Munster Team Talk Thread - Beirne After Reading

Really enjoyed that one. Some thoughts:

1. Cracking game of rugby, and a good atmosphere in lovely conditions. Connacht will feel they left that one behind, but very enjoyable all round.
2. That said, Munster's error count just way too high. We shored up the early lineout issues, but other errors continued all game.
3. Nank deserved MOTM, but Haley equally could've gotten it imo. Both had a fine game, just excellent all day.
4. Casey was excellent, the poor bit of defending for Ioane's try aside. Was really in the wars as well, and made some excellent snipes. Clear yellow for Cordero for me, but thought it should've been looked at as a possible penalty try, not sure there was cover in behind.
5. Tom Farrell had a bit of a mixed bag. Some brilliant stuff in attack but 1 or 2 mistakes defensively, biting in.
6. Shane Daly is just routinely solid for us a this point, especially defensively but had some nices breaks for us as well today, like line-break off a set moved on 2nd phase in the 2nd half.
7. Burns didn't have a great game by any means (the 2 kicks to touch, but he threw 2 hospital passes to Barron and Coombes as well) but you'd have to hope the injury isn't too bad. I wouldn't like to have to rely on Tony Butler and probably Rory Scannell until Crowley is available. Butler with a couple of costly missed tackles, but he'll learn from it.
8. Thought Ruadhán Quinn was disappointing, was hoping for more from him.
9. From a Connacht perspective, Josh Murphy had a fine game on both sides of the ball.
10. Feels like I need a 10th point to round it out so…. welcome back Jean Kleyn.

Should be looking at wins vs Zebre and Ospreys now, before the Leinster game and trip to SA. Think it's the first time since the SA teams have been added that we have them this early in the season?

Thought Abrahams was quiet, didn't really get into the game much. Decent kick or 2, mixed bag with his tackling, but on that evidence are we expecting the 1st choice back 3 to remain Daly, Nash and Haley? Or where does Kilgallen come into it when back from injury?

Playing for the All Blacks.......

Team news. Shane Daly at 13 a bit of a surprise, but Nankivell unavailable. Looking forward to seeing how Tony Butler gets on. Anyone know much and Bryan Fitzgerald? I've heard he's a centre?

Munster: Mike Haley; Calvin Nash, Shane Daly, Tom Farrell, Thaakir Abrahams; Tony Butler, Craig Casey; Josh Wycherley, Diarmuid Barron (c), Oli Jager; Jean Kleyn, Fineen Wycherley; Ruadhán Quinn, John Hodnett, Gavin Coombes.

Replacements: Niall Scannell, Jeremy Loughman, John Ryan, Jack Daly, Jack O’Donoghue, Conor Murray, Bryan Fitzgerald, Shay McCarthy.

Pretty reliant on Tony Butler at 10 so. You’d imagine if he picked up an injury it’d be Murray into 10?

And - tale as old as time - Gavin Coombes covering lock.

The back 3 looks pretty tasty on paper anyways, with a nice bit of pace on both wings. Hopefully will run in a few quality tries….

Add in Tony Butler and 10 who wasn't great defensively the last day (but showed some mettle with the kicks to be fair to him), and you'd imagine it's definitely an area they'll go after.

Well Nash and Murray are back this week. There'll be a few more (including Crowley) back next week. I'd expect everyone back by Leinster.