Munster v Ulster URC round 7 Match thread

Akrasia

The clash of the Titans whoever's available to play and medical jokers

Teams will be announced at 12pm

Kickoff in Limerick, Saturday at 17:15 (Limerick time)

Stakes are high for Munster with qualification for Europe in 2023/24 on the balance (proper Europe, not Connacht Europe)

A severely depleted Munster side will take on a severely dehydrated Ulster team on a severely overhydrated Thomond park

phog

Has Thomond Park got a new surface, a hybrid similar to the Aviva Stadium?

aloooof

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119803798#Comment_119803798

Yep, I believe so, I remember hearing something about that recently.

Akrasia

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119803798#Comment_119803798

Yep. Hybrid pitch just installed. The weather forecast is for rain tomorrow though so could be slippy

Akrasia

Ulster

(15-9): Stewart Moore, Ben Moxham, James Hume, Luke Marshall, Ethan McIlroy, Billy Burns, Nathan Doak;

(1-8): Andy Warwick, Tom Stewart, Marty Moore, Alan O’Connor (Captain), Sam Carter, David McCann, Sean Reffell, Duane Vermeulen.

Replacements: John Andrew, Rory Sutherland, Gareth Milasinovich, Cormac Izuchukwu, Jordi Murphy, John Cooney, Angus Curtis, Craig Gilroy

Akrasia

Munster: Mike Haley; Shane Daly, Malakai Fekitoa, Rory Scannell, Patrick Campbell; Jack Crowley, Paddy Patterson; Dave Kilcoyne, Diarmuid Barron, John Ryan; Edwin Edogbo, Eoin O’Connor; Jack O’Donoghue (C), John Hodnett, Alex Kendellen.

Replacements: Niall Scannell, Josh Wycherley, Roman Salanoa, Evan O’Connell, Cian Hurley, Neil Cronin, Ben Healy, Simon Zebo.

Munster: Mike Haley; Shane Daly, Malakai Fekitoa, Rory Scannell, Patrick Campbell; Jack Crowley, Paddy Patterson; Dave Kilcoyne, Diarmuid Barron, John Ryan; Edwin Edogbo, Eoin O’Connor; Jack O’Donoghue (C), John Hodnett, Alex Kendellen.

Replacements: Niall Scannell, Josh Wycherley, Roman Salanoa, Evan O’Connell, Cian Hurley, Neil Cronin, Ben Healy, Simon Zebo.

aloooof

Kendellen back? That's timely. Not a bad 15 all things considered. Evan O'Connell on the bench too, you'd be delighted for him.

Akrasia

Thank christ Edogbo is fit,

Eoin O Connor starts for the first game since Wasps last year, Evan O Connell, Nephew of Paul, looks set to make his Munster Debut at the tender age of 6

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119803895#Comment_119803895

He's Paul's nephew I thought?

sydthebeat

ulster gone from -1 to -6 after the teams named

Shehal

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119803878#Comment_119803878

O'Connell would beat Ruadhan Quinn's record he only set afew weeks ago? O'Connell is still a u19 player so possibly.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119803929#Comment_119803929

He'd beat him by quite a bit! Ruadhan Quinn was born in October 2003, and O'Connell was born in May 2004! 😲

ulsteru20s

I think we should win this one realistically even with the bug. So much more experience and quality.

Famous last words maybe.

Akrasia

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119803898#Comment_119803898

You're right

snotboogie

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119803895#Comment_119803895

Combined 8 competitive professional rugby appearances for the 4 second rows named in the Munster match day squad!

aloooof

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119803966#Comment_119803966

I love the way FTD took issue with the "Paul's son" and not the "tender age of 6" bit :D

aloooof

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119803963#Comment_119803963

The one unknown is how much the bug will have, em, taken out of Ulster, if you will. They look stronger on paper, but a 1 score game seems about right. Could be a good one.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119803963#Comment_119803963

You speaking for Ulster or Munster there?

ulsteru20s

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119803988#Comment_119803988

Ulster.

ulsteru20s

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119803977#Comment_119803977

True, that’s the x factor. I’m just seeing an 18 year old lock on the bench, another lock that i dont think has player much.

