Munster vs Ospreys, Sat 27 Sep 6:30pm; Sky Sports

Molester Stallone II

Ospreys

Buer wrote: »

Fair point but these boys have been managing injuries pretty much non-stop since ROG left.

It's a new season and they still are. What are the medical team being paid for?

Their injuries require rest or surgery. They were on tour this summer so got neither

Buer

CatFromHue wrote: »

Also if you play JJ and Keatley you'd want to have another credible back up 10 in the squad.

I dunno. Leinster did it a number of times with Nacewa covering 10 from the pitch before Madigan became a viable option.

Johnny Holland had his first start last week and TB will be a good option but obviously won't be around for quite some time if at all.

Larbre34

thomond2006 wrote: »

Glasgow, Ulster Ravens, Edinburgh, Ospreys

4 losses in a row in Thomond Park. Jesus.

Going to Dublin next week where we're 6-0 versus Leinster. Jesus.

Ya know what, despite the scoreboard last night, Leinster dont have much to write home about coming into it. Has the potential to burst the season into lt or just as easily be dire for both

Mahatma Geansai

CatFromHue wrote: »

Also if you play JJ and Keatley you'd want to have another credible back up 10 in the squad.

Which is why we need the injured Bleyendaal.

thomond2006

Mahatma Geansai wrote: »

Munster don't have the opportunity to play both Hanrahan and Keatley every week, as both lads are managing injuries. We won't see Bleyendaal in Munster colours for months yet. Our centre situation is necessitated by our injuries.

Has this been actually confirmed by anyone from Munster MG? This is an unacceptable situation to be in if that's the case (with Bleyendaal's season written off). Munster desperately require cover.

Buer

thomond2006 wrote: »

Has this been actually confirmed by anyone from Munster MG? This is an unacceptable situation to be in if that's the case (with Bleyendaal's season written off). Munster desperately require cover.

If those two lads went on a reserve tour to Romania with injuries requiring surgery and put off the operations for a season then someone needs a massive kick in the hole. You don't go on a bit of a mickey mouse tour and jeopardise your coming season.

Other players stayed home this summer to rest injuries. I'm sure they could have if they needed to.

awec

Larbre34 wrote: »

Holy crap I hadnt seen Ulsters result!!!!!!

Do yourself a favour and don't watch the game.

kub

CatFromHue wrote: »

Also if you play JJ and Keatley you'd want to have another credible back up 10 in the squad.

Murray can kick can't he?

Mahatma Geansai

thomond2006 wrote: »

Has this been actually confirmed by anyone from Munster MG? This is an unacceptable situation to be in if that's the case (with Bleyendaal's season written off). Munster desperately require cover.

Their groin troubles have been consistently mentioned in the the media and interviews over the last year. Neither player went for surgery during the summer either, as it was decided that just managing the injuries and hoping they disappear was the best course of action.

Bleyendaal is injured and he may never sign for Munster as a medical will be required when he arrives. Johnny Holland picked up an injury last week too.

We're at bare bones at the moment. Everyone can see how much more dangerous we look with Hanrahan/Keatley playing together, we just can't play them at the same time due to injury.

Mahatma Geansai

kub wrote: »

Murray can kick can't he?

He can, but he can't play 9 and 10. I'd much rather we continue to manage Hanrahan's and Keatley's gametime, rather than being forced to play Murray at 10 with Duncan inside him.

thomond2006

Mahatma Geansai wrote: »

Their groin troubles have been consistently mentioned in the the media and interviews over the last year. Neither player went for surgery during the summer either, as it was decided that just managing the injuries and hoping they disappear was the best course of action.

Bleyendaal is injured and he may never sign for Munster as a medical will be required when he arrives. Johnny Holland picked up an injury last week too.

We're at bare bones at the moment. Everyone can see how much more dangerous we look with Hanrahan/Keatley playing together, we just can't play them at the same time due to injury.

Sorry, my question is has anyone from Munster actually confirmed the second bolded part?

I wonder if a call did in fact go in to Hernandez or Sanchez and Toulon's was the better offer. Either would have been perfect.

Mahatma Geansai

thomond2006 wrote: »

Sorry, my question is has anyone from Munster actually confirmed the second bolded part?

I wonder if a call did in fact go in to Hernandez or Sanchez and Toulon's was the better offer. Either would have been perfect.

Not that I'm aware of, but its common sense. The two lads are managing injuries; They have to adjust their training schedule and limit their gametime as to not aggravate their groins. I don't think they are capable of playing 80 minutes every week.

Fireball07

Very poor loss, I think, especially going into Leinster & Europe... we really didn't play much rugby at all, at home, against an Ospreys side who lost one of their star players early on, and who were giving away penalties all over the shop.


They nearly handed it to us at the end, and when we did try to play, we looked quite dangerous. Backline just never got going bar VdH... would agree on the two big lads in centre. Not convinced by Dineen as a 13 either, and I do like him. Keatley had one really nice pass for the try, but never dictated the game and his kicking from the tee was poor. We needed JJ on much earlier. Convinced that we need both of them on the field at the same time... if it's the injuries, why in the name of God was surgery not done during the summer?????

We need them both on the field at the same time. End of story.

Scrum was on top for long parts, line-out was alright... although defensive line-out was non-existent.


I'm just not sure how we were trying to play that, looked very aimless, they were much more cohesive. It seemed as if we were waiting for them to make mistakes and when they did, we didn't punish them.

Leinster haven't been great, but I don't see us beating them without a massive, massive improvement. Obviously, we'll be stronger, but the whole structure hasn't been great so far.




Positives...... well, Gerhard Van Den Heever is a serious player. Not only is he really really quick, he has great feet and is able to go through a gap that doesn't look like it's there.

Jack O'Donoghue looked good from the bench.

