Munster Team Talk Thread - Beirne After Reading

yeah i have to say i think if that kick had found touch anywhere in the 22 munster were odds on to score given they had all the momentum, missing touch was a killer that swung the game. shame as wood looked pretty handy otherwise

same here, looked like he was making things up as he was going at times. some of the throws towards the end were nowhere near straight too even allowing for the wind

the main reason he’s that he isn’t as good as the centres in the Irish squad.

munster played a Glasgow side missing 15 players in the Scottish squad and had 6 academy players in their 23.

that was a shocking performance and result.

for the 2nd week in a row Munster improved immeasurably once they subbed off their supposed to quality young backrowers and brought on the old guard.

… and last week too. Where Edogbo got MOTM.

both got outplayed by their opposite numbers.

the best Munster backrower by a mile was o’donaghoe.

It’s easy take cheap shots like this… but the back row isn’t the reason we lost last night.

In fact, it’s the opposite. The backrow and Edogbo in particular (who along with Gleeson played 160 mins in the last 2 weeks) were one of the few bright spots.

Down a lot and exacerbated by a very poor squad in general. But also see how the Glasgow 2nds played. Like the firsts in terms of structure. That's coaching. We seem to rely on individuals versus systems. Thats my issue with the coaching set up.

Also selection- why is abrahams getting a game atm? For two months now he has been way off form. Was Ben then playing with ucc? Daly at 13. Appreciate numbers are down but SOB is an actual centre. Daly was exposed there. And im a daly fan generally.

For the squad, Like John Ryan was a great player. But it was clear last season that his time at this level is over. And with Jager gone (again) we are down to foxe, ala (also past it at this level and brought in as emergency) and Ryan.

Butler hasnt been backed by multiple coaches. Still waiting on him to come good. Should a professional team be more ruthless? Woods showed more with errors. Lets see that swap in the squad.

Im hopeful Mcmillan is the man to wield the axe in the summer.

He is no worse than any of them and has youth on his side. He is the type of player Ireland need to expose to a higher level to prepare for the RWC.

Henshaew and Aki are done at that level and Mccloskey is decent but injury prone.

Plus Franco Smith is in charge 3 and a half seasons. McMillan is here barely half a season. It's not at all comparing like with like. McMillan deserves more time.

And I think it's correct that the only 2 teams to pick up a point in Scotstoun this season are ourselves and Toulouse? Better teams will go there and come away with nothing.

McMillan will be more aware now of what he needs to change - whether playing personnel or coaching staff - than ever. Another summer, pre-season and some of his own signings and I'm convinced we'll see an improvement. (And we're comfortably top 6 in the league at the moment; that's already an improvement on last season).

With regards our half-backs, I rate Coughlan and think he'll come good, but we're desperately in need of some experience beside him at 10. With JJ on a 2-year deal, I'm not certain we'll see a signing there unfortunately. It'd be near the top of my list, only behind TH. Really encouraged by Tom Wood, but he's only 19. (And while on the half-backs, I rate Jake O'Riordan too).

With regards TH, John Ryan will be retiring, I can't see how they can justify another contract for Salanoa, and Jager seems perma-injured too. We've been crying out for a signing there, and it has to happen this off-season. Someone like BJ Botha would be worth his weight in gold to this squad.

At hooker, Scannell's on a one year deal too, unsure if that will be extended. I hope to see our academy hookers get more gametime and think our depth there isn't too bad.

Ultimately both Kleyn and Abrahams are coming off NIQ contracts, so that will free up some budget and space for McMillan. Kleyn has already signed for Goucester, and I don't think Abrahams will be extend. Iirc, Abrahams was signed before the change to the escort laws, and that change has made him less effective with the general trend of more contestables. With David Humphreys seemingly being rowing back on his front-row ban, this has to be the off-season we see a TH NIQ signing, imo. That alone would be a lead to a massive improvement, imo.

wood came on because butler wasn’t able To execute anything. His head was gone.

Im all for Gleeson and Quinn getting time, but against a stronger side like Glasgow maybe he should have started Coombes and JOD or split it and started Coombes and Quinn and bring on JOD and gleeson.
that said, I think we would have had a chance of sneaking a win if Coombes had stayed on

coughlan over Patterson is hardly a drastic decision. Evan o Connell playing was the only choice available.

While it’s great these young lads are getting game time, it’s as much to do with the squad being decimated through injury or Ireland call ups.

TRK saying Ben Murphy has signed and he is expecting further announcements on signings in the next week or two ..