Munster Team Talk Thread - Beirne After Reading

An apology is useless. There's a referee, two assistant ref's and a tmo out there and they still can't get the call right. They butchered the tap which the Bulls scored from too and the high shot on Murray. We were always going to struggle without a lineout but that performance from the officiating team is completely unacceptable.

Could have huge ramifications for next season with Europe.

Absolutely shambolic by officials.

Separately, the last few weeks and the amount of injuries. This is season 4 or 5 of this. Can't compete with a 2nd pack out.

Don’t want to sound too negative, but the injuries and management upheaval have sort of wrote off this season for me. Just hoping we can finish in the table as high up as possible to get a reasonable European draw next year. We don’t have the strength in depth to challenge the league with all these injuries.

One other thing, we need to find a second pivot in the back line. Can’t have Crowley assuming all the kicking duties and along with him needing to play a full 80. It’s verying tiring for him covering the backfield and then up into the attack. He was exhausted by the last 10 minutes, that’s too much responsibility/over reliance on him.

Brilliant spectacle, don’t worry about the ref mistake, that’s life, but the performance was good, asked lots of questions of the Bulls defence, great team effort and enjoyable 80 minutes of rugby. The intent behind the passing was good, shows the mindset is to probe for space and the conditions were slippery so all in all happy the team are improving and looking good coming into the knockouts.

Lineout and handling we're shocking tonight, anybody who was considering their season tickets next year won't be convinced by this performance

To be fair RS, our whole starting front row, back row, back 3 are injured as well as the starting 9 and other cover options They gave it their best shot tonight against a strong Bulls side on a wet day that suited them. I think most supporters will appreciate that.

Think this is spot on tbh. You could see how knackered Crowley was running back to collect a kick towards the end. Maybe pesimistic after the last 2 weekends, but anything beyond a QF would be a decent outcome at this stage, I think.

I think we felt the absence of Gavin Coombes tbh; absolute must for us in a game like this. Sometimes you just need someone to get you over the gainline, and it makes the next phase easier to get over again.

Thought Tom Ahern was class. Crowley good too. And JOD. We showed some serious desire and scramble at times. We really missed Casey tho. As much as I love Murray, his pass quality just isn’t where it was, let alone close to Casey’s.

That Munster went to 14 should have been the telling point. It was either 13 or 15 (healy v Scotland in 2023 for example or Ireland v Italy in 2022).

Piardi didnt seen to know Jager went off for HIA as Jackman said after the game. That is something the 4th official should have known at the time and relayed that into Piardi.

Seen jackmans post with the criteria. The 13 is if one is a card. The 4th official is at fault today. He is the one who records the changes and the reasons for them

What's the skinny on him, Syd? I don't get to see any Super Rugby, but everything I've heard is positive, that he's hardnosed but plays a really good brand, which sounds exactly like what we need.

I think he's got the core of a really good young team to work with; if he can improve things like our lineout and maybe make a signing or 2 in key positions, I'm hopeful of where he can get us to with the players available.