Munster v Leinster.

paulgumdrop

Well done Leinster, well done Munster. Looks like next weeks show down is going to be crucial. I assume all the big guns will be back. Hope Darcy will be ok as he needs another few matches to show the Lions management what he can do.

remus808

Interesting stuff!

Munster: 45 Pts
Leinster: 42 Pts

After the derby theres:
Leinster | Edinburgh | (Away)
Leinster | Glasgow | (Home)
Leinster | Scarlets | (Home)
Leinster | Dragons | (Away)

Munster | Connacht | (Home)
Munster | Scarlets | (Home)
Munster | Cardiff | (Away)
Munster | Ospreys | (Home)


Looking at that, I think Leinster will be counting on Cardiff to do them a favour. If both teams are serious about the title championship, every other fixture there is very winnable so it should come down to next weekend.

thomond2006

Leinster must win at TP, but it just ain't gonna happen man.

Both teams will win the home games, but the away games are all tricky.

ScholesyIsGod

Edinburgh away could be a potential banana skin for Leinster, obviously they hammered them in the Heineken Cup but they've struggled over there in the past. Its certainly all to play for.

Macsimus

Bring it on - end of the season shaping up nicely. Looking forward to seeing Leamy and Heaslip going head to head next week..

barnesd

It starts. Munster for me are the clear favourites for this game. I hate to say it but I genuinely can't see a Leinster win, the Munster pack is going to be too strong.

My Leinster team would be:

15. Kearney
14. Horgan (Fitz if he's fit but I don't think he will be)
13. BOD
12. D'Arcy
11. Nacewa
10. Contepomi
9. Whitaker (would like to see POD but it just won't happen)
8. Heaslip
7. Jennings
6. Elsom
5. Cullen
4. MOK
3. Wright
2. Jackman
1. Healy

_blank_

pre-emptive...

barnesd

I've tried my best to start it off as a rugby discussion. Please continue it like that.

thomond2006

barnesd wrote: »

It starts. Munster for me are the clear favourites for this game. I hate to say it but I genuinely can't see a Leinster win, the Munster pack is going to be too strong.

My Leinster team would be:

15. Kearney
14. Horgan (Fitz if he's fit but I don't think he will be)
13. BOD
12. D'Arcy
11. Nacewa
10. Contepomi
9. Whitaker (would like to see POD but it just won't happen)
8. Heaslip
7. Jennings
6. Elsom
5. Cullen
4. MOK
3. Wright
2. Jackman
1. Healy

Leinster are a very good side but are badly weakened by Chris "Stepper" Whitaker. He makes it very hard for your backs to make space. He could make Munster's defensive work very simple.

As a Munster man, hope to see Whitaker at TP. :D:D

barnesd

Did you see the way he made space for Keogh today? I actually thought he was grand this evening, no complaints from me. And I wouldn't be his biggest fan at all.

thomond2006

barnesd wrote: »

Did you see the way he made space for Keogh today? I actually thought he was grand this evening, no complaints from me. And I wouldn't be his biggest fan at all.

Even so, POD would be better

Macsimus

thomond2006 wrote: »

Leinster are a very good side but are badly weakened by Chris "Stepper" Whitaker. He makes it very hard for your backs to make space. He could make Munster's defensive work very simple.

As a Munster man, hope to see Whitaker at TP. :D:D

Well in fairness if you play TOL instead of Strings, Whitaker will be in good company in the stepper stakes. (though admitedly id swap ya in a heartbeat)

9 is obviously our biggest problem at the moment, but so long as Munster play rog instead of Warwick we'll be in with a good shot. Dont get me wrong, rog is a fine player, but he has been off his top form lately and has weaknesses we can exploit -whereas Warwick has looked almost infallible in games this season.

Either way should be a great game, this Derby is always the highlight of the season as far as im concerned and whoever wins deserves the title

thomond2006

Macsimus wrote: »

Either way should be a great game, this Derby is always the highlight of the season as far as im concerned and whoever wins deserves the title

+1.