We get the maul going… could be a long night for them. Depends on conditioning.

aloooof

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119804008#Comment_119804008

Maul does seem a huge weapon for Ulster and it's an area we've struggled in when Kleyn hasn't been on the pitch.

Will be interesting to see if we contest (JOD probably our best option there) or just get set for maul d earlier.

Akrasia

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119803963#Comment_119803963

Ulster absolutely should win this game given the two teams that are announced

But I can feel something special might happen tomorrow

Dubinusa

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119804064#Comment_119804064

Ulster coming back from a dose of the scutters could help Munster. Hopefully, Ulster can keep their shite together, no pun intended.

Haley and Kendellen back for Munster! Crowley at 10! Should be a good watch.

ulsteru20s

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119804064#Comment_119804064

Yea, Munster really need a win and conditioning after illness could be an x factor.

I just dont want to pull that bs that leinster fans do where they pretend that an OBVIOUSLY much stronger selection was actually ravaged by injury just like the other team!

We have selected a team that should win. We are a really good team. Go out there and win it. Try not to poop yourself.

aloooof

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119804143#Comment_119804143

I remember in the last 2-3 seasons of the JvG era, there were probably 4-5 games where the match thread would contain at least 1 Leinster fan proclaiming Munster as favourites. The bookies invariaby had an entirely different view....

Great to see James Hume back.

Akrasia

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119803969#Comment_119803969

Our most experienced lock is still in the Academy

shootermacg

There were 15 players that didn't get the shites, so will have been rested for 2 weeks.

lawrencesummers

I most looking forward to klendennen schooling vermuelen. Worth the entry price alone that one.

And then there is the forever overhyped ulster backline to get over excited by only to be left down miserably by burns on every occasion.

Munster BP by halftime and empty the bench on 60 minutes in a 32- 12 win.

Akrasia

I rewatched the Leinster Munster game from last week.

I think Munster need to get a really good start and build up a lead early on. If we don't, we'll be hammered in the 2nd half when the benches come into play

Munsters' accuracy and defence were huge last week. I think with Crowley and Patterson as halfbacks, we can negate a lot of the power in the Ulster pack, and Haley is rock solid at 15 who can put the likes of Pa Campbell into space for breaks on counter attack

Doak is a really good player, but he's slow from the ruck. Doak is the Ulster version of Conor Murray. I don't think Ulster will be able to unlock us with Doak Box kicks off slow ball.

Having Patterson playing, means faster ball, less time for the big guys to get into position to smash plays off 9

Patterson is not as technically skilled as Casey or Murray, but Casey's not available, and he makes up for precision with speed, and that's ok with me.

Akrasia

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119806105#Comment_119806105

Kendellan schooling Vermuelen?

They're not in the same classes

A.K. will play POM's role and can do it to an extremely high level.

Akrasia

I'm calling it now, several beers into Friday Night on a bank holiday weekend.

Munster to win Miracle match 2022 mark 1

(we'll still need several more miracles to survive this season)

phog

The main thing for Munster tomorrow evening is to stop giving Ulster an opportunity to kick to the corner. Probably easier to stop that than stop their maul

Akrasia

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119806760#Comment_119806760

I'm pretty certain that Ulster will score at least one try from a maul in the 22

We need to score more so that try doesn't matter

To beat Ulster, I think Munster will need to score at least 24 points

We can concede a few penalties and a few tries, but we need to score.

The weather won't be great, so we need to take every penalty opportunity and score from at least 2 entries into their 22

The winning TBP is not our goal here, At a minimum to stay in limp mode, we need a LBP and to call it a success, a draw or win

stephen_n

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119804313#Comment_119804313

Yep, like imagine proclaiming Munster as favorites against Leinster C and academy team last year. WUM’s the lot of them. :)

aloooof

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119807012#Comment_119807012

Plenty more where that came from, Stephen ;)

bilston

I don't share the Ulster optimism here.

