Munster Team Talk/Gossip/Rumours Thread II

Foxtrol

trouttrout wrote: »

Doing the rounds on MF

Some lad said it on LF and it spread over there.

Have a feeling they're having the piss taken out of them - Luke possibly going to the Darkside - Darth Maul.

Gagging for any sort of rumour to latch onto so they are.

SomeFool

trouttrout wrote: »

Apparently Munster have signed Gareth Maule

Great name for a rugby player - any source - he wouldn't be the use of an NIQ spot I'd hope for tbh.

trouttrout

Foxtrol wrote: »

Some lad said it on LF and it spread over there.

Have a feeling they're having the piss taken out of them - Luke possibly going to the Darkside - Darth Maul.

Gagging for any sort of rumour to latch onto so they are.

Stupid boggars sure

Guy called dowlinz said it was a done deal and he normally knows the craic

thomond2006

trouttrout wrote: »

Apparently Munster have signed Gareth Maule

Is he Irish Qualified? It's the only way I could see him coming over. Can't really comment on his ability. I'd rather we would develop JJ, Barnes and Dineen.

armchaircoach

His wiki page mentions caps for Wales under 20. Is that their other representative side?

Buer

armchaircoach wrote: »

His wiki page mentions caps for Wales under 20. Is that their other representative side?

Currently, yes. When he was capped it wasn't though. It's a grey area and would probably see an appeal but I would think he could become qualified on residency.

Mahatma Geansai

Looks to just be a Star Wars joke about Luke and now Maul etc.

That said, all he has to do is be better than Laulala. If he can make half his tackles and doesn't throw the ball away stupidly a few times a game, he is already most of the way there.

jamiedav2011

He's fairly average now, Rabo standard and a big bruiser but not near the level of a Laulala or Earls for me.

Did make an eejit out of BOD this season though.

I agree though, I'd say this is a pisstake too. Think it originated on LF.

jamiedav2011

Mahatma Geansai wrote: »

Looks to just be a Star Wars joke about Luke and now Maul etc.

That said, all he has to do is be better than Laulala. If he can make half his tackles and doesn't throw the ball away stupidly a few times a game, he is already most of the way there.

Laulala is a class centre, would take him in a heartbeat, only Munster haven't a clue what to do with him, and nobody runs lines off him.

Any time I saw him in the flesh for Cardiff he gave Leinster huge problems.

Foxtrol

trouttrout wrote: »

Stupid boggars sure

Guy called dowlinz said it was a done deal and he normally knows the craic

You said it not me

Think half half that thread are taking the piss out of the Fitzgerald apparent 'inside sources'.

Think he'd be an decent signing but I would presume it would mean Laulala is going which would be a pity as he would offer so much if they could use him correctly.

Hagz

He's a good player. Underrated if you ask me. But With Laulala and Earls it wouldn't make sense.

Mahatma Geansai

Foxtrol wrote: »

You said it not me

Think half half that thread are taking the piss out of the Fitzgerald apparent 'inside sources'.

Think he'd be an decent signing but I would presume it would mean Laulala is going which would be a pity as he would offer so much if they could use him correctly.

You can't do much with a centre that can't/doesn't tackle. He must have missed 5 or so tackles at the weekend. He's an older Mafi minus the commitment. Hopefully he can prove me wrong.

Play

9. Murray (or someone snappier)
10. Keatley
11. Earls
12. Downey
13. Lualala
14. Howlett
15. Zebo

and you might see how to use Lualala.

ROG shuffling ball sideways and not getting players across and slowed second phase ball just gives defenders far too much time to adjust.

CatFromHue

There's more to Munsters back firing back line than just ROG.

I'm not sure if the players have figured out how to take advantage of Lualala strength's yet.

I'm not sure if the fans have either as I'd watch a game with him in it and I'd see him looking to create something or offload but not clicking with the other players. Then I'd read about how bad he was supposed to have played!

Earls, Howlett and Zebo should all have no problem reading him. Zebo is already really very good at it. Earls used to be, Howlett's never not been.

The problem is the first phase being so slow.

Simple play first. quick to Out Half, have inside runner option (Stander) and outside (Downey). Hit one at pace and let them break gainline. Insta-recycle to out half to first receiver to Lualala with Zebo / Earls / Howlett taking lines off of him.

He's a running threat as well as an offload machine. The guys around him just don't look for it near enough, and don't seem to trust him to get it there!

irishbucsfan

Laulala has been in plenty of space loads of times. The rest of the team just aren't giving him options.

Reminds me of what Schmidt said about Leinster's attacking play when he arrived.

mohawk

Heard Zebo on Off The Ball earlier. He was saying he hasn't done any contact training yet with the foot. He said next Monday he will be going into contact with the foot and he will know on Monday or Tuesday whether or not he will be ok for Quins. Not sure what putting his foot into contact actually means but lets keep everything crossed.

Podge_irl

Munster misuse Laulala almost as much as they did Cullen.

Benny Cake

Podge_irl wrote: »

Munster misuse Laulala almost as much as they did Cullen.

Who exactly did Munster "misuse" Cullen? Sure he was crocked for most his four years in which he only managed 40 or so appearances...

Podge_irl

Benny Cake wrote: »

Who exactly did Munster "misuse" Cullen? Sure he was crocked for most his four years in which he only managed 40 or so appearances...

True, he had serious problems with being crocked and was never going to be a superstar, but it was sad watching the man running great lines and never getting the pass or offload. He'd run perfectly on someone's shoulder at an angle and they'd just go to bloody ground.

mohawk

Podge_irl wrote: »

Munster misuse Laulala almost as much as they did Cullen.

Cullen spent his Munster years on the treatment table.

It annoys me how many of my fellow Munster supporters cant see how good Laulala is. He is doing all the work and there is no one there running the support lines.

PhatPiggins

Podge_irl wrote: »

True, he had serious problems with being crocked and was never going to be a superstar, but it was sad watching the man running great lines and never getting the pass or offload. He'd run perfectly on someone's shoulder at an angle and they'd just go to bloody ground.

It was like watching a farmer use a porsche to draw diesel. A complete waste of talent.

Benny Cake

PhatPiggins wrote: »

It was like watching a farmer use a porsche to draw diesel. A complete waste of talent.

Tbh, I reckon you know as much about rugby as you do about farming

PhatPiggins

Benny Cake wrote: »

Tbh, I reckon you know as much about rugby as you do about farming

You're clearly from Cork

Benny Cake

PhatPiggins wrote: »

You're clearly from Cork

Nope. Luimneach. We "draw diesel" quite frequently down here....

PhatPiggins

Benny Cake wrote: »

Nope. Luimneach. We "draw diesel" quite frequently down here....

I'm not entirely sure where this is going!

Benny Cake

PhatPiggins wrote: »

I'm not entirely sure where this is going!

Me either

.ak

I've said it before, and I'll say it again - we'll gladly take Lualala off your hands if you don't want him.

Mahatma Geansai

.ak wrote: »

I've said it before, and I'll say it again - we'll gladly take Lualala off your hands if you don't want him.

I'd gladly free up the NIQ spot.

thomond2006

Zebo has to come through sessions next week to determine his availability: http://www.munsterrugby.ie/news/11741.php

Other news:

• Sean Dougall out for six weeks
• Luke O'Dea out for three / four weeks
• Dave O'Callaghan to play in the AIL this weekend
• Donnacha Ryan, Peter O'Mahony and Conor Murray will resume training next week