[Jackass]

Leinster's major weak points are Stan Wright (a.k.a 6 point head start) and Chris Whitaker.

I'd like to mix it up a bit in the forwards. I'd go with:

1. Healy
2. Jackman
3. Van Der Linde
4. Cullen
5. Elsom
6. O'Brien
7. Jennings
8. Heaslip

9. Whitaker*
10. Contepomi
11. Fitzgerald
12. D'Arcy
13. O'Driscoll
14. Nacewa
15. Kearney

*O'Donoghue, as shown against Ospreys, needs more experience and wouldn't risk him in a game this important. Keogh at 9 is decent option also, but has feck all game time, which only leaves Whitaker, which in fairness, had a good game against Ulster.

Elsom in second row still leaves 3 line out options in Elsom, Cullen & Heaslip and this is by far our most powerfull and aggressive pack. Elsom can still do all his excellent work around the pitch (where he offers infinitely more than Hogan, O'Kelly or Toner) and leaves an extremely powerfull and strong backrow. Front row is very strong too.

In the backline, should be a straight forward selection, but it has taken MC this long to get it right, hopefully it will be. To me, that is a very strong Leinster team and the bonus against Ulster shows superb composure and clinicalness. If all is fit and that team could start I would rule nothing out against Munster.

I'll be making the trip south and can't wait for this game - 2 massive weekends ahead, but this will go a long way to decideing the league...Leinster have a far superior points difference also (30+ iirc) which nearly acts as an extra point in the title race as if it finishes level at the end of the season you'd have to fancy Leinster to have the superior points difference. A loss for Leinster here and it's game over.

Injury concerns are for CJ Van Der Linde, D'Arcy & Nacewa who all got knocks v Ulster and Fitzgerald who has an arm injury, but hopefully (fingers crossed) all will be fit.

Going to be a massive game and can't wait. More or less going to be played like the league final and may well be so also. Not going to make predictions yet, but either way it'll be some night in Limerick and I'd urge all Leinster fans to get on a plane, train or automobiel and make their way down (tickets may still be available through Leisnterfans website, Munsterfans or around the ground...also can contact Leinster ticket office, Munster ticket office or ticketmaster, I'm sure there'll be a few more floating around if you ask).

Anyway, can't wait and I've a feeling something special could happen.

Also don't forget, a possible dress rehersal for the Heineken Cup semi-final also.

Fun times in Irish rugby.

damselnat

Can't believe I'm going to miss this >cries softly< anyone know if any of the TV channels will have it so I can Sky plus it? I know S4C often show the ML matches, but I'm away all week so I can't check!

Euro_Kraut

damselnat wrote: »

Can't believe I'm going to miss this >cries softly< anyone know if any of the TV channels will have it so I can Sky plus it? I know S4C often show the ML matches, but I'm away all week so I can't check!

Its on Setanta.

Nukem

Leinster looked liked a pretty composed team at times and took majority of their chances when the came along. Worried about this short passing game when in heavy traffic, looks like they don't know what they want to do with the ball.

Its going to be a cracker and I hope it lives to expectations. What will Munster do? Ring the changes and bring back all the internationals or let the relatively good players where they are (e.g - warrick, ronan, ryan)

NickNolte

My money would be on Munster to win this but I think Leinster are in with a chance, depending on selections and availability. Either way, I'm looking forward to heading to Limerick for a good night out and a bit of craic.

[Jackass]

Nukem wrote: »

Leinster looked liked a pretty composed team at times and took majority of their chances when the came along. Worried about this short passing game when in heavy traffic, looks like they don't know what they want to do with the ball.

