Leinster v Munster URC Semi -Final match thread

I don't mind Munster fans here rubbing in their win. All part of the fun. Nor do I mind much that Munster beat a weakened Leinster yesterday.

But what I do mind (and it concerns me greatly) is how someone as evidently biased as Murphy is not only still allowed referee at a high level but is allowed referee his own affiliated club

I understand that the system is inclined to circle the wagons and wants to defend and justify its own decisions. There also seems to be a desire to rehabilitate his reputation by giving him important matches.

But surely allowing him take charge of Munster games is against the most fundamental principle of neutrality - a neutrality he has regularly and manifestly failed to exercise.

Something rotten is going on here and I would hope that the media at least will take it.

Gerry Thornley, Peter O'Reilly and otherd- I hope they haven't bought your silence too.

Frank had 100 caps for Connacht v 14 for Munster and had 40+ with Leicester with whom he won the league. Mike Ross is from Cork yet is ‘Leinster’ as are the Limerick men Sean Cronin and Eoin Reddan.

No Munster fan wanted Frank as ref because of this crap if we win, and the risk of overcompensating.

The really big scandal in Irish rugby is the failure of Leinster with all their money and resources to produce high standard referees.

Have you every objected to him reffing Munster games before?

I only ask because he has reffed munster plenty of times.

Interestingly this is his third time reffing Munster vs Leinster in the last 5 years and there never seemed to be as much furrore about it when Leinster won 2 of those games and only lost this weekend.

I objected the time he red carded James Lowe in Thomond Park.

Im not changing any subject, i dont think he is a good ref. But ive always felt that no matter what the game, teams involved or the result.

Many people now have an issue purely because of this weekends result, when there are other bigger factors being ignored.

I blame them in the sense that i think it was only them who could convince him to stay BUT also if he isn’t rated highly enough to do that, then they have to make that judgement call.

They have enough credit in the bank to say that was prob the right call.

The disciplinary panel didn't think so. Lowe got as short a suspension as they could give him without showing they thought it was the wrong decision and undermining Murphy.

in fairness, we've been complaining about Frank for years. This is just the first time that his appointment has coincided with a defeat.

I'd I remember correctly JL also admitted it was a red, not sure why 3 Welsh referees would be bothered about undermining a fresh Irish ref but maybe you have insight?

Frank regularly refs Connacht matches (remember he had a much longer career there) and has reffed the last few Munster/Leinster ones showcasing his Leinster bias

I've been saying this since that famous 2018 match in Thomond

Do you thnk Lowe shared Murphy's sympathy for a player knocking someone out with a forearm to the chin?

Or do you suspect his standards depend on what colour jerseys they are wearing?

I'd imagine it is very much in doubt. He was told to move to hooker if he wanted to progress and didn't want to.

He was an abrasive back row player, not exactly something they're short of in SA. Most pertinently, when he left SA/arrived in Munster, Stander wasn't half the player that he became with Munster. He was relatively unfit and didn't have close to the tireless work rate that he ended up having.

He arrived in November 2012 and Munster declined to add him to their European squad for the rest of the season (which is usually the bulk of the entire senior squad). The next season, he was in the European squad but wasn't making the starting team. It's hard to know as to how he would have developed had he not made the move. Munster/Irish rugby transformed him but it took time.

I’ve seen a major improvement in Ben Healy since he was in Scotland camp. He can only benefit by being coached by Townsend. He was always a good passer and had an amazing boot but never threatened the line much. He seems to have added a bit of that to his game. Also I don’t see why it has to be someone’s fault he left because someone didn’t make him the right offer or cap him when he didn’t deserve it. I hope we don’t live to regret it in the World Cup but other than that I wish him well.

for all the talk about Leo’s selection, there are a couple of players that if they played and were injured would have seriously impacted their chances against LR, I’d include the entire starting front row in this, probably James Ryan, Dorris, Keenan, Ringrose and after watching Saturday Ross Byrne & JGP. Munster lost 4 front line players against Glasgow, it is so easy with the improved protocols for it to happen. Leinster are better equipped than anyone to manage without these players and it came very close to working.