Munster vs Glasgow Warriors.

Losty Dublin

Thomond Park, Kick off 1PM. Live on Sky Sports 3 HD from 12:30PM

Munster 15 Simon Zebo 14 Darren Sweetnam 13 Jaco Taute 12 Rory Scannell 11 Keith Earls 10 Tyler Bleyendaal 9 Conor Murray

1 Dave Kilcoyne 2 Niall Scannell 3 John Ryan 4 Donnacha Ryan 5 Billy Holland 6 Peter O'Mahony 7 Tommy O'Donnell 24 CJ Stander

Replacements 16 Duncan Casey 17 Brian Scott 18 Stephen Archer 19 Robin Copeland 20 Jack O'Donoghue 21 Duncan Williams 22 Ian Keatley 23 Ronan O'Mahony

Glasgow 15 Stuart Hogg 14 Sean Lamont 13 Alex Dunbar 12 Sam Johnson 11 Rory Hughes 10 Finn Russell 9 Henry Pyrgos

1 Gordon Reid 2 Fraser Brown 3 Zander Fagerson 4 Tim Swinson 5 Jonny Gray 6 Rob Harley 7 Ryan Wilson 8 Josh Strauss

Replacments 16 Pat MacArthur 17 Alex Allan 18 Sila Puafisi 19 Lewis Wynne 20 Simone Favaro 21 Ali Price 22 Mark Bennett 23 Peter Murchie

Analysis. This is a game which is like no other. Given the week that has been as it will be all about one man and rightly so. Munster have lost an icon of the game; so too have we all and tomorrow is when he will be remembered where he made himself known to us all.

Anthony Foley was a player of a different era. A man who's international career stretches back to when wages weren't a part of the game. He was the last Irish amateur player to score on his debut. (Above); he was a man who was there when inter pro games were almost cancelled and a man who was there when it was Shannon who nearly got called into the Heineken Cup and not the province after their dominance of the AIL.

And yet he saw it all. Success for Shannon for years and years on the trot; success in Europe, the leader of a dominant pack, a man who scared even the Kiwis on the field of play and yet he was still a man who went back to Shannon, Killaloe and to his wife and sons, no more equal a man or woman than you or I or the man or woman who fills up the water bottles for the Mini's of a weekend morning. Tomorrow sees a game in which he is remembered by his own kind; rugby people and for what he did for us all and not for who he was.

If you are a rugby person then pull up a chair and take this one in on TV or on radio. What will take place just shy of 1PM will be special, truly special. Members of Shannon RFC and St. Munchin's will form a guard of honour while Munster fans will have their own tribute on the day. All in all, tomorrow will warm your heart even if it will hurt your eyes. But you will definitely want to be there in some shape or form, make no mistake about that.

As for the game, Munster field a strong line up all told. Keith Earls returns after a concussion exile while... Do ya know what. It matters not what the score is. Tomorrow is all about love.

We love you, Axel, we love you. May you rest in a rich and peaceful peace.

PS, and let it be sang tomorrow....

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cR07xvBVH1o

Felix Jones is God

Well done, write up is a credit to you

mark_jmc

As a cork man who has recently returned to live in Cork after 16 wonderful years living in Limerick , with many many wonderful memories from thomond park today is in many ways a strange day to be returning to limerick. All the more with the loss of our leader axel. Let's all stand together today to show we are a family, yes a family in mourning but a family that will get through the worst of times together. Let's make thomond roar again

mansize

On the bus down now - feeling the tingling of anticipation of what will hopefully be a day in salute of one of Munster's greatest giants

phog

Munster have Axel embroidered on their jersey, under the crest.

Also worth noting there are no tickets available at the ground.

LuckyGent88

Jersey on, vocal cords warmed up and tissues in the pocket. Going to be one emotional game.

mossym

Turnstiles are open, was supposed to be 11.30 bit we just got in. Crowd building inside already

Quint2010

Munster are going to batter the living **** out of Glasgow.

CMOTDibbler

Jersey for today's game

LowOdour

Any live radio coverage of the game on anywhere?

