Munster Team Talk Thread - Beirne After Reading

Former Former Former

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119025064#Comment_119025064

I don't know why people thought it would be otherwise tbh. Donal Lenihan was on Morning Ireland today still banging on about Ed Sheeran... It's going to be a huge advantage for Munster IMO

aloooof

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119025593#Comment_119025593

Ah, I dunno tbh FFF. I’m delighted with the crowd, but I’d still wager a full Thomond Park would be more of an advantage than 40k+ in the Aviva tbh.

Red Silurian

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119025064#Comment_119025064

That is a fantastic figure, we must invite Ed Sheeran around more often 🤣🤣🤣🤣

Red Silurian

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119025593#Comment_119025593

I suppose since the Exeter game wasn't a sell-out Donal probably thought we'd get less than Thomond capacity in the Aviva...

In fairness to Munster Rugby they priced it very fairly and I think that's a big help, the last time we were in a European quarter final I was paying more for terrace tickets in Thomond than what I'm paying in Lansdowne + transport for tomorrow

phog

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119025695#Comment_119025695

Absolutely and FFF knows that too.

Packed crowd in a smaller stadium, fans closer to the field, terracing generally allows for a better atmosphere too.

I'm delighted MR got their ticket pricing right (there were people waiting in the long grass to moan about the attendance if it went pear shaped) and that they've sold 38k tickets but I'd be more hopeful for a Munster win in Thomond Park

Brief_Lives

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119025593#Comment_119025593

You clearly aren't a french man trying to make it to Thomond park...

Way more advantage in the west of Ireland. Plenty of flights to Dublin. I'd prefer a few 100 french in Limerick than a few 1000 french in Dublin.

kuang1

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119025829#Comment_119025829

When TP had it's face-lift done, it lost it's "fortress" effect.

Former Former Former

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119025695#Comment_119025695

I'm sure if Toulouse win, there will be a lot of recriminations about the venue. That's a given.

But imagine Munster win a big home game in front of a big home crowd at the Aviva, and then two hours later it turns out that the next match will also be in the Aviva. That's a huge mental boost for the squad ahead of the SF and hype among the fans will get back to levels not seen since 2009. Winning in Thomond doesn't help Munster at all in that regard, it will just reinforce the Fortress Thomond mentality and they have to move beyond that.

I said it when the draw was made, this could be a huge day in Munster history. I am very confident.

Burkie1203

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119022575#Comment_119022575

Teams will identify patterns in a back line for a set piece move. But if the backs aren't all there it creates questions in defence which often creates gaps.

Brief_Lives

https://www.munsterrugby.ie/2022/05/07/all-you-need-to-know-munster-v-toulouse-2/

39,000 tickets sold.

aloooof

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119026639#Comment_119026639

“…and hype among the fans will get back to levels not seen since 2009.”

Thats because the next game would be against Leinster; it’d have little at all to do with having won in the Aviva.

The hype would be practically the exact same if they won the QF in Thomond.

And that goes back to my original point; I think having the game in Thomond would be a bigger advantage.

Akrasia

Munster fans are treating this as a home game. Nobody's gonna blame the stadium if Munster lose.

We aren't planning on losing but it's gonna be epic one way or the other.

The atmosphere in the Aviva will be nothing like it was like for the 6 nations. 35k dedicated Munster supporters in a sea of red. Toulouse definitely aren't playing in a neutral venue

stephen_n

Dublin already filling up with Munster fans. A few Toulouse fans around too. Should be a great atmosphere in the Aviva. Really hope Munster can do this and the fans can bring the Aviva alive.

Zeugnis

Is there an updated Munster squad list somewhere on this thread with age/contract details?

phog

Yesterday's game was second to losing to Wasps in the old Lansdowne Rd in 2004 for atmosphere and "enjoyment"

I felt very low coming out of the 2004 game buy yesterday I felt there's a lot to be happy with, seeds of growth re-appearing and a new coaching team on the horizon. If Prendergast can get us up a level or two with good ball off set pieces, transitions or turnovers and we continue to put the opposition under pressure in defence then we should be close to getting over the line of winning something.

