Munster Team Talk/Gossip/Rumours Thread.

SomeFool · 19-11-2010 04:06AM

jacothelad wrote: »

Nagle is 22, 6'6" and 95kg (15st 1lbs) according to the Munster site. Needs to bulk uo quick to compete with modern International players of 18 -19 stone. Adding 26 to 40 lbs of muscle quickly isn't easy to do legally.

There's no rush on the lad, he's 22 not 30! He'll hopefully have a long career growing into the job he has to do over time. One to look forward to!

Cpt_Blackbeard wrote: »

Lastly its great to see B.Murphy back in the team and hopefully all will go well for him on the weekend.

Agreed, a classy player, the man is due a bit of luck!

backrow67n8 · 19-11-2010 10:31AM

Has anyone here seen much of Declan Cusack? I've only seen him about 3 times myself in the B&I Cup and I was impressed with him everytime. He seems big enough too for an outhalf.

phog · 23-11-2010 02:26PM

TOL to make a return.

MUNSTER received a major boost last night with confirmation that Tomás O’Leary could be available for Friday night’s Magners League clash with Newport Gwent Dragons.

POC also about ready to return.

Meanwhile, Paul O’Connell could make his long awaited comeback from a groin injury in Young Munster’s AIL clash with Shannon on Friday night at Thomond Park (7.30).

The Munster skipper hasn’t played since March due to complications for the injury but has returned to training with the province in recent weeks with coach Tony McGahan predicting O’Connell would be available for selection before Christmas.

Sources within the Young Munster club suggest his appearance for the club this weekend is only possible rather than probable, and one observer made a telling point: "Paul isn’t going to risk making a return too soon, he has been out long enough and the timing has to be perfect because he’s such a perfectionist."

From the Examiner

SomeFool · 23-11-2010 03:24PM

phog wrote: »

TOL to make a return.

POC also about ready to return.

WooHoo

irishbucsfan · 23-11-2010 03:26PM

It'll be great for Munster to have TOL back in time for the Heineken Cup. Think that might come too soon for Paulie though.

thomond2006 · 23-11-2010 05:02PM

I hope Conor Murray starts this weekend, even if TOL and Williams are available. There has to be reward if a youngster puts his hand up.

Cpt_Blackbeard · 23-11-2010 05:33PM

TOL coming back is probably a negative thing for the development of the squad. Kidney will make us play him, so Murray and Williams will be forgotten and to a lesser extent Stringer.

TOL should have to prove himself before he gets back his place in the squad. He need to learn the basics of his position (ie. passing) before being a regular starter. Murray has already shown that he has the potential to be a far greater player than TOL imo; He has TOL's size and ability to break and Stringers passing ability.

POC coming back is great news for the HC, but again will only cause Nagle to be forgotten.

Hopefully the too lads can get back to match fitness quickly so the youngsters can continue to prove themselves in the ML, and put pressure on th established players.

PhatPiggins · 23-11-2010 05:53PM

I think in the long term Ryan is more in danger of being forgotten then Nagle but only time will tell on that one.

I really enjoyed watching Murray play but Munster and Ireland need TOL back on top form and he needs game time.

Amazotheamazing · 23-11-2010 06:32PM

I'd happily see O'Leary drop back to the AIL until his pass is anywhere near the level that is required. Stringer, Wlliams and Murray are better options for Munster because at least their passes aren't the worst in Irish rugby.

Genuine (off topic) question, does any International scrumhalf from an established rugby nation have a worse pass than O'Leary?

trackguy · 23-11-2010 08:07PM

O'Leary brings his own qualities to Munster and Ireland. He's not the best passer but is the most physical of the Irish scrumhalves and the best defender.

What annoys me about him is his decision-making - look at the end of the Leinster v Munster match and his rashly kicking the ball to touch. That was infuriating (and I'm a Leinster fan!)

As for O'Leary and Ireland - he's not 1st choice anymore in my eyes. His game is not suited to the more expansive Irish game now - just as O'Gara is not best suited to it.

Judgement Day · 23-11-2010 08:22PM

Eoin Reddan and the AB's starting scrumhalf from the Irish match - Andy Ellis - are after TOL's title for worst passer. That said I'm glad he's back and I hope he can find some consistency in his form.

Badgermonkey · 23-11-2010 08:27PM

trackguy wrote: »

As for O'Leary and Ireland - he's not 1st choice anymore in my eyes. His game is not suited to the more expansive Irish game now - just as O'Gara is not best suited to it.

