Munster vs Ospreys, Sun 19 Jan 1pm, BT Sport

thomond2006

Munster:
15. Mike Haley, 14. Andrew Conway, 13. Chris Farrell, 12. Rory Scannell, 11. Calvin Nash, 10. JJ Hanrahan, 9. Conor Murray,
1. Dave Kilcoyne, 2. Niall Scannell, 3. Stephen Archer, 4. Fineen Wycherley, 5. Billy Holland, 6. Peter O'Mahony (c), 7. Jack O'Donoghue, 8. CJ Stander.

Replacements:
16. Kevin O'Byrne, 17. Jeremy Loughman, 18. John Ryan, 19. Arno Botha, 20. Jack O'Sullivan, 21. Craig Casey, 22. Ben Healy, 23. Dan Goggin,

Ospreys:
15. Dan Evans, 14. Hanno Dirksen, 13. George North, 12. Scott Williams, 11. Luke Morgan, 10. Luke Price, 9. Shaun Venter,
1. Nicky Smith, 2. Scott Otten, 3. Ma'afu Fia , 4. Bradley Davies, 5. Alun Wyn Jones, 6. Dan Lydiate, 7. Justin Tipuric (c), 8. Dan Baker.

Replacements:
16. Sam Parry, 17. Darryl Marfo, 18. Gheorghe Gajion, 19. Lloyd Ashley, 20. Olly Cracknell, 21. Sam Cross, 22. Reuben Morgan-Williams, 23. Cai Evans,

Munster host Ospreys in the final pool game of Pool 4. The Welsh visitors have endured a disasterous season, with coaching changes, a slew of injuries and international absentees contributing to a dismal few months. Munster are mathematically still in contention but will need other results to go their way.

Calvin Nash starts, replacing Keith Earls. Wycherley starts with Beirne and Kleyn out injured. Otherwise there's not a lot of experimentation which is disappointing. Saracens have gone full strength at home to Racing so this is a likely dead rubber. We'll hopefully see JOS, Casey and Healy get 20-25 minutes.

yerrahbah

Bit late with the team new,

Hopefully not injury related

thomond2006

On ERCC lineup page.

https://www.epcrugby.com/champions-cup/matches/line-ups/

yerrahbah

thomond2006 wrote: »

On ERCC lineup page.

https://www.epcrugby.com/champions-cup/matches/line-ups/

Nash ahead of Earls and Daly?

thomond2006

Daly is apparently injured. No idea on Earls.

Cookiemunster

yerrahbah wrote: »

Nash ahead of Earls and Daly?

Not sure about Daly, but I heard yesterday that Earls picked up an injury in training.

Sabre0001

Shame about Daly being injured. He's gotten some minutes in so far this season and looked handy. If not injury related, Nash is not the experimentation I expected! Was hoping Casey might be a surprise inclusion as starter, but I suppose this is Murray's last chance to stake his claim for 9 jersey for Ireland. Will be interesting to see how Scannell responds to losing out on the squad too.

Hopefully we'll get to see a good deal of O'Sullivan, Casey, and Healy.

thomond2006

You'd like to think that Ospreys lineup will be reasonably competitive, but we've been here before. The backrow in particular looks good on paper.

Arno Botha's appearance on the bench is bizarre to me. Nothing against him but this would have been an opportunity for someone like Coombes. Botha is gone in the summer, there's little to be gained from using him in a match like this.

yerrahbah

I would have picked Ryan over Archer, Feel he offers more with ball in hand and I'm assuming we will see Munster with more possession this weekend

2nd week in a row with no 2nd row coverage on the bench, must be a right kick in the teeth for Darren O'Shea

They didn't say but I guess they are not risking Kleyn after going for a scan on his neck

I guess we need to go as strong as possible in the unlikely event that other results go our way

Cookiemunster

yerrahbah wrote: »

I would have picked Ryan over Archer, Feel he offers more with ball in hand and I'm assuming we will see Munster with more possession this weekend

2nd week in a row with no 2nd row coverage on the bench, must be a right kick in the teeth for Darren O'Shea

They didn't say but I guess they are not risking Kleyn after going for a scan on his neck

I guess we need to go as strong as possible in the unlikely event that other results go our way

Darren O'Shea isn't good enough and will more than likely be released in the summer.

durkadurka

Is Calvin Nash a country and western singer?

Squarewave

durkadurka wrote: »

Is Calvin Nash a country and western singer?

No, that's Jean Kleyn's brother Calvin Kleyn you're thinking of. He does a great rendition of Johnny B Goode.

Squidgy Black

Squarewave wrote: »

No, that's Jean Kleyn's brother Calvin Kleyn you're thinking of. He does a great rendition of Johnny B Goode.

Makes great jocks as well

On paper that Ospreys team should at least be able to catch and pass to each other.

yerrahbah

Cookiemunster wrote: »

Darren O'Shea isn't good enough and will more than likely be released in the summer.

I agree, but what happens if Billy Holland pulls up injured 5 mins before the game?

thomond2006

Munster A vs Connacht A:
Alex Wootton; Jonathan Wren, Seán French, Alex McHenry, Liam Coombes; Alan Tynan, Nick McCarthy;
Liam O’Connor, Diarmuid Barron (C), Keynan Knox; Thomas Ahern, Paddy Kelly; Seán O’Connor, Jack Daly, Gavin Coombes.

Replacements: Eoghan Clarke, Josh Wycherley, James French, Cian Hurley*, Rory Suttor*, John Hodnett, Jack Stafford, Jack Delaney*.

