Munster Team Talk Thread - Beirne After Reading

phog

Crazy game at times, both teams guilty of coughing up soft yards and maybe a score or two but it was buzzing to watch at times too. Some would knock Okeke for not passing that close to the try when he had guys outside him but I was happy to see him back himself, he got turned over but that's part of the learning process. We were blessed with the confidence the new guys had, no problem in backing themselves in defence or in attack. Pa Campbell just loved receiving the ball. The scrum was the only real concern and might be something Castres can target and hurt us next week but other than that we were top notch.

Covid has competitions ruined, Wasps having to make changes to an already depleted team, fewer fans travelling and then you still a possibility of a 28-0 result affecting you in deciding the teams that go through to the knockout games.

TRC10

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118313233#Comment_118313233

even if they don’t get any further game time for the rest of the season, it doesn’t mean they’ve been “discarded”.

That's exactly what it means. And it would be an absolute joke if that's what happens, but it wouldn't be particularly surprising.

The fact that Munster signed Declan Moore when they had quality like Barron and Buckley sitting there is indicative of Munster's reluctance to back their young talent. Scannell, O'Byrne, Barron and Buckley is more than sufficient depth, especially when none of them will be away in Ireland camp.

Campbell is very young so I'd understand if he doesn't see many more minutes and continues to develop with Young Munster, but Okeke is past u20s and clearly a very gifted athlete and has proven he can hold his own, there's no reason why he shouldn't see plenty of minutes in the URC.

I know Hodnett has been injured for a while, but he was immense yesterday and I expect him to be picked ahead of Cloete from now on but we shall see.

aloooof

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118313320#Comment_118313320

“…Indicative of Munster's reluctance to back their young talent…”

Aaaand there it is. Exactly what I was anticipating, and so utterly predictable.

I’ll leave you to it, TRC, I’m still in too much of a good mood from yesterday to engage any further.

mahoney_j

Context lads …context ….all these guys that came in yesterday considering there academy /sub academy etc players were outstanding …..but wasps had huge vivid uohevel just before Kick off …yes we won and with a bonus point but we’ve known for proably 2 weeks what we were going to have to do and had time to prepare ….lots of these guys proably most won’t see much action if any at this level again this season ….the experience will stand to them and they’ll want to shove it up to all the returning quarantine players ….at least we now know we have some real local home grown talent comming thru

TRC10

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118313337#Comment_118313337

No argument?

Right so

phog

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118313378#Comment_118313378

So you all you wanted was an argument

Right so

Quin_Dub

The last two weeks in camp has probably been more beneficial for those Academy/Sub Academy players than the actual game time (which of course is huge for them).

The amount they will have learned from being in the thick of 1st team training etc. will be massive for their development - Probably accelerating the learning curve by at least a year.

Even if a lot of those guys don't get much more game time for the rest of this season , this last few weeks will be a massive bedrock of learning/experience for them as they move ahead.

awec

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118313247#Comment_118313247

I wouldn't be concerned about Castres targeting anything.

They played a B team at home in the first game. It's safe to say they don't care about this competition. Great opportunity for Munster this year, you can rack up a decent points difference for extra buffer too.

TRC10

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118313481#Comment_118313481

Argument: a reason or set of reasons given in support of an idea, action or theory.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118313378#Comment_118313378

All the young capped players is probably the obvious argument

aloooof

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118313378#Comment_118313378

“No argument?”

No point.

phog

How to stop a fire - kill the oxygen.

thomond2006

Castres aren't going to give a bollocks about the game. They have a history of being stubborn and tricky to break down but anything less than the maximum will be a bad day out. Wasps won't care about their January trip either.

With a six day turnaround and travel home etc, it might be a lot to ask the young starters yesterday to tog out again. Who knows too if they have college exams etc. So nobody should have a meltdown if they are left out this weekend. It was already a big jump in standard for them to play one match.

phog

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118313523#Comment_118313523

You could very well be right but like any team give them a chance and they could take it. I was just saying our scrum was a weak point yesterday, understandably, but still a weak spot for us.

phog

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118314209#Comment_118314209

We're surely going to see some of the guys who got home from SA and who have completed their quarantine feature on the bench or as starters.

thomond2006

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118314962#Comment_118314962

They're 30 point underdogs for a reason. Barring a red card, there's only one result in this.

https://mobile.twitter.com/Murray_Kinsella/status/1470084861897674752

Eod100

MRSC lotto for 6 Nations open

Poorside

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118312413#Comment_118312413

Looking at the pictures in the changing room after the game and he doesn't look to be in much trouble, arm isn't in a sling and seems to be carrying it OK.

