The Christmas derbys! may the hype begin!

Diamondmaker

With some critical HCup games out of the way and both Leinser and Munster still very much in the hunt time has come for the inter Pro Magners.

The Munster Leinster match is goning to be a serious grudge match. If any team is capable of going there and winning it has to be the blues.
In the context of the season Home win and away loss to Munster is an acceptable result so all the pressure is on Munster having lost the away game already not to mention the bazillion games unbeaten in Thomond record to protect !

With Felipe due to be back we are in for a serious grudge match. DOC will have his part to play Id say Wally and all too. Leinster have survived and beaten some serious forward units already recently and the 2 away games to Ulster and Agen will stand to them greatly for this test. Not to mention our 2 moles in Hogan and Keogh, what an addition to the Leinster team!

Obviously Munster will be favourites but thats the way to have it in a local derby.
cant wait its gonna be animal.

davyjose

Is this game live on TV? We've also got ulster in the last game at Laansdowne next Sunday - should be a cracking week.

Ginger

Should be on Setanta..

Only thing is Munster have lost in Thomand in the Celtic League but never (once i think in Cork) in the H Cup...

It will be a great match i hope, po`d that i wont be able to see it tho my brother has my season pass

zAbbo

Should be a good one, starts at 3pm

zAbbo

live commentary here - http://www.magnersleague.com/tools/matchdaylive.php?fixid=9481

Diamondmaker

GRR .
1st half so promising but Munster realised a bit sooner this time that they can only play one game plan. Interesting to note that a depleted Leinster front row upsetafew Munster scrums.

2nd half tactical switch...few penalties later..
game munster. Seen it before!
Simple cruel and annoyingly effective.

Leinster moins an outhalf and an entire frot row were never gonna win this but on the bright side won the two game 5 4 du=e to the bouns at home.

Nothing shown by Ulster V Connacht to show they will beat us on NYE.
I think the game in Galway could also be a real cracker!

Amazotheamazing

I don't think it's quite as simple as Munster only having one style of play, but rather they wanted to try running against some of the best club backs in the NH, in the second half they reverted to type becuase they needed to get 9 points clear incase of a break-away try. Barry Murphy and Dowling will be much better players after yesterdays game.

Sangre

Think Munster got the plan arseways. Should have tried the flowing backs in the 2nd half.

Amazotheamazing

I dunno, against most teams yes, but Leinster can score a try at any point in the game, you want to be very sure of an 8 point cushion against Leinster entering the last few minutes, which limits how much experimentation you can do in the second half.

Look it at as a synthesis of both previous Munster Leinster games this year, the second half was error free pressure rugby like the semi, the first was the run it experimentation of the game in Lansdowne last October.

Positives for Leinster had to the lineout, Keogh and Sexton. Positives for Munster was stopping the free flowing Leinster backs from scoring all but one try.

phog

Amazotheamazing wrote:

Positives for Munster was stopping the free flowing Leinster backs from scoring all but one try.

Did that try come a turned scrum? I thought Munster had turned the scrum and should have got the put in?