Scarlets vs Munster match thread, Sat 2nd March 5pm

thomond2006

Scarlets:
15 Leigh Halfpenny; 14 Ioan Nicholas, 13 Kieron Fonotia © , 12 Paul Asquith, 11 Johnny McNicholl; 10 Dan Jones, 9 Kieran Hardy;
1 Wyn Jones, 2 Ryan Elias, 3 Werner Kruger, 4 Josh Helps, 5 Lewis Rawlins, 6 Josh Macleod, 7 Dan Davis, 8 Uzair Cassiem.

Replacements: 16 Marc Jones, 17 Phil Price, 18 Javan Sebastian, 19 Tom Price, 20 Will Boyde, 21 Sam Hidalgo-Clyne, 22 Rhys Patchell, 23 Steff Evans.

Munster:
Mike Haley; Ronan O’Mahony, Dan Goggin, Rory Scannell, Darren Sweetnam; Bill Johnston, Alby Mathewson;
Jeremy Loughman, Rhys Marshall, John Ryan; Jean Kleyn, Billy Holland (C); Fineen Wycherley, Conor Oliver, Arno Botha.

Replacements: Kevin O’Byrne, Liam O’Connor, Stephen Archer, Darren O’Shea, Jack O’Donoghue, Neil Cronin, Tyler Bleyendaal, Jaco Taute.

Munster players in Ireland camp and unavailable this weekend:
Tadhg Beirne, Joey Carbery, Andrew Conway, Keith Earls, Chris Farrell, Dave Kilcoyne, Conor Murray, Peter O’Mahony, Niall Scannell and CJ Stander.

Bill Johnston is selected to start at 10 for this crucial game. Ronan O'Mahony gets an opportunity on the wing and with Mathewson at 9 there is plenty experience around Johnston. Chris Cloete is unavailable due to a concussion so Conor Oliver comes into the starting XV at openside. Tadhg Beirne is held back by Ireland so he misses out on the opportunity to play his former team.

Scarlets have lost ground to their neighbours in Conference B so every game is must win from here on. For Munster this represents the toughest remaining game on their schedule. A win would make them clear favourites to finish top of Conference A.

Buer

The selection at 10 suggests to me that they're very confident that Carbery will be fully fit for the Edinburgh game. If they doubted his availability, I don't think they'd be giving Johnston this start.

Strong team.

thomond2006

Buer wrote: »

The selection at 10 suggests to me that they're very confident that Carbery will be fully fit for the Edinburgh game. If they doubted his availability, I don't think they'd be giving Johnston this start.

Strong team.

I only saw highlights of the Ospreys game but reading the thread suggested JJ had a poor outing. Bleyendaal has also looked out of form. Perhaps it's a genuine opportunity for Johnston to break into the 23. Of course that would raise eyebrows at the decision to re-sign both JJ and Tyler...

Vinnie222

Buer wrote: »

The selection at 10 suggests to me that they're very confident that Carbery will be fully fit for the Edinburgh game. If they doubted his availability, I don't think they'd be giving Johnston this start.

Strong team.

You can look at it the other way as well , give Johnston who has played well any time he has played game time as our other options has not play well for awhile now .

thomond2006

SCARLETS v Munster (Saturday, March 2, 2019; Parc y Scarlets, 5pm kick-off)

15 Leigh Halfpenny; 14 Ioan Nicholas, 13 Kieron Fonotia © , 12 Paul Asquith, 11 Johnny McNicholl; 10 Dan Jones, 9 Kieran Hardy; 1 Wyn Jones, 2 Ryan Elias, 3 Werner Kruger, 4 Josh Helps, 5 Lewis Rawlins, 6 Josh Macleod, 7 Dan Davis, 8 Uzair Cassiem.

Replacements: 16 Marc Jones, 17 Phil Price, 18 Javan Sebastian, 19 Tom Price, 20 Will Boyde, 21 Sam Hidalgo-Clyne, 22 Rhys Patchell, 23 Steff Evans.

