Munster Team Talk/Gossip/Rumours Thread II

jm08

irishbucsfan wrote: »

And how do you think Stander feels about this?

The last thing they want is him getting fed up and becoming a Sykes.

He probably feels that he will have to work harder to get into the first team. I've heard Penney say that he has a few things to work on anyway.

I think he will stick it - Limerick will suit him as his wife to be is a swimmer and she seems to have got a place training with the Ireland High Performance team who are based in Limerick.

totallegend

Are we looking at Archer being first-choice TH now?

Botha got 20 minutes from the bench against the Ospreys three weeks ago and 20 minutes against Treviso the week before that. TBH I attributed that to requests from the national set-up to give Archer game-time, but now Botha is on the bench again. Certainly looks like Penney is giving Archer every chance to nail down the jersey, which makes it strange that Munster have (allegedly) gone to great lengths to keep Botha for next year.

Any thoughts from someone who might be more clued in than me?

CIARAN_BOYLE

totallegend wrote: »

Are we looking at Archer being first-choice TH now?

Botha got 20 minutes from the bench against the Ospreys three weeks ago and 20 minutes against Treviso the week before that. TBH I attributed that to requests from the national set-up to give Archer game-time, but now Botha is on the bench again. Certainly looks like Penney is giving Archer every chance to nail down the jersey, which makes it strange that Munster have (allegedly) gone to great lengths to keep Botha for next year.

Any thoughts from someone who might be more clued in than me?

I think we are looking at Munster not being able to keep Botha for next season and Munster realising that Archer will be first choice next season and giving him every minute (particularly in the Rabo where Munster are effectively out of) of gametime to get experience to help him next season.

totallegend

CIARAN_BOYLE wrote: »

I think we are looking at Munster not being able to keep Botha for next season and Munster realising that Archer will be first choice next season and giving him every minute (particularly in the Rabo where Munster are effectively out of) of gametime to get experience to help him next season.

Fair enough so, I thought Botha was staying next year, WDP being shoved out the door to placate IRFU etc etc. But if BJ is gone, then yes, give Archer as much game time as possible

jm08

totallegend wrote: »

Fair enough so, I thought Botha was staying next year, WDP being shoved out the door to placate IRFU etc etc. But if BJ is gone, then yes, give Archer as much game time as possible

BJ wants a two year contract. IRFU will only allow a one year one.

Starting Archer & Kilcoyne is more like showing to the IRFU that BJ & Wian are not blocking their progress.

Munster do need BJ & Wian as all the props behind Archer & Killer are very young and inexperienced and Horan is likely to retire this year.

CIARAN_BOYLE

totallegend wrote: »

Fair enough so, I thought Botha was staying next year, WDP being shoved out the door to placate IRFU etc etc. But if BJ is gone, then yes, give Archer as much game time as possible

offer may have been made but WDP wanted compensation which is fair enough as he has a contract. It looks like BJ is going so Archer is getting the experience.

Foxtrol

jm08 wrote: »

Munster could only add 3 players - with Earls out Munster needed a centre. And with Strings in Bath, needed another scrumhalf. Third position has to go to front row.

Stander wasn't needed as Munster have loads of backrows and Tommy O'Donnell has been a revelation this year.

:rolleyes:

shuffol

So seeing as Stander isnt in the HEC cup squad then why isnt he involved this weekend, surely next weekend will be reserved for getting the HEC guys up to speed so chances are his next appearance might not be until the Leinster game on the 13th of April. By which point it will be almost 2 months since his last senior appearance which was off the bench against Treviso on the 24th February.

Chabals Beard

This might have been discussed before but is anyone else dissapointed with Howlett this year? He has done fine as captain but in terms of being a attacking force he has been poor, I think he has put on too much upper body weight and it has dented his speed a lot

durkadurka

He's very old for a winger. The pace seems to have disappeared .

Foxtrol

Chabals Beard wrote: »

This might have been discussed before but is anyone else dissapointed with Howlett this year? He has done fine as captain but in terms of being a attacking force he has been poor, I think he has put on too much upper body weight and it has dented his speed a lot

I'd say his age is the biggest factor in his loss of speed. He's been getting slower for a number of years now and has probably changed his training/body shape to accommodate the need to change his playing style a bit.

Foxtrol

thomond2006 wrote: »

Well Munster did need an outside back with our injury issues (LOD, Zebo, Earls) and Sheridan is in because he's ahead of Williams in the pecking order now.

I think the injuries to the backs requiring Dineen to come in is a red herring.

I doubt that all three of the above will not be fit for the quarter final but even if they aren't for centre and back three there are:

Denis Hurley, Felix Jones, Doug Howlett, Danny Barnes, JJ Hanrahan, Johne Murphy, Casey Laulala, James Downey, Ian Keatley.

No matter what way people try to spin it, it's not a vote of confidence in Stander.

thomond2006

Foxtrol wrote: »

Denis Hurley, Felix Jones, Doug Howlett, Danny Barnes, JJ Hanrahan, Johne Murphy, Casey Laulala, James Downey, Ian Keatley.

No matter what way people try to spin it, it's not a vote of confidence in Stander.

