Munster vs Saracens buildup

Route1

what do people think of the handicap Munster (+4) I just can't see them not winning this at home as good as Saracens are, Thomand is a great leveller.

Route1

Route1 wrote: »

what do people think of the handicap Munster (+4) I just can't see them not winning this at home as good as Saracens are, Thomand is a great leveller.

Game isn't in Thomond, it's in Lansdowne.

Burkie1203

Route1 wrote: »

what do people think of the handicap Munster (+4) I just can't see them not winning this at home as good as Saracens are, Thomand is a great leveller.

Match in aviva not thomond

buck65

Route1 wrote: »

what do people think of the handicap Munster (+4) I just can't see them not winning this at home as good as Saracens are, Thomand is a great leveller.

Thomand WTF?

CMOTDibbler

Corbin Some Stairwell wrote: »

Game isn't in Thomond, it's in Lansdowne.

Burkie1203 wrote: »

Match in aviva not thomond

One of these is correct. The other one is... accurate

Route1

Oh sorry, well with that said. Question remains?

CMOTDibbler

Route1 wrote: »

Oh sorry, well with that said. Question remains?

Well it actually doesn't. Only the first part of the question remains...

Leaving out the actual home advantage, I think the bookies are about right.

Route1

CMOTDibbler wrote: »

Well it actually doesn't. Only the first part of the question remains...

Leaving out the actual home advantage, I think the bookies are about right.

Aviva remains a huge advantage for Munster, will be a sea of red.

CMOTDibbler

Route1 wrote: »

Aviva Lansdowne remains a huge advantage for Munster, will be a sea of red.

FYP

It's an advantage, Munster have won crucial European knock out fixtures there before. But it's not the same as TP.

I'm more concerned about the loss of Murray.

buck65

Look at the Nou camp wednesday:eek:

Route1

Route1 wrote: »

Oh sorry, well with that said. Question remains?

I think you're probably right, home advantage counts for a lot, if I was putting a bet on I'd bet on Munster.

PTH2009

Three cheers for Sireli Bobo

Serious Sarries team named by there coach fellow Irish man Mark McCall. Would love Murray to be there but sadly he's not. Going to be some challenge but anything can happen in Rugby. Looking forward to the day

What tv station is the B&I cup final on tonight ?

CIARAN_BOYLE

PTH2009 wrote: »

Serious Sarries team named by there coach fellow Irish man Mark McCall. Would love Murray to be there but sadly he's not. Going to be some challenge but anything can happen in Rugby. Looking forward to the day

What tv station is the B&I cup final on tonight ?

Itv's website I believe.

phog

Rassie outlines what happens should we need to sub Williams off

Rather than putting one of his inexperienced scrum-halves, Abrie Griesel or Angus Lloyd, on the bench behind Williams, Erasmus said Munster are ?taking a bit of a risk with Ian Keatley on the bench.?
Ireland international out-half Keatley will slot in at scrum-half in attack if Williams gets injured, while the defensive duties are to be shared among the team.
?We?ve trained with Ian Keatley covering nine in certain positions and then on defence, we will try to do other things,? said Erasmus when asked to explain the decision not to carry a reserve scrum-half.
?We just think that in this game, experience is going to be important and big-match temperament is going to be important, so that?s why we made that decision.?

Burkie1203

Route1 wrote: »

Aviva remains a huge advantage for Munster, will be a sea of red.

Aviva is a leveller IMO. Saracens have a great record away from home in Europe the last few seasons. They have a very experienced team and i dont see them being fazed by a sea of red


Lansdowne was a sea of red in 2004 and the team in black from London beat Munster

Bazzo

According to Murray Kinsella Angus Lloyd, Jack O'Donoghue and Ronan O'Mahony are the 24th men. Wouldn't be totally shocked to see Lloyd appear in the 23 before kickoff but we'll see I suppose.

CMOTDibbler

Burkie1203 wrote: »

Aviva is a leveller IMO. Saracens have a great record away from home in Europe the last few seasons. They have a very experienced team and i dont see them being fazed by a sea of red


Lansdowne was a sea of red in 2004 and the team in black from London beat Munster

It was also a sea of red in 2006 and we all know how that turned out.

