Leinster v Munster Semi final Build up thread

shootermacg

Pre Mike Ross Ireland played with no scrum. Mike Ross, the most important Irish player of his generation. He even broke in Furlong for us too.

For that fact alone he gets my shout. You could argue, if Ireland had him in the golden generation, they would need a bigger trophy cabinet today.

Dave_The_Sheep

twinytwo wrote: »

Other than NZ has never played against any of the great French/English or SA teams.

Not going to address the other points, even given the thread we're in, but come on. The England teams of the late 00s (a lot of ROG's career) were not exactly what I'd call great. We were favourites pretty much all the time. They weren't muck, but they weren't far off.

Eod100

Buer wrote: »

That's a good one for Leinster fans too. We remember it as the last meeting between the two sides where Munster were considered a better team. Well over 9 years and counting.

Appreciate the confidence boost!

How does that work when Munster have beaten Leinster since?

Burkie1203

Eod100 wrote: »

How does that work when Munster have beaten Leinster since?

Munster were Leinsters nominated charity those years ...

Heres Johnny

Buer wrote: »

Heres Johnny wrote: »

How does Sextons achievements on international stage eclipse O Garas? I've already admitted I think sexton is the better player but I can't agree with your point there at all.

Cap count aside how aren't they? He was key in beating NZ, winning three 6N titles and was nominated for world player of the year which is based on test match rugby alone.

Owen Farrell is a better player than Stephen Jones ever was. Jones was a completely solid pro who gave it his all. But he will never be thought of as a great despite getting the starting berth on back to back Lions tours.

ROG is an Irish legend and a superb servant who is rightly thought of in extremely high regards by many but his contributions at test level don't come close to Sexton beyond his longevity.

Very selective points, I didn't want to go down being selective but I can pick out individual matches if you want. But I'd prefer to look at it as a whole.

1 grand slam each, possible sexton will beat this though.
58.9% win rate for sexton in Irish jersey
58.2% for o gara

O Gara has approximately 50% more caps than sexton and has about 50% more scores, to me that implies they are neck and neck

128 caps v 79 caps
16 tries v 10 tries
1083 pts v 688 pts
Identical win rate as said above.
Both teams win rates would be lower with an average out half.

Both played in some good Ireland teams, some played in some average teams but think we have to ignore this.

Sexton edges it in championship wins and probably as a player but as for achievements I just can't agree at all.

Heres Johnny

Ian McKinley might usurp them both for personal achievements though, saw him on late late show last night very impressive guy to get to where he is now.
I'd love to see him get to play against Ireland in a 6 nations match in Dublin some day.

Clegg

Sextons achievements in an Ireland jersey far outstrip O'Gara's.

If ya wanna troll you need to acknowledge the others accomplishments but then stick the knife in.

Heres Johnny

Clegg wrote: »

Sextons achievements in an Ireland jersey far outstrip O'Gara's.

If ya wanna troll you need to acknowledge the others accomplishments but then stick the knife in.

How can you say far outstrips though? I checked out their careers and very identical. Apologies but im at home the royal wedding is on the tv im being forced to watch and I can't go to the pub yet as I'll be out for the night if I do!
So want to end this debate once and for all!

Buer

Eod100 wrote: »

How does that work when Munster have beaten Leinster since?

You know the way when growing up you would let your little brother win once in a while cause you feel bad for him?

Hope that there will be a competitive game with a lot of needle today.
Has been a tame fixture for years for... various reasons.

Heres Johnny

glasso wrote: »

Hope that there will be a competitive game with a lot of needle today.
Has been a tame fixture for years for... various reasons.

I think it will be hell and brimstone. Other matches were league matches where both were reasonably confident they would reach playoffs regardless of result of the match.
This is cup rugby.

PTH2009

Del.Monte wrote: »

One of my favourite Munster v Leinster moments ever.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qfSkgzjCZ78

Ah my first Thomond Park game
2009

Remember a few weeks aftet that the Croke Park disaster happend.

