Cardiff Blues vs Munster 4:35pm Sunday 10th May pre/during/post match thread.

thomond2006

At Arms Park, 4.35pm. Live on S4/C
Referee: Peter Allan (SRU, 27th League game).
Assistant Referees: Gwyn Morris (WRU), Leighton Hodges (WRU).
TMO: Neil Ballard (WRU).

Blues: L Halfpenny; R Mustoe, J Robinson, J Roberts, C Czekaj; N Robinson, D Allinson; J Yapp, G Williams, G Powell, B Davies, S Morgan, S Warburton, M Williams, A Powell.

Replacements: S Hobbs, T Rhys Thomas, D Jones, B White, R Rees, C Sweeney, T James.

Munster: D Hurley; B Carney, B Murphy, K Earls, I Dowling; J Manning, P Stringer; F Pucciariello, D Fogarty, J Hayes; D O'Callaghan, M O'Driscoll capt; N Williams, N Ronan, D Leamy.

Replacements: M Essex, T Buckley, J Coughlan, D Foley, C Murray, P Warwick, K Lewis.


Ah, the sweet taste of a Magners League game.

Both defeated semi finalists will have a big point to prove when they clash at Cardiff Arms Park after huge disappointment last week.

This is set to be a very difficult game for Munster, with one of their weaker sides on show. Jeremy Manning and Brian Carney get their first starts of the season as many frontline players are rested for the visit of the Ospreys to Thomond Park. We all still patiently await for Nick Williams in the back row to produce his best.

On the other hand, Cardiff have named a XV containing all their Lions (bar Tom Shanklin who is injured, poor bastard). The young star Leigh Halfpenny, the powerful Jamie Roberts, the evergreen Martyn Williams and the powerful Andy Powell all start for the Blues.

The bookies make Cardiff slight favourites but a wounded animal is a dangerous animal and I expext Munster to come out all guns blazing.

G'WAN MUNSTER!!!!!!!!!!

danthefan

Chris Czekaj! Holy crap! He's played barely any rugby since his horrible injury but good to see him starting anyway.

I'm a bit puzzled by some of the Munster selections. God knows Buckley could do with the game time but you've Puc who's leaving and Hayes who could do with the rest starting. Manning, I can't believe still has a contract. Are there any decent young OHs in Munster? Same with Carney, is there really no young players who could start instead? He's also gone at the end of the season.

phog

thomond2006 wrote: »

[The bookies make Cardiff slight favourites but a wounded animal is a dangerous animal and I expext Munster to come out all guns blazing.

Dont you think Cardiff might be a bit wounded too? after all they lost their SF by a penalty kick shoot-out.

thomond2006

phog wrote: »

Dont you think Cardiff might be a bit wounded too? after all they lost their SF by a penalty kick shoot-out.

I do. You're spot on. Cardiff are very wounded.

My point is, Munster were embarrassed in the biggest club game ever while Cardiff lost at a half empty Millenium Stadium. I think there's a difference.

phog

danthefan wrote: »

Chris Czekaj! Holy crap! He's played barely any rugby since his horrible injury but good to see him starting anyway.

I'm a bit puzzled by some of the Munster selections. God knows Buckley could do with the game time but you've Puc who's leaving and Hayes who could do with the rest starting. Manning, I can't believe still has a contract. Are there any decent young OHs in Munster? Same with Carney, is there really no young players who could start instead? He's also gone at the end of the season.

I suppose it's a chance for the lads to have their last game for Munster before leaving, I'd imagine all the big guns will be around next week to collect the cup so unfortunately Munster fans wont get much of a chance to say thank you to the players that are leaving.

anonymous_joe

thomond2006 wrote: »

I do. You're spot on. Cardiff are very wounded.

My point is, Munster were embarrassed in the biggest club game ever while Cardiff lost at a half empty Millenium Stadium. I think there's a difference.

Don't think the players would feel any more or less embarrassed by the number of fans they lost in front of.

Could be a cracker of a game.

danthefan

thomond2006 wrote: »

I do. You're spot on. Cardiff are very wounded.

My point is, Munster were embarrassed in the biggest club game ever while Cardiff lost at a half empty Millenium Stadium. I think there's a difference.

Munster lost in a Heineken semi. Cardiff lost in a Heineken semi. I think it's exactly the same.

thomond2006

anonymous_joe wrote: »

Don't think the players would feel any more or less embarrassed by the number of fans they lost in front of.

danthefan wrote: »

Munster lost in a Heineken semi. Cardiff lost in a Heineken semi. I think it's exactly the same.

Fair enough.

Tomtom364

phog wrote: »

I suppose it's a chance for the lads to have their last game for Munster before leaving, I'd imagine all the big guns will be around next week to collect the cup so unfortunately Munster fans wont get much of a chance to say thank you to the players that are leaving.

+1
i think its good that some of the lads leaving are getting a chance to play a game before they do

danthefan

Tomtom364 wrote: »

+1
i think its good that some of the lads leaving are getting a chance to play a game before they do

-1. Don't see the point. It's an away game so there aren't going to be many Munster fans there anyway and there's not a whole lot of room for sentimentality in professional rugby anyway. This would have been a perfect chance to let Buckley practice his scrummaging and give any promising academy player a run out to see how he got along.

escobar

What great timing for this match the two european semi finalists take each other .....
.

''Cardiff Blues host Munster on Sunday afternoon. The Welshmen have won three of their last four games against Irish opponents, whilst the last Irish side to win at the Arms Park was Leinster, 30-19, in the Magners League on 28 September 2007.''