We aren't missing as many as Munster but we seem to be down about 10 players who all realistically would have a chance of starting. Herring, O'Toole and Timoney are big misses up front, although in saying that I've every confidence in Tom Stewart at hooker. But given the players missing for Munster we shouldn't expect much sympathy here.

Without doubt the biggest unknown is the impact of the bug on the players. I've normally dropped 3 or 4 kilos in the past on the back of stomach bugs and while it goes back on quickly enough it is bound to have impacted those affected. That said Glasgow did OK last night.

Then there's the fact Munster are at home and need the win more.

Also that Munster back row may not be the most experienced in Kendellan and Hodnett, but they are outstanding talents.

This will be a tough game. 50/50 at best for Ulster.

Nice for Munster fans to build it up as a potential miracle match to build morale should they win!!!

lawrencesummers

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119806752#Comment_119806752

Im well aware of the gulf in class between klendennen and vermulen, what im sauing is that vermulen has an excellent opportunity to learn here and it will stand him well in his future career.

Former Former Former

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119807125#Comment_119807125

I mean, you've a lad above talking about a "miracle match" when the bookies have the handicap at 4 points...

Very much looking forward to this I must say. Will be very interesting to see where Munster go from here if they lose, season at risk of going off the rails you'd think.

stephen_n

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119807283#Comment_119807283

A lot of the kilos lost is dehydration more than muscle or fat. It’s water weight really. When you rehydrate properly it goes straight back on. I would imagine they will have been drinking lots of electrolyte drinks this week.

The biggest impact may be the lack of training this week, or disruption to it. If Ulster cab limit the mistakes, they should be ok.

Ulsters defence has looked questionable at times but so has Munsters attack. So they should equal out. I think Ulster by 10.

stephen_n

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119807125#Comment_119807125

That comment was very much tongue in cheek. :)

Though you can’t have it both ways either. You weren’t happy when I said last season it’s not a genuine rivalry anymore. Which is pretty much another way of saying Leinster are always favorites to win. So are Leinster fans overly confident when they say they are going to win and being cute hoars when they make Munster favorites on paper?

lawrencesummers

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119807530#Comment_119807530

Its a lot more than just water weight when people are sick, your describing something closer to a fighters weight cut while an illness like ecoli leaves its mark on the digestive system, it stops the person eating for a number of days which isnt weight thats immediately put back on, it takes time for energy levels to return, concentration levels are effected and those impacts are hard to handle for someone in a regular environment not to mind someone operating at elite level sport, couple that with some long haul flights its very possible a good amount of the ulster players are not anywhere near 100%.

aloooof

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119807470#Comment_119807470

Ah ya, no disagreement it goes both ways like.

aloooof

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119807543#Comment_119807543

I can’t say I recall that conversation, but if you asked me now, I could only agree tbh. (Not saying it didn’t happen btw, just in case it comes across that way).

Munster have, what, 2 wins in the last 13 or something akin to that? That’s no longer a rivalry, in any real terms really…

Hopefully it can get back to close to what it was, but that seems a way off at the moment.

stephen_n

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119807713#Comment_119807713

I honestly think Munster have turned a corner in the last two seasons with the amount of young talent coming through. It hasn’t translated into results yet but I think with the current coaches it will. Though this season may well be written off to allow that change to happen. It will be March I reckon before we can really tell.

aloooof

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119808212#Comment_119808212

I think with Lancaster and Sexton out at effectively the end of this season as well, it could bring the teams that bit closer; that's a lot of rugby IQ out the door in one season.

I think it could be next season before we beging to see the gap closing, but Leinster aside, 2nite's a big game in the context of this season for Munster.

stephen_n

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119808288#Comment_119808288

I reckon it will too, those loses will hugely impact Leinster both on and off the pitch. Which might be good for the league overall.

ElisaAtWar

Can't see Munster doing anything. Looking like Challenge Cup for them next year. That will be some shock to the system

Larbre34

Shocking turnout. Maybe half full?