Its going to be a cracker and I hope it lives to expectations. What will Munster do? Ring the changes and bring back all the internationals or let the relatively good players where they are (e.g - warrick, ronan, ryan)

I'd be fairly sure the Munster line-up will be along the lines of:

1. Horan
2. Flannery
3. Hayes
4. O'Callaghan
5. O'Connell
6. Quinlan
7. Wallace
8. Leamy

9. O'Leary
10. O'Gara
11. Earls
12. Mafi
13. Tipoki
14. Howlett
15. Warwick

Pending injuries of course..

themont85

[Jackass] wrote: »

Leinster's major weak points are Stan Wright (a.k.a 6 point head start) and Chris Whitaker.

I'd like to mix it up a bit in the forwards. I'd go with:

1. Healy
2. Jackman
3. Van Der Linde
4. Cullen
5. Elsom
6. O'Brien
7. Jennings
8. Heaslip

9. Whitaker*
10. Contepomi
11. Fitzgerald
12. D'Arcy
13. O'Driscoll
14. Nacewa
15. Kearney

I like the team and i agree that putting Elsom in the 2nd row with O'Brien in the back row would imo do a job on the Munster pack. However, Cullen would be our only recognised line out jumper(Elsom and Heaslip can but they are secondary options realistically) against the class pairing of DOC and POC would destroy our linesout i reckon. Put Mal in the team or Toner and move Elsom to his natural 6 for O'Brien, O'Brien's time will come but atm Elsom is playing some of the best rugby in the Northern Hemisphere.

For Leinster its all about getting quick ball which we got in the second half today despite Ulster's dubious play at ruck time. If Whitiker can deliver a solid performance like today in comparison to his flat efforts this season our chances go up big time. As they do with Darcy in at 12, go forward ball of first and second phase is something we've lacked this year and Darcy seems to have adapted quick enough to Gaffney's system which has caused problems this year for the rest of them.

We need to stop the Munster pack from building up a head of steam, we cannot allow them to dictate the games flow like they have every time they've done a number on us(HC 2006 and RDS in Sept). I firmly believe on form our pack on paper can match Munsters like last year we did twice, but anywhere below 100% and Munster will trottle us imo.

Should be a good game but Leinster will need to play at their very very best to come up with the win in Thomand. Realistically our performances thus far this year would suggest we don't have much of a chance but we are in position in both the HC and the League, its time to hit some form.

chupacabra

Looking foward to this one, very hard to call, but my heart says munster.

twinytwo

chupacabra wrote: »

Looking foward to this one, very hard to call, but my heart says munster.

Munster will rise Leinster will fall.....simple as

Teg Veece

twinytwo wrote: »

Munster will rise Leinster will fall.....simple as

Pre- 6 Nations, I would have agreed with you but it's hard to know what kind of form either team will be in now.
Hoping Munster pick up where they left off though!

paulgumdrop

I think that Thomond is not the fortress that it used to be. It doesn't seem to hold the same fear from opposing teams as it used to.

thomond2006 wrote: »

Leinster must win at TP, but it just ain't gonna happen man.

Both teams will win the home games, but the away games are all tricky.

ScholesyIsGod

It was never a fortress in the Magners League, I remember Edinburgh hammering us 3-21 there the the week before we went to Welford Road and beat Leicester. That being said in a crunch game like the one at the weekend i think it home advantage will have a part to play.

Amazotheamazing

I think if any fan asked themselves honestly, they'd rather their team lost next week and won the week after. I expect it's much the same for the coaches, who will be using this game to get ready for the quarter final. With that in mind, even if we do see two full strength teams, there may well be some shadow boxing going on with both teams working on things for the following week.

rugbynut

I was a bit concerned with Earls on Friday night. I'm a huge Earls fan but I thought he was off the pace a bit and missed a few crucial tackles - one led to their try. Any news on Darcy injury?

justsomebloke

Amazotheamazing wrote: »

I think if any fan asked themselves honestly, they'd rather their team lost next week and won the week after. I expect it's much the same for the coaches, who will be using this game to get ready for the quarter final. With that in mind, even if we do see two full strength teams, there may well be some shadow boxing going on with both teams working on things for the following week.

