Munster Team Talk/Gossip/Rumours Thread.

Junior

Was at the Jersey launch today, got to meet Dougie, Warwick, ROG, Paulie, Denis Leamy and Keith Earls.

Leamy has the all clear and is doing full training, Keith is still rehabing but will be fit for the season start, and the great news is Paulie seems to be in flying form and is fairly well along on his rehab and should be ready for the season start or shortly after it as well..

Dougie I think will see out his playing days here, he indicated he had no intention of going back for this WC (easy to say now) but he seemed genuinely relaxed and at ease with himself, and was looking forward to the season with his new haircut.

Leamy looks like a lad who's been thru a full pre season already and really looked in top quality condition, looks really bulky and ripped already. Looked fresh and raring for the season to start, looked like a lad that was going to hit the season start flying and try anchor a place in the Ireland setup.

buck65

What condition was Leamy in?

Captain Average

Junior wrote: »

Dougie I think will see out his playing days here, he indicated he had no intention of going back for this WC (easy to say now) but he seemed genuinely relaxed and at ease with himself, and was looking forward to the season with his new haircut.
.

Whoah whoah whoah. What's this? New haircut? Has he never heard the tale of Samson? What has he done? This could be big news. :eek:

2040

!

2040

Look at young Felix:



rest of the pictures here.

PhatPiggins

FFS Jones spends one year in Limerick and he already looks like a bare knuckle boxer.

Leamy looks in great trim

2040

I hope Warwick is given a chance at 10 next season.

buck65

Is that the alternate jersey?

Murphy, Leamy are like new signings really so little have we seen of them recently. How is Donncha Ryan doing I wonder?

Riskymove

buck65 wrote: »

Is that the alternate jersey?

no its the new training jersey


the supposed alternate is on the thread on jerseys.....its not really going down too well it seems

buck65

That's what I feared.

Hyperbullet

Well thank christ for this. About time we got someone in to sort the scrum out.

http://www.munsterrugby.ie/news/7677.php

redroar1942

Hyperbullet wrote: »

Well thank christ for this. About time we got someone in to sort the scrum out.

http://www.munsterrugby.ie/news/7677.php

A 2 day window for applications Bit Irish.

I thought Paul McCarthy already had the job, maybe it's just a token application process.

buck65

redroar1942 wrote: »

A 2 day window for applications Bit Irish.

I thought Paul McCarthy already had the job, maybe it's just a token application process.

bingo

Corkladddd!!

redroar1942 wrote: »

A 2 day window for applications Bit Irish.

I thought Paul McCarthy already had the job, maybe it's just a token application process.

Paddy strikes again, typical Irish attitude, he's there already shur we wont bother trying to get anyone else!!!!!

Sorry, just realised how much I miss Jim Williams.:o

buttercupbee

buck65 wrote: »

Murphy, Leamy are like new signings really so little have we seen of them recently. How is Donncha Ryan doing I wonder?

Can anyone please post a pic of Donnacha Ryan for me please?
He signed my jersey but I was talking to Paul O' Connell that day who passed over jersey to Donnacha to sign, so I dont even know what he looks like. Be nice to have a face to the name!

As buck65 says "How is he doing?" I wonder that maybe the reason I haven't seen him is because he is often suffering injuries/not usually on the starting line out?

Do forgive my somewhat female questions! I would be unable to talk at lenght about the game itself though when I watch I can follow and understand rules ect

chupacabra

buttercupbee wrote: »

Can anyone please post a pic of Donnacha Ryan for me please?
He signed my jersey but I was talking to Paul O' Connell that day who passed over jersey to Donnacha to sign, so I dont even know what he looks like. Be nice to have a face to the name!

As buck65 says "How is he doing?" I wonder that maybe the reason I haven't seen him is because he is often suffering injuries/not usually on the starting line out?

