Munster vs Edinburgh, Pro14 SF Qualifier, Sat 5 May 3:15pm; TG4/Sky Sports

twinytwo

twinytwo wrote: »

Most the team seems to be checked out, havent been the same since Rassie left.

In the 20 years iv been watching Munster, never though id see the day id be fearful of what Leinster could do to us.

I think a lot will depend on the Euro final. If Leinster win there will inevitably be celebrations and they might lose a bit of focus. If Leinster lose it'll be heads down and total focus on the league I'd imagine.

Sabre0001

I don't think they'll be losing the focus this season - double is on the cards and this team is made up of a significant number of players who won a Grand Slam and then had to go straight into a big European game. But here's hoping they go nuts and can't see straight for a couple of weeks

Looked worryingly limited yesterday - to the point where people in the crowd were pleading with Murray not to kick it. Zebo had a bit of spark for Earls' try but even that came after a couple of mistakes and the chip just happened to sit up nicely. It's strange that we go aerial so frequently when our wingers aren't the tallest - pretty good in the air, but it's still a lottery. Yet we don't go crossfield with penalty advantage.

We're able to deal with well boshing - kept the Toulon midfield quiet - but steppy players are causing us issues...

bennyl10

[Deleted User] wrote: »

Yikes barely 10,000 turned up to a home quarter final and Zebos last home game (60% empty)and Munsters last home match of the season. That’s not great in anyone’s book.

Sunny bank holiday
Ed sheeran
Riverfest
Confirmations galore

Plenty of reason!

leakyboots

Not surprised at the turnout, most of Limerick fecks off to Kilkee/Ballybunion every May/June/August bank holiday. Riverfest is on, weddings, communions, confirmations and whatever else is on around the country that people planned to go to before the match was announced.

Poor performance, not sure I agree with the flak the midfield are getting to be honest, it's an overall systemic back play issue for me.

If Leinster are in the mood it could get ugly, then again if we click again it could be a humdinger

ScrubsfanChris

bennyl10 wrote: »

Sunny bank holiday
Ed sheeran
Riverfest
Confirmations galore

Plenty of reason!

Cork City v Limerick
Kinsale 7's

Am I doing this right? :pac:

Dubinusa

Though Cronin was really good and I think he's a good shout for the summer squad. Holland seems to have fallen off? Doesn't seem as effective as last year.
Munster have a very good deep squad, the gameplan yesterday was awful. Murray looks exhausted and has not been his usual brilliant self these past few weeks.
They will definitely show up against Leinster and it should be a stormer.
I just watched the Scarlets highlights and I was really impressed. They can score from anywhere and play heads up rugby. Munster will struggle against them imo. It's a real tough ask for Munster to win any silverware this season,but it's possible if they can come up with the gameplan.

timothydec77

Deleted User wrote: »

Yikes barely 10,000 turned up to a home quarter final and Zebos last home game (60% empty)and Munsters last home match of the season. That’s not great in anyone’s book.

Munsters Non European Thomond games have been in decline for the last three years.

I suppose part of the problem is fans having to travel long distances to the games.

To be a dedicated Munster Rugby fan not from Limerick requires giving up a large amount of free time.

Fitzgerald the Munster CEO has said that people between the ages of 20 and 30 arent going to Munster Rugby games in Thomond Park or Independent Park

leakyboots

I work in Limerick city and there's been more than a few games that I've struggled to make on time for in recent seasons - and I'm a 20 min walk from the ground. Can't imagine what it's like for someone travelling from Waterford, or West Cork/Kerry/Clare

Season tickets are all but sold out I gather so the support is there, it's just they can't always make the games.

timothydec77

leakyboots wrote: »

I work in Limerick city and there's been more than a few games that I've struggled to make on time for in recent seasons - and I'm a 20 min walk from the ground. Can't imagine what it's like for someone travelling from Waterford, or West Cork/Kerry/Clare

Season tickets are all but sold out I gather so the support is there, it's just they can't always make the games.

I dont know about West Cork, Kerry, Clare. But i know people from Cork have to leave a minimum of three hours before the game.

I wonder how many of these Season tickets sold are the 7 game pack of 3 European games and 4 Cork Pro 14 games.

