Munster Team Talk/Gossip/Rumours Thread.

phog

3 YCs for Munster (Borlase, Ronan and Varley, the latter for killing the ball I think, Borlase for an off the ball incident with whomever was carded fro LI) and a red one for LI.

The cards all came in the last 10 mins and killed the game and allowed LI get their injury time try.

MOD and Niall Ronan were on fire and so hungry for ball. Munster looked more comfortable on the ball but kicked when passes might have been the better option. Keatly missed 2 kicks at goal that should have had Munster a bit furhter out of sight tho' LI did miss a penalty too.

Lineouts and scrum looked good but we were penalised twice in the scrum.

Overall an enjoyable eveinh in TP, Munster winning both games.

phog

Sabre0001 wrote: »

Three yellow cards - clearly haven't learned! Good defence though, some nice running lines and plenty of offloading in the tackle. Keatley looked sharp, pace picked up when Stringer was brought on. Hopefully we won't hear anything on the injury front, but Nagle went down twice (and pretty sure he stayed off second time) and Coughlan also went off but came back.

That wasnt Coughlan, it was Peter O'Mahony who captained them this evening. Ronan and Nagle looked to have arm/shoulder injuries so they may be concerns in the short term.

thomond2006

Hopefully Wally will get well soon, from a Munster perspective his absence would be a big blow.

donfers

with wally likely being out for a long time, that's munster about 10 senior players down from last season and only two in, really need a centre and backrower now but my suspicion is they'll only get one in, if that, and that signing will be after the world cup and it'll probably be some southern hemisphere journeyman

really disappointed with garret fitz, munster badly needed surgery and we bought and injuryprone prop and a reserve outhalf, we'll struggle again in heineken cup this year if the squad stays as is, yes a few more kids will get a chance but a couple top quality players are badly needed to augment to squad if we are to compete at the highest level and garret fitz has failed miserably in this regard thus far....fiddling while rome/munster burns

ormond lad

donfers wrote: »

with wally likely being out for a long time, that's munster about 10 senior players down from last season and only two in, really need a centre and backrower now but my suspicion is they'll only get one in, if that, and that signing will be after the world cup and it'll probably be some southern hemisphere journeyman

really disappointed with garret fitz, munster badly needed surgery and we bought and injuryprone prop and a reserve outhalf, we'll struggle again in heineken cup this year if the squad stays as is, yes a few more kids will get a chance but a couple top quality players are badly needed to augment to squad if we are to compete at the highest level and garret fitz has failed miserably in this regard thus far....fiddling while rome/munster burns

Maybe a season or 2 of doing poorly will open the eyes of the powers that be in munster that the whole system in munster, from u16 development squads to u18 representative squads to pro level, has to be totally restructured as it is nowhere near good enough for a outfit that considers itself a top 6 european team

wixfjord

donfers wrote: »

with wally likely being out for a long time, that's munster about 10 senior players down from last season and only two in, really need a centre and backrower now but my suspicion is they'll only get one in, if that, and that signing will be after the world cup and it'll probably be some southern hemisphere journeyman

really disappointed with garret fitz, munster badly needed surgery and we bought and injuryprone prop and a reserve outhalf, we'll struggle again in heineken cup this year if the squad stays as is, yes a few more kids will get a chance but a couple top quality players are badly needed to augment to squad if we are to compete at the highest level and garret fitz has failed miserably in this regard thus far....fiddling while rome/munster burns

Who are the ten?

donfers

wixfjord wrote: »

Who are the ten?

I said about ten, off the top of my head i can think of:

buckley
hayes
tuitopou
dowling
barry murphy
wally
quinlan
warwick
ryan (not a senior player, i'll grant you)
felix jones is injured too and rumours strings may be on his way too (not sure about his contract situation but i do know he doesn't want to a number three scrumhalf for a club/provincial side)

I may have forgotten a few

Amazotheamazing

donfers wrote: »

with wally likely being out for a long time, that's munster about 10 senior players down from last season and only two in, really need a centre and backrower now but my suspicion is they'll only get one in, if that, and that signing will be after the world cup and it'll probably be some southern hemisphere journeyman

really disappointed with garret fitz, munster badly needed surgery and we bought and injuryprone prop and a reserve outhalf, we'll struggle again in heineken cup this year if the squad stays as is, yes a few more kids will get a chance but a couple top quality players are badly needed to augment to squad if we are to compete at the highest level and garret fitz has failed miserably in this regard thus far....fiddling while rome/munster burns

Munster are in an unusual position though, good enough to walk away with the league and win the play-offs, nowhere near good enough to win in Europe. It's hard to really know how much surgery is needed. I agree we need top quality players in those positions but very hard to get the player you want for either position.

