Munster vs Racing 92, Sat 21st Oct 5:30pm; Sky Sports Arena

razorblunt

I liked Flanagan's hustle when he came in, was busy and vocal.

Spudmonkey

Exhibition in how to lose a lineout

Homesick Alien

I hope they practice nothing but lineouts for the next week

BBDBB

Watched on delayed

Great win, that was a tough, physical battle in really slippery conditions so a fantastic win

Kilcoyne was brilliant but honourable mentions to Keatley, Murray, TOD

When Zebo passed around his back to Earls - that was sublime, such a shame it didn't quite stick

letowski

No sure does this include Heineken Cup as well.

https://twitter.com/Stu_Farmer/status/921828248744595456

kuang1

John Hayes

swiwi_ wrote: »

Fair play to Munster for the victory but will need to be much much better to be a realistic shot for the main honours.

Gun to our heads, I don't think there are too many Munster fans expecting any silverware this season, especially not of the European variety!
We'll be glad to see a transition of a new coach mid-season without losing any of the ground gained in the last 12 months.

thomond2006

TOD has really stood out in recent weeks. Chris Cleote will likely see action next week so we may have some excellent competition at openside.

BBDBB

I think you have a point re silverware, however the achievement of that cup is only one measure

For me, I was delighted with this evenings performance, I thought it was committed and typically Munster, absolute intensity and a bit of skill that made me gasp.
I'm not expecting silverware but I want whoever beats us to have been made to battle and to feel that they have earned any points they get

If some wish to look down upon that, fair enough, for me it's a simple buy in to an ethos which I think is admirable and the right way to approach rugby union. Get a trophy? Fantastic, but what's more important is that the shirt and everything it means is fully represented. For me, Munster players giving their all is sufficient. If some other teams best is better, then I will applaud that and appreciate what it took.

Erik Shin

Some intensity from our pack yesterday, 119 tackles made, 4 missed

budhabob

John Hayes

Was thinking about the game this morning. Archer had a great game, in fact the last 2 weeks the scrum has been solid against tough opposition. Great to have a second TH to allow rotation.

Former Former

Erik Shin wrote: »

Some intensity from our pack yesterday, 119 tackles made, 4 missed

This win belongs to Reggie Corrigan, Sports Psychologist Extraordinaire.

leakyboots

budhabob wrote: »

Was thinking about the game this morning. Archer had a great game, in fact the last 2 weeks the scrum has been solid against tough opposition. Great to have a second TH to allow rotation.

Archer is one of those guys like Duncan Williams who some 'fans' just will not give credit for moving up a level, which he has. He rarely if ever gets mangled in the past couple of seasons, some props have to go through a rite of passage like that and learn the hard way. And maybe some of us underestimated that neck injury that required surgery that had him out for months, must be a big setback and hard on a tighthead to come back and launch straight back into 100% scrummaging.

Still think John Ryan is our best 3 but the dropoff is nowhere near as big as it was a few seasons ago.

BBDBB

John Hayes

BBDBB wrote: »

Watched on delayed

Great win, that was a tough, physical battle in really slippery conditions so a fantastic win

Kilcoyne was brilliant but honourable mentions to Keatley, Murray, TOD

When Zebo passed around his back to Earls - that was sublime, such a shame it didn't quite stick

That Zebo pass was completely pointless. He went for a flashy lower percentage pass that, shock horror, didn't come off.

leakyboots

Enjoyable match, bit of an oddity with the 0-0 for an hour but the weather was horrific and we couldn't break through down in the corner 'cos of stupid errors and good defence. I think if we had scored earlier they'd have folded easier after that, the armwrestle suited them. Fantastic team on paper, some big names, if a little old now!

The pack were outstanding in defence, tackle rates into double figures for everyone, CJ had 20 alone. TOD seemed like he was everywhere, POM was totemic, great steal in the lineout also. Killer was his usual abrasive self and dealt with his opposite numbers very well in the scrum.

Zebo lit up the East Terrace with that bit of skill and really got the crowd going, dunno why some are criticising it, Earls should have caught that comfortably. Rory Scannell was superb, tackled all day and some good relieving kicks.

Still waiting for a 'torch-paper' performance from us, a statement, humming along nicely enough at the moment - scrum is solid, lineout wobbly, backs trying to play expansively, but not at a high enough level collectively

irishbucsfan

Deleted User wrote: »

That Zebo pass was completely pointless. He went for a flashy lower percentage pass that, shock horror, didn't come off.

Wasn't pointless, nearly came off. Fair play to him for trying it.

molloyjh

leakyboots wrote: »

Zebo lit up the East Terrace with that bit of skill and really got the crowd going, dunno why some are criticising it, Earls should have caught that comfortably.

Because he didn't need to do it. The simple pass was far less risky and would have given Earls a better chance of taking the ball. I'm sure a line break would have lit up the terrace every bit as much, if not more.

swiwi_

[Deleted User] wrote: »

That Zebo pass was completely pointless. He went for a flashy lower percentage pass that, shock horror, didn't come off.

The pass was fine. It’s not the first time Earls has spilled a sitter with the tryline at his mercy.

Former Former

molloyjh wrote: »

Because he didn't need to do it. The simple pass was far less risky and would have given Earls a better chance of taking the ball. I'm sure a line break would have lit up the terrace every bit as much, if not more.

