Munster vs Drive-For-Five buildup

thomond2006

May as well get the ball rolling! :pac:

If I have time I'll fire up a preview when the teams are named.

FWIW I'd like to see:

Cronin, Sherry, Archer, Ryan, POC, Stander, POM, Coughlan;
Murray*, Keatley, Zebo, Dineen, Laulala, Earls, Hurley

Bench: Varley, Kilcoyne, Botha*/J Ryan, DOC, Dougall, Sheridan, JJH, Conway

*if fit

danthefan

Munster are smelly.

ciarriaithuaidh

danthefan wrote: »

Munster are smelly.

So's your ma. Take that!

Fireball07

Ooh, this might be fun.

thomond2006 wrote: »

FWIW I'd like to see:

Cronin, Sherry, Archer, Ryan, POC, Stander, POM, Coughlan;
Murray*, Keatley, Zebo, Dineen, Laulala, Earls, Hurley

Bench: Varley, Kilcoyne, Botha*/J Ryan, DOC, Dougall, Sheridan, JJH, Conway

*if fit

Dunno if Murray will be fit, can't really see him being thrown in from the start even if he is. But if he's on the bench, class player to bring in.

I'd probably have Murphy somewhere in the backline, either on the wing or at full-back, with Earls taking the other spot. Conway on the bench ahead of Hurley.

Dineen did well today, probably did enough to hold his position. Thought JJ was good too.

That's the backrow I want to see, don't think we will.

thomond2006

danthefan wrote: »

Munster are smelly.

It's the sweat of pashun.

thomond2006

Fireball07 wrote: »

Ooh, this might be fun.






Dunno if Murray will be fit, can't really see him being thrown in from the start even if he is. But if he's on the bench, class player to bring in.

I'd probably have Murphy somewhere in the backline, either on the wing or at full-back, with Earls taking the other spot. Conway on the bench ahead of Hurley.

Dineen did well today, probably did enough to hold his position. Thought JJ was good too.

That's the backrow I want to see, don't think we will.

I forgot about Murphy there, he probably deserves to be ahead of Conway alright. Would you have Murphy ahead of Zebo though?

Fireball07

thomond2006 wrote: »

I forgot about Murphy there, he probably deserves to be ahead of Conway alright. Would you have Murphy ahead of Zebo though?

Oh, no way.

Murphy ahead of Hurley. Back 3 of Zebo/Earls/Murphy. Conway on the bench.

Grimebox

Drive for five...?

Fireball07

Grimebox wrote: »

Drive for five...?

It left me baffled for a while too, but I think it's got to do with the amount of European trophies them lot have :P

Took me a good while to get it.

durkadurka

Fireball07 wrote: »

It left me baffled for a while too, but I think it's got to do with the amount of European trophies them lot have :P

Took me a good while to get it.

Nah I think we've bet you home and away for the last two years now.

Last time you beat us was in 2011 when the goys were hungover!

Grimebox

This certainly didn't answer any questions

Fireball07

durkadurka wrote: »

Nah I think we've bet you home and away for the last two years now.

Last time you beat us was in 2011 when the goys were hungover!

Oh...

TheKeenMachine

I'd say we'll see a Leinster team of
Kearney; Ferg, BOD, Darce, Dave K; Madigan, Boss
Healy, Cronin, Moore; Toner, Cullen; SOB, Murphy, Heaslip.
Strauss, McGrath, Ross, Roux, McLaughlin, Reddan, Gopperth, Tuqiri.

I think Moore did enough yesterday to earn his place in the XV, Murphy similarly has continued where he picked off last season. Is Cullen fit? If not I'd imagine Denton will be on the bench. Kearney was poor last night for me but we don't really have anyone to step in. Week too soon for Fitz obviously :pac:

Quint2010

TheKeenMachine wrote: »

I'd say we'll see a Leinster team of
Kearney; Ferg, BOD, Darce, Dave K; Madigan, Boss
Healy, Cronin, Moore; Toner, Cullen; SOB, Murphy, Heaslip.
Strauss, McGrath, Ross, Roux, McLaughlin, Reddan, Gopperth, Tuqiri.

I think Moore did enough yesterday to earn his place in the XV, Murphy similarly has continued where he picked off last season. Is Cullen fit? If not I'd imagine Denton will be on the bench. Kearney was poor last night for me but we don't really have anyone to step in. Week too soon for Fitz obviously :pac:

McCarthy will surely start next week with Toner no? Be amazed also if SOB started.

Buer

SOB said himself this is his comeback game. Now that might mean from the bench but given the real issues Leinster had last night at flanker, I could see him starting.