Do forgive my somewhat female questions! I would be unable to talk at lenght about the game itself though when I watch I can follow and understand rules ect

That took 2 seconds on google :pac:

gavkm27

Just spotted Jerry Flannery holidaying in Bali:D

profitius

Eoghan Grace has gone to the newly promoted Exeter Chiefs. Great more for him and now he has the oppertunity to perform at a high level. He has signed a 1 year contract. I think he might be there for more than 1 year and eventually come back to Munster.

wixfjord

profitius wrote: »

Eoghan Grace has gone to the newly promoted Exeter Chiefs. Great more for him and now he has the oppertunity to perform at a high level. He has signed a 1 year contract. I think he might be there for more than 1 year and eventually come back to Munster.

Wow great move. Cant see them staying up, but he joins the Irish contingent over there. London Irish me arse, Leicester Northampton and Exeter have far more of our boys.

porterbelly

Pity the Irish management didn't see the Northampton contingent as 'Our' boys during the summer internationals. With the injury crisis in the back row it would have made sense to call on Neil Best and Roger Wilson and increase the options ahead of the world cup. James Downey should also have been given an opportunity. It would be good to have a crash bang wallop centre like Downey as an backup for the more skillfull Wallace and Darcy

buck65

Well Best by all accounts is a liability everywhere apart from the pitch and is capable of anything!
Wilson to me certainly is no better than the likes of Jennings or Ronan and Downey should certainly be looked at again.

Pete_Cavan

porterbelly wrote: »

Pity the Irish management didn't see the Northampton contingent as 'Our' boys during the summer internationals.

If those guys want international caps they should come back home. I have no problem with Irish guys going abroad to play and in the case of Grace I think it is a good thing. But when it comes to picking the international squad there should be a bias towords players plying their trade at home, unless they are playing too good to be left out, as it the case with Tommy Bowe. Without this we could lose a lot of our players to league in England and France and this could destroy the game domestically. And its not like the clubs over there are any better then our own.

outwest

Pete_Cavan wrote: »

If those guys want international caps they should come back home. I have no problem with Irish guys going abroad to play and in the case of Grace I think it is a good thing. But when it comes to picking the international squad there should be a bias towords players plying their trade at home, unless they are playing too good to be left out, as it the case with Tommy Bowe. Without this we could lose a lot of our players to league in England and France and this could destroy the game domestically. And its not like the clubs over there are any better then our own.

that one problem with the irish set up, player who are in ireland and dont play regularly get picked ahead of those who are fed up with being on the bench, with your point of view geordan murphy would of never layed for ireland. but he will more likely be the 15 come wc time.

i think the more player who leave to get actually game-time the better, young player arent getting a chance with the provence. grace could of gone to connacht but he would have the same problem he had with munster, better players ahead of him, if he goes for 2 0r 3 season palyer 20-30 games at a top level it would do him wonders, other irish players should do the same,

porterbelly

buck65 wrote: »

Well Best by all accounts is a liability everywhere apart from the pitch and is capable of anything!
Wilson to me certainly is no better than the likes of Jennings or Ronan and Downey should certainly be looked at again.

Wilson is a specialist no8, Jennings and Ronan are both opensides. Wilson was an unsung hero in the Northampton pack last season that got to the GP semi finals and Heineken Cup quarters. He played week in week out and was very consistent. My point is, I just don't think the Irish management team should be alienating these lads completely from their thinking. There would have been no huge outcry about the injury crisis if these lads were still in or around the setup.

Of course it would be better if these lads were playing at home, and it would be great if the IRFU tried to get them back playing with Ulster and Connacht (my preference because I'm a fan) and this would tighten the gap between the 4 provinces.

Dougalicious

outwest wrote: »

that one problem with the irish set up, player who are in ireland and dont play regularly get picked ahead of those who are fed up with being on the bench, with your point of view geordan murphy would of never layed for ireland. but he will more likely be the 15 come wc time.

i think the more player who leave to get actually game-time the better, young player arent getting a chance with the provence. grace could of gone to connacht but he would have the same problem he had with munster, better players ahead of him, if he goes for 2 0r 3 season palyer 20-30 games at a top level it would do him wonders, other irish players should do the same,

Does anybody even know if he is going to be starting? I hope he gets some gametime as Munster are starting to run a little thin in the backrow!!

outwest

hell get a better chance their than he would at munster

ireland have numerous backrows coming through

buck65

Munster have a few good backrowers coming through and with a fit again Leamy and Niall Ronan seemingly very suited to the new rules along with Wallace and Quinlan who surely are in their last season or so we will have a nice blend between youth and experience that over the next year or two should pay dividends.