JJ also looked lively from the bench.

Butler put in a good shift.

KNS

Try to catch 2 or 3 games a year. Not in the supporters club so ended up costing me €87 for 2 tickets last night including booking. Plus a few pints and a scarf for the first timer with me. Not impressed at all and not sure if I'll go to another. I know it's still earlyish days in the season. The quality or intensity or something can't put my finger on it just seems to be lacking.

Apart from 3 or 4 players and the last push for a try nothing stood out. The ospreys seemed to want it more. How many times did we lose territory when attacking, were slow to move up in defence, aimless kicks, poor kick chasing, etc. felt like we were a push over tbh.

Saying all that hoping that JJ starts to get a good run. Could see the bit of spark he brings.

Also a bit of booing at the end!!

Hopefully it's just early days with a new coach and setup combined with some injuries.

Pity as it's the first match I could really get to and Friday nights are a no go.

A very worried fan.

grumpymunster

I wonder how many will renew the supporters club membership next season if this fare continues to be served up?

Last night was abysmal there really is no other word for it, I am starting to have serious doubts about Axel. Murphy and Hurley what is he thinking for Gods sake, Keatley is not a starting 10 if he is fit enough for the bench JJ has to start.

I think we will be beaten out the door next week I have been to the three home games so far and I see no grounds for optimism this is the worst Munster side for years and it does not appear to be well coached. We need discipline and direction we have neither.

sydthebeat

Jamie Heaslip

grumpymunster wrote: »

I wonder how many will renew the supporters club membership next season if this fare continues to be served up?

Last night was abysmal there really is no other word for it, I am starting to have serious doubts about Axel. Murphy and Hurley what is he thinking for Gods sake, Keatley is not a starting 10 if he is fit enough for the bench JJ has to start.

I think we will be beaten out the door next week I have been to the three home games so far and I see no grounds for optimism this is the worst Munster side for years and it does not appear to be well coached. We need discipline and direction we have neither.

I don't really have any right to have an opinion about Foley, but i fear Munster will go seriously backward with him in charge.

phog

Very disappointed with the game, we played poorly and yet we were still in with a shout at the end. Kicking at goal won it for Ospreys, we missed 5 points which was the difference in the end.

9, 10 & 15 had a bad night for us, silly errors & execution and some poor decisions too.

Losing to the Ospreys isn't a huge issue losing in the manner we did is what annoyed me.

Buer

Foley really needs to look at his centre plans. If he sees Hurley and Smith as his starting partnership, teams will figure them out and Ospreys showed the way last night. Hurley has many attributes but being able to weave some trickery against a rush defence is not one of them. He has a sweet offload but will never be known for very quick hands or slinging skip passes.

Munster repeatedly were caught behind the gain line. When they went to their three quarters, they ended up losing yards as often as they gained any.

Foley has two choices. Bite the bullet and bring another option into the 12 jersey who can play or ditch the back line and use Hurley/Smith as crash ball at 12 and keep it in the pack until the opposition is absolutely stretched to the point of not being able to use a blanket rush.

Also, DOC is really looking like he's done at this point. That was the sort of game that he would excel in normally. Tight, niggly, grim conditions. He was nowhere. I'm sure he'll still deliver a decent performance or two this season but, for the most part, I see him being a passenger. The real problem is that he's also under contract for next season meaning a spot taken in the squad that could be better used by a younger player.

Last point and one Foley should be able to rectify are the shortcomings at the breakdown. Very little impact on the Ospreys ruck ball and the speed of ball they generated was evident even after Tipuric went off. Munster will face better trios than Joe Bearman, Joe King and Dan Baker. Foley needs to start coaching what he knows from his own playing days.

phog

We needed a scalp like this

phog

Photos from last night

awec

Without trying to sound like an arse - Thomond isn't the fortress that it was and he is overstating the achievement.

awec

awec wrote: »

Without trying to sound like an arse - Thomond isn't the fortress that it was and he is overstating the achievement.

Ospreys have made a habit of winning in Thomond in recent seasons. Dublin too unfortunately.

thomond2006

awec wrote: »

Without trying to sound like an arse - Thomond isn't the fortress that it was and he is overstating the achievement.

Yeah Fortress Thomond sounds very hollow at the moment.

Molester Stallone II

Ospreys

thomond2006 wrote: »

Yeah Fortress Thomond sounds very hollow at the moment.

Need a few thousand more spectators to dampen those acoustics!

phog

awec wrote: »

Without trying to sound like an arse - Thomond isn't the fortress that it was and he is overstating the achievement.

Probably true but any coach that brings a team (especially a team from Wales, Scotland or Italy) to Thomond and wins will be very happy and why wouldn't he talk it up back home.

CatFromHue

I suppose on the plus side for Munster if ye got all your kicks, one of which was a bad miss, you'd have won and you finished strongly right on the Ospreys line.

I've been looking at the highlights and it looks like Murray was passing for Stander to run onto, I think! It's still a bad pass from Murray though and Munster had numbers there too.

Stander doesn't cover himself in glory either as Murphy collects the ball and takes it into contact but he does very little to help Murphy in the ruck.

phog

WTV's blog of the game

OldRio

For anyone interested the full game is on S4C at 10.00 tonight with English commentary.
If the Sky match features a Welsh team this seems to be the norm.

Judgement Day

OldRio wrote: »

For anyone interested the full game is on S4C at 10.00 tonight with English commentary.
If the Sky match features a Welsh team this seems to be the norm.

What Munster supporter would want to put themselves through it?

phog

OldRio wrote: »

For anyone interested the full game is on S4C at 10.00 tonight with English commentary.
If the Sky match features a Welsh team this seems to be the norm.

Its a pity one of our Broadcasters wouldn't do the same.