Not a hope Ross will be on the bench though and I'd be surprised if KMcL wasn't in the side too. Murphy has done well but I think the best hope for him is the bench if at all.

Hagz

1. Cian Healy
2. Richardt Strauss
3. Mike Ross
4. Mike McCarthy
5. Devin Toner
6. Kevin McLaughlin
7. Jordi Murphy
8. Jamie Heaslip
9. Isaac Boss
10. Ian Madigan
11. Dave Kearney
12. Gordon D'Arcy
13. Brian O'Driscoll
14. Fergus McFadden
15. Rob Kearney

16. Sean Cronin
17. Jack McGrath
18. Marty Moore
19. Quinn Roux
20. Sean O'Brien
21. Eoin Reddan
22. Jimmy Gopperth
23. Brendan Macken

Fireball07

I expect it to be a fiery encounter.


A couple of yellow cards, a red card, and maybe a couple of month-long bans.....


And that's just on this forum!

danthefan

I think Hagz has it fairly spot on, won't be too many changes from that side.

Swiwi.

Hagz wrote: »

1. Cian Healy
2. Richardt Strauss
3. Mike Ross
4. Mike McCarthy
5. Devin Toner
6. Kevin McLaughlin
7. Jordi Murphy
8. Jamie Heaslip
9. Isaac Boss
10. Ian Madigan
11. Dave Kearney
12. Gordon D'Arcy
13. Brian O'Driscoll
14. Fergus McFadden
15. Rob Kearney

16. Sean Cronin
17. Jack McGrath
18. Marty Moore
19. Quinn Roux
20. Sean O'Brien
21. Eoin Reddan
22. Jimmy Gopperth
23. Brendan Macken

Has Murphy played much at 7? Otherwise I would tend to concur, although you'd want McCarthy to up his game a bit. No doubt you'll tell me Murphy's a natural 7, and made his name in that position...

Buer

I reckon there'll be a bit of niggle, alright. Always is. Few people wanting to put down markers. Few young upstarts wanting to make a name for themselves, some fading names raging against the dying of the light etc. I can see someone like Mike McCarthy being carded. He knows he's out of the Irish side unless he absolutely dominates Ryan physically.

Buer

Swiwi. wrote: »

Has Murphy played much at 7? Otherwise I would tend to concur, although you'd want McCarthy to up his game a bit. No doubt you'll tell me Murphy's a natural 7, and made his name in that position...

Well actually....

No, he made his name as an 8 but he can play 7 and has started there before for Leinster. I think SOB might come straight back into this one though with JM on the bench.

P_1

Generic Munster banterish slagging #648

Swiwi.

Buer wrote: »

Well actually....

No, he made his name as an 8 but he can play 7 and has started there before for Leinster. I think SOB might come straight back into this one though with JM on the bench.

Phew, thought I'd lost the plot. I was swearing to myself he'd been playing at 8 in the games he's started this season.

thomond2006

I reckon BOD deserves a rest after a great performance against Cardiff.

Tox56

Buer wrote: »

SOB said himself this is his comeback game. Now that might mean from the bench but given the real issues Leinster had last night at flanker, I could see him starting.

Not a hope Ross will be on the bench though and I'd be surprised if KMcL wasn't in the side too. Murphy has done well but I think the best hope for him is the bench if at all.

SOB came back off a long injury against Glasgow away last year, and in a game where you really need to dominate the breakdown (as will be the case against Munster) he did exactly that, if he's fit he has to start for me.

Swiwi. wrote: »

Has Murphy played much at 7? Otherwise I would tend to concur, although you'd want McCarthy to up his game a bit. No doubt you'll tell me Murphy's a natural 7, and made his name in that position...

Was outstanding v Warburton at 7 this time last year so he can definitely play there, but he's no SOB. Unlucky because of all the back rowers his form is probably the best but he just doesn't fit in a McLaughlin-SOB-Heaslip backrow

P_1

thomond2006 wrote: »

I reckon BOD deserves a rest after a great performance against Cardiff.

POC dropped a speculative cross kick today, clearly he was brought back about 2 weeks prematurely. Back into the cotton wool with him I say. For his own sake really...

Swiwi.

thomond2006 wrote: »

I reckon BOD deserves a rest after a great performance against Cardiff.

In your dreams boy. Or should that be fantasies :P

TheKeenMachine

Quint2010 wrote: »

McCarthy will surely start next week with Toner no? Be amazed also if SOB started.

