Munster Team Talk/Gossip/Rumours Thread IV

The Lost Sheep

Danny Barnes has signed for Ealing. They won National League 1 this season to get promotion to the Championship

Interesting to hear JP Phelan, Newbridge College prop. Represented Leinster through grades was offered to Munster but they turned him down. Has been looked at by a few provinces.....

Goldstein

korec wrote: »

http://www.walesonline.co.uk/sport/rugby/rugby-news/munster-v-ospreys-liberty-boys-9314138


Good article on the match by Andy Howell

"there’s more nobody-knows in the Munster team than in the Ospreys’ line-up."

Something tells me he's going to know who a few more of them are come tomorrow evening.

Go on Munster!!!

Fireball07

I hope, hope, hope that POM is at 100% tomorrow- the Ospreys back row looks strong and we are already understrength without TOD. I think people may underrate how good TOD has been this season, POM possibly hasn't been at his best but we will need him at the top of his game tomorrow.

Ospreys are a very good side throughout, but Munster are also pretty well-balanced and have improved as the season went on, I think, when Murray & Earls in particular have returned.


But TOD's work rate is unbelievable and Butler isn't really a natural 7.

Wang King

Josh Matavesi is prob out, he's looking for a flight home as his missus is in labour

Tefral

On hols and can't seem to find the info what channel is the match on?

Eod100

cronin_j wrote: »

On hols and can't seem to find the info what channel is the match on?

TG4 and Sky Sports 1.

Wang King

Anyone doing a match thread?

Fireball07

Heading off soon, it's a must-win game for Munster; at home we really really do have to perform and get a result. Hope it's a good game too.

Tefral

Eod100 wrote: »

TG4 and Sky Sports 1.

Brilliant thanks.. should be able to find an English or Irish bar around here ..

Mahatma Geansai

Nigel should be feeling extra welcome today anyway. :pac:

Heading off for a few pre-match pints soon. Hopefully we'll have a great game and Munster performance ahead of us.

Obri1

Lost Sheep think your information on Phelan is wrong I'm good friends with a friend of his. He wasn't 'offered to Munster' he was asked to play Munster A and they were very impressed with him and he has got offers from Munster, Leinster and Ulster and he's on Standby for the U20's World Cup at Tighthead.

Rightwing

Heading to this one now, haven't been at a league match for a quite a while, but the changes have made it more interesting. Munster by 7+

The Lost Sheep

Obri1 wrote: »

Lost Sheep think your information on Phelan is wrong I'm good friends with a friend of his. He wasn't 'offered to Munster' he was asked to play Munster A and they were very impressed with him and he has got offers from Munster, Leinster and Ulster and he's on Standby for the U20's World Cup at Tighthead.

Would trust the sources I have but may have heard them wrong.

Going to only my second home Munster game of the season today.....

Mahatma Geansai

Congrats to CJ Stander and his 73rd MOTM award of the season. If he gets another award in the final, the Pro12 should pay rightful respect and name the award in his honour from the 15/16 season.

There are a lot of great backrows in the Pro12, but he has been the best of the bunch this season.

thomond2006

Mahatma Geansai wrote: »

Congrats to CJ Stander and his 73rd MOTM award of the season. If he gets another award in the final, the Pro12 should pay rightful respect and name the award in his honour from the 15/16 season.

There are a lot of great backrows in the Pro12, but he has been the best of the bunch this season.

You're not serious? That sounds gammy.

Killer was my MOTM. CJ's gift to Webb is a bad mark on what was another great performance.

On next week, apparently Murray is an MCL injury. Williams was great today but Murray is a crucial player.

letowski

At this rate, CJ will probably need to build an extension onto his house.

ouncer

Suggest after poor performance by keatley you maybe need a new Connacht man. Jack carty available. God ye guys made every effort to lose this game

RecordStraight

ouncer wrote: »

Suggest after poor performance by keatley you maybe need a new Connacht man. Jack carty available. God ye guys made every effort to lose this game

Just makes the JJ situation even more infuriating.

jimbo94s

Any available tickets for the match next weekend?? Nothing on ticketmaster. Should be a huge Munster crowd up there!

awec

Yous can borrow Paddy Jackson for next week if you want.

Wang King

Realistically looking at the game, Foley had to leave Keats on so he could rectify his mistakes, the next kick will cure him kinda thing.
If you hook a player when he's struggling it can destroy his confidence, unfortunately because Keats couldn't redeem himself, Foley had to hook him. Probably did it 10-15 mins too late and has probably added to the pressure on Keats now.
First Munster penalty is going to be interesting next Saturday......
Tyler B has got to be fave to start at 10 next season after today's showing

Wang King

http://m.independent.ie/sport/rugby/munster-rugby/end-of-an-era-paul-oconnell-confirms-that-he-has-played-at-thomond-park-for-the-final-time-probably-31247774.html

Fireball07

Wang King wrote: »

Realistically looking at the game, Foley had to leave Keats on so he could rectify his mistakes, the next kick will cure him kinda thing.
If you hook a player when he's struggling it can destroy his confidence, unfortunately because Keats couldn't redeem himself, Foley had to hook him. Probably did it 10-15 mins too late and has probably added to the pressure on Keats now.
First Munster penalty is going to be interesting next Saturday......
Tyler B has got to be fave to start at 10 next season after today's showing

Keatley has bounced back from poor games before though, I expect he'll be fine next week.

His all-round game is generally quite decent, maybe Murray could take over kicking duties or would that be too much responsibility on his head?

Wang King

Fireball07 wrote: »

Keatley has bounced back from poor games before though, I expect he'll be fine next week.

His all-round game is generally quite decent, maybe Murray could take over kicking duties or would that be too much responsibility on his head?