Have to disagree with that. He's got the most rounded game of any Irish scrumhalf. Who is 1st choice then?

It wouldn't surprise me though if a young 'bolt from the blue' type emerges to challenge him soon enough and that'll be no bad thing.

phog · 23-11-2010 08:30PM

Was looking at the Munster squad and Academy players (Total 63) and for the Scarlets match this was the count:

Match day Squad 23
With Irish Team 8
Injured 12
Banned 2
Late withdrawal 3
Available 15 - 14 of which were academy players.

2 wins from 2 games in 10 days with that sort of availability isn't bad.

SomeFool · 23-11-2010 08:34PM

Badgermonkey wrote: »

Have to disagree with that. He's got the most rounded game of any Irish scrumhalf. Who is 1st choice then?

It wouldn't surprise me though if a young 'bolt from the blue' type emerges to challenge him soon enough and that'll be no bad thing.

Conor Murray and Paul Marshall both did well at the weekend. Would like to see them both get more game time.

trackguy · 23-11-2010 08:38PM

Badgermonkey wrote: »

Have to disagree with that. He's got the most rounded game of any Irish scrumhalf. Who is 1st choice then?

It wouldn't surprise me though if a young 'bolt from the blue' type emerges to challenge him soon enough and that'll be no bad thing.

I think Stringer should be number 1 if Ireland are intent on quick ball. Reddan was good in the AB's match but I think Stringer is best suited

Amazotheamazing · 23-11-2010 09:09PM

Badgermonkey wrote: »

Have to disagree with that. He's got the most rounded game of any Irish scrumhalf. Who is 1st choice then?

It wouldn't surprise me though if a young 'bolt from the blue' type emerges to challenge him soon enough and that'll be no bad thing.

Most rounded game in what sense?

His pass is poor.

His boxing has decline from decent to mediocre.

His organisation is suspect, imo (hard to really know I guess)

He no longer breaks.

He is incredibly physical and great defensively, but that's the end of his good points imo.

A lot of the above could also be applied to Reddan.

Badgermonkey · 23-11-2010 11:11PM

Amazotheamazing wrote: »

Most rounded game in what sense?

Well, in the fairly obvious sense that when you analyse all the component parts of his game, strengths and weaknesses, his dynamic within the team, age profile and experience and yes, room for improvement and development, he offers a composite which other scrumhalves don't.

Reddan? c'mon now.

Stringer still has a role to play in the short term but it's a position which rewards an early investment and as such younger guys would greatly benefit from a look in.

danthefan · 24-11-2010 01:18PM

Badgermonkey wrote: »

Well, in the fairly obvious sense that when you analyse all the component parts of his game, strengths and weaknesses, his dynamic within the team, age profile and experience and yes, room for improvement and development, he offers a composite which other scrumhalves don't.

Reddan? c'mon now.

Stringer still has a role to play in the short term but it's a position which rewards an early investment and as such younger guys would greatly benefit from a look in.

Reddan's performance against NZ was better than anything TOL has produced for Ireland for a good while. TOL has strong elements to his game but his pass is probably the weakest of any of the SHs playing regularly in Ireland. He's fortunate to be a player Kidney brought through, ensuring his position in the Ireland team, because some of his performances this year were absolutely awful.

PhatPiggins · 24-11-2010 05:33PM

danthefan wrote: »

Reddan's performance against NZ was better than anything TOL has produced for Ireland for a good while. TOL has strong elements to his game but his pass is probably the weakest of any of the SHs playing regularly in Ireland. He's fortunate to be a player Kidney brought through, ensuring his position in the Ireland team, because some of his performances this year were absolutely awful.

Just to add a bit of balance to that statement: Reddans performance against South Africa was as bad/worse then anything O'Leary has offered the past 18 months. Reddan is fortunate that Kidney gives players,once selected, every opportunity to prove themselves and kept faith in him for the AB's game when most were calling for him to never wear the green again.

Badgermonkey · 24-11-2010 05:56PM

danthefan wrote: »

Reddan's performance against NZ was better than anything TOL has produced for Ireland for a good while. TOL has strong elements to his game but his pass is probably the weakest of any of the SHs playing regularly in Ireland. He's fortunate to be a player Kidney brought through, ensuring his position in the Ireland team, because some of his performances this year were absolutely awful.

But my point was who has the most rounded game, not who's had the best/worst performances. If we can discount Stringer, as it's very difficult to make a case for his allround skillset, then that essentially leaves TOL, Reddan and Boss in the picture. Hence my case for TOL for all the reasons I gave above.

