Pro12: Cardiff Blues vs Munster, Fri 2 Nov 7:05pm; TG4/BBC2W

thomond2006

Cardiff Blues
15. Dan Fish 14. Tom Williams 13. Gavin Evans 12. Dafydd Hewitt 11. Tom James 10. Jason Tovey 9. Lewis Jones
8. Andries Pretorius (c) 7. Josh Navidi 6. Robin Copeland 5. James Down 4. Lou Reed 3. Taufa'ao Filise 2. Rhys Williams 1. Campese Ma'afu

Replacements: 16. Andi Kyriacou 17. Sam Hobbs 18. Ryan Harford 19. Macauley Cook 20. Luke Hamilton 21. Rob Lewis 22. Ceri Sweeney 23. Owen Williams

Munster:
F Jones; D Howlett capt, C Laulala, I Keatley, L O'Dea; R O'Gara, D Williams;
M Horan, M Sherry, S Archer; D Foley, B Holland; Dave O'Callaghan, S Dougall, T O'Donnell.

Replacements: D Varley, J Ryan, W du Preez, I Nagle, P Butler, P Stringer, D Barnes, J Murphy.

Cardiff are without their internationals so their side looks very weakened.

The positives from the Munster selection are the return of du Preez and Nagle from injury, along with John Ryan who will hopefully get some gametime.

The negatives? Where the hell is JJ? Seems awfully harsh to be dropped altogether.

Anyway, Cardiff have been pretty rubbish this season and being without their internationals they'll lack a cutting edge. Munster's centre combination will hopefully create some opportunity from our potent back three. Munster by more than seven points.

ed7890

Someone on another forum who's fairly reliable is saying JJ has a knock

Quint2010

Michael Bent

Yeah-disappointing not to see Hanrahan. You can do no more than score two tries on your debut. And he isn't even on the bench? If he is not injured then that is a weird selection by Penney. Still-Munster should have more than enough to win.

irishbucsfan

I'd be fairly confident that Hanrahan picked up a knock.

Is it nor quite strange that Earls didn't even make the bench? Are there question marks over his fitness now as well?

buck65

Keatley at 12!

GerM

irishbucsfan wrote: »

Is it nor quite strange that Earls didn't even make the bench? Are there question marks over his fitness now as well?

I'd say it's just absolute reluctance to risk the one remaining certain starter in the Irish back line.

Fireball07

Michael Bent

Well, I'm not 100% happy with the team but I trust Penney, he's got to try things.

Hopefully ROG is on form, our scrum holds its own and we get a big performance from the likes of DOC2.


We should, hopefully, have too much for Cardiff who were an utter disgrace last weekend. Hopefully they'll be a bit better and put it up to us, this team is not going to improve by playing shíte opposition every week.

jacothelad

Fireball07 wrote: »

Well, I'm not 100% happy with the team but I trust Penney, he's got to try things.

Hopefully ROG is on form, our scrum holds its own and we get a big performance from the likes of DOC2.


We should, hopefully, have too much for Cardiff who were an utter disgrace last weekend. Hopefully they'll be a bit better and put it up to us, this team is not going to improve by playing shíte opposition every week.

That Cardiff front row is totally powder puff. Even Archer will be o.k. so expect to see him on the bench for Ireland if Fitzpatrick is ruled out.

thomond2006

Michael Bent

jacothelad wrote: »

That Cardiff front row is totally powder puff. Even Archer will be o.k. so expect to see him on the bench for Ireland if Fitzpatrick is ruled out.

Yup, a CB forum was saying that Ma'afu was useless at scrummaging.

molloyjh

Munster will win this handy enough. Cardiff were pure muck last week in nearly every way - except their off-loading in the tackle which was superb at times. Part of me thinks they'll want to make it up this week and with the internationals gone there won't be so many players looking to save themselves for the AIs, but I still can't see where they'd mount a challenge from. Their back row maybe? Even though I thought "the next big thing" Navidi was incredibly average against Leinster.

Munster by at least 7. I think Keatley at 12 could work really well

Henry Ford III

Lots of negative stuff going on behind the scenes in Cardiff, and this has unfortunately had an effect on the team and it's performances.

The weather may have a big effect on this game.

phog

Would like to have seen Butler start but TOD played at 8 in the recnent B&I cup game so maybe Penney want sto see more of him there and before he has to start slotting in Stander.

Mixed team with young v experience across the team, hope they improve in the first 40mins performance as if Cardiff gets ahead I'm not sure we'll be able to swing it around.