Amazotheamazing

buck65 wrote: »

Munster have a few good backrowers coming through and with a fit again Leamy and Niall Ronan seemingly very suited to the new rules along with Wallace and Quinlan who surely are in their last season or so we will have a nice blend between youth and experience that over the next year or two should pay dividends.

Mostly untested though, we have Holland who's in his mid 20's at this stage, and O'Donnell, then the next three big prospects seem to be O'Mahony, Butler and O'Hara who could still go either way. We don't seem to have anyone with the power that Leamy or Wallace had when they came through.

buck65

No but Leamy and Donncha Ryan are like 2 new signings so little did they play last year and should be around for another few years hopefully. Of course any academy lads will have to prove themselves but at least we have a few that look like they could make the Munster team. Also James Coghlan is still coming into his own. If these guys like Butler, O Mahony, O Donnell don't cut it then we always have the option of buying post RWC2011.
Not something I'd like to see and hopefully we won't have to.

Amazotheamazing

buck65 wrote: »

No but Leamy and Donncha Ryan are like 2 new signings so little did they play last year and should be around for another few years hopefully. Of course any academy lads will have to prove themselves but at least we have a few that look like they could make the Munster team. Also James Coghlan is still coming into his own. If these guys like Butler, O Mahony, O Donnell don't cut it then we always have the option of buying post RWC2011.
Not something I'd like to see and hopefully we won't have to.

I'm a massive fan of Leamy, but we don't know for sure that he's put his injuries behind him, I expect we'll be using Ryan as a second row with all the restrictions on Ireland players (though he could be a wildcard for the RWC).

Buying in players in the backrow en masse doesn't cut it for me, we need to be able to produce our own. Where the hell are all the Limerick backrowers gone, none of the the prospects are from Limerick? In fact, there's a worrying lack of forwards coming from Limerick at the minute, for whatever reason, most of the best prospects in second and back rows are Tipperary and Cork players.

thehighground

Munster Alternative jersey launched today. Nice kit.

http://www.munsterrugby.ie/news/7705.php

Leamy looking very fit and POC doesn't look too bad either.

Risteard

thehighground wrote: »

Munster Alternative jersey launched today. Nice kit.

http://www.munsterrugby.ie/news/7705.php

Leamy looking very fit and POC doesn't look too bad either.

Ms.Cosmo

What's with the luminous yellow this year?? It's even worse than last season :eek:

Thats heinous

buck65

Pretty vile alright maybe in the flesh it will be ok? A bit like the Ospreys merged with a Celtic shirt or something. The training jersey of blue and red is nice though. Certainly won't be buying this.
Re POC any pics from recent training sessions himself and Earls seem to be sitting it out, perhaps on their own recovery programmes?
Hard to see either featuring in September.

bamboozle

buck65 wrote: »

Pretty vile alright maybe in the flesh it will be ok? A bit like the Ospreys merged with a Celtic shirt or something. The training jersey of blue and red is nice though. Certainly won't be buying this.
Re POC any pics from recent training sessions himself and Earls seem to be sitting it out, perhaps on their own recovery programmes?
Hard to see either featuring in September.

POC on today fm last night saying he was still injured with the groin, some infection which has gone into the muscle around the pubic bone, doesnt know when he'll be back.

thehighground

Interview in today's Examiner with POC.

http://www.examiner.ie/sport/easy-does-it-for-oconnell-125835.html


"Now it’s just week by week. I am taking the training a step further every week but making sure not to upset the injury. I’m swimming and doing weights. I hadn’t been able to lift any weights until two weeks ago, but I’m back doing that now again, trying to put on a bit of weight again."

Also with Denis Leamy

Leamy believes he could be back in the mix for a pre-season friendly games against Leicester Tigers and Gloucester (Musgrave Park August 20 and 27), while Earls was more guarded in his assessment of a possible return.