agreed I think the following week is going to be the biggest factor on the match cause even though it is the biggest magners League game of the reason both of them will have an eye on the following week and won't want to have any major injuries going into the HC

NickNolte

I don't think there's any argument that the HC takes priority over the ML for any team. I'm sure we'll still see a good scrap on Saturday though as silverware is still at stake. That's provided that the Munster and Leinster lads aren't making love to each other all over the pitch because of their newly acquired unity/6 Nations silverware. Although somehow I doubt it

buck65

If Munster win the ML is over, If Leinster win the cat really is amongst the pigeons and the league could go either way. I really feel though that Leinster can win this as they look more fluent recently. Munster will have one eye on Ospreys the following week as will Leinster but Leinster in this competition will be hard to shake.

barnesd

rugbynut wrote: »

I was a bit concerned with Earls on Friday night. I'm a huge Earls fan but I thought he was off the pace a bit and missed a few crucial tackles - one led to their try. Any news on Darcy injury?

D'Arcy is fine apparently.

zAbbo

Did I hear correct that CJ VDL is out?

RuggieBear

zAbbo wrote: »

Did I hear correct that CJ VDL is out?

well he lasted about 6mins last night so i would reckon he won't be available. pity really as in the one scrum he took part in, he had Bryan Young in all sorts of trouble.

TBH at this stage i would almost give him the rest of the season off to try and sort out the toe problem.

Amazotheamazing

NickNolte wrote: »

I don't think there's any argument that the HC takes priority over the ML for any team. I'm sure we'll still see a good scrap on Saturday though as silverware is still at stake. That's provided that the Munster and Leinster lads aren't making love to each other all over the pitch because of their newly acquired unity/6 Nations silverware. Although somehow I doubt it

I disagree, I have been to tens of games for Munster in the ML where they quite clearly didn't give anywhere near as much as they do in the HEC. Infact, some of the worst performances Munster serve up are at home in the ML.

RuggieBear

buck65 wrote: »

If Munster win the ML is over, If Leinster win the cat really is amongst the pigeons and the league could go either way. I really feel though that Leinster can win this as they look more fluent recently. Munster will have one eye on Ospreys the following week as will Leinster but Leinster in this competition will be hard to shake.

yep totally agree. If leinster win then the teams are level on points (assuming that it will be close and munster will get the losing bp). If munster win then munster need to seriously mess up against the likes of connacht and ospreys (at home) or Cardiff (away) for Leinster to even have a small chance. Not likely tbh.

Stupido

and Van Der Linde? .

He didn't even get to trot to halfway before he had to go off again



incidently didn't Ulster's backs remind you of the Leinster of old?

Amazotheamazing

RuggieBear wrote: »

yep totally agree. If leinster win then the teams are level on points (assuming that it will be close and munster will get the losing bp). If munster win then munster need to seriously mess up against the likes of connacht and ospreys (at home) or Cardiff (away) for Leinster to even have a small chance. Not likely tbh.

Munster's run in is

Leinster
Connacht
Scarlets
Cardiff (away)
Ospreys

Leinster, Cardiff and Ospreys are in the HEC quarter finals, Scarlet's are having a bad season but still have top class players like Jones and King. Sure, Connacht on paper should be an "easy" game, but Connacht always raise their game when they are playing another province. Not sure why people think a run-in with 4 good teams is an easy one.

RuggieBear

because Munster are better than all of them?:)

Amazotheamazing

RuggieBear wrote: »

because Munster are better than all of them?:)

Of course, of course, however our record against those teams says otherwise.

twinytwo

Amazotheamazing wrote: »

Of course, of course, however our record against those teams says otherwise.

That said if munster by some freaky god induced moment actually lose the HC i hope it goes to leinster and not to the FRENCH!

thomond2006

RuggieBear wrote: »

because Munster are better than all of them?:)

You have seen the light, my son! :D:D

spoon

With Leinster winning with the bonus point this weekend, it makes the importance of this match even greater. I think we're going to be in for one hell of a match. I just hope that there are no serious injuries with the HC games coming up, as i doubt we'll see either team giving an inch.

