Munster Team Talk/Gossip/Rumours Thread.

Amazotheamazing

PhatPiggins wrote: »

He was the best of a bad bunch imo, who on the Munster would you have given it to instead?

Leamy, with out a doubt. The guy is playing his best rugby for some time.

profitius

Amazotheamazing wrote: »

Leamy, with out a doubt. The guy is playing his best rugby for some time.

Leamy doesn't seem to get much credit lately.

PhatPiggins

profitius wrote: »

Leamy doesn't seem to get much credit lately.

He's (rightly) changed his game so he's not as noticable anymore. Seems to have switched from the ball carrier role to a work horse. 6 is his best position and the new style definetley works well with Coughlan and Wallace. Fair play to him.

Judgement Day

Funny how people are raving about Zebo following the game - apart from his excellent hack ahead and try, I thought he had an indifferent game and appeared lumbering in pace. That said, he was one of the best on pitch. I am a big Simon Zebo fan and I'm sure that he has a great career ahead of him; he usually has a lashings of pace and is a good tackler too.

TheHighRoad

Judgement Day wrote: »

Funny how people are raving about Zebo following the game - apart from his excellent hack ahead and try, I thought he had an indifferent game and appeared lumbering in pace. That said, he was one of the best on pitch. I am a big Simon Zebo fan and I'm sure that he has a great career ahead of him; he usually has a lashings of pace and is a good tackler too.

To be expected to be honest. Whenever a young back comes out of Munster he is overhyped to max and everything he does is excessively praised. I wasn't surprised to see Zebo get the MOTM even though he didn't deserve it. Theres already calls on here to bring him to the world cup!

Risteard

TheHighRoad wrote: »

To be expected to be honest. Whenever a young back comes out of Munster he is overhyped to max and everything he does is excessively praised. I wasn't surprised to see Zebo get the MOTM even though he didn't deserve it. Theres already calls on here to bring him to the world cup!

One person has mentioned the WC with regard to Zebo. People on this thread for the most part thought he did well (which he did) but I don't see anything to suggest he's been 'overhyped to the max.'

thomond2006

Is Zebo still in the academy next year?

Amazotheamazing

thomond2006 wrote: »

Is Zebo still in the academy next year?

If he's not fighting crime in a far, far distant universe, or winning oscars for his documentaries about the polar icecaps, he's got a contract to play for Munster, afaik.

donfers

strong rumours munster are in for kyle tonetti, a young centre at sale, irish qualified - a bit underwhelmed by this to be honest but at least that rumour leads on to the next juicy bit of news which is that duane vermeulen, a back rower from the stormers may be on his way, and earlier than you think if he doesn't make the springboks world cup squad

not exactly high profile signings and i know very little about both players but there you go

CIARAN_BOYLE

donfers wrote: »

strong rumours munster are in for kyle tonetti, a young centre at sale, irish qualified - a bit underwhelmed by this to be honest but at least that rumour leads on to the next juicy bit of news which is that duane vermeulen, a back rower from the stormers may be on his way, and earlier than you think if he doesn't make the springboks world cup squad

not exactly high profile signings and i know very little about both players but there you go

tonetti has another year on his contract with Sale so I have my doubts

Podge_irl

donfers wrote: »

strong rumours munster are in for kyle tonetti, a young centre at sale, irish qualified - a bit underwhelmed by this to be honest but at least that rumour leads on to the next juicy bit of news which is that duane vermeulen, a back rower from the stormers may be on his way, and earlier than you think if he doesn't make the springboks world cup squad

not exactly high profile signings and i know very little about both players but there you go

Not so much Irish qualified as just plain Irish! Left Leinster last season.

He's a good player, no idea how he is getting on at Sale though.

TheJims

donfers wrote: »

not exactly high profile signings and i know very little about both players but there you go

I can't see munster going for anything but a high profile signing, they need someone who can really kickstart the backs and is plenty experienced. do we have 1 or 2 NIQ spots left ?

CIARAN_BOYLE

TheJims wrote: »

I can't see munster going for anything but a high profile signing, they need someone who can really kickstart the backs and is plenty experienced. do we have 1 or 2 NIQ spots left ?

Botha
WDP
Mafi
Howlett
Borlase Project

1 NIQ spot left, top quality NIQ and if possible one IQ option, Munster could do with two new centers imo

donfers

CIARAN_BOYLE wrote: »

tonetti has another year on his contract with Sale so I have my doubts

homesick apparently and is asking for special dispensation to go back to Ireland midcontract

again these are just rumours from a guy who claims to be good friends with munster insiders

Monty Burnz

donfers wrote: »

strong rumours munster are in for kyle tonetti, a young centre at sale, irish qualified

A short video of him playing for Leinster...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=effrLKx296U

Amazotheamazing

Another semi-decent Leinster back, can't say I'd be too excited. He's a decent player, but is he what Munster needs?

CIARAN_BOYLE

donfers wrote: »

homesick apparently and is asking for special dispensation to go back to Ireland midcontract

again these are just rumours from a guy who claims to be good friends with munster insiders

interesting, I don't watch much Premiership Rugby but he must have made an impact over in England to have Munster looking at him. Before he left for England Connacht was his only option to keep playing pro rugby in Ireland.