Propswise, if Botha can get and stay fit, we should be ok. We're fairly well covered at hooker and second row. Backrow is a massive weak spot, we've good cover at 9, 10. We're very weak at 12 and ok at 13. The back three isn't bad if Jones is fit.

Tigerandahalf

How come Munster weren't able to grab Cronin, Carr and Hagan? Was it just down to money. They'd get a lot more game time at Munster.
Ya feel Munster need to recruit...a lot of the players are pushing on and they really need the benefit of that very big signing, someone with real pace would be a bonus as outside of Earls none of the other senior backs has huge gas. Hopefully one or two of the younger players will make a real breakthrough.

skregs

Amazotheamazing wrote: »

It's hard to really know how much surgery is needed.

Depends what you're looking for. If you want Munster to go back to dominating Europe, the best solution I can see is to accept a few seasons of losing the group stage of the Heineken in order to build a young team capable of smashing anyone in their path. Its a hard sell to the supporters who expect a Heineken Cup final every year.

I think they should start fielding a team like

1 Archer
2 Varley
3 Hurley
4 Nagle
5 Ryan
6 Butler
7 Ronan
8 Leamy
9 Murray
10 Keatley
11 Earls
12 Barnes
13 Gleeson
14 Zebo
15 Jones

There's a fair few lads in there who I suspect will never make it, but the Munster Branch seriously need to start developing some young homegrown lads because I reckon the senior guys will start dropping like flies in the coming year

PhatPiggins

Carr only wanted to go back to Leinster. Cronin and Flannery are bitter foes (according to rumour). Don't know about Hagan.

CatFromHue

Hagan and Carr are both from Leinster also I'm not sure if Munster ever enquired about them.

For Cronin there is less competition at Leinster than there would be at Munster where there is Flannery, Varley, and Sherry as opposed to Struass, Harris Wright and Dundon.

CatFromHue

PhatPiggins wrote: »

Carr only wanted to go back to Leinster. Cronin and Flannery are bitter foes (according to rumour). Don't know about Hagan.

Sounds interesting, do you know any more?

Tomtom364

skregs wrote: »

Depends what you're looking for. If you want Munster to go back to dominating Europe, the best solution I can see is to accept a few seasons of losing the group stage of the Heineken in order to build a young team capable of smashing anyone in their path. Its a hard sell to the supporters who expect a Heineken Cup final every year.

I think they should start fielding a team like

1 Archer
2 Varley
3 Hurley
4 Nagle
5 Ryan
6 Butler
7 Ronan
8 Leamy
9 Murray
10 Keatley
11 Earls
12 Barnes
13 Gleeson
14 Zebo
15 Jones

There's a fair few lads in there who I suspect will never make it, but the Munster Branch seriously need to start developing some young homegrown lads because I reckon the senior guys will start dropping like flies in the coming year

so you want them to completly ditch alll senior players bar leamy an earls? :eek:

Amazotheamazing

skregs wrote: »

Depends what you're looking for. If you want Munster to go back to dominating Europe, the best solution I can see is to accept a few seasons of losing the group stage of the Heineken in order to build a young team capable of smashing anyone in their path. Its a hard sell to the supporters who expect a Heineken Cup final every year.

I think they should start fielding a team like

1 Archer
2 Varley
3 Hurley
4 Nagle
5 Ryan
6 Butler
7 Ronan
8 Leamy
9 Murray
10 Keatley
11 Earls
12 Barnes
13 Gleeson
14 Zebo
15 Jones

There's a fair few lads in there who I suspect will never make it, but the Munster Branch seriously need to start developing some young homegrown lads because I reckon the senior guys will start dropping like flies in the coming year

You can't through out all the experienced players, you'll only end damaging the young players. What Munster need to do is have an honest appraisal of which players are going to be good enough and who isn't. Guys like Fogs, MOD, Holland, Gleeson etc are at a certain level but are they ever going to progress beyond this?

Hagz

If Munster are going to be without Wallace for the initial HC games, they should field a team like this IMO.

1. du Preez
2. Flannery
3. Botha
4. Nagle
5. POC
6. Leamy
7. O'Mahony
8. Coughlan
9. Murray
10. ROG
11. Earls
12. Mafi
13. Barnes
14. Howlett
15. Jones

16. Sherry
17. Horan
18. Archer
19. DOC
20. Butler
21. TOL
22. Keatley
23. Murphy

CiaranMT

Wallace will be lucky to run out for any of the group games I reckon.