Henry Ford III

I have a bad feeling about this game.

thomond2006

It's odd that Scarlets would leave a player like Steff Evans on the bench, unless Ioan Nicholas is a superstar I don't know about!

They are missing plenty internationals also.

stephen_n

thomond2006 wrote: »

It's odd that Scarlets would leave a player like Steff Evans on the bench, unless Ioan Nicholas is a superstar I don't know about!

They are missing plenty internationals also.

Steff Evans was left out while fit at the start of season too, there are obviously issues there.

yerrahbah

Looking forward to seeing Johnston in action.

Cant afford to give away too many penalties with Halfpenny on the field

Jump_In_Jack

It’s bucketing down there

Mike Oxlong

Anyone catch what the commentator was saying Johann had confirmed just before kick off...missed it .. anything important?

thomond2006

Missed it as well.

Nice kick from Johnston.

yerrahbah

Two lineouts and a scrum lost by Scarlets inside 5 mins. easy 3 points

Mike Oxlong

Solid in the scrum and a well won penalty

Mike Oxlong

Balls! ...as bad as the American football for in game ads

Akrasia

Tg4 has been down for the last 4 minutes

Mike Oxlong

Seems Scarlets have a try

thomond2006

Ah Eir.

Shefwedfan

Is this Eir or the whole thing gone bang?

WoollyRedHat

It's all channels by looks of things.

Mike Oxlong

S4C have it

yerrahbah

and we're back

Akrasia

Mike Oxlong wrote: »

S4C have it

Do they still have the dual commentary these days?

yerrahbah

conditions awful, not going to be a pretty game

Burkie1203

Akrasia wrote: »

Do they still have the dual commentary these days?

No. Not allowed because of English language comms on other stations

yerrahbah

Great kick by Alby and chase by the pack

Former Former

That looked very bad.

thomond2006

Surely a card? Scarlets gave away multiple penalties on the line.

Akrasia

Rory Scannell's 100th cap for Munster today. Outstanding for such a young player, 25 years old

The Lost Sheep

thomond2006 wrote: »

Surely a card? Scarlets gave away multiple penalties on the line.

Card for next one.

Boscoirl

The offside line has become a joke the last few months

KrustyUCC

Huffing and puffing near the line but no reward for all the pressure

mangobob

Credit the Scarlets for their defense, but my God Munster made a balls of that. No guile or intelligence. Just bosh bosh bosh mistake.

Quintis

Botha has been very poor the last few months, his hands are poor and for a man of his size he isn't making much ground with the ball or effective in the clear out

Mike Oxlong

Games are much better since they got rid of that pesky offside rule

razorblunt

Haley absolutely ruined that overlap, that’s almost unforgivable.

The Scarlets defensive line is a joke though.

shootermacg

Haley had to give that. Bill Johnson is doing a great job.

sydthebeat

No reffing of the offside line again

sydthebeat

For a big huge guy, Botha's cleaning out effectiveness is so poor

thomond2006

This isn't happy viewing. So much territory for little return.

razorblunt

This is appalling. It’s route one stuff and when they try and go wide it’s at walking pace. Scarlets are defending well but they’re not even being stretched.

munsterlegend

Munster going absolutely nowhere. Like any kick behind? Turn them? Holding possession and going nowhere

thomond2006

That's poor from Cassiem.

Shefwedfan

God that was awful

Turned it off and watching Masterchef

The Misses did like the away jersey

thomond2006

If Munster can get their act together they can win comfortably.

Akrasia

sydthebeat wrote: »

For a big huge guy, Botha's cleaning out effectiveness is so poor

He's not actually as big as he looks. He's only 17 stone, compared to Billy Vinupola who is 20 stone at the same height (6 ft 2 in)

Former Former

Jaysus this is grim.

Munster are brutal. Scarlets are tackling well but anything more complex is completely beyond them.

Mike Oxlong

Horrible weather...we've had all the possession and attacking ball... Scarlets have defended like demons... but will tire as the second half wears on and then we'll get a try or 2

shootermacg

Have you lads not seen the weather.

thomond2006

Ugly defence for the Scarlets try, though the offload was good.

yerrahbah

what a frustrating half