Munster vs Saracens, Sat 7th Dec 5:30pm, BT Sport

thomond2006 · 07-12-2019 4:18pm #1

MUNSTER RUGBY
15. Mike Haley, 14. Andrew Conway, 13. Chris Farrell, 12. Rory Scannell, 11. Keith Earls, 10. JJ Hanrahan, 9. Conor Murray,
1. James Cronin, 2. Niall Scannell, 3. Stephen Archer, 4. Jean Kleyn, 5. Billy Holland, 6. Tadhg Beirne, 7. Peter O'Mahony (c), 8. CJ Stander.
Replacements:
16. Kevin O'Byrne, 17. Liam O'Connor, 18. John Ryan, 19. Fineen Wycherley, 20. Jack O'Donoghue, 21. Nick McCarthy, 22. Sam Arnold, 23. Arno Botha,

SARACENS
15. Matt Gallagher, 14. Roti Segun, 13. Alex Lozowski, 12. Brad Barritt (c), 11. Alex Lewington, 10. Manu Vunipola, 9. Ben Spencer, 1. Richard Barrington, 2. Jack Singleton , 3. Titi Lamositele, 4. Will Skelton, 5. Maro Itoje, 6. Nick Isiekwe, 7. Ben Earl, 8. Jackson Wray.

Replacements:
16. Kapeli Pifeleti, 17. Rhys Carre, 18. Josh Ibuanokpe, 19. Joel Kpoku, 20. Sean Reffell, 21. Tom Whiteley, 22. Max Malins, 23. Nick Tompkins,

Munster once again opt for a 6-2 split on the bench but have made a surprising change to the starting lineup with the evergreen Billy Holland starting in the second row and Tadhg Beirne moving to his secondary position (in Munster colours at least) of blindside flanker. Munster's injury issues at 10 continue with Rory Scannell acting as the backup while also starting at centre. Ben Healy made a good debut last week in the Pro14 but isn't deemed ready to step up just yet. Sam Arnold's appearance on the bench is interesting, with no apparent injury to Dan Goggin.

Saracens have left many of their England stars at home but bring a strong looking forward pack. The backline is missing a number of starters with Brad Barritt, now 33 years old, the veteran in the side. The dearth in quality between both sides comes in the replacements with a number of academy players named for Saracens.

Saracens' starting pack have enough on paper to keep the game close. Whether Munster can get a TBP could depend on their decision making to kick three points from penalties. Out wide you'd expect Earls and Conway to dominate their opposite numbers.
I'm thinking Munster by 12 points with no try bonus.

07-12-2019 4:22pm

Really looking forward to this game, think Munster by 10 and a motm for Beirne.

kuang1 · 07-12-2019 5:09pm

Beirne will always be a 2nd rower fo me. Hope he does well today nonetheless. I imagine he'll step into the 2nd row when Botha comes on for Holland.

Kleyn is a guy who we need to step up today. Show us what he's really made of.

shootermacg · 07-12-2019 5:19pm

kuang1 wrote: »

Beirne will always be a 2nd rower fo me. Hope he does well today nonetheless. I imagine he'll step into the 2nd row when Botha comes on for Holland.

Kleyn is a guy who we need to step up today. Show us what he's really made of.

I don't see Beirne as a second row, I think he's a better six.

shootermacg · 07-12-2019 5:20pm

I don't like the back row myself. We have two guys who will be standing off looking to jackal, too much work for CJ. I would have dropped PoM and played ToD.

razorblunt · 07-12-2019 5:31pm

I hope they attack the lineout like racing did. Really put pressure on Singleton from the start.

ScrubsfanChris · 07-12-2019 6:15pm

We could have a massive downpour around half time, huge band of rain incoming

LuckyGent88 · 07-12-2019 6:19pm

not Convinced we will be getting a bonus point victory here. Just get the job done and 4 points while denying Saracens anything would be satisfactory to me.

ScrubsfanChris · 07-12-2019 6:24pm

Sideline seating mostly empty.
Someone got gready and pulled the trigger too early thinking a sell out. Could end up being a financial loss.
Sh*t seeing empty seats close to the pitch too.

razorblunt · 07-12-2019 6:33pm

Bloody Jackson Wray, great player.

shootermacg · 07-12-2019 6:52pm

FFS go for another scrum!

budhabob · 07-12-2019 6:54pm

shootermacg wrote: »

FFS go for another scrum!

They had to come away with something!

razorblunt · 07-12-2019 6:55pm

The TMO initially waved that away?

budhabob · 07-12-2019 6:56pm

Ah feck, forward.

razorblunt · 07-12-2019 6:58pm

Forward alright. Shame.

Would have been lovely to come off the back of the Itoje penalty too.

leakyboots · 07-12-2019 7:00pm

ScrubsfanChris wrote: »

Sideline seating mostly empty.
Someone got gready and pulled the trigger too early thinking a sell out. Could end up being a financial loss.
Sh*t seeing empty seats close to the pitch too.