*club players

PTH2009

Officially miracle do Munster need to happen to progress??

stephen_n

PTH2009 wrote: »

Officially miracle do Munster need to happen to progress??

Saracens to get no more than 1 point at home and Glasgow and Gloucester to lose away. Not impossible but just improbable.

Bridge93

Munster by 35

But Sarries to win as well as Northampton and Glasgow I think

thomond2006

Glasgow are one try away from making this game a dead rubber.

Akrasia

thomond2006 wrote: »

Glasgow are one try away from making this game a dead rubber.

Not anymore
game over
Sale aren't putting up any kind of a fight at all

Banner2theend

Events in Allianz Park tomorrow, is the only show in town come 1 o'clock folks. If I had a ticket to tomorrow's game v Ospreys, I wouldn't go, as I would be looking in at events at the disgraced English club, with great interest.

typhoony

Banner2theend wrote: »

Events in Allianz Park tomorrow, is the only show in town come 1 o'clock folks. If I had a ticket to tomorrow's game v Ospreys, I wouldn't go, as I would be looking in at events at the disgraced English club, with great interest.

I can't imagine any scenario where IF I had a ticket to a Connacht game that I wouldn't go, other than for personal reasons.

thomond2006

Chris Farrell is out apparently.

stephen_n

thomond2006 wrote: »

Chris Farrell is out apparently.

After last weeks performance if they don’t replace him, it wouldn’t make much difference. Especially in defence.

thomond2006

Confirmed: Arnold in for Farrell.

sioda

Banner2theend wrote: »

Events in Allianz Park tomorrow, is the only show in town come 1 o'clock folks. If I had a ticket to tomorrow's game v Ospreys, I wouldn't go, as I would be looking in at events at the disgraced English club, with great interest.

This sort of comment boils my blood. You support through thick and thin. Standing in thomond right now surrounded by fans on a glorious day for rugby where else would you want to be.

ScrubsfanChris

Munster flinging the ball around like the game is on the line. You've 70 minutes left lads.

razorblunt

Two back to back silly penalties for Wycherley.

Rucks are a mess already, Davies has 3 goes at Holland way past the ruck, not even subtle. 3 players pointed it out, AR not interested.

cadaliac

Ffs Murray

razorblunt

Incredibly poor tackle from JOD on Baker, he even look half hearted going into it.

Completely abject from Munster so far, they look rudderless.

ScrubsfanChris

JJ hasn't a clue. Murray shouting at him and he's just standing there dumb faced...

razorblunt

3 pens for Wycherley now.

razorblunt

Dan Goggin on the wing again. Jesus.

theVersatile

Any insight into what "banking" that Larkham refers to is?

troyzer

Munster are a ****ing disaster.

razorblunt

JJ taken out of play off the ball, shouts at raynal who’s right next to him and doesn’t even bother to look and see for himself.

theVersatile

That's better

leakyboots

Murray's had a couple of nice snipes in the last few mins, good training ground move to make that try

Panda Killa

CJ did well to finish a good break from Murray

ScrubsfanChris

theVersatile wrote: »

Any insight into what "banking" that Larkham refers to is?

I think he's taking about obstruction at the maul. Not 100% sure

Banner2theend

Mark my words, laptop guy and bluffer JVG is just a lameduck "head coach" at this stage. He will be gone by season's end. It's just how much damage takes place between now and then, is the real question.

One example of Munster that touches a raw nerve with me. 5 metres out from the tryline just there, slow and ponderous ball at an attacking position, still its ruck, one out runner, ruck, one out runner......result a Ospreys turnover.

Crash, bang and wallop all over again, the JVG way. No thanks.

cadaliac

ScrubsfanChris wrote: »

I think he's taking about obstruction at the maul. Not 100% sure

In line out

leakyboots

POM has a lovely soft pop pass in traffic

Nothing game and a squad avoiding injury before the Six Nations. Wouldn't read anything into how either team play today.

leakyboots

cadaliac wrote: »

In line out

It's for standing in front of the person who set up the maul… Billy Holland - Wycherley stood between the ball carrier and the Ospreys

ScrubsfanChris

A scrum because you didnt take the penalty form the mark, you're shi*ting me right?
When is that ever called?

razorblunt

Banner2theend wrote: »

Mark my words, laptop guy and bluffer JVG is just a lameduck "head coach" at this stage. He will be gone by season's end. It's just how much damage takes place between now and then, is the real question.

One example of Munster that touches a raw nerve with me. 5 metres out from the tryline just there, slow and ponderous ball at an attacking position, still its ruck, one out runner, ruck, one out runner......result a Ospreys turnover.

Crash, bang and wallop all over again, the JVG way. No thanks.

Aren’t you watching the Saracens game?

theVersatile

Good last ten minutes. Hope we can carry that into the second half - Reynal taking the loss with that scrum from the penalty

The rugby subreddit seems to think as well that "banking" is maul obstruction, but that's called often enough isn't it? Don't know why Larkham would single out that decision.

razorblunt

theVersatile wrote: »

Good last ten minutes. Hope we can carry that into the second half - Reynal taking the loss with that scrum from the penalty

The rugby subreddit seems to think as well that "banking" is maul obstruction, but that's called often enough isn't it? Don't know why Larkham would single out that decision.

There’s a more subtle ways to do it im sure, predominantly using props and not a second row wearing a scrum cap standing up like a totem pole!

Arnold is running some good lines, looks to run into space too ... it will never catch on.

theVersatile

Good man Calvin.

Unfortunately that penalty from the O'Donoghue break seemed to kill any buzz we had from HT

Nevermind, seemed to come back with that attacking set! Haley latching onto Arnold from close range is a sight to behold.