Barnes has barely figured this season, I'm not sure the management have the confidence in Barnes to be in the HEC 23. Likewise Johne Murphy. Then again Dineen hasn't played HEC at all unlike those two...

I'm not trying to spin anything, I've no agenda for or against Stander. I don't think it's a good sign for him but IMO getting Dineen and Sheridan into the HEC squad was more important.

Podge_irl

If Munster are reduced to playing Dineen in the HEC knock-outs they are in trouble anyway. Don't see how its anything but a massive snub.

I'm not saying one way or the other whether he deserved to be in the squad btw, but given the hype about him when he arrived its decidedly odd.

jamiedav2011

thomond2006 wrote: »

Barnes has barely figured this season, I'm not sure the management have the confidence in Barnes to be in the HEC 23. Likewise Johne Murphy. Then again Dineen hasn't played HEC at all unlike those two...

I'm not trying to spin anything, I've no agenda for or against Stander. I don't think it's a good sign for him but IMO getting Dineen and Sheridan into the HEC squad was more important.

Has Dineen featured more than Barnes and Murphy this year?!

I'd far rather have Stander to come on than a spare reserve back. Makes far more sense for later rounds aswell.

I mean in the unlikely event that Zebo, Earls and LOD are out for the HEC, they could still play

Murray, ROG, Hurley, Downey, LLL, Howlett, Jones

With Keatley and one of Hanrahan, Murphy or Barnes on the bench.

Make no mistake about it, it's Stander losing out for a fairly weak supposed reason.

thomond2006

Has Dineen featured more than Barnes and Murphy this year?!

Sorry that was a dopey point I made, I put it down to college stress + lack of sleep. :P

Well I thought Dineen had a good game for the As against Leinster.

I'll just go and find more straws to clutch.

Podge_irl

thomond2006 wrote: »

Well I thought Dineen had a good game for the As against Leinster.

I'm sure he did, but unless you're POC or Brad Thorn you don't go from an A provincial game to Heineken Cup knock-outs without people worrying!

To my mind, Stander could have brought something constructive - an impact if even only off the bench - whereas adding Dineen means covering for something that probably won't happen and if it does they're likely screwed anyway.

yimrsg

Could it be that Stander's wedding/honeymoon coincides with a HC weekend and he'd be unavailable?

thomond2006

yimrsg wrote: »

Could it be that Stander's wedding/honeymoon coincides with a HC weekend and he'd be unavailable?

Hardly, I doubt his employers would be enamoured with that sort of planning.

Foxtrol

thomond2006 wrote: »

I'll just go and find more straws to clutch.

There you go thomond:

yimrsg wrote:

Could it be that Stander's wedding/honeymoon coincides with a HC weekend and he'd be unavailable?

CatFromHue

yimrsg wrote: »

Could it be that Stander's wedding/honeymoon coincides with a HC weekend and he'd be unavailable?

I'd say not. Even if he'd have stayed in SA he'd have rugby on this weekend with the SuperXV.

jamiedav2011

Ah come on lads! His honeymoon for feck sake!

We've heard it's the fact he's 'played so much rugby' and also some faux backline tactical reason, it doesn't really wash though.

Clareman

Stander is a project player who could have gone almost 18 months of playing constantly if he came straight up here into the team after the Super 15 was over, the guy is probably being put on a program to be ready for next season.

Podge_irl

Clareman wrote: »

Stander is a project player who could have gone almost 18 months of playing constantly if he came straight up here into the team after the Super 15 was over, the guy is probably being put on a program to be ready for next season.

He's barely played since coming up north.

When it gets to HEC knock-out time you aren't worrying about planning for next season...

Clareman

He played 1 game and broke a bone, don't know how that recuperation went. He's still young, plenty of more HEC knock outs to come. They might also feel that the players that have been here longer are more worthy of a place.

Hey, we're all grasping at straws here, the man made some impact when he arrived, it's a mystery to me how he isn't more involved if he's fit

Foxtrol

Clareman wrote: »

He played 1 game and broke a bone, don't know how that recuperation went. He's still young, plenty of more HEC knock outs to come. They might also feel that the players that have been here longer are more worthy of a place.

Hey, we're all grasping at straws here, the man made some impact when he arrived, it's a mystery to me how he isn't more involved if he's fit

People are only grasping at straws because they are trying to give every explanation/excuse possible except the most likely one for when a guy misses out being selected for a squad - that he has failed to impress the coaches enough to warrant selection above another player.

Eod100

Foxtrol wrote: »

People are only grasping at straws because they are trying to give every explanation/excuse possible except the most likely one for when a guy misses out being selected for a squad - that he has failed to impress the coaches enough to warrant selection above another player.

3 tries in 6 games?

totallegend

This thread is comedy gold.

thomond2006

I don't think any of the other backrowers are capable of doing this.

If their plan is to "manage" him till next season, then that puts a lot of pressure on him to perform next season!

Fireball07

The non-selection of Stander is baffling.


There is something wrong. I hope it's something to do with being eased in, but it's not. In my opinion, he's definitely good enough. He's a physical presence that none of the other back rows often, he's a good ball carrier and a strong tackler. I don't know what has happened, but it's really strange.