Leicester Tigers v. Munster (Friday 7.30pm)

ScrubsfanChris

Munster's last pre-season game before the first Magners League game against Glasgow on the 4th next week.

Munster Team:
F Jones, D Barnes, S Deasy, T Gleeson, D Hurley, P Warwick, P Stringer, M Horan, D Fogarty, J Brugnaut, M O'Driscoll capt, D Ryan, B Holland, N Ronan, D Leamy.
Replacements: D Varley, I Nagle, T O'Donnell, T Morland, J Manning, D Ryan, J Coughlan, D Riordan.

Leicester Team:
15 Scott Hamilton
14 Matt Smith
13 Dan Hipkiss
12 Anthony Allen
11 Johne Murphy
10 Jeremy Staunton
9 Ben Youngs
1 Martin Castrogiovanni
2 George Chuter
3 Julian White
4 Louis Deacon (capt)
5 Ben Kay
6 Craig Newby
7 Ben Woods
8 Jordan Crane

First start for Felix Jones this season, Marcus Horan and Donnacha Ryan also come back into the squad for the game.
This match isn't going to be televised, so hopefully a score-updater or something will be available by tomorrow night. I'll post one here if I find one.

Update: No news on a radio broadcast of the match by BBC Radio Leicester either

phog

ScrubsfanChris wrote: »

Update: No news on a radio broadcast of the match by BBC Radio Leicester either

They'll be updates by text message over on munsterfans.com

Onearmedbandit

Any tv coverage of this one? I presume no.

irishbucsfan

Dear Munster,

Whilst over in Leicester, please consider infecting the team with swine flu. This in turn will cause the contamination of the entire Zurich Premiership and hopefully even the Anglo-Welsh Cup. This coupled with Dr. Contepomi's "Operation Infect the Frenchys" will ensure a far easier Heineken Cup and 6 Nations this season.

Thanks.

chupacabra

irishbucsfan wrote: »

Dear Munster,

Whilst over in Leicester, please consider infecting the team with swine flu. This in turn will cause the contamination of the entire Zurich Premiership and hopefully even the Anglo-Welsh Cup. This coupled with Dr. Contepomi's "Operation Infect the Frenchys" will ensure a far easier Heineken Cup and 6 Nations this season.

Thanks.

Losing faith in the ability of your team? No such problems down here :pac:

ScrubsfanChris

Leicester team updated.

chupacabra

Thats a really really strong team by Leicester. If we can win this then we are off to a flying start.

outwest

this wont be a good night for munster. a near full strength leicesters side v very weak munster side, the sooner your lions come back the better.

Depp

irishbucsfan wrote: »

Dear Munster,

Whilst over in Leicester, please consider infecting the team with swine flu. This in turn will cause the contamination of the entire Zurich Premiership and hopefully even the Anglo-Welsh Cup. This coupled with Dr. Contepomi's "Operation Infect the Frenchys" will ensure a far easier Heineken Cup and 6 Nations this season.

Thanks.

Has contepomi played for toulon yet???

leeroybrown

Depp wrote: »

Has contepomi played for toulon yet???

Given that he tore his ACL in May, it'll be November at the absolute earliest before he's in a condition where he could consider playing.

Amazotheamazing

outwest wrote: »

this wont be a good night for munster. a near full strength leicesters side v very weak munster side, the sooner your lions come back the better.

Preseason game, great experience for some of the guys, luckily these games aren't really about winning. Course, we'll still win.

phog

outwest wrote: »

this wont be a good night for munster. a near full strength leicesters side v very weak munster side, the sooner your lions come back the better.

Final score 34 - 28, Leicester got two penalty tries from scrums and still needed to get a last minute try to win, overall a good result for Munster but their scrum must have been poor.

Amazotheamazing

Leicester had to bring on their Lions to beat Munster's second team, jeez, imagine what it'd be like if Munster had any talent coming through...

2040

Looks like this is the start of the decline for munster rugby. It was nice while it lasted.

Amazotheamazing

2040 wrote: »

Looks like this is the start of the decline for munster rugby. It was nice while it lasted.

Yeah, when our second team can only beat 2 out of 3 premiership sides it's clear the game is up. It's our own fault, we were warned we had no talent coming through, why oh why didn't we listen when we had the chance?

Orizio

2040 wrote: »

Looks like this is the start of the decline for munster rugby. It was nice while it lasted.

Your taking the piss right?

2040

Amazotheamazing wrote: »

Yeah, when our second team can only beat 2 out of 3 premiership sides it's clear the game is up. It's our own fault, we were warned we had no talent coming through, why oh why didn't we listen when we had the chance?

I know. I feel a bit embarrassed about the whole thing now.

Amazotheamazing

2040 wrote: »

I know. I feel a bit embarrassed about the whole thing now.

I dunno, we'll always have the memories I guess, I just can't decide if I should start following Ulster or Leinster now, I imagine the IRFU will just disband Munster now, since we've no players.

2040

Amazotheamazing wrote: »

I dunno, we'll always have the memories I guess, I just can't decide if I should start following Ulster or Leinster now, I imagine the IRFU will just disband Munster now, since we've no players.

Leinster i'd say. Paul O'Donohoe will be a better scrum half than Tomás O'Leary could ever dream to be.

phog

Cant link source as I robbed this from munsterfans.

Match Report

Leicester Tigers scored four tries as they finished their pre-season fixtures with a 34-28 win against Munster in the Guinness Challenge at Welford Road.
Replacement Tom Croft scored a late try to help Tigers come from behind to win an entertaining encounter in front of a large crowd.

Guinness Premiership champions Tigers scored through Scott Hamilton in the first half before powerful scrummaging led to two penalty tries after the break.