I actually completely forgot we had signed him

Hagz

Swiwi. wrote: »

Has Murphy played much at 7? Otherwise I would tend to concur, although you'd want McCarthy to up his game a bit. No doubt you'll tell me Murphy's a natural 7, and made his name in that position...

Murphy played the majority of his rugby for the 'A' team at 7. Also, though I'm open to correction on this, I think he's played at 7 for the senior side as many times as he has in any other position. But 8 is certainly where he made his breakthrough and caught everyone's attention.

Tox56

Healy
Strauss
Moore
McCarthy
Toner
McLaughlin
SOB
Heaslip
Boss
Madigan
D Kearney
D'Arcy
BOD
McFadden
R Kearney


If Fitzgerald is fit I would be tempted to move Kearney junior to 15 where he has impressed, but best thing would probably be to introduce him from the bench as the back 3 from the Cardiff game is more than capable.

Madigan one last chance to demand a start for the H Cup

Depending on the fitness of Bent we have to trust Moore to come off the bench in a H Cup match. And so we have to trust him here, these are the games he will learn from regardless of his performance

Bring McGrath on early, both resting Healy and battle hardening McGrath in the process. However if you bench Moore I would also bench Healy

Tox56

Hagz wrote: »

Murphy played the majority of his rugby for the 'A' team at 7. Also, though I'm open to correction on this, I think he's played at 7 for the senior side as many times as he has in any other position. But 8 is certainly where he made his breakthrough and caught everyone's attention.

Disagree, if we're talking big breakout performance I would say that MOTM game v Cardiff (up against the Lions skipper no less) would have to be up there, he was on fire that day

Hagz

Tox56 wrote: »

Disagree, if we're talking big breakout performance I would say that MOTM game v Cardiff (up against the Lions skipper no less) would have to be up there, he was on fire that day

Sure, but I think the point where he started to get consistent starts was at 8.

Swiwi.

Tox56 wrote: »

Healy
Strauss
Moore
McCarthy
Toner
McLaughlin
SOB
Heaslip
Boss
Madigan
D Kearney
D'Arcy
BOD
McFadden
R Kearney


If Fitzgerald is fit I would be tempted to move Kearney junior to 15 where he has impressed, but best thing would probably be to introduce him from the bench as the back 3 from the Cardiff game is more than capable.

Madigan one last chance to demand a start for the H Cup

Depending on the fitness of Bent we have to trust Moore to come off the bench in a H Cup match. And so we have to trust him here, these are the games he will learn from regardless of his performance

Bring McGrath on early, both resting Healy and battle hardening McGrath in the process. However if you bench Moore I would also bench Healy

I prefer Kearney Jnr on the wing, I'd give Kearney Snr another go. I'm not sure about starting Luke if he was fit, he's just so injury prone and I'd rather see him successfully last 80 minutes in a less important fixture.

Fireball07

Archer and Ryan have done pretty well so far this season, up against Healy/McGrath will be as good a test as any to see if they really are ready for regular HC action.

And, based on what I've seen of him so far, Cronin seems to be a better scrummager than Killer. Although, I think Penney will pick Kilcoyne for this game.

Tox56

Swiwi. wrote: »

I prefer Kearney Jnr on the wing, I'd give Kearney Snr another go. I'm not sure about starting Luke if he was fit, he's just so injury prone and I'd rather see him successfully last 80 minutes in a less important fixture.

Fair enough and I would probably bench him too, but the next time there will be a less important fixture than this is a Pro12 game v Connacht almost exactly a month from today. I would hope he plays 80 mins for us at some point between now and then, he's too good a player. At the same time he should only be brought back if they are 100% sure he is ready (although I believe his injury this time was in itself pretty routine, not connected to any previous injuries)

Buer

Jordi Murphy starts list. Because I'm a saddo:

Senior team:
8 starts at 8
2 starts at 7

B&I team:
1 start at 8
6 start at 7
2 start at 6

Hagz

What about appearances from the bench?

Get on it Buer!

Buer

Hagz wrote: »

What about appearances from the bench?

Get on it Buer!

Gwanouttadat.

I will say that a good number, probably the majority, were at openside but match is on so no counting it up!

Fireball07

Buer wrote: »

I can see someone like Mike McCarthy being carded. He knows he's out of the Irish side unless he absolutely dominates Ryan physically.

A bit of an onus on Ryan to perform too. His performances at the end of last season weren't anything close to those that got him into the Irish team originally. Needs to get back to those levels because there's lots of competition... DOC is as solid as ever, had a good game again today. And Foley, in particular, has impressed a lot this season.

