Are Munster for Magners League?

thomond2006

Do you think munster are still favourites to win the Magners League? They took away games in Ravenhill and Galway for granted by playing understrength teams and they have paid for it. They go to ospreys on Jan9th possibly having to win that game to make title safe. Is there still the issue that munster only care about the Heineken Cup?

Serenity Now!

Its a very long season and they provide a significant chunk of the Irish side. Any coach would be crazy not to rotate your players. I don't think they took anything "for granted". Tony McGahan doesn't do complacency.

Maybe they do care about the ERC but this is understandable, in my view.

Climate Expert

thomond2006 wrote: »

Do you think munster are still favourites to win the Magners League? They took away games in Ravenhill and Galway for granted by playing understrength teams and they have paid for it. They go to ospreys on Jan9th possibly having to win that game to make title safe. Is there still the issue that munster only care about the Heineken Cup?

All sides at the end of the season will have a few dodgy losses. Leinster getting 40-50 points on them by the Scarlets last year yet still one. They could still win it again this season.

toomevara

Clearly still in it to win it. Whether that changes as the season progresses is another scenario.

phog

Munster Fixtures:

28/12/08 ML - Connacht away
03/01/09 ML - Ulster home
09/01/09 ML - Ospreys away (nearest rivals on table)
16/1/09 HC - Sale home
24/1/09 HC - Montauban away

Then Ireland go into the 6Ns.

Keeping these fixtures in mind then McGahan had to go for squad rotation and even with the big names missing the result last night must have been seen as a shock to any rugby pundit and one thoroughly deserved by Connacht.

buck65

The Hcup is and always will be a priority for Munster, the ML is wide open now. Munster of course will try to win it but not at all costs. Personally even though Connacht and Ulster beat us I think it is important to try out all the panelists and rotation is a good thing.

I also think that Munster without O Gara O Connell, O Callaghan , Hayes , Flannery et al are very beatable especially against a decent side that are up for it like Connacht and Ulster.

[Jackass]

thomond2006 wrote: »

Do you think munster are still favourites to win the Magners League? They took away games in Ravenhill and Galway for granted by playing understrength teams and they have paid for it. They go to ospreys on Jan9th possibly having to win that game to make title safe. Is there still the issue that munster only care about the Heineken Cup?

I think it's kind of insulting to Connacht and to the Munster players and management this kind of talk. I read on another message board that "it's now clear Munster still don't give a sh*t about the Magners League" which made me smile.

You know, it is possible for Munster to lose games. What isn't possible is to play your strongest 15 in every single game. Munster have been experts at this all season, managing the squad in such a way that enabled players to get rested the odd weekend and still win matches and have the full compliment for the following weeks.

Every team has to do it. Very few players can make it an entire season playing every game. But I'm sure when McGahan named Earls, Howlett, Mafi, Dowling, Warrick, Stringer, O'Driscoll, Quinlan, Ronan, Wallace - he didn't think his team was going to get played off the park in such a manner - which is a massive compliment to Connacht - because these are all guys who have been tried and trusted in the biggest games Munster have played.

But I'm sure if Munster don't win the league it's cause they didn't care. But still favourites to do so.

louthandproud

[Jackass] wrote: »

But I'm sure if Munster don't win the league it's cause they didn't care. But still favourites to do so.

I pretty much agree with what you said above, but let pin my Munster colours to the mast now and say Munster do care about the Magners league and would love to win it. Obviously it comes 2nd to HEC but they still do want to win it and will be disappointed if they don't. They are probably still favorites, but it's very early days yet, a prolonged run or not in the HEC for them or close Magners rivals could have a bearing too.

I think last night highlighted to me at least that the difference between top and bottom isn't as big as people assume it is, a few key players changed, motivation perhaps being at 100% instead of 110% and the gap is closed, nothing can be taken for granted in the professional game, I guess if it could it would be boring and we would never get surprise results last night that make sport worth watching in the long term.

SomeFool

I thought that the Magners was going to play-offs like the G.P and the A.I.L so once they finish top four it won't matter?

