Following on from here
New Munster chat thread folks. warning deserved there. https://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?p=109477571#post109477571
Daly has had a really quality year I think. He's a guy who I didn't rate at all when I saw him under the JvG era Munster, but he's getting way more ball in his hands this season, and looks a good athlete and good footballer.
I'd agree, on my viewing - Munster's two best wingers this year are Daly & Nash.
Agree with that. If there is little between the older and younger player, then the younger should be backed.
Saying that - coaches will need to take into account the added value a player may offer to the whole e,g. What role does Earls play on the field in respect to defence etc.
An Ulster win today might have been better for us but Benneton deserved their win, even if they were lucky to get that late penalty to re-take the lead.
Now we need to hope Stormers beat Glasgow
Earls hasnt done anything in the last two games to warrant selection. Thats not to say he wont be selected, but if selection was only based on recent form hes not starting
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According to Rugbypass, Munster have made a contract offer to Malcolm Marx.
Great player, but is it a position we need to sign a marque player for?
I think so. I am slowly getting confident in our props, but sorry to say it, Niall Scannell is not the answer for us.
we will have a stacked amount of second rows and back rows... backline is fine..
I've heard rumours that Scannell is leaving. His contract is up.
I feel that would leave Munster needing to sign a player. If you need to sign a non Irish player it might as well be a marque.
I'd urge caution on that rumour
I’m not sure on the backline at all. I don’t think we have any international starting standard players outside 10, except maybe Conway. We have a lot of 6/7 out of 10 options without a real game breaker. There are a lot of younger players 1 to 10 who have a great chance of being Ireland starters, I don’t see any players from the academy up from 11 to 15 who have much of a chance, Campbell is the only outside bet.
Its a while since we had a hooker that was international standard.
Frisch and Haley are very good at attacking the line and breaking it, either of those could be involved in the Irish setup this year no problem.
Haley’s inability to play any other position will always hold him back. If Keenan was ruled out completely. I’d imagine Haley would get a look in but while he’s not. It’s unlikely Haley will be involved.
Frisch should definitely make the wider squad and then it depends how he gets on in training. He may well leapfrog Hume but there’s still McCloskey, Aki, Possibly Henshaw and Ringrose ahead of him.
Made no difference to rob kearney or Hugo Keenan atm been just a specialist full back
Way to completely miss the point.
Kearney and Keenan were/are the best in their position in the country.
They don't need to be versatile.
It's the second string player who needs to be more versatile if they want more international honors from the bench.
Stephen clearly said above that if Keenan wasn't available Haley would get a look in.
I think that’s the point tho; we can afford a specialist FB for 1st choice players, but further down the pecking order, versatility is more valuable.
(And I think Keenan got his first cap or 2 on the wing, fwiw).
Im sure both will get a few caps but it’s very hard to see either ever be a regular starter for Ireland, or England/France, in the way that Zebo, Conway and Earls were at various stages over the last 10 years. our backline is absolutely stacked with good players, at least in the back 3, but I don’t think we have any great or even very good players outside 10.
Keenan can play and has played wing for Ireland.
Kearney was a specialist full back. Which pretty much meant we never had another one on the squad while he was there. Same now with Keenan, who is first choice by some distance. As I said if Keenan was ruled out for a long time it might open the door.
True for Ireland, however in relation to Munster, which is what started this conversation, both are game breakers and absolute quality players.
Absolutely but the comment I replied to was directly in relation to them being picked for Ireland. Both are hugely valuable to Munster though.
Munster in 7th after Glagow win over the Stormers going into the break for Champions Cup. Stormers, Ulster and Glagow in 2nd, 4th and 5th all have games in hand. Sharks in 9th and 3 points behind Munster have 2 games in hand.
Of the teams currently ahead of us in the table playing Benetton, Glasgow and Stormers between now and the end of the season.
Ulster's game in hand is away to the Sharks. They also go to Glasgow. Glasgows game in hand is away to the Lions.
Sharks other game in hand is a derby v the Stormers. There are also two more rounds of SA derbys during the 6N, so they'll all be taking points off each other.
It isn't nearly as clear cut as the table suggests.
8th won't get into the playoffs either unless Cardiff manage to make it up to there.
Benetton game is huge, but I'd fancy Munster in that one - especially during the 6N.
8th probably won't get Champions Cup, but will be in the play offs.
Ugh, sorry indeed. Always get that mixed up.
Under no circumstances are Coombes, Frisch and Haley good enough for international rugby and none should be anywhere near the Irish camp*.
(*that particular week)
Aside from the match points beating Glasgow isn't much use to us as one from that conference as well as the top placed Welsh side has to get into The ERC. Ulster could have done us a huge favour yesterday if they kept the lead to beat Benetton.
But we must do our part too and just keep winning.
Updating the above:
Ulster (A) - 4 points
Lions (H) - 5 points
Pretty much exactly what the doctor ordered, and makes 32 points with 6 games to play
Benetton (A)
Ospreys (H)
Scarlets (H)
Glasgow (H)
Stormers (A)
Sharks (A)
Here's a simple projection of the league table if you took each team's average points per game so far, and just multiply by 18:
It's sorted by CURRENT position, but you can see to get 7th and avoid an ERC playoff, you're still looking at around 50 points. 59 for a home QF (probably best to just forget about that for now).
3 wins from the coming 4 (all winnable) and a couple of bonus points mixed in, and we're pretty much where we want to be for 7th, i.e., ~46 heading into the SA tour.
I'm hopeful we'll have learnt a bit from the SA tour last year. We played some great stuff, particularly in the Lions game, but the opposition is tougher this time to be fair.
I think 13 points from those 3 home games is very possible.
And I'd nearly rather go into an away QF with some momentum and improving performances than a home QF in poor form.
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