Yep. All he had to do was hold his line, fix the defender and give the simple pass. That's what Earls was expecting and so he overran.

To Zebo's credit, it was very well executed. Just the wrong option.

irishbucsfan

molloyjh wrote: »

Because he didn't need to do it. The simple pass was far less risky and would have given Earls a better chance of taking the ball. I'm sure a line break would have lit up the terrace every bit as much, if not more.

Simple pass wasn't on, ball was down to his right side and he couldn't get it across his body in time. People are ignoring that.

BBDBB

Deleted User wrote: »

That Zebo pass was completely pointless. He went for a flashy lower percentage pass that, shock horror, didn't come off.

higher risk? certainly
even ineffective would be hard to argue with as it didn't come off

but "pointless" ? nah, it was spontaneous and unpredictable it has at least two intentions. Firstly it foxes the onrushing defenders, both of them, momentarily, in tight games with such well drilled defences at this level thats a useful tool to have and exploit occasionally. Secondly it puts doubt in the defenders mind for next time about what Zebo might do next. Im not saying the guy is mesmerised and in need of counselling but it might put him half a pace slower in the next attack as he watches a bit closer or he positions himself slightly differently leaving a gap. Only minor changes but maybe enough to exploit.

it was also highly entertaining as evidenced by the crowds reaction but I think crowd entertainment wasn't what you meant

irishbucsfan

BBDBB wrote: »

higher risk? certainly
even ineffective would be hard to argue with as it didn't come off

but "pointless" ? nah, it was spontaneous and unpredictable it has at least two intentions. Firstly it foxes the onrushing defenders, both of them, momentarily, in tight games with such well drilled defences at this level thats a useful tool to have and exploit occasionally. Secondly it puts doubt in the defenders mind for next time about what Zebo might do next. Im not saying the guy is mesmerised and in need of counselling but it might put him half a pace slower in the next attack as he watches a bit closer or he positions himself slightly differently leaving a gap. Only minor changes but maybe enough to exploit.

You're correct, but also missing an absolutely key point about why people pass like that.

Standard pass involves the ball going across your body, during which time its between you and an oncoming defender. If you don't have time and space it means moving the ball behind your back actually gives you more time, it just requires a lot of skill and confidence.

BBDBB

irishbucsfan wrote: »

You're correct, but also missing an absolutely key point about why people pass like that.

Standard pass involves the ball going across your body, during which time its between you and an oncoming defender. If you don't have time and space it means moving the ball behind your back actually gives you more time, it just requires a lot of skill and confidence.

yep, but I was struggling to express myself as clearly as you on that

besides I was a forward, what the feck do I know about why backs do what they do? fancy dans and fops the lot of em

Interested Observer

He clearly didn't have the time and space to make a 'normal' pass.

Anyway it was laid on a plate for Earls, he should have caught it. Considering he didn't I don't know why you'd assume he'd have caught a regular pass either.

irishbucsfan

BBDBB wrote: »

yep, but I was struggling to express myself as clearly as you on that

besides I was a forward, what the feck do I know about why backs do what they do? fancy dans and fops the lot of em

I am a forward, and I also know the other side of it, which is that when a back (normally a kiwi up here on OE) tries to pull this nonsense on you it means they're leaving themselves open to being hit quite hard!

razorblunt

Yeah, I can't blame Zebo for attempting that pass, trying to gather, change hands and make the pass whilst committing a defender wasn't an easy option anyway. Fair play to the attempt, Earls over-ran by a finger tip.
Would have far surpassed the heel flick in Cardiff.

Former Former

It's at 3.45 here if anyone wants to take another look.

https://youtu.be/uq4Eaui1mBw

It looks to me like he has the time to make the simple pass.

From the attached still, he has the ball exactly where he wants it, but I guess it's a split second call for him.

molloyjh

Hmm, I'd only watched it once in real time originally. Looking at it again there now I'm 50:50 on it. Hard to call whether he had the ball cleanly enough to give the simple pass.

As for the "Earls should have caught it regardless" I'm not so sure. Earls would be expecting that ball out in front of him. The back door pass meant the ball was behind where he would have been expecting it and running at full tilt like that meant he was never really going to be in a position to take it. It may be a terrible and blurry still, but you can clearly see where the ball is for Earls. And at full tilt that is far from an easy take. It's behind him and down around his hips. For my money he had no chance of realistically taking it.

thomond2006

The choice of pass took the defending player completely out of the game, he had committed to tackling Zebo just as the ball was gone. A normal pass would have been stopped by the defender either by intercepting/blocking the pass or tackling Earls. At best you could have gotten an intentional knock on and yellow card. I'm fine with the decision. Unfortunately it looked like Earls was expecting a more backwards pass, it was very close to being one of the tries of the season. The kick from Keatley to start the move was a beaut also.

Riskymove

thomond2006 wrote: »

I'm fine with the decision.

same here

same old looking for anything to criticise about

Sonny Bill or some others closer to9 home and they'd be looking to hand out medals for trying that

extremely tiring on these threads

swiwi_

I dunno why Zebo always gets such shìt. He created a genuine try scoring chance out of nothing in an otherwise extremely mediocre attacking game by both sides (don’t think your standard draw and pass was an option here) which Earls should have caught. There are few Irish backs with such attacking ability, which should be lauded not pilloried.