Munster Team Talk Thread - Beirne After Reading

irelandrover

Yellow I assume. Hard to see what else nankivell can do

50HX

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121325415#Comment_121325415

Good call by the ref, overall he had a good game

Ahern was excellent & hopefully Nash is ok as he's in top form with a while now

Nice look building to the squad now v this time last year

Neil3030

The offloading by Edogbo and then Ahern to set up Casey's try..... ohhhhhhh yes.

Homesick Alien

Decent performance tonight against poor opposition. Good see some young lads getting a decent run out, plus the two Ryan props going 70 mins. We're top of the league pending the result from Connacht V Ulster but I think it flatters us. We beat very poor Sharks and Dragons sides and just scraped a draw again Benetton. I'd be concerned about the stiffer tests to come which will hopefully coincide with some returning internationals.

budhabob

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121325953#Comment_121325953

Fair, however you can only play what's in front of you...and the results will allow cohesion and confidence build.

I only caught the last 20 minutes, how did butler play overall?

Dubinusa

Oh lord! Quinn and Gleeson getting minutes! Future Irish internationals!

Boscoirl

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121325730#Comment_121325730

The replay didn’t do it justice. Sublime rugby.

Homesick Alien

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121325968#Comment_121325968

He was good but playing off front foot ball for all but around 15 minutes. He had one sublime pass for either the disallowed try or one of of the ones that counted. Can't quite recall, I was at the game and haven't watched it back yet.

phog

Butler was excellent tonight and I could watch Daly & Nash play for Munster forever, they're brilliant.

How good are Edogbo & Ahern, brilliant to the two of them start together.

I was impressed with SOB he was good in defence and attack, you'd have to wonder what the AR was watching for SOB's chalked off try.

leakyboots

I thought Nash was sensational, he's a sturdy fella with a burst of acceleration and a lovely step. Hope his injury is okay. 5 clean breaks, 12 defenders beaten, 163m made. They couldn't contain him at all this evening.

Coombes was our top tackler (13) and got his usual bulldoze try, Barron did some great work on the deck. Is he our starting 2 now?

Daly has really impressed me the last few games. He was in a funny place for a while where he was getting called into Irish squads/training camps, not getting much gametime and then not having his place when he came back at Munster because Haley was going great guns. He's really shown his stuff these last games, lovely 50/22 today, good in the air and defensively sound.

Great to see Butler get game-time, he looks to have filled out a good bit since I saw him last. Joey's injury looks like it'll be 'months' according to Roundtree after the game so Butler could be important for us. Crap for Joey though. All of a sudden now you've a glut of very young outhalves across the provinces jostling for position. Crowley looked very assured when he came on. Harry Byrne went well too this evening from the bit I saw.

I'd agree with Phog, Edogbo and Aherne look like a great partnership, look forward to seeing them a lot more this season. I know a lot of people big-up Aherne but Edogbo really excites me, he's got such raw power and looks like he's sorted out the handling. If Kleyn and Archer can do it, anyone can! Kletn and Snyman to come back. Having Coombes able to drop in for the last 30 gives us an option too sub-wise. Gleeson looks to the manner borne.

Something like 6 of the team were under 21, and a good chunk under 25.

Dragons were gash though, has to be said. We've sterner tests ahead (last week's game wasn't one for the history books, typical early season fare away from home) so the run from now to New Years will see where we're truly at... but for now the Champions look to be building nicely.

Neil3030

Nankivel looks like a superb piece of business too. Very smart player, all round game.

Neil3030

DOC was joking on the sideline that Munster might go 7-1. There are a few pretty solid looking 6-2s emerging though, for e.g.:

Daly, O'Brien, Frisch, Nankivel, Nash, Crowley, Casey, Coombes, POM, Beirne, Kleyn, Snyman, Ryan, Barron, Loughman.

Kilcoyne, Scannell, Archer, Edogbo/Ahern, Kendellen, Gleeson, Murray, Scannell.

Mad that there's no place for Quinn, Hodnett, JOD and one of Edogbo/Ahern.

phog

The hands from Ahern & Edogbo in the lead up to that try 🔥❤️

https://twitter.com/PunditArena/status/1720872865321369822?t=AarwjXsvBC5swxgZKX8m9w&s=19

phog

Crap news for Joey, I really hoped his time away from rugby last year might have helped him with his injuries.

https://twitter.com/TheLooseH/status/1720904328758591918?t=8P20MHbhRd4xsLPqhVhdtw&s=19

Thomasirl123

Teams looking strong and lots of potential. My only concern is props at European level. A couple of big signings and we could be contenders next season.

leakyboots

I'm hoping Archer's end of season form where he was immense in the scrums down in SA and the return of John Ryan who was usually a better scrummager might help us against opposition scrum. Tighthead is a concern going forward as those two great servants will surely be gone by the end of this season

letowski

Tom Ahern has been very impressive, he looks like he could have a breakthrough season. It’s very evident he is a huge talent, showed some class ball skills yesterday evening and has bulked up a good bit too. I think the challenge will be for the coaching staff, is to get him regular gametime when the 3 international second rows we have come back. He turns 24 this season, has had a lot of injuries, he needs just to keep playing games now if possible.

phog

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121327552#Comment_121327552

7-1 split on the bench

leakyboots

Could he still do a job at fullback...? :)

phog

I wonder will we see Halfpenny play in PuC in February

https://twitter.com/crusadersrugby/status/1721226956132196644?t=yRYV3ZUbTih6xv00AW2aMg&s=19

Akrasia

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121327153#Comment_121327153

Joey was really good in the first game of the season, played poorly last week but now we know he was carrying an injury

The poor fellah has the absolutely worst luck

Akrasia

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121327552#Comment_121327552

Tom has been a class act every time he's fit and available.