Really hope we win today but will take a huge Munster effort and Leinster to go off the boil a bit

Heres Johnny

Heres Johnny wrote: »

I think it will be hell and brimstone. Other matches were league matches where both were reasonably confident they would reach playoffs regardless of result of the match.
This is cup rugby.

hopefully. Munster will be sore about the 4 to 2 star count. want to see it all out there on the pitch - a battle!

what is the ref like - the sort to shut a bit of aggro down or the type of guy that knows what people want in this fixture ?! (and frankly what it needs)

edit. see that it's the first Saffer to officiate a pro 14 knock-out match.

Stuart Berry

In that context he won't let much go I imagine. Could ruin the whole vibe as a result.

Trojan

Heres Johnny wrote: »

This might sound mad but why do almost half think o gara was useless and sexton great and another half think sexton is brutal and o gara great.
2 brilliant out halves there lads. You don't have to say one was a donkey just to make a point that you prefer one over the other.
Try make a reasonable argument it will get you a lot further.
I'm a Munster and ireland fan and I'll always remember O Gara as a great.
But I think now that sexton is also in the twilight of his career, a comparison can reasonably be made and sexton, in my opinion, shades it as the better player and if both in their prime were available to Joe Schmidt now I think he would pick sexton but for overall positive contribution to Leinster and Ireland over what O Gara did for Munster and Ireland, I'm not sure. Like it's so close I'll call it all square.
O Gara came in at a time when Irish rugby was just embracing professionalism and he did an extraordinary job of being better than what came before him, as did his team mates. Set new standards really.
Sexton has kicked on a little further, but no doubt o garas standards were part of sextons groundwork.
I think o gara will finish with more scores than sexton but great to have witnessed every Irish match these 2 have ever played.

Sorry for an untypical boards post!

This is an absolutely disgraceful post, and exactly the reason why this rugby rivalry is going to hell.

Take your fair-mindedness and your balanced views and your seeing both sides of the argument and stick 'em!


(Of course, I totally agree with you)

mfceiling

thomond2006 wrote: »

Sunglasses out today.

Sun's out, gingers in.

Heres Johnny

Trojan wrote: »

Heres Johnny wrote: »

This might sound mad but why do almost half think o gara was useless and sexton great and another half think sexton is brutal and o gara great.
2 brilliant out halves there lads. You don't have to say one was a donkey just to make a point that you prefer one over the other.
Try make a reasonable argument it will get you a lot further.
I'm a Munster and ireland fan and I'll always remember O Gara as a great.
But I think now that sexton is also in the twilight of his career, a comparison can reasonably be made and sexton, in my opinion, shades it as the better player and if both in their prime were available to Joe Schmidt now I think he would pick sexton but for overall positive contribution to Leinster and Ireland over what O Gara did for Munster and Ireland, I'm not sure. Like it's so close I'll call it all square.
O Gara came in at a time when Irish rugby was just embracing professionalism and he did an extraordinary job of being better than what came before him, as did his team mates. Set new standards really.
Sexton has kicked on a little further, but no doubt o garas standards were part of sextons groundwork.
I think o gara will finish with more scores than sexton but great to have witnessed every Irish match these 2 have ever played.

Sorry for an untypical boards post!

This is an absolutely disgraceful post, and exactly the reason why this rugby rivalry is going to hell.

Take your fair-mindedness and your balanced views and your seeing both sides of the argument and stick 'em!


(Of course, I totally agree with you)

I was an Irish fan long before I was a Munster or Leinster fan so I grew to like every Irish team competing against the foreign hordes so I don't really hold any provincial bias for players. Supporting Munster today though but I don't think they will be good enough, but it will be close in my opinion.
Earliest memory was Ireland losing by a point to Australia in 1991 world cup and didn't care where the players came from.

Podge_irl

Heres Johnny wrote: »

Sexton edges it in championship wins and probably as a player but as for achievements I just can't agree at all.

His achievements are winning three times as many championships and and being far more successful on the Lions.

Points scored, tries scored etc are not achievements, they are statistics.

Mind you, Hayes is still the most egregious pick there.

Munster are bad. There, I said it.

stephen_n

Deleted User wrote: »

Munster are bad. There, I said it.