Itssoeasy

LowOdour wrote: »

Any live radio coverage of the game on anywhere?

RTE radio 1 I think from 12:45pm today.

philstar

LowOdour wrote: »

Any live radio coverage of the game on anywhere?

Live 95fm

with good'ol Len is it a try is it a try Dineen

Shelflife

Anyone worried that the week might get to the team and they might boil over and under perform ?

Serious concern of mine.

Cathalthesmart

Sport never makes me cry but that montage really pushed me there.

budhabob

Shelflife wrote: »

Anyone worried that the week might get to the team and they might boil over and under perform ?

Serious concern of mine.

To be honest im not worried about the game. I think the game is effectively therapy for the team, as long as they do themselves justice result is immaterial.

How are quinlan and galway gonna keep it together.

TICKLE_ME_ELMO

https://twitter.com/GlasgowWarriors/status/789784961524047873

Itssoeasy

Shelflife wrote: »

Anyone worried that the week might get to the team and they might boil over and under perform ?

Serious concern of mine.

It's hard to know. I know there are tributes planned before the game and hopefully they don't take the players out of focus too much just before the game. I don't think many will criticise the players if they don't play well. I mean it's a fairly unique situation.

WeleaseWoderick

Best of luck today Munster. The other 3 provinces stand with you today.

Make Axel proud!

Cathalthesmart

The game today is irrelevant as today is about remembering Axel, but the game is important for March/April.

TICKLE_ME_ELMO

Would maybe be nice to hear The Fields from all the provinces this weekend.

JPCN1

Great rendition of the fields. You knew the supporters would get this right. Fair play and best of luck today.

philstar

hope its played in the right spirit, no punch ups

Bigby

Have to say Sky have been absolutely brilliant throughout this. They have been hugely respectful and classy.

Diabhal Beag

Haha Galway said to Bull at the grave yesterday when Bull dies that they'll cremate him because they'll never be able to lift him.

Kerrydude1981

Top class from Sky today

TeoReid

very glad that this game is on Sky instead of BT

vienne86

This is class from Sky. And it is class from Munster. Seems to be incredible down there in Thomond.

Adbrowne

Munster by 20 if the pre match is anything to go by. Inspiring stuff to put together in such a short space of time under such circumstances

BBDBB

Glasgow body language seemed to suggest they were struggling.
Munster look determined.

Maybe just me wishful thinking

Diabhal Beag

Regardless of the result the Munster lads have my eternal respect for playing today.

nirvana78

Listening on the radio here, hairs standing on the back of my neck.

vienne86

What a cheer for the team coming out! The 8 Axel 8 in the stand.....wow!

C'mon Munster!

BBDBB

G'wan Munster!

vienne86

God help Glasgow - Munster so so fired up.

BBDBB

Yeeeeeeeesssss

corny

Brilliant offload from Earls.

Diabhal Beag

That line ran before Bleyendaal got the ball there was outstanding too.

vienne86

Try - ye.....................................s!

BBDBB

Munster knees don't buckle

Get in

vienne86

Lovely lovely start! Very well worked try.

vienne86

Munster are up so fast....so pumped.

Teferi

Great start. Kilcoyne needs to learn how to not dive into the ground in the scrums. A better ref would ping him for it.

Killergreene

Munster should have never let cronin go

BBDBB

Get in ya dancer

budhabob

Monster try. Intensity is unreal.

vienne86

Tyler, you treasure!

Teferi

That was actually a lovely defensive effort from Glasgow, particularly around the fringes. Munster played it right though and made the space.

TeoReid

Point a minute!

Losty Dublin

Another wonderful pack led try, even after the stewards enquiry. If Munster could only play like this each and every week the rest of us would be mere bystanders...

vienne86

Munster playing like men possessed, as I expected they would. Meanwhile, Glasgow are all over th shop - obviously finding it hard to concentrate, but Munster are giving them no chance. Fabulous stuff.

TICKLE_ME_ELMO

Bleyendaal for Ireland.