Heineken Cup semi-finals - predictions

PH01

How's it going to go? We're hoping for a Leinster Munster final, but do you reckon we're going to get the dream final?


Heineken Cup semi-finals:

Toulouse v Munster
Kick-off: 14.00 BST, Saturday, April 26 in Toulouse

Leinster v Perpignan
Kick-off: 14.45 BST, Sunday, April 27 in Dublin

MAC_E

Leinster should definetly win their game.

The Munster game will be a much harder and tougher game, and I believe toulouse will provide a harder test that Leicester did. Should be a close game, maybe only a couple of points difference at the end.

bucks73

Again Leinster should win their game but if Perpignan play better than Biarritz (which shouldnt be hard) they will have to raise their game as they werent great against Biarritz.

Munster though is a lot tougher to call. Munsters record in knock out games in France is excellent. Two semi-final wins out of two. One quarter-final win out of one. Only defeat was in the semi to Stade Francais two years ago when John ONeills try was not given thanks to lack of video referee and touch judges lack of eyes.

Munster to win.

jonno

Leinster to beat Perpignan but as was said they must raise their game alot from what I saw in teh quarter finals. Reggie Corrigan playing should be a be boost to tehj forwards but that's not where Leinster's weak spot is; it's in the half back positions that they need to improve.

Munster have a tough game ahead of them especially in France, but if they play like they played against Leicster they should get through.

Which will make for a cracker of a final;)

Sundy

i think leinster should over come perpigan especially with reggie corrigan back at loose head. Altought alot will depend on brian o'meara's kicking which was crap against barritiz.

Munster's trip to toulouse will be difficult but i think they should do it.

daveirl

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PH01

I'm going to the Leinster match on Sunday (hope it's not pìssing down). Got a seat on the touchline at the east stand - won't have a good view but will be as close to the action as one can get.
Leinster to win, although they may have trouble again putting away the weaker side.

Munster to win also - call destiny.

And looking forward to that 'Dream' final on May 25th.

hallelujajordan

Originally posted by daveirl
Leinster to win, Munster to lose.

.

Agreed . . . Although if Munster come close to either of their last two performances its hard to see anyone beating them !

Also, hoping that Munster don't make it to the final so that all those crazy Munster fans who bought their tickets months ago can sell them to us less assuming Leinster fans (cost price, of course)

Samara

'crazy Munster fans' ?? Cheek!!

Munster to win!! Munster are playing fantastically, they have the belief and determination to overcome any team!! It'll be tough but I completely believe they can do it. He who disillusions me will have a lot to answer for

Leinster should win, but only if they've picked up since the last match and don't die towards the end again!!!! I wouldn't be completely confident but I would give anything to see a Leinster/Munster final (with Munster winning of course LOL)

puntosporting

It will be munsters toughest test to date i eckon but i just cant see them loosing!
It will be a munster leinster final with munster running away with it!;)

LizardKing

Optimistically / Hopefully munster-leinster final

Bard

Munster to beat Toulouse
Leinster to beat Perpignan

Munster to beat Leinster


Clearly.

PH01

Originally posted by Bard

Munster to beat Leinster

I'd safe that prediction until after the weekend

Sundy

ive just heard Trevor Brennan is doubtfull for toulouse. That would be a shame for him as im sure he cant wait to play against an irish side. If he does play munster watch out!

bucks73

Originally posted by Sundy
ive just heard Trevor Brennan is doubtfull for toulouse. That would be a shame for him as im sure he cant wait to play against an irish side. If he does play munster watch out!

Im sure Williams, Quinlan and Foley are quaking in their boots.

Bard

Originally posted by PH01
I'd safe that prediction until after the weekend

I'll make it right now, thanks


G'wan Munster! All the way!

Kick ahead Munster! (Any head will do!)

Big Lads

toulouse will prove too strong at home for munster and that will be the end of the red "choking" machine
also perpignon will beat leinster on sunday , they are the dark horses . neighhhhhhhh !!!!!! p.s. we love injuns





disclaimer
**************************************************
the author would like to distance oneself from any possible racist slurs contained within this - neighhhhhhh !!!! giddy up !!
**************************************************

mike65

Munster Win, Leinster Loose!

Mike.

Bounty Hunter

i made a bet before munster after gloucster for Munster to win the double the Celtic league and the Heiniken cup (as part of a bet itself in which a friend of mine a leinster man also put a bet on leinster to win ERC)

and im sticking to my prediction but i think both me and my friend will have to wait till the final to see which one of us will be right (me):)

mike65

AAAAAAAGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHH! :mad:

That is all....:(

Mike.

daveirl

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Sundy

Originally posted by bucks73
Im sure Williams, Quinlan and Foley are quaking in their boots.

probably not actually, id say there crying in a corner or feeling incredably depressed!

