Munster Team Talk Thread - Beirne After Reading

I think Picardi is trying to referee the game in the right spirit, but he needs to be more willing to use his officiating team more and not just go completely off his own judgement. He has made some bad calls in the last 2 games we’ve been involved in that have had major impacts. I think if just uses his 4th official or TMO, and just communicate to them that there was a call for X, can you check please, a lot of these mistakes would be cleaned up.

Like against La Rochelle, he was dead certain that Munster collapsed the maul and that it was a PT and YC. But it was clear that Skelton had the ball at the front of the maul and Munster were entitled to sack/tackle him. It led a comically long review where the TMO had no idea who to yellow card.

Munster team for tomorrow evening

No Murray, POM doesn't make it back. Haley starts.

Milne makes his debut

Another week and more injuries. It is totally unsustainable.

I'm aware it's rugby. No need to be patronising.

If you think the rate of attrition is normal then I disagree. It's the shrug and "it's rugby" that leads to mediocrity imo.

Hmmm

Not a bad team on paper. Good that Haley is back. Looking forward to seeing how Milne gets on. I think Kleyn is being paired with the young props on the bench to help them in the scrum when they come on.

Worth noting that Quinn has over taken Gleeson in the backrow pecking order. Can see it too, I think Quinn has looked good in his few bench cameos. I would have liked to see him start at 6 tomorrow actually.

Didn't realise Cardiff were on a bit of a winning streak at home - from the Irish times article.

Cardiff haven’t lost at home since January, but it is the visitors that start the match as six-point favourites with the bookmakers. Munster must be wary of turning over ball against a backrow containing two superb poachers and a Cardiff backline that has oodles of pace.

😂😂 Feck sake, I thought the IT would be better than that, I just checked their results there and you are correct. Amateur mistake on my side trusting an article.

You could also phrase it that they won 2 of their last 10 games across all competitions Vs munster who won 5 games in that time

Sounded more impressive in my head being honest, but I still say that on paper we have the beatings of them

I'm sorry it never worked out for Milne in Leinster. I do think there's an international standard player in there with an uninterrupted run of fitness.

His scrummaging has had some lowlights but also some very promising moments. He's held his own and gotten the better of some excellent South African props for example.

I think he should be looking to Jeremy Loughman as an example of how his career can go. Over 100 Munster caps and a few Ireland caps is a career many don't get but it's well within his reach. I think Milne is a better player than Loughman is now. So with some consistent game time I hope he can kick on.

I don't think he'll be a 50 cap international. But I see no reason why he can't get 20

Some bit of clarity around what happened, chiefly:

• A sideline management app wasn't working
• Munster soon queried the error after the reduction in players, and
• Piardi hasn't been removed from duty.

The "actions taken" wouldn't exactly fill you with confidence tho…

They are but what else do you propose be done?

The statement is a joke. The league are blaming an app rather than putting their hand up and saying the officials got it wrong. The closest they come is saying officials have to own the process. Nonsense. If the 5 officials on the day couldn't reach the right conclusion without the help of an app then they shouldn't be officiating. Not even an apology. Useless statement.