Think most of their fans said it after the Embra game.

stephen_n

stephen_n wrote: »

Think most of their fans said it after the Embra game.

I wasn't specifically referring to the rugby team.

irishbucsfan

Deleted User wrote: »

I wasn't specifically referring to the rugby team.

What you said is objectively correct

irishbucsfan

irishbucsfan wrote: »

What you said is objectively correct

If we ever voted on an Irexit, only Cork would vote in favour.

shootermacg

Deleted User wrote: »

If we ever voted on an Irexit, only Cork would vote in favour.

As opposed to a west brexit I presume?

shootermacg

shootermacg wrote: »

As opposed to a west brexit I presume?

That would pale in comparison.

Herpes Free Since03

Ah! ... the royal wedding is over so venjur and the other Westleinster wannabes are back...cant wait for the cries of "God Save the Queen" as BOD strolls by the camera.

irishbucsfan

Herpes Free Since03 wrote: »

Ah! ... the royal wedding is over so venjur and the other Westleinster wannabes are back...cant wait for the cries of "God Save the Queen" as BOD strolls by the camera.

How did you know it's over?

Herpes Free Since03

Herpes Free Since03 wrote: »

Ah! ... the royal wedding is over so venjur and the other Westleinster wannabes are back...cant wait for the cries of "God Save the Queen" as BOD strolls by the camera.

I'm going to sit in a Munster supporters seat for the anthems and refuse to move.

shootermacg

irishbucsfan wrote: »

How did you know it's over?

I could be wrong here, but according to a close source, the only men that showed up for the wedding were ghey, friend-zoned, from dublin (sorry Leinster?) or all three?

Of course I cannot reveal who Mrs X is at this point!

mfceiling

shootermacg wrote: »

I could be wrong here, but according to a close source, the only men that showed up for the wedding were ghey, friend-zoned, from dublin (sorry Leinster?) or all three?

Of course I cannot reveal who Mrs X is at this point!

And awec...you forgot awec

dubal

It's like being in Toulon, perfect day!

PTH2009

had to laugh at the fella trying to get Andy Farell to move just there lol

Dr. Bre

Herpes Free Since03 wrote: »

Ah! ... the royal wedding is over so venjur and the other Westleinster wannabes are back...cant wait for the cries of "God Save the Queen" as BOD strolls by the camera.

Ya mean Westmunster!

budhabob

Dangerous clear out there by Leinster?

Burkie1203

James Lowe over zebo. Lol

mfceiling

Just give James Lower MOTM now to save time later.

A-Train

Go James Lowe

gazump123

Leinster very much off their feet when they turned over that ball.

irishbucsfan

budhabob wrote: »

Dangerous clear out there by Leinster?

Munster should have been penalised there, Murray was all over the tackled player when he should have been rolling away but we'll take it!

Referee allowing a bit of a free for all on the ground.

budhabob

budhabob wrote: »

Dangerous clear out there by Leinster?

By Furlong? Yeah, looked bad

Dr. Bre

They play the darts song at the RDS!

Thanos

Conan may have scored but the build up for that try was all James Lowe

ScrubsfanChris

No complaints about the try, but the turnover came from a player already off his feet picking the ball up.

mr. pleasant

James Lowe!! So much fun to watch!

razorblunt

Pathetic from Zebo.

Furlong off his feet, clear as day before that though.

Herpes Free Since03

Ref let a knock on go...and then a dangerous clear out...could be a free for all here

thelad95

As long as you use arms, can you essentially tackle a player at the ruck to clear them out? That was a massive ckearout by furlong.

irishbucsfan

ScrubsfanChris wrote: »

No complaints about the try, but the turnover came from a player already off his feet picking the ball up.

Munster got away with the exact same in Leinster's half. I'd imagine the breakdown will be a bit of a mess today. The team who adapts to that quickest will reap the benefits

Herpes Free Since03

Ryan gave up running there...looks flaked out already!!

razorblunt

Oooft Stander shows Ryan to his seat.

budhabob

JOD looks like he got his leg stuck in there, looks in alot of pain