Following on from here
New Munster chat thread folks. warning deserved there. https://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?p=109477571#post109477571
Agreed on the English teams, recon we could take Montpellier or Castres in one of the legs as well. I also think Andy Farrell will stick to his formula of selecting mainly Leinster players for the November Internationals so the new coaching team shouldn't be without for too long
It's pretty much irrelevant who the opposition are. Win one game in this ridiculous format and you're into the last 16. There's almost zero jeopardy in the group phase. 10 out of 12 in each group will progress to some for of knock out game (9th and 10th drop to the challenge cup).
Whatever way you chop that up, two very stiff opponents await. Well... a stiff French opponent at least. Fancy a win over two legs against either of those English teams.
A small silver lining of the new tournament format, is that Rowntree and Co. will have until December (granted, without the internationals in November) to hopefully tighten as many screws on as they can on the new systems before a Heineken Cup tie.
2022 Munster Rugby Award winners were announced today on Social Media.
Men’s Player of the Year – Jack O’Donoghue
Women’s Player of the Year – Nicole Cronin
Academy Player of the Year – Alex Kendellen
Referee of the Year – Barrie O’Connell
Senior Club of the Year – Young Munster RFC
Junior Club of the Year – Newcastle West RFC
School of the Year – Crescent College Comprehensive
Club Youth Section of the Year – Dungarvan RFC
Club Mini Section Of The Year – Old Crescent RFC
Pity they didn't return to the in-person awards this year.
The one in 2019 (I think) in the UL Concert Hall was a great evening.
What is Cian Healy doing on that plane? He's been a great servant to the country but his form this year has hardly set the world on fire and it's not likely that he'll be improving on that between now and the world cup
And Harry Byrne? Can't even make the bench for his own team in any of the knockout matches this year...
Correct, yes, Munster will face one of Quinns or Northampton from the Premiership but it could be Castres, Montpellier, Bordeaux or Toulouse depending on what happens in the semi finals this weekend.
For the Challenge it looks like one English and one French team will have 2 URC challengers and the Cheetahs are considered "English" from the point of view of not facing off against your own countrymen
Irish squad announced. Delighted to see Loughman included.
Though Josh, JOD and Kendellen might be in with a chance but not to be.
So it seems France is the only league where seeding is still to be determined, at least in terms of practicality for the Heineken next season. For eg, Bulls or Stormers will be 1 or 2 in the URC, but they're both Tier 1. Ditto for the English.
The EPCRs announcement of next years tournament format confirmed that there French 1-4 seeding hasn't been finalised yet.
2022/23 HEINEKEN CHAMPIONS CUP QUALIFIERS
TOP 14: Castres Olympique, Montpellier Hérault Rugby, Union Bordeaux-Bègles, Stade Toulousain, 5 Stade Rochelais, 6 Racing 92, 7 ASM Clermont Auvergne, 8 Lyon
Gallagher Premiership: Leicester Tigers, Saracens, 3 Harlequins, 4 Northampton Saints, 5 Gloucester Rugby, 6 Sale Sharks, 7 Exeter Chiefs, 8 London Irish
United Rugby Championship: Stormers, Bulls, 3 Leinster Rugby, 4 Ulster Rugby, 5 Sharks, 6 Munster Rugby, 7 Edinburgh Rugby, 8 Ospreys
As you can see only the teams who've been knocked out have seedings beside their names.
I read somewhere but can't find it just now, that French playoffs are included for determining seeding.
So the top 6 are seeded as winner = 1, runner-up =2, higher ranked semi-finalist from league stage = 3, lower ranked semi-finalist from league stage = 4, higher ranked quarter-finalist from league stage = 5, lower ranked quarter-finalist from league stage = 6.
As an example, from the 2018/19 season, La Rochelle (5th in Top14 league stage) jumped Racing (4th in league stage) by beating them in the quarters, so seeding for 2019/20 ERCC season La Rochelle were 4th seed and Racing were 5th seed.
Last season the top 2 in after the regular season ended up in the final. The season before the league was cancelled and they used the standings after 11 games for European seeding. The last time that the top team didn't win the barrage was Castres who won it from 6th 2018/19 and they were top seed for the following seasons Champions Cup.
He claims elsewhere that France seed based on league position prior to the playoffs. I've only looked back at the last two years but this seems to be true.
It’s gonna be Castres, isn’t it…
Nope. If one of those two win the Top 14 they'll be in pool 1. It's either Northampton or Quins and one of Castres, Montpellier, Bordeaux or Toulouse depending on the rest of the barrage results.
But the French haven’t even had their semi finals yet so have to wait for That before we’ll know who we have.
