Munster Team Talk Thread - New season title pending....

I'm thick after that last 20 mins, seriously frustrated with this team. Most fellas went well enough but we lacked leadership in the last 20 after their 2nd try. Nobody stepped up to turn the tide. And we brought on a test Lion at scrum half who proceeded to press the self destruct button.

For the 2nd week in a row we've gone from a strong winning position to a total meltdown. Yes we have a big injury list but it shows that the strength in depth isn't there. A lot of the guys who came on aren't at this level, Wycherly is a URC player at best, Murray at this stage is also that, we didn't use Butler or Gleeson. Would have liked to see Gleeson on before Kendellen, who I remained unconvinced about at this level. Jager did well until the final scrum. Archer in fairness was very solid.

There's the bones of a really strong team there but we need to build a 26-27 strong squad.

You're points would be valid if these were top teams we lost to but in reality they arent, the squad Munster had 2 weeks in a row were more than good enough to win both games with ease judging on the first half of both matches. I personally think its a mental issue more than anything atm, even when things went well in both games you could tell it was on a knife edge, to me at least even when things went well for Munster you always felt they could press the self destruction button at any time and sadly that's what they did in the final 20.

I'm pretty sure for the last try Murray is trying to hit one of the retreating Exeter players to milk a penalty from the ref. If so, got what he deserved.

Bizarre game and left exactly the same as last week, wondering how Munster managed to not win.

While we play a nice brand of attacking rugby, I can’t see us as emerging as credible contenders unless we can get better front row forwards. It’s hard to see us beating any of the top teams in Europe when teams like Exeter and Bayonne are overpowering us in the tight and scrums. Coupled then with Barron not being a good lineout thrower. Teams know what to do, play territory, then target lineout, scrum, maul, pick and drive, etc. If we’re struggling against mid tier opponents these past couple of weeks, it’s hard to see us make any noise in the knockouts (if we do manage to get there).

If O'Mahony is fit I wonder do we considering moving Hodnett to 8 and dropping Coombes to the bench and playing O'Mahony at 7? Ahern is undroppable atm, O'Mahony is crucial leadership wise so it comes down to who you keep between Hodnett & Coombes and of the 2 Hodnett is playing better.

Hodnett would have made a great hooker

Hmmmmmmmmmmm.

It was the same commentary on TNT. Unfortunately I missed most of the second half, haylage delivered to the farm. (Fecking typical)

I believe did spend a year there with Munster at U19 level, but reverted back prior to U20.

All fit I'd be inclined to think Ahern misses out tbh.

Ahern impact sub to replace POM, a la RG for the Boks.

(Assuming no slot available in the second row).

⚠️⚠️⚠️POTENTIALLY UNPOPULAR OPINION ALERT⚠️⚠️⚠️

How good is Tom Ahern as a blindside flanker, really?

He is grabbing much of the attention and headlines for his freakish athleticism in the wide channels and grasshopper-like ability to disrupt opposition lineout ball. But is that what you need from your blindside?

Who are the standard bearers;

Is he putting in monster hits on defense, phase after phase, or at the very least using his athleticism to relentlessly make a nuisance of himself on blitzes (a la, PSDT)?

Is he putting in hard-earned carries in the tight, phase after phase, (a la Ardie Savea)?

Is he a terror at the breakdown, (a la Fourie or Beirne)?

It is of course unfair to be expecting him to stack up against the best in the world, but these are the kind of areas you expect a blindside flanker to impose himself on the game, i.e., making momentum-shifting tackles, carriers or involvements at the breakdown. Sure it's nice to have a 6"9 guy out there on the wing to offer an outlet on crossfield kicks, but the success of those moves is really more to do with the decision making and precision of the outhalf.

Much is being made of the absence of POM's leadership during these underwhelming opening rounds of the Heino, but I'd just be curious to see if anyone else is leaning the way I am, i.e., that what we really miss is a blindside flanker doing blindside flanker things.

I think the respective use of the benches was a telling difference. Exeter brought on 6 players in 3 minutes after Munster scored their BP try. They instantly started to squeeze Munster and the penalties started to mount. JOD was done at a ruck and then Ahern at a maul shortly thereafter. It was compounded by Murray kicking out on the full in between.

Whilst Exeter's bench made a big, positive impact, Munster's did the opposite. It was made for Murray to come in and steer the ship for the final 20. Instead he was the single biggest liability on the field for 20 minutes. Jager also came on around the same time. You can see he played with the Crusaders given his hands with at least one pull back pass as he took it up. But he was done in a key scrum on their 22 allowing Exeter to clear their lines comfortably. There was another scrum on his own put in after that where Munster had to clear it quickly as they were starting to backpedal although Wycherley was on by that stage and also culpable.

And those three guys were really it for Munster in terms of guys who were backed to come in and make an impact. Gleeson came on with 12 minutes left but only because JOD took a knock. Kendellan came on with 5 minutes left. BOC came on in the last minute.

Whilst Munster were architects of their own downfall, I don't think the reluctance to turn to the bench helped. The diminished bench options due to injury was a factor but I don't see why they couldn't have looked at someone like Kendellan to bring in fresh aggression and energy a lot earlier.

What struck me in the second half was just how much rugby took place in Munster's half. Nothing wrong with sticking it long down the field into a corner to force them to kick clear from those areas. There was a real lack of pressure being put on Exeter both in terms of territory and linespeed after the break. That's not really all on the players, for me.

Conor Murray was attempting to milk a penalty before he was intercepted at the end...

Ive always viewed that as cynical play and was pleased to see it get punished so brutally.....

Am I the only viewer who saw the first try by Jack Dunne was a knock on by him? If you watch replay closely you will see ball go forward off his forearm then to be touched by Nash's fingers before Dunne regains the ball. The touching of the ball by Nash means it is a knock on. Did Nash not know the rules or was he not aware it touched his hand ? If it has been reviewed TV clearly shows it touching his hand which completes the JD knock on. It doesn't matter that it went backwards it wasn't knocked on by Nash. Once it touched another player - having moved forward - it is a knock on