ScrubsfanChris

timothydec77 wrote: »

Munsters Non European Thomond games have been in decline for the last three years.

I suppose part of the problem is fans having to travel long distances to the games.

To be a dedicated Munster Rugby fan not from Limerick requires giving up a large amount of free time.

Fitzgerald the Munster CEO has said that people between the ages of 20 and 30 arent going to Munster Rugby games in Thomond Park or Independent Park

IE: The kind of people who might have to work weekends. Millennials being blamed again :pac:
Also Musgrave (Independent) park was an 8,000 sell out for all 4 games this season so that second part at least is pure nonsense.

timothydec77

ScrubsfanChris wrote: »

IE: The kind of people who might have to work weekends
Also Musgrave (Independent) park was an 8,000 sell out for all 4 games this season do that second part at least is nonsense.

That was from Fitzgerald said on the Munsterrugby.ie site. I think it was in one of the Munster state of state of play episodes.

He can correct as well as wrong.

JMNolan

Deleted User wrote: »

Yikes barely 10,000 turned up to a home quarter final and Zebos last home game (60% empty)and Munsters last home match of the season. That’s not great in anyone’s book.

That was Sheeran, 100%. I called it in another thread weeks ago and got scoffed at.

Cookiemunster

JMNolan wrote: »

That was Sheeran, 100%. I called it in another thread weeks ago and got scoffed at.

And I'll continue to scoff at you. They had 1 week to sell the match on the Saturday of the May bank holiday weekend. Previous play off semi finals with 2 weeks to sell tickets only had crowds of 15-16K. Ed Sheeran had nothing to do with it.

twinytwo

timothydec77 wrote: »

I dont know about West Cork, Kerry, Clare. But i know people from Cork have to leave a minimum of three hours before the game.

I wonder how many of these Season tickets sold are the 7 game pack of 3 European games and 4 Cork Pro 14 games.

I dont mind leaving early for the games, it's just regardless of which route you take from cork the roads are a joke.

Former Former

ScrubsfanChris wrote: »

IE: The kind of people who might have to work weekends. Millennials being blamed again :pac:
Also Musgrave (Independent) park was an 8,000 sell out for all 4 games this season so that second part at least is pure nonsense.

Surely the game could be sold out, but that people between the ages of 20 and 30 didn't buy any tickets?

I've no idea what the situation is on the ground, but if you fan base is aging and younger people are not engaging in the same numbers, then you might not have a problem now, but you'll have one in ten years.

Riskymove

Out of interest, where did the "less than 10,000" figure come from?

In relation to the Ulster Game, it had no impact for Munster and came after a couple of European games and before a known home playoff the following week - all which would have cost time and money to attend

Perhaps a lot of young people simply don't have the money for attending all games when they can watch on TV instead

There is also a limit on everyone depending on circumstances. having recently attended both Irish QFs and both SFs in Europe (including pricey trip to France) I took the decision not to attend the ulster game (I am based in Dublin), but gave tickets to relatives

Squatter

Cookiemunster wrote: »

And I'll continue to scoff at you. They had 1 week to sell the match on the Saturday of the May bank holiday weekend. Previous play off semi finals with 2 weeks to sell tickets only had crowds of 15-16K. Ed Sheeran had nothing to do with it.

But Munster knew that they had a home qualifier game in the bag since they beat the Cheetahs on 13 April last. What they didn't know was who their opponents would be. So they could have been marketing/selling tickets for the past three weeks.

Cookiemunster

Squatter wrote: »

But Munster knew that they had a home qualifier game in the bag since they beat the Cheetahs on 13 April last. What they didn't know was who their opponents would be. So they could have been marketing/selling tickets for the past three weeks.

They didn't start selling tickets until they knew the date and KO time. My main point though was that Ed Sheeren had little if any affect on ticket sales. There's history of poor sales for league play offs because too many Munster fans have the GAA attitude of the league not being important.