Jeremy Staunton kicked three penalties and four conversions in Tigers last game before the Guinness Premiership kick-off against Sale Sharks next Friday.

Munster scored tries through Denis Hurley (2), Felix Jones and Damien Varley in what was their final game before they begin the defence of their Magners League title.

Tigers were captained by Louis Deacon, who lined up alongside fellow England international Ben Kay in the Tigers second row, while Martin Castrogiovanni, George Chuter and Julian White formed an all-international front row. Anthony Allen joined Staunton in making their first Tigers starts at Welford Road.

Heineken Cup winners Marcus Horan, Peter Stringer, Mick O’Driscoll and Denis Leamy were included in the Munster line-up.

The game had yet to settle down when Munster fly-half Paul Warwick missed a penalty from close to halfway.

Staunton made no mistake with his first kick at the posts to put Tigers 3-0 ahead in the ninth minute.

It was a short-lived lead as Felix Jones scored the first try of the night with a fine individual effort. The Munster full-back threw a clever dummy to open a gap before showing neat footwork to score on the left. Warwick’s conversion put Munster 7-3 up.

It was a lively start to the game with the new Caterpillar Stand forming an impressive backdrop to proceedings.

Staunton knocked over his second penalty of the game to reduce the Munster lead to a point with 14 minutes of the half remaining.

Tigers then defended a series of Munster line-outs on their 5m line with the visitors looking to get their maul going. Roared on by the home crowd, Tigers robbed their opponents of possession before turning defence into attack for their first try.

It was sparked by a quickly taken penalty by Ben Youngs in the Tigers half before a sharp exchange of passes with Dan Hipkiss and Scott Hamilton saw the New Zealand international race away to score behind the posts. Staunton converted to put Tigers 13-7 ahead.

Tigers finished the half on the front foot with Newby, Hipkiss and Julian White driving their way towards the Munster line.

They were stopped illegally but Staunton was unable to convert the resulting penalty with the last kick of the half.

Tigers put the pressure on shortly after the restart with a series of attacking scrums five metres from the Munster line before they were eventually awarded a penalty try that Staunton converted.

Munster struck back immediately through wing Denis Hurley. He collected Peter Stringer’s pass on the right and evaded a couple of tackles to score a try which was converted by Scott Deasy to leave Tigers 20-14 ahead.

Hurley scored a second try midway through the half, pouncing on loose ball in the Tigers 22 before crossing the line. Deasy’s conversion edged Munster 21-20 ahead.

Tigers came roaring back with a powerful rolling maul that took them to within five metres of the Munster line. The ball was flung wide where first Manu Tuilagi and then Croft were stopped just short. However, Munster were reduced to 14 men with captain Mick O’Driscoll yellow carded for an earlier infringement.

Tigers opted for the scrum and were awarded their second penalty try of the game as Munster were adjudged to have illegally pulled it down. Staunton added the extras as Tigers moved 27-21 ahead.

Back Munster came and they retook the lead with a converted try from replacement hooker Damien Varley who finished from close range.

Replacement scrum-half Harry Ellis looked to have scored a fourth try for Tigers but he knocked on as he stretched for the line by the right-hand corner.

Instead it was Croft who scored the winning try, combining with Ellis to smash his way over in the same corner in the final minute and bring Welford Road to its feet.

2040

It's a bit harsh for Ellis and Croft to have to play so early.

Amazotheamazing

2040 wrote: »

It's a bit harsh for Ellis and Croft to have to play so early.

Says a lot that they had to play them to beat us though.

Jello

Depp wrote: »

Has contepomi played for toulon yet???

Nope, sure he was still in Dublin about two weeks ago.

ScrubsfanChris

Sounds like our lads really put it up to them.
I've never wanted a season to start so badly as I do now, this could be a another big year for Irish rugby.

O ya, and Munster

[Jackass]

Nice to see Felix Jones getting the balling rolling for ye with a "fine individual effort."

phog

[Jackass] wrote: »

Nice to see Felix Jones getting the balling rolling for ye with a "fine individual effort."

It's all about the jersey

Stev_o

Great result for us, 3 from 3 ill happily take that.

bleg

Impressed by Deasy's performance. Deputised well when Warwick went off injured. Only 21 too! That will be a huge boost to his confidance.

wixfjord

Stev_o wrote: »

Great result for us, 3 from 3 ill happily take that.

I was always of the opinion that you were a Leinster man Steve o? My opinion of you has changed :pac:

Stev_o

wixfjord wrote: »

I was always of the opinion that you were a Leinster man Steve o? My opinion of you has changed :pac:

Haha believe me im probably as neutral as they come for some reason when it gets to the whole "supporting" lark been to many a Leinster match including last years ML final but for whatever reason it may be i just tend to follow Leicester around, i know madness but what can you do

Amazotheamazing

bleg wrote: »

Impressed by Deasy's performance. Deputised well when Warwick went off injured. Only 21 too! That will be a huge boost to his confidance.

What way did the line up becuase it was Burke who came on for Warwick, Deasy started at 13.

2040

Sorry for the bump but a video of Munster preseason tries is up here. Have a look at Felix Jones' try in the Leicester game. Whoa!

Would definitely advise people to have a look at that video, Jones' try, even though there was elements of poor tackling on Leicester's part, was fantastic. Reminded me of Kearney before he was "tamed".

Otacon

2040 wrote: »

Sorry for the bump but a video of Munster preseason tries is up here. Have a look at Felix Jones' try in the Leicester game. Whoa!

I hadn't seen that try before as I was moving at the time and couldn't watch the match. Wow, just wow. Hope he continues in the same form for the rest of the season, we may forget what Warwick looks like! [tongue perched in cheek]

buck65

Wow try of the year contender already!!