And from what i saw brennan had an excellent game despite not being fully fit and shrugging off an early head injury

PH01

...for Irish Rugby?!
Being a neutral part of me didn't really care how Munster or Leinster did at the weekend - but it is a very, very tiny part.
I watched a great game on Saturday cheering Munster all the way and I'm so disappointed to see them lose. If only ROG had done it - it would have been blòwjobs all round. Really sorry Munster didn't get through.
Then yesterday I was at Lansdowne Road to see Leinster lose to a crap team! O'Meara must now be in hiding with Saddam Hussein! That guy single handily lost the match for Leinster! Every time he went up for a kick the crowd groaned. We even had doubts about him as he went up to kick over that one just underneath the posts! Awful stuff!

LizardKing

It was obvious from early on that O'Meara was having a nightmare - should have brough Spooner on earlier and scoreline would ha have been closer .... O'Driscoll had a quiet game too ...

bucks73

Was down in Toulouse for the day. Brilliant athmosphere and enjoyable day out bar the result. Very disappointing weekend all round for Irish rugby. Leinster will never have a better chance than this season while Munster just had too many huge hurdles to jump.

I think both teams had their weak points shown up badly.

Munster have no deadly finishers in the back three. Forwards, half backs and three quarters are excellent but nothing out wide and Staunton makes too many mistakes at full back. Rumours of Chris Latham joining and management should try to get Geordan Murphy. TBH cant see either of them joining.

Leinster need a scrum half and out half who can place kick. A place kicker yesterday would have seen them through.

Toulouse should win it now as Perpignan arent that good.

bucks73

Originally posted by Sundy
probably not actually, id say there crying in a corner or feeling incredably depressed!

And from what i saw brennan had an excellent game despite not being fully fit and shrugging off an early head injury

Hindsight is great.

IMO Jim Williams was the best player on the pitch. The proof of Brennans "excellent" game will come when he is watching the RWC on tv and OConnell, OCallaghan, Quinlan and Foley are down under.

Samara

I think Munster played very well, Jim Williams was certainly on form as was Stringer!! It didn't go their way in the end with just a point in it, but I don't think they have anything to be ashamed of. ROG missed two drop goals but also got two and compared to O' Meara did pretty well under such pressure!! In both the Irish teams the onus is on the kicker far too much, we need more try scorers at the end of the day! Disappointing but a great spectacle to watch, until the last second I was at the edge of my seat!

The Leinster match was painful, both sides made so many unforced errors I found myself wishing the ref would blow the whistle a half hour early and put us out of our misery!! Poor O' Meara will find it a hard one to live down, he should have been taken off earlier, I'd say his confidence levels are below zero, it'll be hard to recover from. Judging from the weekends performances Toulouse should walk away with the cup, they should just hand it over now to be honest!!

PH01

Geordan Murphy going to Munster!? That would make them just about complete.

As for Brennan, I didn't think he was that great on Saturday. He did give away a lot of frees didn't he?

Pity it didn't rain longer in Toulouse. Munster were killing them in the wet. Once it dried up the French side just let lose - great to watch but not against Munster.

hallelujajordan

Originally posted by bucks73
Hindsight is great.
The proof of Brennans "excellent" game will come when he is watching the RWC on tv and OConnell, OCallaghan, Quinlan and Foley are down under.

Brennan will win an ERC gold medal in Dublin in a month while those mentioned above will watch on TV.

TBH, I think Brennan has enjoyed a bit of a rennaisance this year. He's a much better player now than he was when he played for Ireland in the last RWC. . . Maybe not technically brilliant but you won't find a more aggressive player . . . i think he'd make his way into the Leinster line-up now and he's worth at least a look for the RWC

Sundy

i agree with you hallelujajordan, i was impressed with brennans workrate and he was one of the first to every ruck and dont forget he was not fully fit!

As for leinster the half backs looked a shambles. I wont blame O'meara for missing cause he should not be made kick. But really whats the problem? last year i played u18's rugby with an out-half who could have slotted those penaltys over with ease.
Bring on next season and back to donneybrook

And bucks you bring up a new issue who are going to get the nod at lock for WRC?

Any three or four of: Leo Cullen, Malcolm O'Kelly, Garry Longwell, O'Connell, O'Callaghan and Jeremy Davidson.

Difficult choice!

daveirl

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bucks73

After their performance against Johnson and Kay in Leicester I said OConnell and OCallaghan should be the second row for the RWC.

While OConnell is already an excellent player OCallaghan has come on leaps and bounds this season and has turned into an excellent prospect.

I would like to see them as a pairing in a few internationals first though. OKelly and Longwell will be the other two to travel but they were dreadful against the same English pairing in the 6N game.