[Jackass]

That comes into effect from next season. This is the last season where first place wins the league. Next year it's a top 4 play-off. Which while I think defeats the purpose of a league format, will bring the competition in line with other big leagues and can only add to the drama, occasion and big final element of the league which can only raise it's profile, so maybe not such a bad thing - but that a whole other thread

sm.org

[Jackass] wrote: »

That comes into effect from next season. This is the last season where first place wins the league. Next year it's a top 4 play-off. Which while I think defeats the purpose of a league format, will bring the competition in line with other big leagues and can only add to the drama, occasion and big final element of the league which can only raise it's profile, so maybe not such a bad thing - but that a whole other thread

Cant stand this playoff nonsense, made for tv rubbish. Any team can win two games, takes the best team to finish first after a full season.

Climate Expert

sm.org wrote: »

Cant stand this playoff nonsense, made for tv rubbish. Any team can win two games, takes the best team to finish first after a full season.

I'd agree with you on that. Its like an experiment, you try and get as many trials as possible to find the most accurate result.
The league is a bit distorted by ERC cups and internationals but its usually the same for the top teams.

anonymous_joe

I disagree actually.

In football the idea of playoffs would have me frothing, but the unique nature of rugby does give some extra value to the concept of a play off.

RichTea

I think if Munster really do make a concerted push for the Magners League then it is theres for the taking.

The Ospreys are a quality outfit though, if they win at the Liberty Stadium then I see them taking it all.

RugbyFanatic

I can actually see more teams taking the Magners more seriously if there was a top 4 play off. I think a lot of teams simply abandon the Magners when they realize first place is out of reach and simply concentrate on the HC

Crash

^^what he said. I dislike the idea of playoffs, but it ensures that teams take it seriously because they know they're in contention season long.

Junior

tbh it needs to be expanded to a two league system not only to give the top end something meaningful but also to give the bottom something meaningful as well, oh look we finished bottom again, nothing happened. It may also give teams a year to develop against other teams that are of a same calibre.

Diamondmaker

Anything other than this wrote: »

^^what he said. I dislike the idea of playoffs, but it ensures that teams take it seriously because they know they're in contention season long.

Ditto Ditto

The ML is unique in that most teams will qualify for the H Cup regardless of placing, however, most teams in the ML are not in H Cup contention at season end.................

so if they are not playing for ML placings and they are out of the H Cup, what the hell are they playing for ?!?!?

barnesd

The 6N could take a big toll on Munster's ML season. Munster will lose a big chunk of its pack, halfbacks, and possibly Earls. It's evident now that the 2nd choice pack struggle especially away from home.

Blured

barnesd wrote: »

The 6N could take a big toll on Munster's ML season. Munster will lose a big chunk of its pack, halfbacks, and possibly Earls. It's evident now that the 2nd choice pack struggle especially away from home.

I thought that this season the Internationals are not effecting the Magners league too much, I'm sure I read it somewhere that the teams will only be missing their Internationals for two or so games.

barnesd

Blured wrote: »

I thought that this season the Internationals are not effecting the Magners league too much, I'm sure I read it somewhere that the teams will only be missing their Internationals for two or so games.

Really? I stand corrected so.

Amazotheamazing

Blured wrote: »

I thought that this season the Internationals are not effecting the Magners league too much, I'm sure I read it somewhere that the teams will only be missing their Internationals for two or so games.

They still have to rest the International players for a number of games. There's guidelines on how many games a top player can play each season.

Teg Veece

Amazotheamazing wrote: »

They still have to rest the International players for a number of games. There's guidelines on how many games a top player can play each season.

Are they just guidelines or are they enforced rules?

I've heard people talk about a limit on the number of games a player can play before but I can't recall any mention of a player not being permitted to play because they've exceeded there games per season quota.

cmcsoft

The HC is Munster's priority but I feel they should have enough in the squad to push all the way in the ML as well.

Fair play to Connaught, it was a well deserved win. Hopefully they will push on from there.

As for Munster in the ML I think they will still be there or thereabouts.