And with Henderson on the rise up North, and Toner really starting to impress, there are plenty of options in the row. (Tuohy and Stevenson are both good operators too).

danthefan

Touhy, Toner, Stevenson are never going to be real international options imo.

Fireball07

danthefan wrote: »

Touhy, Toner, Stevenson are never going to be real international options imo.

Maybe not, but... once upon a time, people may have said that Ryan wouldn't either. If you have a prolonged period of form, you can force yourself into the reckoning.

And Ireland know as well as most that you need to have options in case of injury...we've been hit hard in recent times.

Hagz

danthefan wrote: »

Touhy, Toner, Stevenson are never going to be real international options imo.

I would have been guilty of saying close to the same thing about Ryan pre '11 though.

danthefan

Fireball07 wrote: »

Maybe not, but... once upon a time, people may have said that Ryan wouldn't either. If you have a prolonged period of form, you can force yourself into the reckoning.

And Ireland know as well as most that you need to have options in case of injury...we've been hit hard in recent times.

Hagz wrote: »

I would have been guilty of saying close to the same thing about Ryan pre '11 though.

What held Ryan back mostly was being at Munster. I don't think those I named are of the requisite quality, just my opinion.

Swiwi.

danthefan wrote: »

Touhy, Toner, Stevenson are never going to be real international options imo.

Touhy definitely not. Stevenson I couldn't comment. Toner is playing well for Leinster but I agree I don't know that he could make the step up consistently at international level.

Fireball07

I don't know but there were a fair amount of people saying that Tuohy should have been picked ahead of DOC a year or two ago..... and say what you want about DOC, he has always been very solid at international level.

Mahatma Geansai

Fireball07 wrote: »

I don't know but there were a fair amount of people saying that Tuohy should have been picked ahead of DOC a year or two ago..... and say what you want about DOC, he has always been very solid at international level.

That was more people wanting Kidney to pick a non Munster player than anything. The calls to replace Doc reached a furore in the same 6N he put in great tacking stats.

Most people and fans have no idea what a lock does outside the line out. There's a reason why the top sides always have at least one great lock.

DOC isn't the Lion he was, but he is still one of our better options.

jamiedav2011

Mahatma Geansai wrote: »

That was more people wanting Kidney to pick a non Munster player than anything. The calls to replace Doc reached a furore in the same 6N he put in great tacking stats.

Most people and fans have no idea what a lock does outside the line out. There's a reason why the top sides always have at least one great lock.

DOC isn't the Lion he was, but he is still one of our better options.

#unseenwork
#pashun

danthefan

Fireball07 wrote: »

I don't know but there were a fair amount of people saying that Tuohy should have been picked ahead of DOC a year or two ago..... and say what you want about DOC, he has always been very solid at international level.

He should have been. DOC had been dropped by Munster but was still first choice for Ireland - figure that one out. I'll point anyone towards our results over the last year or two if they think Kidney had selections right. Touhy hasn't been able to maintain his form though. I'm sure he'd be capable of a one off decent performance for Ireland but what I meant is I don't think he'd ever be a guy you could give 40 caps to, because you wouldn't get 40 performances from him.

Swiwi.

Mahatma Geansai wrote: »

That was more people wanting Kidney to pick a non Munster player than anything. The calls to replace Doc reached a furore in the same 6N he put in great tacking stats.

Most people and fans have no idea what a lock does outside the line out. There's a reason why the top sides always have at least one great lock.

DOC isn't the Lion he was, but he is still one of our better options.

Mahatma, I think virtually everyone on this forum makes their Irish selections purely based on form. Ok, for 50/50 calls, a bit of home-town bias might come into play. But I can't think of anyone who has a "Anyone-But-Munster" approach to their selections. On the other hand, I have no difficulty thinking of at least 3 posters who suffer from a Munser persecution complex "The world is out to get Munster". I agree that DOC's form has picked up, but he definitely went through a plateau a while there back. And therefore Munsterman Ryan took his starting spot.

jamiedav2011

Swiwi. wrote: »

Mahatma, I think virtually everyone on this forum makes their Irish selections purely based on form. Ok, for 50/50 calls, a bit of home-town bias might come into play. But I can't think of anyone who has a "Anyone-But-Munster" approach to their selections. On the other hand, I have no difficulty thinking of at least 3 posters who suffer from a Munser persecution complex "The world is out to get Munster". I agree that DOC's form has picked up, but he definitely went through a plateau a while there back. And therefore Munsterman Ryan took his starting spot.

Better when bitter, and by god can they be bitter!

Howard Juneau

I think by the end of this thread we're going to see a lot of closed accounts & be saying hello to a lot of "new" friends!