Munster vs Ulster, Sat 29 Sep, 7:35pm, Eir Sports

thomond2006

Munster:
Mike Haley; Andrew Conway, Dan Goggin, Rory Scannell, Keith Earls; Joey Carbery, Alby Mathewson;
Dave Kilcoyne, Niall Scannell, Stephen Archer; Tadhg Beirne, Billy Holland; Peter O’Mahony (C), Tommy O’Donnell, CJ Stander.

Replacements: Kevin O’Byrne, James Cronin, Ciaran Parker, Jean Kleyn, Arno Botha, Duncan Williams, Ian Keatley, Sammy Arnold.

Ulster:
(15-9): Peter Nelson, Craig Gilroy, Darren Cave, Angus Curtis, Angus Kernohan, Billy Burns, John Cooney;

(1-8): Andrew Warwick, Adam McBurney, Ross Kane, Alan O’Connor (Capt), Iain Henderson, Matthew Rea, Nick Timoney, Jean Deysel.

Replacements: John Andrew, Eric O’Sullivan, Tom O’Toole, Kieran Treadwell, Clive Ross, Dave Shanahan, Michael Lowry, James Hume.

Munster host the only remaining unbeaten team in the Pro14. The home side will be looking to their home patch to bounce back from some very questionable away form, with defeats in Cardiff and Glasgow. Munster welcome back Billy Holland and Niall Scannell from injury with Alby Mathewson making his debut at scrum-half. Sammy Arnold's selection ahead of Jaco Taute on the bench could point to Arnold being the preferred centre partner with Rory Scannell come Europe. The back three selection of Earls-Haley-Conway could be a dress rehearsal for the games ahead.

I don't get to see much of Ulster so I'll allow someone else to chime in on them! :pac:

Scythica

Ulster on the other hand are looking to get everyone off the match bus without another injury

Cookiemunster

I know Ulster had injuries, but that looks a very weak team. Another big home win for Munster that answers absolutely no questions is on the cards.

Sabre0001

Big game for Munster. Curious to see Mathewson in action. Great to see Scannell (N) (hopefully that sorts lineout issues) and Earls back. I'd imagine we'll see a similar looking side over the next couple of weeks (Arnold slotting into centre, as thomond said). Some power coming off the bench with Kleyn and Botha in particular.

aloooof

Cloete out of the 23, wonder will TOD get the nod over the next few weeks.

Tomtom364

Sabre0001 wrote: »

Big game for Munster. Curious to see Mathewson in action. Great to see Scannell (N) (hopefully that sorts lineout issues) and Earls back. I'd imagine we'll see a similar looking side over the next couple of weeks (Arnold slotting into centre, as thomond said). Some power coming off the bench with Kleyn and Botha in particular.

aloooof wrote: »

Cloete out of the 23, wonder will TOD get the nod over the next few weeks.

Not a hope I'd say. Cloete offers far too much to be left out. Lethal at rucks.

Paul Smeenus

Cookiemunster wrote: »

I know Ulster had injuries, but that looks a very weak team. Another big home win for Munster that answers absolutely no questions is on the cards.

Here's our "out injured team".

1) Kyle McCall
2) Rory Best
3) Marty Moore
4) Peter Browne
5) N/A
6) Jordi Murphy
7) Sean Reidy
8) Marcell Coetzee
9) N/A
10) N/A
11) Jacob Stockdale
12) Luke Marshall
13) Louis Ludik
14) Rob Lyttle
15) Will Addison
16) Rob Herring
17) Tommy O'Hagan
18) Wiehann Herbst
19) N/A
20) Chris Henry
21) N/A
22) N/A
23) Henry Speight

And McCloskey's rested.

thomond2006

aloooof wrote: »

Cloete out of the 23, wonder will TOD get the nod over the next few weeks.

Rested I'd say. He's an absolute certainty to start in Europe IMO.

Sabre0001

Sorry, yeah, Cloete looks like a shoe-in. Does TOD then fall out altogether. Taute to bench to cover centre and 15? Or will Keatley cover 15. Some interesting calls to be made, which is a nice problem to have. Although, a problem for another week

Hopefully we'll see the intensity and focus from the off until the final whistle goes. Some serious questions being asked about team and VG after the two defeats. But we need to see the response not only this week, but in the coming big games (and the ones that are less of a focal point too).

thomond2006

Sabre0001 wrote: »

Sorry, yeah, Cloete looks like a shoe-in. Does TOD then fall out altogether. Taute to bench to cover centre and 15? Or will Keatley cover 15. Some interesting calls to be made, which is a nice problem to have. Although, a problem for another week

Hopefully we'll see the intensity and focus from the off until the final whistle goes. Some serious questions being asked about team and VG after the two defeats. But we need to see the response not only this week, but in the coming big games (and the ones that are less of a focal point too).

Taute looked off the pace against Cardiff. Arnold is ahead of him right now. Sweetnam might be the player for the #23 shirt.

Paul Smeenus

First Munster cap for Alby Mathewson.

First potential (senior) Ulster cap for Lowry (and maybe Hume?) First starts for McBurney and Curtis.

bilston

Cookiemunster wrote: »

I know Ulster had injuries, but that looks a very weak team. Another big home win for Munster that answers absolutely no questions is on the cards.

I'm not sure if McCloskey has picked up a knock but other than that (you can argue the toss at TH), that is our strongest available side.

