Ulster vs Munster, Fri 3 Jan, 7:35pm, Eir

thomond2006

Ulster:
(15-9) Will Addison, Robert Baloucoune, Luke Marshall, Stuart McCloskey, Jacob Stockdale, Billy Burns, John Cooney.

(1-8) Jack McGrath, Rob Herring, Marty Moore, Alan O'Connor, Iain Henderson (Capt.), Matthew Rea, Sean Reidy, Nick Timoney.

Replacements: John Andrew, Kyle McCall, Tom O'Toole, David O'Connor, Greg Jones, David Shanahan, Bill Johnston, Craig Gilroy.

Munster:
Shane Daly; Andrew Conway, Sammy Arnold, Rory Scannell, Keith Earls; Joey Carbery, Conor Murray;
Jeremy Loughman, Niall Scannell, Keynan Knox; Fineen Wycherley, Darren O’Shea; Peter O’Mahony (C), Jack O’Donoghue, Arno Botha.

Replacements: Diarmuid Barron, Dave Kilcoyne, John Ryan, Gavin Coombes, Jack O’Sullivan, Neil Cronin, Dan Goggin, Chris Cloete.

Squidgy Black

https://twitter.com/UlsterRugby/status/1212705604504051715?s=19

yerrahbah

yerrahbah wrote: »

https://www.munsterrugby.ie/2019/12/31/squad-update-ahead-of-ulster/

JJ, TO'D and KO'B need scans for injuries

Killer, Cloete and Coombes ok to train this week, with Ryan expected to join in later in the week

Possible Team vs Ulster

Loughman, Scannell, Knox, Whycherly, DO'S, POM, Cloete, Botha, Murray, Carbery, Earls, Goggin, Arnold, Conway, Daly

13/15 dammit

thomond2006

This has the potential to be a belter. Two serious lineups.

Daly starts at fullback and looks to have a chance to retain that jersey for the month. Big opportunity for Keynan Knox at TH.

Squidgy Black

Ulster have the edge in the front five I think, but Munster probably have a stronger back row. Both backlines are near full strength with the exception of Daly at FB, so should be a cracker of a game I think.

I'm going to say Ulster by 5.

Decent teams, looking forward to this. I don't know who that Baloucoune chap is but he sounds like a solid defender.

awec

I approve of these selections.

thomond2006

[Deleted User] wrote: »

Decent teams, looking forward to this. I don't know who that Baloucoune chap is but he sounds like a solid defender.

He could be as good as that poisonous Lowe guy.

theboss80

This should be a belter I'd say, both strong teams and weather is forecast to be dry.

Ooh this is tasty, looking forward to it. Munster looking at a fairly poor set of interpros if they lose.

shootermacg

That's a serious Ulster selection. A LBP and no injuries would be a good result for Munster.

Don't agree with Munster's 6/2 split though. I wouldn't be looking to play Joey for the full 80.

There's going to be a lot of beef in the Ulster back line, so looks like injuries may result.

yerrahbah

Good news on the injury front with Andrew Conway, Joey Carbery, Peter O’Mahony , Dave Kilcoyne, John Ryan, Gavin Coombes and Chris Cloete all available after various injuries

Good to see young players like Shane Daly; Keynan Knox; Fineen Wycherley, Diarmuid Barron, Gavin Coombes and Jack O’Sullivan all in the squad


Would be looking to see big performances from Sammy Arnold and Darren O’Shea

yerrahbah

shootermacg wrote: »

That's a serious Ulster selection. A LBP and no injuries would be a good result for Munster.

Don't agree with Munster's 6/2 split though. I wouldn't be looking to play Joey for the full 80.

There's going to be a lot of beef in the Ulster back line, so looks like injuries may result.

Rory Scannell could slot into 10 if needed

Faugheen

shootermacg wrote: »

That's a serious Ulster selection. A LBP and no injuries would be a good result for Munster.

Don't agree with Munster's 6/2 split though. I wouldn't be looking to play Joey for the full 80.

There's going to be a lot of beef in the Ulster back line, so looks like injuries may result.

I imagine Scannell is the replacement 10, but agree on the whole about the 6/2. I don’t like it in general.

This has the potential to be a cracking game. Cooney going up against Murray is his chance to go from putting his hand up to telling Andy Farrell that’s he’s the number one 9.

bilston

Two good sides but I worry about the back row. I think Munster have an advantage there.

bilston

Cooney and Burns v Murray and Carbery will be fascinating.

Balacoune is surely destined to make a match defining defensive error!

bilston

bilston wrote: »

Two good sides but I worry about the back row. I think Munster have an advantage there.

The Munster front 5 isn't great either which could be a bigger issue for them.

slingerz

thomond2006 wrote: »

This has the potential to be a belter. Two serious lineups.

Daly starts at fullback and looks to have a chance to retain that jersey for the month. Big opportunity for Keynan Knox at TH.