Are you mad? That's extra seating extending the capacity of the stadium. There's 26000 at this.

Edit: and that's just the south end where there's a lot of empty ones in th additional seating.

A loss me arse.

leakyboots · 07-12-2019 7:05pm

Good job POM wasn't on the bench there

leakyboots · 07-12-2019 7:06pm

Murray and Earls having great games

razorblunt · 07-12-2019 7:06pm

G’wan POM. Lovely pass from Scannell.

leakyboots · 07-12-2019 7:10pm

Two chargedowns on Farrell, cmon Chris wake up

budhabob · 07-12-2019 7:11pm

Shocking clearance attempt by Farrell, putting us in all kinds of pressure

razorblunt · 07-12-2019 7:11pm

Not sure where the one is coming from, thought Isiekwe was ahead of the ball carrier from the pick and go first.

Professor Genius · 07-12-2019 7:14pm

Fairly turgid stuff v Saracens B team.

ScrubsfanChris · 07-12-2019 7:16pm

Spencer's passing compared the Murray's is in a different league.

Professor Genius · 07-12-2019 7:18pm

ScrubsfanChris wrote: »

Spencer's passing compared the Murray's is in a different league.

Murray asleep there at thy scrum. Wake up ta fook !

LuckyGent88 · 07-12-2019 7:19pm

Just why, just why do we always make things hard for ourselves. Terrible stuff at times. And then we just gift them points.

Now it’s going to be a complete arm wrestle and we will struggle to get the win.

ScrubsfanChris · 07-12-2019 7:20pm

leakyboots wrote: »

Are you mad? That's extra seating extending the capacity of the stadium. There's 26000 at this.

Edit: and that's just the south end where there's a lot of empty ones in th additional seating.

A loss me arse.

Know full well why its there.
South is completely empty bar 20 seats.

ScrubsfanChris · 07-12-2019 7:25pm

Anyway .....

JJ has looked lost a few times, not sure if its him or players aren't in the positions they are supposed to be.
Great conversion though in that wind.

kuang1 · 07-12-2019 7:32pm

ScrubsfanChris wrote: »

Know full well why its there.
South is completely empty bar 20 seats.

I had 2 extra tickets for today, couldn't give them away. We're sitting here with 2 empty seats beside us.

budhabob · 07-12-2019 7:38pm

It's gonna be very difficult playing into that wind by the looks of it. Shuda made hay in the first half

razorblunt · 07-12-2019 7:39pm

Great double hit on Skelton.

razorblunt · 07-12-2019 7:41pm

Lots of side entries to rucks.
Murray is just so slow.

Shefwedfan · 07-12-2019 7:44pm

Itoje seems to be invisible

kuang1 · 07-12-2019 7:49pm

Never been in Thomond before where I've heard the rain bounce off the stands... Horrendous conditions here.

c.p.w.g.w · 07-12-2019 7:56pm

Absolutly dreadful stuff from Munster, against a reserve side

LuckyGent88 · 07-12-2019 7:58pm

Those blocked box kicks have been there all day. Poor from Murray

Heres Johnny · 07-12-2019 8:00pm

It's not good but the conditions are horrendous. Saracens far from full strength but they've a side out that would win a lot of premiership matches without a doubt.
It's just become a very difficult match to watch

leakyboots · 07-12-2019 8:01pm

Biblical rain coming down now. Have to laugh at people on about the attendance, biggest one this season and over capacity

Former Former · 07-12-2019 8:01pm

Christ this is hard work.

Saracens are absolutely dreadful. On a dry day Munster would be hockeying them.

razorblunt · 07-12-2019 8:01pm

Murray is as slow as a wet weak, I don’t think McCarthy is much faster.
Need an insurance score .

budhabob · 07-12-2019 8:04pm

JOD and Wincherly making good impacts off the bench

shootermacg · 07-12-2019 8:06pm

CJ easiest choice for MotM.

leakyboots · 07-12-2019 8:07pm

Sarries must have won the toss, play into the wind in the first half and then have Munster into the wind and an orange alert in the second. I'd take a four nil win now

razorblunt · 07-12-2019 8:09pm

Itoje’s penalties given vs what he’s actually doing most be a low, low ratio.

leakyboots · 07-12-2019 8:10pm

No officiating of the offside line in the match

razorblunt · 07-12-2019 8:17pm

Botha forearm?

budhabob · 07-12-2019 8:17pm

razorblunt wrote: »

Botha forearm?

Been picked up by the TMO

Squidgy Black · 07-12-2019 8:17pm

razorblunt wrote: »

Botha forearm?

Mental call from the TMO to leave it that late and not call it at the time!

budhabob · 07-12-2019 8:19pm

Red card.

Larbre34 · 07-12-2019 8:19pm

Needlessly poor technique. What a moron.

razorblunt · 07-12-2019 8:19pm

TMO has been poor. He waved away the Itoje incident and left this until time up.

Munster vs Saracens, Sat 7th Dec 5:30pm, BT Sport

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