Quin_Dub

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118316078#Comment_118316078

I was going to post something similar , saw a few photos post game and while a photo doesn't tell a full story he didn't look uncomfortable.

Hopefully he'll be ok

agoodusername

Really enjoyed watching Okeke in particular, he's especially raw out of the forwards from yesterday but I'd be disappointed if he didn't get more minutes this season. He'd be a great addition off of the bench in URC games, and you'd feel that his carrying will develop better against pros, rather than at AIL.

Lost Ormond

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118316786#Comment_118316786

Yes but so many of the 19/20/21 year old have lost so much rugby at such key time in their development that they should be playing as much as possible. He needs to be playing every week be it AIL or pro. AIL 1A and 1B Is a lot higher standard than most think it is and if you're not at games regularly then you don't truly appreciate how high a standard it is.

He and the others won't be able for/ready to play urc every week but could play urc and ail nearly every week

phog

Rewatched the game, POM and Earls covered some ground at times, they've a great reading of the game. Conway too. We had no big screen at the ground for the first few minutes so hadn't realised it was POM who got back to prevent a try in the opening minutes. Campbell didn't look out of place at FB, he could well be retained for next week depending on who's available.

aloooof

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118316864#Comment_118316864

Seemed like pretty good Munster congingent there, phog? I reckon that’ll be a memorable one to have been at!

aloooof

Some great stats here. But if ever there was a performance that exemplifies that the stats we’re privy to don’t tell the whole story, POM’s yesterday was it.

https://twitter.com/Murray_Kinsella/status/1470084861897674752

leakyboots

His lineout work was superb, took the pressure off a hooker on his debut by calling a lot of ball to himself, and winning it. Was a menace on their ball also.

I thought Earls deserves massive credit for that early tackle that POM made - he covered a lot of ground to be able to push the players arm off the ball as he stretched for the line. If POM hadn't manged to get their player in touch, Earls would have prevented the try anyway.

phog

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118316993#Comment_118316993

It was probably 50/50 of a very small crowd, Covid and uncertainty around travel has really impacted on attendances. I guess Munster had more to shout about so heard more often but it was great to hear The Fields being sung out immediately after the game kicked off, it must have been spine tingling for the academy players to hear it.

I met Ian Costello on his way from his perch on the stand to the field immediately after kick off, he had a smile on his face like he won the lotto, he was so proud of the lads. Delighted for him, he and the rest of the coaches must have been under some pressure the past few weeks. Aside from Niallo, everyone else seemed to be a new face for a match day backroom team. There was an awful lot of learning to be had for this game and hopefully will stand to Munster in the future.

starkid

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118007689#Comment_118007689

starkid

This has to be a catalyst.

Clear out some of the dead wood like Cloete and a few others and just back these young lads.

Munster's future is looking really bright. Scary prospects in the backrow.

As a confirmed Lunster man its great to see. Irish rugby needs a strong vibrant Munster. The URC is the perfect competition to go all out on some of these lads, accepting that not all days will be rosy. the days of signing your Jenkins and Cloetes should be over now.

Personally i think JVG heading off wouldn't be the worst thing at all. Costello seems ready made, with perhaps a DOR over him. OR you have Prendegast, ROG or dare i say McCall. a whole host of options out there.

Okeke, i remember people on here had doubts about his workrate. seem misplaced now. He seemed a touch hesitant at times to get the carry in, depsite having six. you'd hope to grow that confidence in the URC. he's definitely got bigger in between now and last years under 20s. Surely at the top level Kendellans a 6/7 and DO is a 6/8? Also where does Jack O'Sullivan fit in? a bit of an embrassament of riches now in Irish rugby. Coombes, DO, Hodnett, Kendallan, POM, JOS. For all the talk of Leinsters embarassment of riches in the backrow, this is perhaps looking the juicier, younger and indeed more flexible.

PMC83

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118318617#Comment_118318617

You'd certainly hope this is a turning point for Munster. They need to freshen the squad up with those young players and clear out the dead wood as mentioned. My concern with this win is its feeling a lot like the one in Clermont last season. Much celebrated, talk of the grittiness, the team spirit and all that good stuff, but we all know how the season ended. They need to back it up at the business end this year.