Hope Ryan and Nagle get decent time off the bench. Expect to see Holland making the lineout calls

thomond2006

Michael Bent

I hope Howlett 'dougies' Tom James, I can't stand him.

phog

thomond2006 wrote: »

I hope Howlett 'dougies' Tom James, I can't stand him.

What?

thomond2006

Michael Bent

phog wrote: »

What?

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

gooch2k9

Michael Bent

Might want to change the title, it says TG4 on the pro12 website.

PhatPiggins

Thats a rubbish Munster pack by any stretch of the imagination. I wouldn't be taking anything for granted here.

I'll be interested to see how Copeland gets on for Cardiff.

buck65

Have to agree , Munster are pretty average looking up front. I am very disappointed with Munster this season tbh. Very weak at times.

totallegend

Wow, that is a rubbish Munster pack, but I would still expect an away win here. Cardiff were shocking last weekend and have now lost their internationals. Maybe the B-teamers can step up and rescue some pride but I doubt it.

thomond2006

Michael Bent

Captain Andries Pretorius had been pulled out of this game, so Copeland moves to number eight.

That's a good boost for Munster's chances.

ScissorPaperRock

Is it possible to get BBC 2 Wales here?

irishbucsfan

ScissorPaperRoc wrote: »

Is it possible to get BBC 2 Wales here?

Sky channel 971

phog

ScissorPaperRoc wrote: »

Is it possible to get BBC 2 Wales here?

On Sky? You need to add it under other channels. Google the seetings you require.

wp_rathead

ScissorPaperRoc wrote: »

Is it possible to get BBC 2 Wales here?

When watching the Ulster game on BBC NI just press the red button- and select Sport Centre- there you should be given option of the Cardiff v Munster game;)

keith16

Why is the poll closed?

BBDBB

keith16 wrote: »

Why is the poll closed?

it was a Mercy call

keith16

BBDBB wrote: »

it was a Mercy call

oh right! I saw the poor aul Blues hadn't got a single vote so was gonna plump for them. And on that basis alone, I think they will win

BBDBB

you can take this charity work too far you know

keith16

BBDBB wrote: »

you can take this charity work too far you know

What can I say, I'll always cheer for the underdogs, or at least throw a token poll vote their way!

Keatly at 12 is a strange one, has he previous in this position?

keith16

Early chance here for the blues, or "na gormaí" as Jerry Flannery calls them.

Rebelkell

wprathead wrote: »

When watching the Ulster game on BBC NI just press the red button- and select Sport Centre- there you should be given option of the Cardiff v Munster game;)

My god the BBC commentry when you do this is worse than TG4 and I can't understand irish.

KJY

wprathead wrote: »

When watching the Ulster game on BBC NI just press the red button- and select Sport Centre- there you should be given option of the Cardiff v Munster game;)

I'd prefer Irish. This is.....painful

Rebelkell

They have been talking about eating pies for the last 2 mins

keith16

Rebelkell wrote: »

They have been talking about eating pies for the last 2 mins

Well in fairness there's not too much happening on the pitch....

And as I type that, Munster score! Nice simple hands at the end there, good break by Keatley to get it going.

Zzippy

Lovely offload from Keatley!

Rebelkell

Nice! Despite the commentry saying "good break by ulster"
BBC are in deeper sh1t than i thought

chippers

lovely lines from keatley

thomond2006

Michael Bent

First meaningful attack yields a try. Great line from Keatley was key but also credit to ROG for a good pass at the start where he seemed to lose his footing.

Rebelkell

Can't argue that to be fair

keith16

ROG in the bin now....

Rebelkell

is there a way of changing bbc commentry on sky ?

Beery Eyed

Great play by Keatley for the first try. Lovely angles of running & offloading was great to see.

Robin Copeland has done well so far for the Blues

Wexfordboy89

looks like an ankle injury to dougall!!!

thomond2006

Michael Bent

That looks bad for Dougall...

budhabob

Michael Bent

thomond2006 wrote: »

That looks bad for Dougall...

Was putting no weight down on it. Didn't look good.

Wexfordboy89

budhabob wrote: »

Was putting no weight down on it. Didn't look good.

how did he get injured only turned it on and he was getting carried off

irishbucsfan

What happened to ROG?

ed7890

irishbucsfan wrote: »

What happened to ROG?

Blues had a good break going and ROG had a fairly blatant encroachment. Ref was straight out with the yellow.

thomond2006

Michael Bent

Copeland and Fish the standout players for Cardiff so far.

thomond2006

Michael Bent

I'm terrified everytime Williams chooses to box kick, he takes 2/3 steps from the ruck before kicking. That's asking for a chargedown.

eigrod

Munster lineout's been a disaster.