PhatPiggins

Amazotheamazing wrote: »

Another semi-decent Leinster back, can't say I'd be too excited. He's a decent player, but is he what Munster needs?

He's not good enough by any stretch. He's no better then Scott Deasy who can cover all the same positions he can.

Amazotheamazing

PhatPiggins wrote: »

He's not good enough by any stretch. He's no better then Scott Deasy who can cover all the same positions he can.

I don't know, I had high hopes for Deasy but he's had an awful season. Even in the AIL match he wasn't close to being the stand-out back. He was ok for Munster on Saturday but not so good you'd be demanding he got more gametime. He seems to have plateaued or failed to progress this season. He's not really an outhalf, he's not really a fullback and while it's easy to speculate he should play 12, presumably he's not played there for a reason.

I can easily see him drifting into the same obscurity as Gleeson if he doesn't make the real breakthrough soon.

bamboozle

donfers wrote: »

strong rumours munster are in for kyle tonetti, a young centre at sale, irish qualified - a bit underwhelmed by this to be honest but at least that rumour leads on to the next juicy bit of news which is that duane vermeulen, a back rower from the stormers may be on his way, and earlier than you think if he doesn't make the springboks world cup squad

not exactly high profile signings and i know very little about both players but there you go

6'4 and 18 stone lump of affrikinas back rower, he'd do well at Munster. I still reckon Munster would be best served either backing the likes of Holland/TOD for a squad place and see how they develop or if they dont think they're up to it get rid

Hype710

I've always been impressed by Tonetti. He may not be world class but is strong, quick and has a very good boot on him. Was surprised Leinster let him go and instead gave game time to the completely average Eamonn Sheridan.

GerM

PhatPiggins wrote: »

He's not good enough by any stretch. He's no better then Scott Deasy who can cover all the same positions he can.

Agreed. Tonetti is alright but I don't see any benefit in Munster signing him. He's a more skillful version of Tom Gleeson. Big guy, big boot with slightly better hands. Has gotten a fair few starts at Sale this season but since Brewer left I reckon he has steadily slipped a bit down the pecking order. Shame as he seemed to be going well earlier in the season getting regular starts and I recall him scoring a match winning try in the last few minutes too in one match.

PhatPiggins

GerM wrote: »

Agreed. Tonetti is alright but I don't see any benefit in Munster signing him. He's a more skillful version of Tom Gleeson. Big guy, big boot with slightly better hands. Has gotten a fair few starts at Sale this season but since Brewer left I reckon he has steadily slipped a bit down the pecking order. Shame as he seemed to be going well earlier in the season getting regular starts and I recall him scoring a match winning try in the last few minutes too in one match.

He might end up in Connaught they were very close to getting him last season. I think he got injured soon after Brewer got sacked which didn't help his chances.

buck65

A more skilfull version of Tom Gleeson would be a good player. Think tom gets a tough ride here, missed alot of this season through injury, usually did well when given his chance.

GerM

buck65 wrote: »

A more skilfull version of Tom Gleeson would be a good player. Think tom gets a tough ride here, missed alot of this season through injury, usually did well when given his chance.

He would still be an ML/PRO12 level player, Buck. He's of a similar quality to Gleeson but just has a bit more variation to his game. Munster would not want to going into a HEC match with him at 12.

I wouldn't be surprised if the Vermeulen rumour had some truth to it. The provinces are going to have to be keenly aware of the reduction in NIQ players in a year and will start planning accordingly. Vermeulen can qualify for Ireland and, whilst that doesn't mean he will be playing for the national side, it does mean Munster could sign another NIQ player. I would think that's a big bonus behind Leinter's signing of Sykes. Even if they don't release any NIQ players next season, they'll be able to sign another as Strauss will become IQ. I'm sure Munster will begin to look at signings in a similar manner and always try to have one or two of their NIQ players as guys who could stay on until they become IQ instead of just the one enforced project player.

CouchSmart

Tonetti would be a good signing. I was disappointed when Leinster let him go last season.

It was mentioned in the Irish Times today that Corey Jane is rumoured to be heading to Munster. Seems a strange one to me.

Risteard

CouchSmart wrote: »

Tonetti would be a good signing. I was disappointed when Leinster let him go last season.

It was mentioned in the Irish Times today that Corey Jane is rumoured to be heading to Munster. Seems a strange one to me.

I wouldn't understand that signing whatsoever.

PhatPiggins

CouchSmart wrote: »

Tonetti would be a good signing. I was disappointed when Leinster let him go last season.

It was mentioned in the Irish Times today that Corey Jane is rumoured to be heading to Munster. Seems a strange one to me.

Would that piece of journalism be based on the "NZFU upset with Irish Provinces" on Boards :rolleyes:. Wouldn't be the first time.

Buck65, if a more skillful version of Tom Gleeson would be a good player then surely that implys that Tom Gleeson is an average player!

buck65

Yes. It would. However I think Tom is being written off a bit as below average i.e not good enough for a squad place which I disagree with. Personally I would like to see him get a run.

thomond2006

Risteard wrote: »

I wouldn't understand that signing whatsoever.

Agreed, the last thing we need is a NIQ wing/fullback.