Read more: http://www.examiner.ie/sport/rugby/relief-for-munster-as-leamy-and-earls-approach-fitness-125834.html#ixzz0uOnwKvSt

Judgement Day

Heard POC on the radio last night with ROG and it's looking very bad. He says maybe back by Christmas - yikes! :eek:

Judgement Day

Judgement Day wrote: »

Heard POC on the radio last night with ROG and it's looking very bad. He says maybe back by Christmas - yikes! :eek:

Uuggh. At least more locks will get game time for both Munster and Ireland.

outwest

he said on the tv he missed the start of the season,

now it half the season, at least he be fresh for the world cup,


looks like we get to see cullen and doc partnership.

main thing to do is not to rush him back and then get injured again

Junior

dougie and myself at the jersey launch..

redroar1942

Judgement Day wrote: »

Heard POC on the radio last night with ROG and it's looking very bad. He says maybe back by Christmas - yikes! :eek:

Yeah caught that in the examiner today. Only just started swimming but can't run yet! It's been what 5/6 months since he last played. If he's targeting a Christmas return I can't see him being ready to play in the WC if ever

buck65

Junior wrote: »

dougie and myself at the jersey launch..

Which one are you?

GAA_PUNTER

Video coverage below with O’Gara, Leamy, O’Connell on the season ahead

Six months of rehab have made Denis Leamy even more determined to push for a place in Munster’s battle for European supremacy which kicks off again this autumn with an away fixture against London Irish.

The Cashel, Co.Tipp native is anxious to put the pain of his long term injury problems behind him and reclaim his place in Munster’s starting 15.

The players from the southern province regrouped for a heart to heart discussion in the off season and the mood since has given Irish sporting icon Paul O’Connell great hope for the future season and an expectation that Munster will mount a more convincing challenge than last term.

adidas and Munster Rugby have unveiled the club’s 2010/11 alternative kit. The black and green kit will be worn on pitch for the first time against Leicester Tigers on Friday 20th August in Musgrave Park. The province is keen to get back in the big time as some of Munster’s top names have been explaining. Long term injury victim Denis Leamy, Ronan O’Gara, and Paul O’Connell set the scene for the new season.

Video on link below with O’Gara, Leamy, O’Connell on the season ahead

http://www.sportsnewsireland.com/2010/07/22/munster-video-on-the-gear-up-for-the-new-season/

Crash

from http://www.magnersleague.com/news/5536.php

MUNSTER
IN: Johne Murphy (Leicester Tigers), Sam Tuitupou (Worcester Warriors), Wian Du Preez (Cheetahs), Peter Borlase (Crusaders), Corey Hircock (Bedford)

Who's Corey Hircock?

All I can find so far:

http://www.limerickleader.ie/sport/Munster-snap-up-services-of.6277601.jp

So Irish qualified, bit of a project player? Assume its a development contract.

thehighground

Crash wrote: »

from http://www.magnersleague.com/news/5536.php



Who's Corey Hircock?

All I can find so far:

http://www.limerickleader.ie/sport/Munster-snap-up-services-of.6277601.jp

So Irish qualified, bit of a project player? Assume its a development contract.

Year 1 Academy player. Since he has played Ireland under age already, he must have an Irish parent/grandparent.

http://www.munsterrugby.ie/news/7645.php

Junior

buck65 wrote: »

Which one are you?

I know it's hard to tell, but I'm the guy on the right, wearing the shorts, that's dougie on the left, he's left himself go all the same eh ?

PhatPiggins

Junior wrote: »

I know it's hard to tell, but I'm the guy on the right, wearing the shorts, that's dougie on the left, he's left himself go all the same eh ?

Jeez and they've airbrushed the hell out of it too. They could have been kinder

durkadurka

PhatPiggins wrote: »

Jeez and they've airbrushed the hell out of it too. They could have been kinder

Is dougie playing prop now?

thebaz

doesn't sound good for POC - hes been such a legend for Ireland & Munster I hope he makes a proper recovery - it would be great to see him back to his best for WC - fingers crossed