardage. He was in the right place for the try.

I've no doubt he'll score tries at ML level when he gets accustomed to the side.

7mountpleasant

don't forget carney ain't like Andy Farrell he played a lot of Union i his youth and was on the same colngowes team as Darcy so i am expecting him to quickly get up to speed and be a fixture in the team for next years HC

phog

daveirl wrote:

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I don't know - I backed Munster in similar circumstances in Musgrave Park last year with a similar outcome and couldn't fault Ulster for making the same decision last night. The difference now is only 1 point but if they scored the try it would have given them a badly needed 5 points, they just had to go for it.
What a turnaround for Munster though - no hopers in the first half and deserved winners at the end of the match.
Did a big favour for Leinster - all they have to do now is score 4 tries and win today to give them a nice lead over Ulster.

RuggieBear

phog wrote:

Did a big favour for Leinster - all they have to do now is score 4 tries and win today to give them a nice lead over Ulster.

Watch Connacht wipe the floor with us this afternoon.:eek:

daveirl

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Erin Go Brath

I'll eat humble pie for saying munster couldn't win with the team they put out! I'm shocked, but delighted that the youngsters came through, and beat a full Ulster team. What a comeback!!! 18 points down, to win by 3. It bodes very well for the future.


Next Fridays game is the big one though. A full strength Munster should be able to turn over the Scarlets, i believe. Munster, are one of the most experienced, streetwise teams in the Heineken Cup imo. Scarlets, have shown they are a quality team to get this far. I don't think their a match for Munster in the heat of a Heine Cup battle though. We've conceded home advantage, but still think we can, and will do it!

daveirl

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phog

daveirl wrote:

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Fair point about records but I think Ulster needed the 5 points from Friday night more than the 2 from the draw they would have got had they chosen to kick for posts and converted it.

BTW - had Munster got the win last year in MP it may changed the way we ended the season in the CL last year and we might never have won the Holy Grail!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Diamondmaker

RuggieBear wrote:

Watch Connacht wipe the floor with us this afternoon.:eek:

is this a Post HCup /6N Borders game scenario leinster you are basing that on?
Leinster at home would be favourites any other time.

1st half seemed that way, good turn around though. More a reflection on the typical connacht inability to close out games, happening all season. Had to listen on radio Any footage online?

Id say Con 1st half 2nd half match score stats would make vey inetersting reading in this regard this season.

PS you should probably give us both a warning for going off topic;)

Teg Veece

The final interprovincial league table...

Team P W D L F A BP Pnts

Munster 6 5 0 1 117 80 1 21

Leinster 6 4 1 1 125 100 2 20

Ulster 6 2 1 2 96 98 1 11

Connacht 6 0 0 3 72 132 1 1


Well done Munster!!

buck65

Good to see Mick O Driscoll John Kelly Anthony Foley and Anthony Horgan back in the squad for Friday night.
Should be interesting to see who starts in the backs?
Kelly or Carney? Dowling or Horgan?
A strange situation for Munster indeed.

bugler

Munster Side for Friday night named:

Munster: Christian Cullen; John Kelly, Lifeimi Mafi, Trevor Halstead, Ian Dowling; Ronan O'Gara (capt), Peter Stringer; Marcus Horan, Jerry Flannery, John Hayes; Donncha O'Callaghan, Mick O'Driscoll; Alan Quinlan, David Wallace, Denis Leamy.

Replacements: Frank Sheahan, Federico Pucciariello, Donncha Ryan, Anthony Foley/John O'Sullivan, Tomas O'Leary, Jeremy Manning, Barry Murphy

Disappointed that Carney isn't on the bench. Kidney has reverted to type for this, I'm sure the plan is to recreate last years semi-final as much possible. Safe and conservative out wide and try to choke them out in the pack. Also not sure of Mafi at OC.

daveirl

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RuggieBear

tbh, what were you expecting it's kidney.

daveirl

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RuggieBear

meh...:p

buck65

Agree guys that Kidney is playing it safe but TBH on the Carney issue I would think that he is a few months away from playing at this level yet. Against Ulster he looked strong with the ball in hand but in the breakdown seemed lost. Only game time will help him and tonight isn't the time for this.
I don't see what the big issue is about Kidney and the thought that Munster will try to dominate and keep it tight, this is always the way with Munster, they play to their strengths as we saw away to Bourgoin when they tried to play loose rugby they were exposed.
I'm happy with the team and think they can come away from a very difficult ground with a win.

bugler

daveirl wrote:

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Uh-Oh.

Erin Go Brath

Conservative lineup with a capital "C".

Anyway hope the tried and trusted come good. Kidneys no mug, he knows what hes doing.

bugler

You might say it's easy in hindsight, but Kidney got the selection wrong last night.

He chose Foley over JOS, and it looks like Foley probably wasn't even fit.

Without POC dominance in the pack was far less likely. So compensation for this elsewhere was needed. John Kelly, Anthony Horgan and Dowling may all be competent defensively, but they just don't offer even the possibility of magic that might turn a game. Carney and Earls have pace at least. Inexperienced? Yes, of couse. But they offer something. The others don't. And when you can't establish authority in the pack, you need players outside you who can conjure something up off the backfoot. Munster didn't bother to pick any.

As I said in the other thread, this was a failure to evolve coming home to roost. Munster brought in precious little personnel after last year. They tried to repeat the same game plans over again. And without POC and Payne last night it was never going to be enough.

RuggieBear

just like he did the season he betrayed us by picking a stupid back row to play against Leicester.

phog

RuggieBear wrote:

just like he did the season he betrayed us by picking a stupid back row to play against Leicester.

You really need to get over your disappointment of losing Kidney or it will wear you down, try to settle down and support Leinster under their current coach however long he'll stay around after their performance today.

Amz

Eh, it's not disappointment it's annoyance at the fact that Kidney ****ed us over and ****ed off to feather his own nest.