I reckon Munster will win with a bit to spare, but I don't think we will get hammered either.

bilston

Paul Smeenus wrote: »

First Munster cap for Alby Mathewson.

First potential (senior) Ulster cap for Lowry (and maybe Hume?) First starts for McBurney and Curtis.

Yeah it will be a first cap for Hume if gets off the bench

Locke_Lamora

I'm actually loving this whole 'rebuilding' phase Ulster are going through - I can secretly dream of an Ulster win, and tell people I'm not crying because the loss was expected.

odd_job

Where is McPhillips? Is he injured?

Paul Smeenus

odd_job wrote: »

Where is McPhillips? Is he injured?

No, starting for the "A"s.

thomond2006

Does McPhillips deserve to be relegated to third choice? He looked impressive last season.

jacothelad

I fear that Ulster are in for a good old fashioned humping and will need buckets of metaphoric lubricant putting out such a weakened team. At least this one is because there is little choice rather than the ludicrous 'not targetting a win' selections of Loser Les.

Squidgy Black

thomond2006 wrote: »

Does McPhillips deserve to be relegated to third choice? He looked impressive last season.

I don't think it's a case he's been relegated to third choice, just more a case that Lowry offers more versatility in the 22 shirt when an Ulster back player inevitably gets injured.

Paul Smeenus

I suspect that that's why Curtis has featured ahead of him as well - obviously they're comfortable with him starting at 12 this week.

I think McFarland probably wanted to bed in his team at the start of the season, and start getting our first choice halfbacks used to playing together. McPhilips might start to feature in some of our easier home fixtures. I'd hate to see McPhilips stall because of Dan trying to be pragmatic about all the disruption and new combinations.

Jump_In_Jack

Squidgy Black wrote: »

I don't think it's a case he's been relegated to third choice, just more a case that Lowry offers more versatility in the 22 shirt when an Ulster back player inevitably gets injured.

Also, it’s 80 minutes at 10 for the A team, versus possibly 15 minutes coming on for the Senior team, or maybe even subbing in at fullback.
Better to play for the A team given that scenario.
Do hope McPhillips gets a run for the Seniors soon, put some pressure on Burns, and in his own right deserves a shot to win the jersey after a few fine showings last season when the team needed a 10 to step forward.

bilston

thomond2006 wrote: »

Does McPhillips deserve to be relegated to third choice? He looked impressive last season.

He does deserve a chance, but I guess McFarland has to do what's best for the team. Giving Burns and Cooney as much gametime together as possible is important.

The fact he didn't even get off the bench in SA is interesting, in fact but for late withdrawals before the Cheetahs match he wouldn't even have been in the 23.

I also suspect Curtis and particularly Lowry are very highly regarded so we will see what happens.

thomond2006

Munster:
Andrew Conway; Keith Earls Dan Goggin, Rory Scannell, Alex Wootton ; Joey Carbery, Alby Mathewson;
Dave Kilcoyne, Niall Scannell, Stephen Archer; Tadhg Beirne, Billy Holland; Peter O’Mahony (C), Tommy O’Donnell, CJ Stander.

Replacements: Kevin O’Byrne, James Cronin, Ciaran Parker, Jean Kleyn, Arno Botha, Duncan Williams, Ian Keatley, Sammy Arnold

Mike Haley ruled out. Wootton comes straight into the starting XV with Earls swopping wings and Conway moving to fullback.

sydthebeat

Carbery out of leinster game then I wonder

thomond2006

sydthebeat wrote: »

Carbery out of leinster game then I wonder

It would be a pity but it's pointing towards it. The question then is who starts?

snotboogie

this interviewer is shocking

SSr0

snotboogie wrote: »

this interviewer is shocking

She's terrible.

kuang1

If anyone has a link for a non-eir subscriber I'd be grateful for a pm!

thomond2006

https://twitter.com/CianTracey1/status/1046100859183136768?s=19

Larbre34

Very, very poor attendance for a derby game at beer o'clock on a saturday

thomond2006

More of this please!

razorblunt

Was the dive on Goggin really necessary?

ScrubsfanChris

Good bit of luck in that try but the turnover from POM was class.

thomond2006

Woof!

Larbre34

'interesting to see how we respond to their line-speed' says Dan McFarland before the game.

Will be feckin fascinating now.

P.Walnuts

Cave and Gilroy should forfeit some of their wages for that, shocking defence

stephen_n

That was piss poor from Cave

kuang1

Link of a live feed anyone? Pm

thomond2006

Mathewson at QB next week.

Larbre34

Mathewson came from NFL did he?

razorblunt

What in the jaysis was Cave even attempting there, a little shoulder bump of a tackle or attempted tackle.

Mookie Blaylock

Handling this week all-around has been better already..and Matthewsen has looked impressive so far

thomond2006

POM has assumed the Cloete role so far.

ScrubsfanChris

Love Earls game plan. Catch the kick off but then give it to a big forward then run as far away as possible from the rough stuff :pac:

Clegg

That's the last thing Ulster or Ireland needs.

razorblunt

The Henderson HiA was caused by the tackle on Carberry, cmon Toland, watch the game.

ScrubsfanChris

Carbery completely lost where Earls was on the pitch with that kick.

bilston

Cave is having a tough night

Faugheen

Mathewson not watching the play at the back of the maul there. Needs to be calling for that ball.

thomond2006

Easy enough.

We won't learn much from this.

bilston

Cooney and Henderson gone.

Fecking hell

McBurney looks good, that's all I've got...