Plenty for Munster to draw on that Saracens can only dream of. Best of luck lads, probably our only real hope of having an Irish team in the final. The romantic in me says otherwise of course, but fingers crossed that Munster can get part one accomplished today.

phog

Bazzo wrote: »

According to Murray Kinsella Angus Lloyd, Jack O'Donoghue and Ronan O'Mahony are the 24th men. Wouldn't be totally shocked to see Lloyd appear in the 23 before kickoff but we'll see I suppose.

That's the norm, having extras travel & train with the team. Lloyd is there simply because we don't have a sub scrumhalf on the bench. Any fan worth their salt would have guessed that JOD & ROM would have been the extras once they didn't make the 23.

John Madigan was a late change for last night's game and my concern on hearing that was that he might have been called to Dublin to join the team.

pc7

Best of luck today lads, will be cheering you on. Roll on an all Irish final!!!

Bazzo

phog wrote: »

That's the norm, having extras travel & train with the team. Lloyd is there simply because we don't have a sub scrumhalf on the bench. Any fan worth their salt would have guessed that JOD & ROM would have been the extras once they didn't make the 23.

John Madigan was a late change for last night's game and my concern on hearing that was that he might have been called to Dublin to join the team.

Yes, I know what a 24th man is and that it's normal to have them. :P

LuckyGent88

Safe journey to all making the way to the big smoke. Absolute huge challenge for us today. Saracens are such a well drilled machine and just put so much pressure on the opposition.

Need to come away with points on most of our trips to their 22 and keeping the count down is crucial.

We need our best performance ever I think today and I really think this team could deliver that. Come on Munster

Buer

Best of luck, folks. Enjoy the day regardless and safe travels.

odddavey

Enjoy the game. Wrap up well, chance its going to be wet.

http://m.accuweather.com/en/ie/dublin/207931/hourly-weather-forecast/207931

molloyjh

En route to the airport here so in case I don't get the chance later best of luck boys and girls. The atmosphere should be something special. I'll be cheering ye on in a pub in Lyon. It'll be tough for both teams but the dream of an all Irish Champions Cup final is still on.

Akrasia

There is a weight of hope and expectation on the team today, but regardless of what happens on the pitch today, after what happened this season, Munster rugby have already done themselves proud.

I know it will be close, my heart is going with Munster to sneak a win through grit and determination and pashun

Come on Munster!

Former Former

Saracens

Burkie1203 wrote: »

Aviva is a leveller IMO. Saracens have a great record away from home in Europe the last few seasons. They have a very experienced team and i dont see them being fazed by a sea of red

Even if Saracens aren't fazed, it should be an enormous boost to Munster.

Huge advantage.

stephen_n

Like Leinster tomorrow I'm not entirely sure how Munster can win this, but still feel they can. One way or another I'll be cheering them on from Lyon. Best of luck to Munster, hopefully we get this all Ireland final.

Three cheers for Sireli Bobo

This is the most nervous I've been about a non Ireland / Leinster game in a long time, maybe ever.

degsie

Which TV stations are covering the match?

Boscoirl

If anyone has lost tickets there was some found in the applegreen at the birdhill exit on the m7

Check out the MRSC facebook page,the person that found them has posted there

The persons name is on the tickets.

Bazzo

degsie wrote: »

Which TV stations are covering the match?

It looks like it's been pushed to BT Sports 3(which I didn't even know existed to be honest) because it kicks off at the same time as basically every football match in England.

ScrubsfanChris

Typical the weather in Dublin is looking crap.
Blue skies and stone splitting sun when we left cork

cup of tea

I have 2 spares (face value) if anyone is looking for tickets you can pm me.Heading in the general Ballsbridge direction now for a few pints.

kub

Saracens

ScrubsfanChris wrote:

Typical the weather in Dublin is looking crap. Blue skies and stone splitting sun when we left cork

Ok the weather factor, is that it better for us if it is wet?

WeleaseWoderick

Best of luck to Munster today. Here's hoping for an all Irish final.

thomond2006

Saracens

We're back m-effers! Munster in a big time game. Great stuff.

bilston

kub wrote: »

ScrubsfanChris wrote:

Typical the weather in Dublin is looking crap. Blue skies and stone splitting sun when we left cork

Ok the weather factor, is that it better for us if it is wet?

I don't know the stats so my perception could be wrong, but Saracens always look like they have an enormous, yet mobile, pack. The tight game won't faze them.