CP05

Left it behind us. Some poor kicking, and I don't mean what happened at the end.

Neil3030

Thoughts in no specific order of importance:

No issue with Healy taking the shot-from nothing penalty at 80 minutes. But Joey should be stepping up to take the drop goals in OT. A combination of different misses is not what you want a young kicker like Healy experiencing before a shoot-out.

Kendellen fronted up against the largest pack... anywhere? Star-making performance.

On the flipside, Casey was possibly found wanting at this level. Though I have no doubt he'll come back firing and find that level sooner rather than later.

Peter O'Mahony. That is all.

Once again you just kick yourself thinking what could have been with a fit Coombes out there.

phog

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119034736#Comment_119034736

Killer, Beirne & Coombes would have been a huge boost to us last Saturday and could have been enough to get the win.

I don't know about the discussion on who should be stepping up to take DGs or penalty kicks to decide the game, a lot of this is decided before the game and practiced and one thing we know is Healy doesn't lack confidence in himself, he's backed himself before for outlandish kicks. I've no concern about he letting the loss on Saturday affect him going forward.

RichieRich_89

I think the scrum troubles might well have been worse with Kilcoyne instead of Wycherley.

phog

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119034838#Comment_119034838

I am shocked that you hold that view, well and truly shocked.

awec

Probably Munster's best performance under Van Graan?

I thought you were very good for the majority of the game and Toulouse were looking pretty leggy. But that kind of highlights how hard it is to beat these teams, to win these games teams like Munster need every player putting in a top performance for the full game, while teams like Toulouse can hang in there even if they aren't firing on all cylinders.

Without wanting to be negative, I think there were a few key moments in the 80 minutes that may have cost Munster the win. The missed kicks are obvious, but there were also 2 very poor kicks from De Allende, one of which was probably the butchering of a try. There was an intercept thrown at a key moment in the second half, can't remember who it was.

Toulouse were very lucky not to get pinged right at the end of extra time when one of their players got in Casey's way in an offside position.

Think you have a lot of hope for the future. And if you play like that a league win this year is more than a possibility, though the question still remains if Munster can pump themselves up like that for a league game.

aloooof

I'd say it's right up there, awec. The other one's that come to mind are Toulon in Thomond and Clermont away last season (after a bad start). JVG seemed really emotional after the game, comes across as a gent to be fair.

phog

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119034952#Comment_119034952

I agree with a lot of this but in a French forum somewhere there's probably a french guy bemoaning a few missed opportunities by Toulouse too.

I still think had we Coombes, Conway, Killer and Beirne to select from we'd have won that game.

But what a game Kendellen had for us and Ahern too when he came on.

tvpc

Quinlan fairly pushing for Munster to sign London born Ollie Jaeger who is 26 and left for NZ 9 years ago.

awec

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119035676#Comment_119035676

Didn't he say he wanted to be an All Black? Doesn't sound like someone who is interested in coming back here to play.

Former Former Former

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119035832#Comment_119035832

That is exactly what Quinlan said. He said there is some guy who keeps tweeting @ Quinlan's podcast about "when he comes home" but that a) he developed in Leinster and b) he doesn't seem like he's interested in coming back to Ireland so he's not an option. Quinlan wasn't pushing for Munster to sign him at all.

Brief_Lives

That is some photo..

FrannoFan

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119035676#Comment_119035676

He looks a good player but he was behind Alaatoa before Leinster signed him. I'd suspect he wouldn't have the scrummaging for top level european rugby.

shootermacg

I heard Jaeger was asking for too much money. The guy seems deluded. He may get one AB cap, if they want to tie him down, but there are serious players both ahead and behind him. My thoughts are he'll regret not taking the offer.

Must love hardship

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119036578#Comment_119036578

He could fit right in so..