Munster Team Talk Thread - Snymans are(n't) Forever

aloooof · 14-04-2023 12:07pm

Team named. Crowley starts at 10 again, this time with Murray. Snyman too, and Kendellen at 7. No Carbery in the 23.

Good to see Loughman back and Knox in the 23 again too.

Munster: Mike Haley; Calvin Nash, Antoine Frisch, Malakai Fekitoa, Shane Daly; Jack Crowley, Conor Murray; Jeremy Loughman, Diarmuid Barron, Stephen Archer; Jean Kleyn, RG Snyman; Peter O’Mahony (C), Alex Kendellen, Gavin Coombes.

Replacements: Scott Buckley, Josh Wycherley, Keynan Knox, Fineen Wycherley, Jack O’Donoghue, Craig Casey, Ben Healy, Keith Earls.

jcon1913 · 14-04-2023 12:24pm

im genuinely sad not to see Carbery - but not surprised. Hopefully Crowley will kick on now.

please God Barron doesn’t get pinged for doing a dummy throw before the real thing. Such a shocker that wasn’t coached out of his game a long time ago.

Brief_Lives · 14-04-2023 12:31pm

DHL Stormers: 15 Damian Willemse, 14 Suleiman Hartzenberg, 13 Ruhan Nel, 12 Dan du Plessis, 11 Seabelo Seabelo, 10 Manie Libbok, 9 Paul de Wet, 8 Hacjivah Dayimani, 7 Ben-Jason Dixon, 6 Willie Engelbrecht, 5 Marvin Orie, 4 Ruben van Heerden, 3 Frans Malherbe, 2 Joseph Dweba, 1 Steven Kitshoff (captain).

Replacements: 16 JJ Kotze, 17 Ali Vermaak, 18 Neethling Fouche, 19 Ernst van Rhyn, 20 Marcel Theunissen, 21 Evan Roos, 22 Herschel Jantjies, 23 Clayton Blommetjies.

yikes...

durthacht · 14-04-2023 12:42pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120476793#Comment_120476793

Is Carbery injured? I thought he had been playing at a level worth a place in the squad, if not a guaranteed starter.

Former Former Former · 14-04-2023 12:59pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120476943#Comment_120476943

Presumably just in reserve for next weekend. Whatever about Crowley, it's highly unlikely he's slipped behind Ben Healy.

aloooof · 14-04-2023 1:05pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120476943#Comment_120476943

He started the season poorly, went well after the AI’s but slipped back again the last while, is my view of his form.

So much so that Crowley was preferred to start ahead of him for the Champions Cup knockout game vs the Sharks.

It could just be a case of keeping the squad fresh tho; Munster played well but faded badly in both games in SA last season.

jcon1913 · 14-04-2023 1:05pm

True enough - Carbery is surely still ahead of Healy

14-04-2023 1:39pm

Shame it seems to be a game too early for Edogbo - would have thought he was a significant power upgrade over Wycherley.

mahoney_j · 14-04-2023 1:50pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120477017#Comment_120477017

Healy would be better suited to what we need now than both Crowley and joey ….but third choice because he is off at end season ….

durthacht · 14-04-2023 1:58pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120477201#Comment_120477201

How so?

snotboogie · 14-04-2023 2:03pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120477149#Comment_120477149

Yep, Rowntree has gone very conservative with selection over the last few months. Some of it may be down to injury but it seems like he's really tightened up. He started Campbell and Phillips with Edogbo and Quinn on the bench at the start of the season on the back of two bad losses when the whole team was under the pump and went on to win a high pressure game against Zebre. Two weeks later he started with Campbell at 15 and Edogbo at second row with Ahern on the bench for another high pressure game after a bad loss to Connacht. That team smashed the Bulls. All 5 of those players have disappeared over the last two months despite being listed as fit. Pre season he was picking Okeke before his injury but again he's been fit for two months yet nowhere to be seen.

