URC Round 8: Munster vs. Leinster - 26/12/2023

I don't think the weather is a huge factor here - considering we're looking at a lock. He's going to be expected to do what a lock does regardless of the weather (bar maybe an increased margin for error with regards clearouts and handling). It'd be different if it was, say, an outhalfs performance we were looking at, as the wind and rain would have a much larger effect on his game than the lock forward's.

Standard of opposition is a huge thing though for sure - and you can't deny his obvious physicality. I could see him being a Lion in eighteen months IF he can sort out his discipline and keep having those explosive impacts over the next year or so in Europe and 6N.

And if I do decide to track another player's stats, I will endeavour to apply the same level of scrutiny. So expect to see lots of neutral impacts in the future lol.

I'm going to ask you to elaborate slightly what you mean by that?

Glad the effort is being appreciated though! :)

Ah yes I see.

Now that I think of it, it would be interesting to cross compare across similar games to elite level tighthead locks.

I see LAR are playing Toulouse at home on December 30th. If, say, Arnold or Meafou were playing for Toulouse, and they narrowly beat a mostly full strength LAR in La Rochelle, it'd make for an interesting examination of how (in theory, off a very limited sample size) McCarthy's performance squares up against the top locks in Europe in a similar situation.

Food for thought :)

I used the term 'flogging' tongue firmly in cheek, though they've used him in every game (I believe every minute) they could since he was allowed back, presuming he had the same first option to return timing as the heavily used Leinster WC players. They didn't have to select him in all 3 of those initial URC games, as they had other healthy options, but they did.

I really don't know why the defensiveness about this, both sides seem to have been forced to rest players due to their early season decisions.

That's an outrageous call at the scrum. Munster no 6 literally jumps on the prop and topples the scrum.

Munster not getting much go forward on the carry.

That's a YC minimum

Can’t complain with a yellow there.

That's not foul play? Bull.