One of Bordeaux or Toulouse, and one of Northampton or Harlequins for the Heineken Cup next season
https://twitter.com/shamdoran/status/1536208229834772481
Disappointed to be losing both French and Wren. From seeing them at Age Grade, I thought they would forge long careers with Munster. French didn't get much opportunity and Wren was horribly unlucky with injuries.
The writing was probably on the wall for McHenry when he was left out on loan to Wasps earlier this year, and with Goggin, Farrell & Scannell already contracted and Fekitoa & Frisch incoming. Then theres also Shane Daly and Liam Coombes who can play 13.
When you look at whats leaving, its 422 appearances in experience. Put that with the 1016 appearances that left at the end of 2020/2021 there has been a serious clearout in the past 2 seasons. I know with the new league format, bigger squads aren't needed and its giving younger players like Kendellen, Hodnett, Wycherley etc game time to develop.
That's sad news for Wren and Osbourne. Never nice to see a player retire on injury grounds. Less still when they're young.
Following the conclusion of the 2021/22 season, Munster Rugby can confirm the full list of players who will depart the province this month.
It was announced earlier this year that Chris Cloete, Damian de Allende, Jake Flannery, Matt Gallagher, Jason Jenkins, Declan Moore, Kevin O’Byrne and John Ryan will move on.
In addition to the eight players above, the province can confirm that Seán French, Alex McHenry, Rowan Osborne and Academy player Jonathan Wren have all completed their time at Munster.
Seán French and Alex McHenry will both depart for playing opportunities in England.
Rowan Osborne is to retire from professional rugby on medical grounds due to a concussion sustained earlier in the season.
Rowan has received specialist medical care since the concussion, and despite his best efforts and those of the medical team, along with lengthy discussions with those close to him, the decision to retire was made in the best interests of his long-term health.
Unfortunately for Academy back three player Jonathan Wren, the Ireland U20s Grand Slam winner is also retiring from the game on medical grounds despite battling back from a number of setbacks.
Awful news for Osbourne and Wren. Best of luck to French and McHenry in England.
Not concerned really no, I believe when it comes to sport that past and future performances can vary wildly. Stuart Lancaster being a good example of this in coaching
I'm not saying he's better than JVG or that we will win silverware next season but he has a lot to work with and a lot of space to improve on, anything higher than 6th in next year's URC or if he gets us to a semi in Europe he'll have brought the team in the right direction
One thing I would say about Rowntree's time as forwards coach is that our forwards handling has improved immeasurably (obviously Friday night didn't seem that way). Both Archer and Kleyn, who basically had tits for hands, are offloading and providing nice little tip on passes rather than just trucking it up.
People keep talking about a new coaching ticket. No concerns Rowntree as head coach? Its his first club head coach gig, and he's been part of a very under whelming coaching ticket since 2019. I know JVG has been awful, but is it really nothing to do with the forwards coach at all?
I presume he's referring to Fekitoa, not Frisch.
Which would be better: 12. Farrell, 13. Fekitoa, or 12. Fekitoa, 13. Farrell? I'd be thinking the former. They could try both.
We've signed an unknown 12 with one season in the Prem who will be arriving injured. Bloody good in the Mafi mold is a bit overstated.
He could, we've signed a bloody good 12 in the Mafi mould though..
Farrell could possibly do a great job at 12!
I'd love to see Daly or Liam Coombes get some more game time at 13 next season. Daly played at 13 for the Irish U20's and Con when they won the AIL in 2017. You would imagine with Fekitoa coming in, Farrell will see more game time at 12 next season.
Would love to see Rowntree give the young lads the starting jerseys next year, he has a free year and development should be his goal, a lot of the players that beat Wasps will be heading towards making up the core of the squad soon so just bite the bullet and go for it.
Buckley, J. Whycherly, Ahern, Kendellan, Hodnett, Coombes, Healy, Casey, Daly and Campbell will hopefully see a load of starts next year.
I wouldn't stop doing something you otherwise enjoy because a minority are intentionally trying to spoil it or because they have some psychosis about rugby that causes them to rant their way through endless re-registered accounts on here.
Just don't take anything too seriously or too personally and engage where and how you choose.
Ignore the rest like you would if someone was howling the end of the world in the street.
A new coaching ticket and a new lease on life. Good riddance to Van Grann. A complete shocker that Bath would hire him.
Think of the complete waste of the prime years of the careers of Earls, Conway, POM etc! These boys are into the closing stages of their careers and have had their best years wasted with a poor coach! Shockingly poor head coach!
Larkham didn't cover himself in glory either. I wonder if Flannery left because he knew VG was in over his head?
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