JMNolan

Ah ya, everyone knew with weeks. At least the Pro14 recognize that the Champions League final might impact on the Pro14 final.

http://www.the42.ie/pro14-final-clash-champions-league-3992479-May2018/

BobMc

Its a cost thing too, this match was an additional cost on top of the home qtr. etc., It all adds up.
I went saturday but I'm lucky live less than 10mins from ground so unless something specific comes up (communion, christening etc.) Thankfully don't miss many, in fact missed two Cup pool games this year (the washout - at christening in Meath, with match delayed was a joke about getting dinner to takeaway would have made KO) last cup game I missed was
the loss to tigers during development and couldnt bag a ticket.

Peoples pockets aren't bottomless,

I cant even imagine the planning to come from further afield etc.

add in the bank holiday and numbers where always going to suffer

I wouldn't be concerned about the attendance at the weekend, like I said in a previous posts the May bankholiday is a terrible weekend for a match. There are always heaps of weddings, christenings, communions, confirmations on top of the fact that a lot of people go away for the week and a lot of schools are off this week. I wouldn't read into it at all, at least not in any isolation.

It was more Flannery's remarks that I thought were interesting. I can't find the clip but I recall he made a comment about attendance and didn't seem at all happy. I can understand the frustration but if people aren't showing up the last thing you want to do is criticise them for that.

Cookiemunster

JMNolan wrote: »

Ah ya, everyone knew with weeks. At least the Pro14 recognize that the Champions League final might impact on the Pro14 final.

http://www.the42.ie/pro14-final-clash-champions-league-3992479-May2018/

OK so tell me when the Pro14 should have scheduled their play offs so? He played Friday, Saturday and Sunday in Cork. Should they have delayed the match a week? But then he's playing in Galway next weekend, which is closer to Limerick than Cork is. Should they reschedule the Leinster Munster match because he's playing in Pheonix Park that weekend?

It's just ridiculous that you would think that a sporting organisation which sets out it's calendar the previous summer would even think about changing said schedule due to a concert in a different city to where the game is being played.

Plus it's been pointed out by many why the crowd was so low and the historical reasons why it always is.

JMNolan

Cookiemunster wrote: »

OK so tell me when the Pro14 should have scheduled their play offs so? He played Friday, Saturday and Sunday in Cork. Should they have delayed the match a week? But then he's playing in Galway next weekend, which is closer to Limerick than Cork is. Should they reschedule the Leinster Munster match because he's playing in Pheonix Park that weekend?

It's just ridiculous that you would think that a sporting organisation which sets out it's calendar the previous summer would even think about changing said schedule due to a concert in a different city to where the game is being played.

Plus it's been pointed out by many why the crowd was so low and the historical reasons why it always is.

What's ridiculous is the fact you think that the biggest set of concerts in Munster for years would have no effect whatsoever on that match. I mean seriously, use your brain and have a think about it.

If it was scheduled earlier that day it would have meant a lot of people could have gone that otherwise couldn't have. At least the Pro14 are thinking about the champions league final.

Cookiemunster

JMNolan wrote: »

What's ridiculous is the fact you think that the biggest set of concerts in Munster for years would have no effect whatsoever on that match. I mean seriously, use your brain and have a think about it.

If it was scheduled earlier that day it would have meant a lot of people could have gone that otherwise couldn't have. At least the Pro14 are thinking about the champions league final.

It was on at 3:15. How early do you want it to have been played? Do you honestly think that extra people would have would have travelled for a 1pm KO? Do you honestly think that 16K people who were at Ed Sheeran would have been in Thomond? Seriously?
I would suggest that while there is an overlap between Munster fans and Ed Sheeran fans, it's far far smaller that you imagine it is and that the demographics are very very different.

Bridge93

In fairness if you look closely Thomond Park is usually packed with 10,000 screaming teenage girls... In reality you'd be lucky if 1500 people at that concert would've been in Thomond

Buer

The concerts would have had an impact.

They wouldn't have had a major impact. I'd imagine there wouldn't be a huge crossover between the two sets of attendees. Maybe a couple of thousand, as B93 says.

Former Former

The crowd was crap because:

1. Bank Holiday weekend - lots of people away
2. Ed Sheeran - some effect maybe, who knows
3. Additional cost - if not included in your season ticket, then you have to actively seek one out
4. Lovely sunny day, let's go to the beach

but in reality, the main reason overriding all of the above was that it was Edinburgh in a Pro14 game. If the Toulon game had been last weekend, all the above factors would still have held but the place would have been rammed to the gills.

phog

If the quality of the posts in the last two pages are anything to go by then thankfully I was busy over the weekend and didn't get the chance to log in here.