I think Murray is out for a month at least, so next week is a straight shootout between Keats and JJ.
I can't see Foley starting JJ next week, and everything I saw from Keats in the second half was awful, not even his play which had deteriorated, but his attitude, he could do nothing right and he knew it, his head had gone and there was no coming back from it.
I'm a fan of his, but I think today was perhaps his worst collapse in a red jersey

phog

I'd have no great concern starting Keatley next week, JJ missed a kick at goal too today and missed two last week.

Injuries to other players might be a bigger issue than who we start at outhalf, Murray, POM asnd Zebo all went off injured and we're still without TOD.



If any kind soul has tickets available for next Saturday can you pm me, please.

ouncer

awec wrote: »

Yous can borrow Paddy Jackson for next week if you want.

The fact that jack is still involved in competitive rugby while paddy is now effectively on holidays must rate jack over paddy :-). On a serious note I honestly couldn't believe Foley left keatley on for so long. If you are having a shocker then you are having a shocker. On the 60th odd minute there was a penalty to Munster. In my brain I said take keatley off now and let JJ take the kick. Instead he stuck with ian and what a shocking kick. What did Foley expect. You have to replace as you see it and keatley shouldn't have lasted past the 50 minute mark.

awec

Wang King wrote: »

Realistically looking at the game, Foley had to leave Keats on so he could rectify his mistakes, the next kick will cure him kinda thing.

Don't buy that. That applies after one or two bad kicks, but Keatley was awful all day.

Should have been hooked at 60 minutes at the latest.

Mahatma Geansai

JJ missed an easy kick when he came on too. It wouldn't have been an easy fix.

phog

ouncer wrote: »

The fact that jack is still involved in competitive rugby while paddy is now effectively on holidays must rate jack over paddy :-). On a serious note I honestly couldn't believe Foley left keatley on for so long. If you are having a shocker then you are having a shocker. On the 60th odd minute there was a penalty to Munster. In my brain I said take keatley off now and let JJ take the kick. Instead he stuck with ian and what a shocking kick. What did Foley expect. You have to replace as you see it and keatley shouldn't have lasted past the 50 minute mark.

But JJ missed a kick after coming on too. There's no guarantees in sport.

RecordStraight

Mahatma Geansai wrote: »

JJ missed an easy kick when he came on too. It wouldn't have been an easy fix.

To be fair, coming off the bench cold in the 72nd or whatever minute isn't the ideal preparation for taking an important shot on goal.

phog

Worrying for Munster as we face Glasgow in the final is the easy tries we've conceded recently, Marshall's try in Ravenhill, at least two from Dragons last week and at least one if not the two today. You could add in the disallowed try too as we hardly laid a hand on them on the spread it wide.

At times our scamble defence has been excellent but then we just leak yards and scores.

ouncer

phog wrote: »

But JJ missed a kick after coming on too. There's no guarantees in sport.

JJ came on when game was in the balance. Yes he should have got the kick but it would have been a lot easier if a bit of confidence had been shown in him by putting him on earlier.

RecordStraight

Fireball07 wrote: »

Keatley has bounced back from poor games before though, I expect he'll be fine next week.

He has these blips waaaaay too often to be Munster's starting O/H.

phog

ouncer wrote: »

JJ came on when game was in the balance. Yes he should have got the kick but it would have been a lot easier if a bit of confidence had been shown in him by putting him on earlier.

He missed two last week too with no pressure on the result, he also missed them in the warm up last week.

Wang King

awec wrote: »

Don't buy that. That applies after one or two bad kicks, but Keatley was awful all day.

Should have been hooked at 60 minutes at the latest.

I don't disagree, but its the only reason to leave him on for so long that I can think of

ouncer

I thought Connacht had an out half issue. Who is the backup with jj gone in munster?

Wang King

ouncer wrote: »

I thought Connacht had an out half issue. Who is the backup with jj gone in munster?

Keats

Crimsonforce

I hope Tyler can kick for next season.
rog always got us out of trouble.
keatley hasn't got that ability ,not matter how much time he is given...

RecordStraight

Crimsonforce wrote: »

I hope Tyler can kick for next season.
rog always got us out of trouble.
keatley hasn't got that ability ,not matter how much time he is given...

Murray is also a kicker.

ouncer

Wang King wrote: »

Keats

And I thought Connacht had problems :-)

Rightwing

Good to get the win, don't know how we didn't win that by 20+ points.

At least POC didn't leave TP on a losing note.

CIARAN_BOYLE

RecordStraight wrote: »

Murray is also a kicker.

i wont believe this till he does it in matches and we see what kind of kicker he is.

Del.Monte

CIARAN_BOYLE wrote: »

i wont believe this till he does it in matches and we see what kind of kicker he is.

Do you not remember this?

http://www.munsterrugby.ie/rugby/18459.php

RecordStraight

CIARAN_BOYLE wrote: »

i wont believe this till he does it in matches and we see what kind of kicker he is.

Was he the kicker in Irish under-age teams? That would speak to his temperament, as the pressure is relative to your experience...not as big as an EC game, but the biggest games he would have played in.

ouncer

RecordStraight wrote: »

Was he the kicker in Irish under-age teams? That would speak to his temperament, as the pressure is relative to your experience...not as big as an EC game, but the biggest games he would have played in.

Do I get the clutching at straws feeling that we have in Connacht on a regular basis :-)

Dave_The_Sheep

Some man for a few men.

CIARAN_BOYLE

Del.Monte wrote: »

Do you not remember this?

http://www.munsterrugby.ie/rugby/18459.php

i meant more matches.

hendo12

Who will replace POC? Surely a world class lock

phog

hendo12 wrote: »

Who will replace POC? Surely a world class lock

You don't replace the likes of POC

hendo12

Ok smart arse who would you put in the team at no5