Munster-Cardiff (Spoilers)

grenache

Can't believe nobody started a thread on tonights game so here goes. Not the best of performances, but they stuck with it, started off well with a very clever try by the highly impressive Niall Ronan. I thought we found it hard to find space after that, Cardiff successfully killing the ball on several occasions. They dominated the middle third of the game, their first try scored by Mustoe was a bit of individual class but the blame for their second try lays with Denis Hurley, who i thought was continually poor under the high ball and thoroughly unconvincing throughout before being replaced by the more reassuring Jeremy Manning.

Once Paul O'Connell had begun to turn the screw with our second try, their was only going to be one winner. Tipoki began to find some more space, and Mafi started to gain the hard yards through his usual jinking runs. ROG was pinning the Blues back deep into their half with some fine touch-kicking. Our thrid try was the best of the game, made in New Zealand, through some fine exchanges between Mafi and Howlett and finished again by Ronan. Melck touched down for our last try near the end, a truly opportunist score which assured us of the bonus point.

We didn't hit the heights of last week, but we're ticking along nicely. I am concerned though by the performance of Denis Hurley at full back, very uninspiring, he needs to improved ten fold, he was the fault of one try and his fumbling could have directly lead to another two tries had Cardiff showed some better handling.

ironingbored

The game tonight hinged on what I thought was an outrageous decision by the ref which resulted in the sin binning of Sowden-Taylor. I thought Munster should have been pinged for holding on yet the ref gives Munster a penalty and pulls out the yellow card. Don't know what anybody else thinks.

grenache

Even though i was down at that end of the ground near where the sin-binning occured, i couldn't quite understand the reason for it either, i can only speculate that it was for deliberately killing the ball.

sickpuppy

At that stage munster were exerting huge pressure on teh cardiff line.
Once a cardiff player was penalised there was only one conclusion a sin binning there has to be harsh punishments for players and teams deliberately killing ball c or giving penaltys when other team has good attacking position.
Dunno what penalty was for but was sure munster were gonna score befor e ref blew his whistle.

Sabre0001

First try brought a wave of expectation for me...Then I was left slightly disappointed because there didn't seem to be a cutting edge once things slowed down (when the ball was offloaded in tackle we made ground); this is in part a credit to the Cardiff defence.

Hayes carried the ball more tonight than in years I would say!

Hurley was poor and I'm not sure he's going to cut it - HC final was nerves but confidence is low now and you also have K. Earls waiting in the wings and putting in stellar displays...

But a win is a win.

P_1

TBH I think that Hurley is the main weak link in the Munster side these days. Nearly every Garryowen that comes his way results in some kind of fumble. I'm sure that has not gone unnoticed by opposition coaches at this stage.

toomevara

Poor refereeing performance all round (what is it with Scottish refs?), so bad it ironed itself out over the 80...the sin binning was completely merited imo, Cardiff were, frankly, taking the piss on the floor for the entire first half...

Having said that, a really enjoyable game to watch...very impressed with Munster's second half perfomance...Interesting that Munster's game plan worked in the loose and when they put width on the ball, but the set piece, particularly the lineout v.poor. Some very good individual performances, sets things up nicely for next weekends encounter..(btw, anyone know a bar in Florence or Pisa that'll be showing the game..fat chance I know..)

JWAD

grenache wrote: »

Even though i was down at that end of the ground near where the sin-binning occured, i couldn't quite understand the reason for it either, i can only speculate that it was for deliberately killing the ball.

They were warned repeatedly. Ignored warning and continued to go in off their feet. Ref had enough.
Munster were lucky to get away with this also as O'Connell tread very close to this level of infringement.

Junior

pithater1 wrote: »

TBH I think that Hurley is the main weak link in the Munster side these days. Nearly every Garryowen that comes his way results in some kind of fumble. I'm sure that has not gone unnoticed by opposition coaches at this stage.

He got two massive Garryowens dropped on him in the second half, both were after he'd taken a bad knock to the head, not sure if that affected him, but Barry Murphy didn't do him any favours on the second Garryowen.

I don't think Shaun Payne would have wanted to give up his place on the them so badly last year if he didn't seem something in the boy like, maybe he just needs a bit of confidence ?

toomevara wrote: »

Having said that, a really enjoyable game to watch...very impressed with Munster's second half perfomance...Interesting that Munster's game plan worked in the loose and when they put width on the ball, but the set piece, particularly the lineout v.poor.

I've watched the last two matches, and people are reading the munster line out very easily, I'm presuming they aren't reading the call but watching where the jumpers are going since the munster jumpers are well known at this stage. The other thing that bothers me is that aren't competiting at all on the opposition throw, whether that's down the fact they are still working on what to do with the throw and want to keep stuff up their sleeve I don't know. The only thing I've seen them do is take down the jumper..

phog

I think Munster showed great resolve to not alone come from behind but to win with a BP. Hayes and O'Connell had huge games both took on a lot of ball and retained it.

Pity to see Dowling having to leave the pitch so early. I think Hurley got a lot of stick but up the knock early in the second half he was having a good game.

WRT to sinbinning, watch the game in the lead up of the SB and count the amount of times Cardiff are spoiling and slowing the ball, it happened at our end and the crowd were really getting annoyed at both the ref and a/ref for not penalising them.

Cardif were unlucky to come away without a losing BP.

razorblunt

I thought Manning was heading back to New Zealand this season?

buck65

Hurley will earn it to ever start again for Munster, Hayes was great but Munster looked very dodgy til the last 20 minutes.