Munster Team Talk Thread - Beirne After Reading

Seems like a good move for all really. Would prefer him over Mullins at Connacht but Smith needs minutes that I don't think we can give him.

Being at the game, that number seems about right. Bank holiday weekends always hits numbers. I reckon there will be more than that on the day. Good weather, late bookings and walk ins to give the lads a send off

I think this is a neat bit of business. Needs work, but has pace and good work ethic. Him, TA and Nash all have decent wheels.

Can any of them scrummage????

TBF Daly can move as well, but not at the pace of others. And SOB is an unsung hero in the backs. All in all, the backs are fine...THP is a major issue.

Dont leave us hanging

He probably means they can scrummage but not for long 😁

Give It a few weeks

Anyone care to guess what the 15/23 might look like?
Without checking who’s injured, we have to go all out to win this obviously, this season on the line and European qualification for next season also on the line.

My best 23:
Milne, D Barron, Archer,
Beirne, Kleyn,
O’Mahony, Coombes, Hodnett,
Murray, Crowley,
Smith, Nankivell, Farrell, Nash,
Haley.

Bench: Scannell, Loughman, Jager, Ahern, Kendellen, Casey, Butler, Abrahams.

Probably have to start the trio that are retiring; Archer, O’Mahony and Murray.
Tough calls on Kilgallen and O’Brien but it’s make or break and Kilgallen seems rusty with his handling, and maybe Abrahams’ speed could make more impact off the bench on tiring legs than O’Brien. O’Brien could possibly start ahead of Nankivell either, it’s a close call.
The front row is hard to call as well, and perhaps Quinn might be worth a run instead of Kendellen.

Totally agree on Casey, and I'd have Abrahams starting too. Whether that's ahead of Smith (who's deserved his contract) or Haley, I'd be ok with either.

Kilcoyne confirming his retirement today. A great servant, a gas man, and a pacey prop.

https://www.munsterrugby.ie/2025/05/07/dave-kilcoyne-announces-his-retirement/

Feels like a bit of an end of an era with so many players retiring.

Yeah was looking at those three semi final teams of 2017, 2018 and 2019. Doesn't feel all that long ago, but there are just a handful of veterans from the 2019 team left now next season. Beirne, Ryan, Scannell, Haley, O'Donoghue, Loughman, Kleyn, that's about it really, alot of tunrover. Certainly does feel like a new era, for better or worse.

Munster v Saracens 2017: Simon Zebo; Andrew Conway, Jaco Taute (Sailli 56), Rory Scannell, Keith Earls (Sweetnam 64); Tyler Beleyendaal (Keatley 72), Duncan Williams; Dave Kilcoyne (Cronin 53), Niall Scannell (Marshall 60), John Ryan (Archer 64), Donnacha Ryan, Billy Holland, Peter O’Mahony capt. (O’Callaghan 53), Tommy O’Donnell (Deysel 51), CJ Stander.

Munster v Racing 2018: Andrew Conway; Keith Earls, Sammy Arnold, Rory Scannell, Alex Wootton (Simon Zebo, 43); Ian Keatley (JJ Hanrahan, 52), Conor Murray; Dave Kilcoyne (James Cronin, 43), Niall Scannell (Rhys Marshall, 43), Stephen Archer (John Ryan, 43-60); Jean Kleyn (Gerbrandt Grobler, 60), Billy Holland; Peter O’Mahony (C), Jack O’Donoghue (Robin Copeland, 52), CJ Stander.

Munster v Saracens 2019: Mike Haley (Dan Goggin, 51); Andrew Conway, Chris Farrell, Rory Scannell, Darren Sweetnam; Tyler Bleyendaal (JJ Hanrahan, 54), Conor Murray (Alby Mathewson, 74); Dave Kilcoyne (Jeremy Loughman, 60), Niall Scannell (Rhys Marshall, 67), John Ryan (Stephen Archer, 51); Jean Kleyn (Billy Holland, 60), Tadhg Beirne; Peter O’Mahony (C), Jack O’Donoghue (Arno Botha, 67), CJ Stander.

Munster team names, Kilgallen the only real surprise.

Munster: Thaakir Abrahams; Calvin Nash, Tom Farrell, Alex Nankivell, Diarmuid Kilgallen; Jack Crowley, Craig Casey; Michael Milne, Niall Scannell, Stephen Archer; Jean Kleyn, Tadhg Beirne (C); Peter O’Mahony, John Hodnett, Gavin Coombes.

Replacements: Lee Barron, Josh Wycherley, John Ryan, Fineen Wycherley, Tom Ahern, Conor Murray, Seán O’Brien, Alex Kendellen.

If we can't win tomorrow night there will only be one game left and it will be meaningless. They'll have a nice easy season coming up as well without the efforts demanded by them of Champions Cup rugby

Quite simply tomorrow night is a knock-out qualifier for next seasons champions cup

If we get the lineout right we will be sorted