Realistically Saracens are a bloody good side. It will take a special effort from Munster to beat them. But they can certainly do it.

Good luck today!

Former Former

Saracens

I think we're going to see two very closely matched and very similar teams today.

Saracens are not a team of galacticos. They're a team of local products and mostly mid-range imports who have been made into more than the sum of their parts by some really good coaching. They're very organised, rock solid in defence but have the attacking ability to take advantage of any gaps that might appear.

You can say pretty much the same about Munster.

Unlike Clermont and Leinster, these are two teams who are nearly at full-strength. Murray is a huge loss but otherwise Munster are in rude health, so long as CJ's ankle standers up, I don't think Sarries are missing any key players?

It's going to be fascinating, should be a cracking game, but I think Munster have been grinding out tight games all season and I think it's going to be more of the same today. Munster by 7 or less and a very nervy closing period in store.

kub

Saracens

Former Former wrote:

, so long as CJ's ankle standers up,

Good one

irishbucsfan

Former Former wrote: »

They're a team of local products and mostly mid-range imports who have been made into more than the sum of their parts by some really good coaching.

Ashton, Bosch, Barritt, Maitland, Wigglesworth, Vunipola, Koch, Rhodes, Vunipola

All brought in from other clubs. Those in bold internationals before arriving

(agree with you apart from that)

letowski

Former Former wrote:

Unlike Clermont and Leinster, these are two teams who are nearly at full-strength. Murray is a huge loss but otherwise Munster are in rude health, so long as CJ's ankle standers up, I don't think Sarries are missing any key players?

Juan Figallo is the only one, I think he is out for the season.

Stars and Stripes

This match has come a season early for Munster. They're still rebuilding and progressing but they're not quite there in terms of where they need to be. They could pull out a monumental performance and beat Saracens having said that. With a bit of luck the Munster spirit will carry them through.

BigBulldog

Crazy delays on m7 any talk of delaying kick off?

BigBulldog

Three cheers for Sireli Bobo

BigBulldog wrote: »

Crazy delays on m7 any talk of delaying kick off?

Because of traffic delays?

Former Former

Saracens

irishbucsfan wrote: »

Ashton, Bosch, Barritt, Maitland, Wigglesworth, Vunipola, Koch, Rhodes, Vunipola

All brought in from other clubs. Those in bold internationals before arriving

(agree with you apart from that)

Yeah, but they're mainly mid-range imports. I'd rate only Ashton as an established star at time of signing, and it was obvious that Billy Vunipola would become one, otherwise not so much. Like, Taute was an international before he signed for Munster, but he was by no means a star. Ian Keatley too.

Rhodes isn't an international btw, he's hoping to qualify for England next year in time for the RWC.

PetKing

BigBulldog wrote:

Crazy delays on m7 any talk of delaying kick off?

A few crashes peppered along the motorway from the sounds of it. And I'm holding tickets for a mate stick in a car somewhere outside the city. Not good

irishbucsfan

Former Former wrote: »

Yeah, but they're mainly mid-range imports. I'd rate only Ashton as an established star at time of signing, and it was obvious that Billy Vunipola would become one, otherwise not so much. Like, Taute was an international before he signed for Munster, but he was by no means a star. Ian Keatley too.

Rhodes isn't an international btw, he's hoping to qualify for England next year in time for the RWC.

Ah ok maybe we disagree with the definition of mid range but I'd have all of those as being top calibre in terms of what Irish sides could attract.

Either way this Saracens side is mostly made up of guys developed elsewhere. Munster are the opposite.

Credit should still be given to McCall for getting the final 5% out of them and sculpting them into a top level side. It really wouldn't matter how much they spent on imports if they didn't have a coach like him to turn them into winners (Mr Boudjellal should get in touch with him!)

letowski

I think so much of our hopes lie on Tyler's shoulders this afternoon. Likely going to be a tight attritional match that will come down to a couple of pressure kicks between himself and Farrell. Also both teams game is based around a strong kicking/territory game. He has extra responsibility there with Murray out, but at least Scannell is fit. I'd back Tyler to play well though, he is in good form and has good composure for the position.

irishbucsfan

https://twitter.com/Murray_Kinsella/status/855770726942613504

CIARAN_BOYLE

irishbucsfan wrote: »

https://twitter.com/Murray_Kinsella/status/855770726942613504

Talk about mind games.