Leinster vs Munster buildup

thomond2006

IT'S TIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIME

irishbucsfan

Munster

Team predictions?

Kirchner, Nacewa, Ringrose, Reid, Kearney, Sexton, McGrath, Healy, Tracy, Furlong, Kearney, Toner, Ruddock, JvDF, Heaslip;
Cronin, McGrath, Ross, Molony, Leavy, JGP, Carberry, Henshaw

Not sure if Rob Kearney will be back fit, if he is then he'll start but I think it sounded like he might struggle to make it back. We might see SOB on the bench if we're lucky?

Munster

Who are you going to be rooting for thomond2006?

The foster child or the birthed one?

Interested Observer

Munster

irishbucsfan wrote: »

Team predictions?

Kirchner, Nacewa, Ringrose, Reid, Kearney, Sexton, McGrath, Healy, Tracy, Furlong, Kearney, Toner, Ruddock, JvDF, Heaslip;
Cronin, McGrath, Ross, Molony, Leavy, JGP, Carberry, Henshaw

Not sure if Rob Kearney will be back fit, if he is then he'll start but I think it sounded like he might struggle to make it back. We might see SOB on the bench if we're lucky?

Tracy? I'd say you're fairly spot on otherwise, but why Tracy? Would be excellent if Henshaw was fit.

Healy/McGrath could go either way. The Munster scrum has been a wrecking machine this season so Leo should go for whoever he thinks is the stronger scrummager imo.

thomond2006

Cronin, Scannell, J Ryan, Ryan, Holland, POM, TOD, Stander,
Murray, Bleyendaal, Earls, Scannell, Taute, Sweetnam, Zebo

Casey, Kilcoyne, Archer, DOS, JOD, Williams, Keatley, Conway*/ROM

*Conway is following RTTP right now.

Mahatma Geansai

The team that scores the most points

thomond2006 wrote: »

Cronin, Scannell, J Ryan, Ryan, Holland, POM, TOD, Stander,
Murray, Bleyendaal, Earls, Scannell, Taute, Sweetnam, Zebo

Casey, Kilcoyne, Archer, DOS, JOD, Williams, Keatley, Conway*/ROM

*Conway is following RTTP right nwo.

I don't think POM will be fit to start just yet, but I'd be delighted to be proved wrong.

Is Rory Scannell expected to be back fit?

thomond2006

Mahatma Geansai wrote: »

I don't think POM will be fit to start just yet, but I'd be delighted to be proved wrong.

Is Rory Scannell expected to be back fit?

I think Scannell was back in training last week? I might be wrong.

irishbucsfan

Munster

Interested Observer wrote: »

Tracy? I'd say you're fairly spot on otherwise, but why Tracy? Would be excellent if Henshaw was fit.

Healy/McGrath could go either way. The Munster scrum has been a wrecking machine this season so Leo should go for whoever he thinks is the stronger scrummager imo.

Cronin's scrummaging was badly exposed again last weekend. Can't risk it against that Munster scrum from the beginning, if he is on then we'll need Ross beside him from the start. Meanwhile Tracy has been our best hooker so far this season in the early stages.

Tomtom364

The team that scores the most points

thomond2006 wrote: »

I think Scannell was back in training last week? I might be wrong.

Modified training. No way fit to start this week if feature at all

Interested Observer

Munster

irishbucsfan wrote: »

Cronin's scrummaging was badly exposed again last weekend. Can't risk it against that Munster scrum from the beginning, if he is on then we'll need Ross beside him from the start. Meanwhile Tracy has been our best hooker so far this season in the early stages.

His scrummaging has been what it's been for years now. I thought Cardiff were just driving straight up anyway. I'd be fine with Tracy starting but I don't think he will.

thomond2006

Tomtom364 wrote: »

Modified training. No way fit to start this week if feature at all

Thanks. I imagine it will be Taute-Earls then with Conway (if fit) or ROM on the wing.

former total

Munster

irishbucsfan wrote: »

Cronin's scrummaging was badly exposed again last weekend. Can't risk it against that Munster scrum from the beginning, if he is on then we'll need Ross beside him from the start. Meanwhile Tracy has been our best hooker so far this season in the early stages.

I wouldn't be enough of an expert in the scrum to point the finger at Cronin, but even if he is a weak scrummager, he still has to start so long as Tracy's throwing is a huge issue (which it is). D Ryan would have a field day against him.

Cronin to start, Tracy to bench, Leinster fans to continue to wonder what the story with Strauss is.

irishbucsfan

Munster

Interested Observer wrote: »

His scrummaging has been what it's been for years now. I thought Cardiff were just driving straight up anyway. I'd be fine with Tracy starting but I don't think he will.

Rees and Andrews were dominating him, Scannell is almost certainly not as good a scrummager as Rees but I don't see why we'd give Munster any possibility of an edge in that department when Cronin is a good weapon off the bench anyway.

Clegg

Munster

I'd like to see Leavy, VdF and Heaslip as our starting backrow but I think we'll get Murphy at 6 instead. That isn't even much to moan about either as they're all in great form right now.

Strange game this one as I'm very confident about a Leinster win and I've no idea why. We've a middling back three and a leaky defence but the forwards have gone well, Sexton is playing some good stuff and Noel Reid is an immovable object in midfield. Leinster by 5.

thomond2006

Mahatma Geansai wrote: »

I don't think POM will be fit to start just yet, but I'd be delighted to be proved wrong.