Anyway back OT - the game - it was a poor enough performance and we still should have had a more comfortable win - we're sadly lacking a real play maker at outhalf - we're fine at times but then seem to run out of options/ideas and shovel the ball to the closest red jersey and hope for the best. Earls is having a stormer of a season in red and green by far our best player.

I was happy enough with Parker when he had come on but I'm hoping we have Ryan or Archer back for the SF and final if we progress tho' on Saturday's viewing I think we'll struggle v Leinster.

phog

shootermacg wrote: »

Typed out a long post hammering some of the players, deleted it.. thankfully.

Our attack consisted of kicking the ball to the opposition and defending, that's not attack, that's defence! Just not good enough, not good at all.
It smacked of the coach not having an confidence in the midfield at all, from 10 to 13.

Actually the kick chase can be very effective and has reaped rewards for both Munster & Ireland, however, you need a an accurate kick, proper chase to win the ball and/or an organised defence to force a turnover - when it works well it's grand our problem is we can concede too much ground from some poor kicking/defence. But we also need another attacking threat.

Cronin gave them 6 points, but for me he was superb, 100% effort, heart on the sleeve stuff, take a bow mate.

Cronin's turnover was a penalty on Saturday but Dooley's turnover v Con was lauded as brilliant - fine margins.

It's the old song, but we really, really, really need a general at 10

I can't see us being allowed sign an NIQ outhalf - I wonder could we get Carbery

aloooof

I only saw parts of the match, Zebo's bit of skill and Earl's finish the standout moment of quality and even that came from a mistake. Zebo's strike-rate is obviously lauded, but I really think we're gonna miss his passing as well. Some of his long passes are unreal, he's laid on some crackers over the years.

thomond2006

I'm not sure what can be done about the apathy some show towards the Pro14. It's not solely a Munster issue. I've been to plenty half-empty RDS games.
Maybe Munster missed a trick by not over-marketing this game as Zebo's last home match, similar to what Leinster did with BOD and Cullen a few years ago.

Cookiemunster

thomond2006 wrote: »

I'm not sure what can be done about the apathy some show towards the Pro14. It's not solely a Munster issue. I've been to plenty half-empty RDS games.
Maybe Munster missed a trick by not over-marketing this game as Zebo's last home match, similar to what Leinster did with BOD and Cullen a few years ago.

I think it's because most people in the county are conditioned by the GAA to take the big cup competition more seriously than the league. So in the same way that the All Irelands are seen as more important than the national leagues, the ECC is seen as more important than the Pro14. Munster and Leinster each has a core support of around 10-12K who'll attend as many matches as possible. The rest will only go to the 'big games'.

Squatter

phog wrote: »

Cronin's turnover was a penalty on Saturday but Dooley's turnover v Con was lauded as brilliant - fine margins.

Cronin's "turnover" was a penalty on every other day of the year as well, not just on Saturday! Also it was performed in the middle of the "let's gift the opposition kicker an easy three points" zone, whereas Dooley's impressive bit of pilferage was a long way away from Lansdowne's red zone.

tototoe

Former Former wrote: »

The crowd was crap because:

1. Bank Holiday weekend - lots of people away
2. Ed Sheeran - some effect maybe, who knows
3. Additional cost - if not included in your season ticket, then you have to actively seek one out
4. Lovely sunny day, let's go to the beach

but in reality, the main reason overriding all of the above was that it was Edinburgh in a Pro14 game. If the Toulon game had been last weekend, all the above factors would still have held but the place would have been rammed to the gills.

Agree with the above.

The cost is ruling a lot of people out, particularly if you have kids. I know tickets were free but by the time you dd in a burger or sweets, a trip to the rugby store etc it all adds up. I know two people I normally go with skipped Saturday because of cost if they brought the kids. 2 adults is 80Eu, then add all the other bits and it gets quite expensive.

Has to be said though Munster could do with advertising the games a bit more. I see it on social media sometimes, and the odd time on the front of the examiner but I rarely see games advertised anywhere.