I think Munster will shave the win with a lot of the game being a hard faught battle between the forwards.

thomond2006

My Munster XV would be:

Warwick, Howlett, Earls, Mafi, B. Murphy, ROG, Strings; Horan, Flannery,
Bull Hayes, DOC, POC, Quinny, Ronan, Wallace

spoon

I was under the impression that we should see Tipoke back to full fitness? If that was the case, i'd love to see him start with Earls on the wing. Since Dowling is more than likely out for the Ospreys too and while Earls is a decent winger, he would need game time there.

Amazotheamazing

spoon wrote: »

I was under the impression that we should see Tipoke back to full fitness? If that was the case, i'd love to see him start with Earls on the wing. Since Dowling is more than likely out for the Ospreys too and while Earls is a decent winger, he would need game time there.

Dowling might be back for the Leinster game.

spoon

Amazotheamazing wrote: »

Dowling might be back for the Leinster game.

That would be welcome news. Initially the injury was to take him till after the Ospreys game to recover.

stephen_n

thomond2006 wrote: »

Leinster are a very good side but are badly weakened by Chris "Stepper" Whitaker. He makes it very hard for your backs to make space. He could make Munster's defensive work very simple.

As a Munster man, hope to see Whitaker at TP. :D:D

Would be a very vocal critic of two steps whitaker myself this season but against Ulster yesterday he played like he did before being injured last season no messing about, in and getting the ball straight away and no steps before his pass if he plays like that against Munster I will be more than happy to see him selected.

Cullen and Mal in the second row for defenite otherwise we can forget about any lineout ball all day and Leo will add a bit of bite to our pack whcih was lacking in the RDS.

If Darcy isn't available I would like to see Sexton start at ten, think he did well when he came on yesterday and playing FC at 12 would mean no real loss in strength defensively or in attack.

Think it will be a really tight game and hard to call, you would have to fancy Munster in TP with the Irish players returning but Leinster looked a lot better yesterday and will have good momentum going into this game.

[Jackass]

twinytwo wrote: »

That said if munster by some freaky BOD induced moment actually lose the HC i hope it goes to leinster and not to the FRENCH!

Fixed that for you

paulgumdrop

Why oh why does Cheika pick Cameron Jowitt over O'Brien. It may be a line-out advantage but O'Brien is devastating around the pitch. Also where is Stephen Keogh gone - is he injured? He'd strike me as a good pick for the Munster match.

justsomebloke

Euro_Kraut wrote: »

Its on Setanta.

Just a note this is on Setanta1 and NOT setanta Ireland from the look of it so you may have to go to the pub to watch it

thomond2006

Munster Squad For Leinster Game31 March 2009, 2:39 pmBy Pat Geraghty

"All of Munster's Grand Slam winning players return to the Munster squad for Saturday's Magners League clash with Leinster at Thomond Park StadiumThe squad trained in brillliant sunshine this afternoon in UL and included Ian Dowling who has done remarkably well to get himself back into contention for a place in the Munster side.

Munster Squad: M Horan, F Pucciareillo,J Flannery,D Fogarty,J Hayes,T Buckley,P O’Connell,D O’Callaghan,M O’Driscoll,A Quinlan,N Ronan, D Ryan, D Wallace, D Leamy, T O’Leary, P Stringer, R O’Gara, P Warwick, J Manning, L Mafi, B Murphy,K Earls, K Lewis, D Howlett, I Dowling, D Hurley.

All of Munster's Grand Slamwinning players return to the Munster squad for Saturday's Magners League clash with Leinster at Thomond Park Stadium."



Yup outta that, Munster have named their named their strongest possible squad!! :D

On another note, still no Tipoki, he must be well and truly f**ked. :(:(

What's going on with Frankie Sheahan????