Really looking forward to this one and i'd have to give it to Munster just. I'll make a prediction of Munster 26 Blues 14.

phog

danthefan wrote: »

-1. Don't see the point. It's an away game so there aren't going to be many Munster fans there anyway and there's not a whole lot of room for sentimentality in professional rugby anyway. This would have been a perfect chance to let Buckley practice his scrummaging and give any promising academy player a run out to see how he got along.

You have your view and I have mine but neither of us pick the team so lets leave it to McGahon.

irishbucsfan

Should read:

"Munster III's and Cardif I's playing for 3rd and 4th in Europe

Stev_o

Wonder if Carney will even be in the zone for this match, he's been commentating for Sky for the Super League for months now.

escobar

irishbucsfan wrote: »

Should read:

"Munster III's and Cardif I's playing for 3rd and 4th in Europe

Must have been Munsters 6th team that ran the all blacks so close in Thomond then.

There's bound to be a few absences after last weeks war of attrition.

I think Denis Hurley; Brian Carney, Barry Murphy, Keith Earls, Ian Dowling; Peter Stringer; Federico Pucciariello, , John Hayes; Donncha O'Callaghan, Mick O'Driscoll capt; Denis Leamy might all disagree with your assertion though.....

danthefan

irishbucsfan wrote: »

Should read:

"Munster III's and Cardif I's playing for 3rd and 4th in Europe

Hardly, it's not the Munster 3rds or the Cardiff 1st.

thomond2006

Stev_o wrote: »

Wonder if Carney will even be in the zone for this match, he's been commentating for Sky for the Super League for months now.

Maybe they want as many as possible to get a medal.

How many games most a player be involved in to receive a medal?

B0X

Can the date in the title be changed? Today's the 10th, i thought i had missed this match :pac:

escobar

B0X wrote: »

Can the date in the title be changed? Today's the 10th, i thought i had missed this match :pac:

Much preferred my title ....couldn't this thread have been merged into mine instead.....;)

2040

I'm after putting 50 euros on cardiff. I hate to bet against munster but cash is cash. Should be interesting to see how manning gets on though.

Theus

Why Hayes is starting ahead of Buckely is beyond me. Surely it wouldnt do Hayes any harm to sit a match out and let Buckely play a full game.

And one other thing, if MOD isn't even starting 15 most of the time then why is he captain?

gavkm27

So is this game on the telly ?

dave13

Yep, on Setanta

taidghbaby

anonymous_joe wrote: »

Don't think the players would feel any more or less embarrassed by the number of fans they lost in front of.

Could be a cracker of a game.

danthefan wrote: »

Munster lost in a Heineken semi. Cardiff lost in a Heineken semi. I think it's exactly the same.

munster got turned over by their biggest rivals and nearest neighbours. They got well beaten in a game they were expected to win easily! Cardiff barely lost a game that they were at best given a 50-50 chance, and played at least some way towards their best!

having said that i don't think last weekends results will have a major bearing either way! Perhaps the fact Cardiff need the win a bit more could be the difference, but i hope it's a try-fest anyway!!

RuggieBear

lots of running anyway

anonymous_joe

Bit naughty from Williams.

suppafly

nicely worked try from cardiff. Nicky robinsons place kicking has been pretty shocking so far

suppafly

Is warwick injured or something? is that why he's not starting or on the bench? also what happened to carney?

D-Generate

Real schoolboys type rugby! But sure t'is exciting stuff

Micky Dolenz

enjoyable game so far, crowd seem quite though.

suppafly

good try by munster there

D-Generate

Manning is a tough nut but he is suffering in this match. Also he is wearing a wrist bracelet thing, surely those should be taken off.

thomond2006

Good game so far. Munster should be happy to be only 3 points behind.

Denis Hurley is an up and under liability as usual.

Of course as always:

THE ML REFS ARE ****ING SH1TE.

suppafly

D-Generate wrote: »

Manning is a tough nut but he is suffering in this match. Also he is wearing a wrist bracelet thing, surely those should be taken off.

he's playing crap as usual, and he always wears the forearm brace

WaldenByThoreua

be nice to see andrew burke coming on if manning doesn't last the 80...very little experience but theres nothing else on the bench by the looks of it..

D-Generate

His kicking is absolutely shocking indeed. Kicking in to touch from a 22 drop out is inexcusable. The bracelet thing I was talking about was a rubber band bracelet like those Lance Armstrong Yellow bands, not the wrappings on his forearm.

dreamer_ire

That doesn't look good for Jamie Roberts

D-Generate

Argghhhhhh!

P_1

Loving the music in the stadium for the TMO decisions

Roberts seems ok enough now.

Good try there.

Micky Dolenz

about time...Munster try

suppafly

dreamer_ire wrote: »

That doesn't look good for Jamie Roberts

bad form that they kept cutting to him in the changing room. Its a bit dodge that they even have a camera in there

suppafly

surely williams was holding onto the ball on the ground there before the try

Junior

Munster Scrum in bits, Try Cardiff..

suppafly

hurley was asleep there

dreamer_ire

Did I hear right that the Cardiff OH is on standby for the Lions????

suppafly

very telegraphed pass there from burke just on to let sweeney in for the intercept try

Micky Dolenz

what a start to your senoir career.

Junior

suppafly wrote: »

hurley was asleep there

Terrible intercept try given away there ..

suppafly

Micky Dolenz wrote: »

what a start to your senoir career.

ya that sucks alright. Pretty much his only contribution in the fews he was on in the end was giving away a try, very unfortunate.

phog

Theus wrote: »

And one other thing, if MOD isn't even starting 15 most of the time then why is he captain?

Have you watched Munster in the ML much this year? MOD has been captain for Munster in three friendlies and about 6 or 7 ML games this year.

Stev_o

Surely Munster will oust Hurley now after today, he was brutal AGAIN. Surely there must be a better player lying around in Munster then him.