Haley will be FB next week. Daly will be hoping to get into the 23

Clegg

Are Casey or Ben Healy injured? Seems like a bit of a missed opportunity there.

slingerz

Clegg wrote: »

Are Casey or Ben Healy injured? Seems like a bit of a missed opportunity there.

they select the games they are going to be involved in. Casey and Healy wouldnt be part of european squads generally. they should see gametime in February i would expect

yerrahbah

Clegg wrote: »

Are Casey or Ben Healy injured? Seems like a bit of a missed opportunity there.

Priority would be getting the team ready for next week.

Carbery and Murray need minutes.

If picking a 6-2 split then you need your sub back that isnt the SH to be versatile

You could argue for Casey to be selected over Cronin on the bench alright

mogwai81

It’s great for the likes of Daly, Wycherley and to a lesser extent Baloucoune to start a game with such experience players around them instead of a team of inexperienced players.

molloyjh

With the better front five, the Ulster Connors in Reidy and the better backline I fancy Ulster to win this.

Paul Smeenus

mogwai81 wrote: »

It’s great for the likes of Daly, Wycherley and to a lesser extent Baloucoune to start a game with such experience players around them instead of a team of inexperienced players.

Baloucoune played in three Euro games last season, including the QF against Leinster. He's well used to being the least experienced player on the pitch in big games.

bilston

molloyjh wrote: »

With the better front five, the Ulster Connors in Reidy and the better backline I fancy Ulster to win this.

Coetzee and Murphy are big misses for us.

It's a big chance for Reidy and Rea though.

budhabob

Based on the lineups can't see anything but an Ulster win. Looking forward to seeing the Munster team though to see how they go.

Buer

That's 8 of the Munster team that will start next weekend. If they can get close to parity in the set piece, this game is anyone's.

Games are often won by the players who occupy the 6-10 jerseys as they dictate a lot of the game. When you look at those line ups, you'd have to say Munster are probably slightly stronger there.

shootermacg

Buer wrote: »

That's 8 of the Munster team that will start next weekend. If they can get close to parity in the set piece, this game is anyone's.

Games are often won by the players who occupy the 6-10 jerseys as they dictate a lot of the game. When you look at those line ups, you'd have to say Munster are probably slightly stronger there.

I think for these games, you'd just look at the combinations.

front five = Ulster
back row = Munster
9/10 hard to call, Munster 9/10 haven't played much rugby together, Ulster may edge it.
12/13 = Ulster, Arnold at fault for Leinster's try last week
back 3 = Ulster, Ulster will probably fancy their back 3

Hard to see Ulster losing this game at home.

Richie_Rich89

Munster have the better individuals in the backrow, but they still have a 6/8 who isn't the first relation of a natural openside at 7, and O'Mahony has never possessed the physicality blindside demands. Reidy is a much better openside than O'Donoghue. Munster's loose trio would look far more balanced if they switched the flankers. Of course, that's still the same individuals playing, but I think switching them would help give clarity about who should be doing what. The best composite backrow out of all the players selected would probably be 6. JOD, 7. POM (although Reidy's close), 8. Botha, but as they've been selected, it's probably 6. Rea/O'Mahony (tie), 7. Reidy, 8. Botha.

The worry for Ulster is that DOS, JOD and POM will get into their lineout. Ulster's lineout looked shaky against Connacht. That's Munster's route into the game, you'd have to think.

thomond2006

Cooney vs Murray will get a lot of attention tonight.

yerrahbah

Would like to see the Munster backs get their hands on the ball a bit more often than we saw last week

ionadnapokot

thomond2006 wrote: »

Cooney vs Murray will get a lot of attention tonight.

I expect Murray to attempt a few more breaks from the ruck tonight.

I feel that has been the best part of Clooney's game - “heads up rugby”

razorblunt

Poor McGrath must have been running through mud wearing flippers.

Boscoirl

The constant noise from Mark Robson is nauseating

leakyboots

Great turnover on the ground by POM after that McGrath break

leakyboots

razorblunt wrote: »

Poor McGrath must have been running through mud wearing flippers.

It was Ross Byrne-esque alright!

leakyboots

Daly is such an exciting prospect, lovely delayed passes from Murray and Joey

razorblunt

Very clever by Loughman there.

leakyboots

Maul defence this season has been superb, well done Wycherley

Poor support from the forwards when McGrath broke along with a bit of indecision from him and bammo, try.

Munster have momentum now.

leakyboots

Clear hands on the ground first there I thought

razorblunt

Twas but to be fair they almost always are nowadays.

leakyboots

Lovely Ulster try there

sydthebeat

Earls stepped too early there

Come on camera man, where is the close up of Murray for dramatic effect...

Dave_The_Sheep

Earls won't be happy with himself there.

FrancieBrady

Super timed pass from Stockdale...nice try.

razorblunt

Robson falling over himself to protect Cooney after two poor box kicks. No wind there, he’s allowed a few miss kicks.

Bridge93

Imagine if Ruan Pienaar has been allowed stay forever. King Cooney would never have emerged

Think Carbery came through the gate there and just ended up to the side.

Ref missed a few offsides tho so balances out.

razorblunt

MCClosky also in at the side after passing to Marshall. Not as blatant as Joey.