24-11-2010 10:11PM

Reddan's game against the AB's was also his only non-mediocre starting game this season.

Really needs to sort his head out. But that's for another thread.

I want Stringer in a time machine please.

castie · 24-11-2010 10:19PM

Can we take Irelands SH debate out of the Munster Team Talk thread?

Cpt_Blackbeard · 24-11-2010 10:24PM

castie wrote: »

Can we take Irelands SH debate out of the Munster Team Talk thread?

Well TOL, Stringer and Reddan (regretfullly :pac:) are all Munster men after all. :P

castie · 24-11-2010 10:48PM

Cpt_Blackbeard wrote: »

Well TOL, Stringer and Reddan (regretfullly :pac:) are all Munster men after all. :P

All well and good if this was the Munster MEN Gossip/Rumours Thread. However it is not.

phog · 25-11-2010 07:40AM

From the Examiner

MUNSTER backs coach Jason Holland yesterday said the squad’s long-term injury casualties would not be back in action until at least the end of January.

Ian Dowling (hip), Felix Jones (knee) and Denis Fogarty (shoulder) all picked up their injuries during the September 18 Magners League encounter at home to Ospreys.

"Dowls is coming along quite slowly, it’s pretty serious," Holland said following training at the University of Limerick yesterday.

meanwhile O'Connell to hget game time tomorrow in TP.

PAUL O’CONNELL will play his first competitive rugby since March tomorrow night when he lines out for Young Munster against Shannon at Thomond Park, Munster manager Sean Payne confirmed yesterday.

and not good news on Fla

"Fla is continuing his recovery. It seems to be a neural-related injury. Ultimately, it’s very frustrating. We are hoping he will be ready in the very near future but because of the nature of it we simply can’t give an answer (on a possible return date).

Other injuries

With Peter Stringer still on Ireland duty, O’Leary’s return this weekend is particularly welcome following news that Duncan Williams has been ruled out for two to three weeks after sustaining an ankle injury during the first half of Munster’s narrow victory over Scarlets at Musgrave Park on Sunday.

There are still 21 contracted players missing from the set-up, and aside from the Ireland contingent, to which has been added hooker Damien Varley, called up this week by Declan Kidney following injury to Ulster’s Rory Best.

Aside from Williams, Alan Quinlan (hamstring) is also absent in the short-term, Ian Dowling (hip), Felix Jones (knee) and Denis Fogarty (shoulder) are all out until at least the new year while Payne admitted that international hooker Jerry Flannery’s calf injury continued to frustrate and made him a doubt for Heineken Cup action.

ScrubsfanChris · 25-11-2010 02:10PM

Never have I been so happy to have a 7 point lead

A win away to Dragons will be a big ask, but we can sure do it.

Cpt_Blackbeard · 27-11-2010 12:46AM

We were awful today, hard to believe that this is the same team who beat Australia. The ref was terrible too, he and last weeks ref should lose their licenses. They totally screwed us for their home-nation teams.

TOL showed nothing to warrant him being our no.1 scrumhalf. It should be a fight with him and Williams for the 3rd choice spot. Strings and Murray are infinitely better passers. Sure he is a great defender, but should only be needed by Munster against the top top teams who we see as better than ourselves. (The All Blacks perhaps :P)

danthefan · 27-11-2010 01:08AM

Cpt_Blackbeard wrote: »

We were awful today, hard to believe that this is the same team who beat Australia. The ref was terrible too, he and last weeks ref should lose their licenses. They totally screwed us for their home-nation teams.

TOL showed nothing to warrant him being our no.1 scrumhalf. It should be a fight with him and Williams for the 3rd choice spot. Strings and Murray are infinitely better passers. Sure he is a great defender, but should only be needed by Munster against the top top teams who we see as better than ourselves. (The All Blacks perhaps :P)

I thought Murray had a far superior pass to TOL.

johnnysmack · 03-12-2010 11:54AM

Anyone know whats the story with Marcus Horan? Is he injured, how long he out for? Havnt heard bout him in ages.

thomond2006 · 03-12-2010 12:01PM

johnnysmack wrote: »

Anyone know whats the story with Marcus Horan? Is he injured, how long he out for? Havnt heard bout him in ages.

I think it was 6 weeks out, announced the week before the AIs?

So he should out for 1/2 more weeks.

Munster Team Talk/Gossip/Rumours Thread.

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