Amazotheamazing

CiaranMT wrote: »

Wallace will be lucky to run out for any of the group games I reckon.

You'd have to think alright, which leaves us with Ronan, TOD, POM, and BOH as potential 7's. POM looked pretty good at 8 the last day but it's completely different to switch him across. Ronan was good against LI too, but he's been poor enough in big games for Munster before, admittedly he's never really had a run of big games to prove himself in.

GerM

With a dearth of quality centres available and Keatley signed, I think Munster should give serious consideration to using their last NIQ spot on a back row player despite McGahan's assertion that they'll be signing a centre. It wasn't in the centre where they were beaten up in Toulon. A back row of Coughlan, Leamy and Ronan simply isn't going to be able to step up and take on the top teams. They won't be found wanting for effort but that will only go so far. Signing a top class flanker and playing him in with Coughlan and Leamy in the HEC and alongside POM as much as possible in the Pro12 would be more beneficial I think. Take out Ronan and put in a top class openside and the pack takes on an entirely different look for HEC games.

It would also give Keatley plenty of game time alongside ROG learning the trade and preparing to take the 10 jersey in the next 18 months.

buck65

Ronan is a decent Celtic League player , never going to be HCup level at 7.

profitius

Its good to se that they're playing POM as much as possible.I think he can make the step up this season especially now that Wally is injured.

As for the squad, I disagree with some posters. I think its looking better than last season. Some of the players who have left were ordinary, past their best or injury prone like Barry Murphy. A good clearout was needed.

Some players like Fogs have also been relegated and the likes of Murray, Barnes, Archer, Jones, Zebo, Sherry, Nagle and POM are all in a much better position now than they were last season.

DOC is another player who I'd like to see challenged for his position this season. Hes not capable of playing in all the big matches anymore it looks like.

skregs

Tomtom364 wrote: »

so you want them to completly ditch alll senior players bar leamy an earls? :eek:

the senior players have 1 year left in them, maybe 2 years tops before they cant hack it anymore. You don't need POC and Flannery to get a top 4 finish in the Pro 12, but you desperately need experience for younger players

Hagz

http://www.irishrugby.ie/news/23771.php

John Hayes expected to start.

CIARAN_BOYLE

skregs wrote: »

the senior players have 1 year left in them, maybe 2 years tops before they cant hack it anymore. You don't need POC and Flannery to get a top 4 finish in the Pro 12, but you desperately need experience for younger players

You need some leadership. POC probably still has a few more years since he is still only 31 and is still quality.

Nial Ronan is 28 and not very good. He is a mid quality player who isnt very physical who blocks young talen from getting meaningful game time. I would hope one of the young players get ahead of him.

theboss80

David Wallace faces a long period out of the game as he recovers from surgery to repair damage he sustained to his right knee in the game against England last Saturday.
The 35 year old, stretchered off in the 21st minute after a tackle by English centre Manu Tuilagi, had surgery in Dublin on Sunday and he is expected to be sidelined for at least six months.
His Munster and Irish international colleague Felix Jones, also faces a lengthy spell in rehab. Jones (24) is due to see a specialist next week when a clearer indication of how long his recovery will take can be determined.

http://munsterrugby.ie/news/9315.php

thomond2006

theboss80 wrote: »

David Wallace faces a long period out of the game as he recovers from surgery to repair damage he sustained to his right knee in the game against England last Saturday.
The 35 year old, stretchered off in the 21st minute after a tackle by English centre Manu Tuilagi, had surgery in Dublin on Sunday and he is expected to be sidelined for at least six months.

His Munster and Irish international colleague Felix Jones, also faces a lengthy spell in rehab. Jones (24) is due to see a specialist next week when a clearer indication of how long his recovery will take can be determined.

http://munsterrugby.ie/news/9315.php

Cheers Declan.

durkadurka

Balls, thats the HEC group stages and in all likelihood the 6nations out.

He'll be 36 before he's fit probably...

yupyup7up

where is this "overseas centre" that McGahan spoke of a few months ago?

CatFromHue

"His Munster and Irish international colleague Felix Jones, also faces a lengthy spell in rehab. Jones (24) is due to see a specialist next week when a clearer indication of how long his recovery will take can be determined."

The above is very alarming! Realistically we knew Wallace would be out for a fair while but Jones was just meant to be a few weeks I thought. Am I right in that without Jones the full backs would be chosen from Dennis Hurley, Deasy, and Sean Scanlon?

thomond2006

I was reading Midi Olympique yesterday, Mauro Bergasmasco hasn't found a club yet. He would be a good "medical joker" to bring in.