Munster Team Talk Thread - Beirne After Reading

we looked fresh. Interesting with very little training this week. And good to see line out functioning.

Fineen or Coombes was my MotM, Fineen has steadily improved this season but today he was immense.

How the AR called the offside for their first kick at goal and then ignore tons more during the game is beyond me, in the 2nd half there were 3 offsides in the play up to where Murray was penalised for being offside. That stuff drives me mental.

Our defence was immense they really couldn't break through bar kicks.

I suppose before the game my concern was Rory & Fineen but in the end it was Haley who coughed so much ball.

I know because of the race to the Irish jersey that Jack comes in for extra scrutiny but overall I thought he played the game in the tight area of the pitch, got lucky a few times, unlucky at other times but again brilliant im defence.

We were so lucky to have Murray back for this game, he's so physical around the scrum and rucks.

His pass ( some people will claim he can't pass) for Hodnett's try actually made the try.

Though Fineen and Gavin had great game, for me Hodnett is a big time player and a great result and team performance, Haley was out of sorts tonight and was the only player not on his game tonight.

I think that would be a mistake tbh. Haley was poor tonight but so was Daly. I know Haley hasn't been at his best since his return but prior to that he was immense. A key component to us winning the league.

Yeah Haley is superb, tonight was the exception, not the rule, with him usually. 33 handling errors between both teams, I think it's fair to say it wasn't your usual night tonight for holding a ball safely

Don't see Munster troubling anyone in the playoffs. Attack far too aimless and the forwards anemic as ever.

Depends on what squad is there come the play offs.

planet rugby was impressed by the intensity.
“This fixture was as close to a Test match as you could get at club level, and that is exactly what this competition should be.”

True, that annoyed me at the time, watching it on TV again last night, Jackman in commentary said you could have found a few penalties there, ref found none.

he didn’t know what he was at half the time, and he was more incompetent on calls that might have benefited Munster if that makes sense

I get that refs can miss something and there were a few clear outs missed on both sides that could have been punished. But surely penalising George for his hand on the ball while on the bottom of the ruck deserved more than a penalty. That was our first 3 points, compare the punishment of that incident to a fairly innocuous off side that gave Sarries their first 3 points and then all the offsides throughout the game he choose to ignore.

I've said earlier, in the run up to when he penalised Murray for offside there were probably 3 offsides from Sarries

I'm not much of a rugby head, but I thought Wycherly did some amount of big tackles, hold ups in the tight, clearing rucks etc. all big heavy energy soaking stuff, whay Jean Klyne normally does.

If the Edogbo's get back to fitness and Klyne the pack will have a lot more heft, even from the bench, more options etc. Kendellen starting and Hodnet from the bench is a good use of resources, Hodnet does that scoring in the wide channel brilliantly, better to be there when the game loosens up.

Lastly credit to the two Scannell's, they're not good, no-one wants to see them start, but they bring their best when called on. Bit like Dave Kearney with Leinster, good honest pro's.

I think Niall Scannell has been one of our better players this season. Has addressed his issues with conceding penalties - I am glad to have him and he is currently the best we have. Rory has become a bit of a break glass player but always puts in a good honest shift. Not international standard but I would say he is better than “not good”. Just my opinion of course.

Why didn't he start yesterday?