Is Rory Scannell expected to be back fit?

40-50 minutes is the most I'd expect from POM, which is why I have him down to start.

irishbucsfan

Munster

former total wrote: »

I wouldn't be enough of an expert in the scrum to point the finger at Cronin, but even if he is a weak scrummager, he still has to start so long as Tracy's throwing is a huge issue (which it is). D Ryan would have a field day against him.

Cronin to start, Tracy to bench, Leinster fans to continue to wonder what the story with Strauss is.

Tracy's throwing isn't a huge issue... We went 12/12 last week on our own lineout.

We have struggled a bit more with Byrne's throwing though, if maybe there's confusion there?

thomond2006

Deleted User wrote: »

Who are you going to be rooting for thomond2006?

The foster child or the birthed one?

former total

Munster

irishbucsfan wrote: »

Tracy's throwing isn't a huge issue... We went 12/12 last week on our own lineout.

We have struggled a bit more with Byrne's throwing though, if maybe there's confusion there?

Maybe I am; Byrne had a nightmare against Edinburgh I think, but I seem to remember a couple going very astray against the Ospreys, and there were definitely a couple against Cardiff that found their man but looked very wobbly en route.

I don't think it matters, I can't see Tracy starting this one.

irishbucsfan

Munster

former total wrote: »

Maybe I am; Byrne had a nightmare against Edinburgh I think, but I seem to remember a couple going very astray against the Ospreys, and there were definitely a couple against Cardiff that found their man but looked very wobbly en route.

I don't think it matters, I can't see Tracy starting this one.

I can certainly see Cronin starting but if he does then that's someone Munster will go after, and they/Flannery will relish that opportunity. If he does start I hope Ross is in there to put pressure on Scannell and that could be enough. Tracy has been our best player in the position this season though so I think he deserves a go.

leakyboots

The team that scores the most points

Excited to see how the scrum goes against the Blue Magoos, been a revelation this season but I don't know have we faced quality scrums just yet. Archer (surprisingly) did well against McGrath last time around but I think John Ryan is a better scrummager again.

Backrow clash will be immense too.

I'd take a good performance, no injuries and losing bonus point if offered it now to be honest. Form sort of goes out the window in these games, I don't think that a win is beyond us at all.

irishbucsfan

Munster

leakyboots wrote: »

Excited to see how the scrum goes against the Blue Magoos, been a revelation this season but I don't know have we faced quality scrums just yet. Archer (surprisingly) did well against McGrath last time around but I think John Ryan is a better scrummager again.

Backrow clash will be immense too.

I'd take a good performance, no injuries and losing bonus point if offered it now to be honest. Form sort of goes out the window in these games, I don't think that a win is beyond us at all.

If you guys want a losing bonus point you can take it from our cold dead leather-gloved hands

Leinster are the greatest XV to exist. Carved by God himself in his likeness. Munster are the worst team to ever play Rugby. They are complete embarrassment to the game.

LostArt

Munster

Deleted User wrote: »

Leinster are the greatest XV to exist. Carved by God himself in his likeness. Munster are the worst team to ever play Rugby. They are complete embarrassment to the game.

It's hard to disagree with any of that really.

kuang1

Munster

thomond2006 wrote: »

40-50 minutes is the most I'd expect from POM, which is why I have him down to start.

POM said himself after Saturday that he was blowing hard at the end. He came on at 60 minutes.
I expect him to be on the bench again. Full match fitness is 3/4 weeks away for him yet methinks.

Anatidaephobia

thomond2006 wrote: »

Cronin, Scannell, J Ryan, Ryan, Holland, POM, TOD, Stander,
Murray, Bleyendaal, Earls, Scannell, Taute, Sweetnam, Zebo

Casey, Kilcoyne, Archer, DOS, JOD, Williams, Keatley, Conway*/ROM

*Conway is following RTTP right now.

This is what I'd pick apart from hooker. I thought Casey a great game on Saturday. He's very mobile and skilled in the loose, and he's a better thrower than Scannell.

Munster

What the hell is this? Two pages in and no salt at all?

Have a watch of this my friends, many of our Southern Cousins still haven't been able to build a bridge since this fateful day.

Interested Observer

Munster

McFadden and Kearney x2 unavailable for Leinster.

Clegg

Munster

The Croker semi was just a prelude to the most glorious of matches.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5tmW7fAdJGg

Neil3030

'Glorious', you say?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E7oMBq1vkCM

PS - if that song doesn't get you pumped for a match, or just life in general, well then I don't know what can be done with you.

molloyjh

With the latest squad update I'm predicting a Leinster side of:

McGrath Cronin Ross
Toner Kearney
Leavy Heaslip VDF

McGrath Sexton
Reid Ringrose
Nacewa Kirchner ROL

Tracy, Healy, Furlong, Molony, Ruddock, Murphy, JGP, Carbery

I'm worried about Munsters scrum and our ability to play the way we were at the start of the season. There's been a real difference in how we're playing with Sexton vs Carbery. Johnny is obviously the better player, but he doesn't take the ball to the line the same way that Carbery does. Munster seemed to really struggle with that against Cardiff. There was a brief spark of it at the weekend when Sexton, Reid and ROL linked well which saw ROL make that huge break. We need more of that sort of thing this week.

former total

Munster

Rob Kearney hasn't been ruled out yet, he's going to be assessed later in the week.