Our pack looks to be the dreaded combination of light and slow. Who's going to carry in that pack? Are they going to ask Coombs to do it all or are we hoping and praying that Snyman has rediscovered his fitness and form to take on some of that load? You would think that one of more of Ahern, Edogbo, Quinn, Okeke or Campbell could add heft, power and speed off the bench but instead we have Wycherly, JOD and Earls.

stephen_n · 14-04-2023 2:03pm

That’s a strong Stormers team. Big ask for Munster. LBP or TBP would probably be a good result.

aloooof · 14-04-2023 2:26pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120477268#Comment_120477268

Yep, Rowntree has gone very conservative with selection over the last few months.

Extremely harsh on Rowntree, imo.

He started Campbell and Phillips with Edogbo and Quinn on the bench at the start of the season on the back of two bad losses when the whole team was under the pump and went on to win a high pressure game against Zebre.

With regards Philips and Campbell, wasn't this during the EI tour? If so, they were literally our only back-3 players available because of injuries to Haley, Zebo, Liam Coombes, Earls and Conway, and Daly and Dash away with the EI tour.

We had nobody else. And besides, Daly and Nash have been 2 of our best players of the season so far; they're both now justified 1st choice.

With regards Edogbo and Ahern, they've both had injury issues.

Cookiemunster · 14-04-2023 2:46pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120477268#Comment_120477268

Campbell started the Scarlets game, which was only 3 games ago, and has 10 senior appearances this season. Edogbo had 7 appearances before he got injured. Would he have gotten that exposure earlier in the season if Snyman had been fit?

And as said above Edogbo and Ahern have been out injured for 4 or 5 months, never mind the last two.

Quinn was away with the u20s for the last two months. Although he was released back to us for the Benetton game the week before the tournament started as we were down to bare bones.

I do laugh at the idea of Zebre being a high pressure game too. It was one we were always going to win despite the bad start to the season.

snotboogie · 14-04-2023 3:01pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120477499#Comment_120477499

As I said Rowntree took big risks in selection earlier in the season. Which is why we've seen the likes of Campbell and Edogbo get so much gametime. I've seen that largely dissapate away as the season has gone on.

I think we are going into this game with a very light slow pack that lacks ball carrying. Our bench, with the exception of Casey, lacks impact players. I would have liked to have seen Rowntree take more risks to mitigate against that. We have less experienced players who can add size and athleticism. Just my uninformed opinion, lets see what happens on Saturday. I'd love to be wrong.

aloooof · 14-04-2023 4:01pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120477575#Comment_120477575

But Campbell got gametime in part because we had literally nobody else. Edogbo's opportunities have dissipated because he's been injured. I think it's a really harsh reading of Rowntree's selections.

I'd agree with regards the pack, tho, but that's who we have. Hopefully Snyman can take some of the carrying load off Coombes, and we saw him get his hands free a tonne in contact vs Sharks.

mahoney_j · 14-04-2023 4:29pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120477235#Comment_120477235

better boot to kick corners and balls in behind defences …..badly needed when your pack is been beaten …..

mun1 · 14-04-2023 9:03pm

Campbell got injured during warmup in young munster game v garryowen last week, so assume thats why he didnt travel

15-04-2023 10:19am

Hopefully Carberry is picked next week and there is nothing amiss. Munster aside any injuries before the World Cup and Carbery could be right back into the fold, would be great if he closes out the season positively and is in a good headspace going into the Summer break.

Not worried about that pack going up against the Stormers, lots of experience - plenty of grunt in the second row and Loughman will make a difference up front. Sharks didn't look great shakes last night but my take on them is that they turn it on when they need to and can be bang average otherwise. I'd rather not be going there badly needing a result so leaving the table standings aside I'd be going all out for a win today.

First 20 minutes is key, Munster can't wait until half time to start playing rugby and there has to be a reaction after the last couple of weeks. If the season falls apart at this stage Rowntree is going to be under a lot of pressure next year and I don't see that as being particularly helpful.