Every time he goes down for attention I have a mini heart attack as his durability is the only reason he hasn't already been capped for Ireland

mahoney_j

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121331509#Comment_121331509

We’re in some hole now at 10 ….fingers crossed crowley stays fit …..butler going to see good bit of game time now as well which is good …..but lack of depth at 10 could cost us dearly

Akrasia

As Munster fans, the rugby season hasn't properly started until we get our first full blown injury crisis.

I fully expect Conor Murray to be playing out half in the ERC before christmas

phog

Sexton to Munster on a short term contract!

Imagine him winning a ERC cup with us 😂

https://twitter.com/jim_demps/status/1721449378953503203?t=1bQPZ7Ukh7rZUlmfjDoL8w&s=19

boccy23

RG gone again? How long this time?

awec

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121331844#Comment_121331844

Surgery on a shoulder so you'd imagine that'll be a few months at least?

Cookiemunster

In better news the Irish internationals are all back in training this week and Nash hasn't been ruled out of Fridays game, so the injury can't be too bad.

phog

If there was ever a time when you could choose not to have having RG available it's the start of the season, especially, if we can keep Kleyn and Beirne injury free.

sioda

And more starting time for Edogbo and Tom Ahern. This is not a bad thing

phog

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121331870#Comment_121331870

One consolation, it's not his knee.

boccy23

It just seems he is never available for his paymasters or at least not as often as could be. And is for SA.

Cookiemunster

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121332086#Comment_121332086

He didn't make a single appearance for SA between the 2019 RWC final and the 2023 Rugby Championship.

Rigor Mortis

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120065050#Comment_120065050

horrible luck for Snyman and Joey. As others have said, its the right time of year to get them sorted out.

Mr Tickle

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121329564#Comment_121329564

I only saw this now. What a strange move. Cool for Halfpenny, but I wouldn't have thought he's what the crusaders are looking for in an outside back.

Buer

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121332133#Comment_121332133

You're absolutely correct but the optics are poor. He still has more minutes for SA than Munster since he made the move. He was on their sideline in the 2022 summer when still injured in his Bok team tracksuit. And as soon as his test duty is up this time, he goes in for surgery again. It's hard to think his clear priority isn't SA.

The SA union are quite happy for their stars to go to Japan and Europe, get paid by someone else but be available and fully committed to the SA cause. I think Vermeulen at Ulster is as stark an example of it as any. He absolutely stole a living in Belfast relative to what he had done previously. And Coetzee left them absolutely high and dry, gaining an early release to return home before magically achieving fitness way ahead of schedule for the Bulls.

Regarding Snyman, the money would be put to far better use elsewhere. The rumoured departure of Kleyn is a far more concerning development.

KrustyUCC

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121331844#Comment_121331844

We have no luck with him and injuries

Hopefully surgery will be a success and he has a quick recovery

pickarooney

As long as Ahern and Edogbo stay fit, Snyman is an unnecessary luxury in the URC. He'd be handy for the European knock-outs.

Neil3030

For anyone interested, the Kleyn departure rumours seem to be in Midi Olympique who claim that he is top of Lyon's shopping list to replace Taofifenua.

Jump_In_Jack

Can someone update the thread title to add the word "injured" 😜

Dubinusa

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121333105#Comment_121333105

Think you're right on Vermuellen. He was a different player for the boks.

mun1

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121333105#Comment_121333105

Klyne was always going to be in high demand , as one of the best TH locks in the world.

“But the optics are poor” which of course is only your opinion , which you are perfectly entitled to on this discussion forum.

Agreed, we didnt get great return on Snyman due to injuries (not that he decided to have surgery for the fun of it), but when he was needed, in the URC title run in last season , he was definitely committed to the Munster cause.

no comment on your mid piece rant against SA and some of the other players.

CptMonkey

How long ago was the final? Seems strange that we are only hearing now about the injury. We haven't gotten any return on the investment really.

phog

Is there an international player in the world that would elect to have surgery during an international window, in particular in the lead up or during a RWC?

No, didn't think so.

clsmooth

Looks like great timing for Ahern and Edogbo to come through if both Kleyn and RG leave at the end of the season which looks like a possibility. In that sense, RG’s injury isn’t a bad one to get at this stage of the season to let the two young lads continue to get minutes and experience under their belts.

irelandrover

Kleyn leaving will be a disaster. He's been such a mainstay and a top performer in the team.

aloooof

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121334403#Comment_121334403

I think last season he started something like the final 18 games in a row. Unreal stuff.

leakyboots

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121334232#Comment_121334232

Agreed, the more gametime those two young players get the better as they look to have a hell of a lot of potential. You've Beirne to come back also. Wycherley is a good URC player, Coombes is covering lock pretty regularly to close out games since maybe last Feb/March? I think we're well stocked there, if the two SA do end up leaving it's a blow but not the end of the world. Would love to keep one of them though! Kleyn would be my preference, does all the dirty work and is a good man to shove a scrum

Pete_Cavan

Munster should be offering Kleyn a three year contract to get him to stay. They probably won't be able to offer him another contract after this so should be looking to lock him down longer than the standard two years.

He has been so robust thus far that there is little risk in it. He has earned every penny Munster have paid him so far, I'm sure he'll be well worth whatever it takes to keep him. Given the way SA cultivate locks, he might not have a big test career ahead of him either, despite how well he has been playing.

Quin_Dub

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121335757#Comment_121335757

Now that he is NIQ they will only be able to keep him or Snyman I would think and I'd agree they should keep Kleyn if possible but they may not be able to compete with French money for what will likely be his last shot at a big money contract sadly.