Toulon v Munster Sun 16th Jan. KO 16:00 Local Time (15:00 Irish Time)

TheHighRoad · 13-01-2011 06:01PM

donfers wrote: »

disarray = top of your league and heineken cup destiny in your hands, you hold munster to very high standardsas for meeting toulouse and leinster, i would favour whoever had home advantage, it's absolutely huge in the heineken cup and what a lot of leinster fans fail to take into account is 4 of their 5 wins in a row against Munster have come in Dublin....it's dreadfully unfair that even when Munster get a home draw, that if they are drawn against Leinster they will be effectively away

The only game where Munster had home advantage and played in Dublin was the HC Semi, and Munster chose themselves to move it to Croke Park for revenue!Both the teams were just as unfamilar with Croke Park and the support was more in favour of Munster than Leinster. I'd hardly call that a home game for Leinster. And besides considering the manner of the victory in that game (and the other ones)I find it very hard to believe that the venue played a factor at all. For all the other games Leinster were fixtured to have home advantage or earned it (ML semi).

twinytwo · 13-01-2011 06:02PM

CouchSmart wrote: »

Leinster had 3 wins out of 4, Munster only have 2 wins so I fail to see the comparison really.

I agree that Munster will win this weekend and get out of their group. Going on to win the whole thing might be stretching it a bit much though.

I personally see a toulouse/ leinster final myself.. assuming they dont meet before hand.

But if munster were to somehow end up there im not going to complain:o

some_dose · 13-01-2011 06:04PM

Lads this is going a bit OT. Any chance we could discuss the incredibly important match that is actually coming up this Sunday?

I think that far from a spectacle, we will be resigned to a turgid affair with Munster hopefully just snatching it. Munster by 5 (crosses fingers)

Ciaran-Irl · 13-01-2011 06:06PM

thomond2006 wrote: »

Juan-Martin FERNANDEZ LOBBE
Carl HAYMAN
Felipe CONTEPOMI
Rudi WULF.

They are also restricted by the kolpak ruling, which limits the number of non EU (and non SA and non Pacific Islands) players in matchday squads. I don't really understand it myself. But I'll try to find out! :pac:

If I remember correctly, the Kolpak ruling is an agreement that the EU has with a number of countries on work permits. It means that you can have an unlimited number of Pacific Islanders or South Africans on a European team.

Other than that, the limit is 2 non European, non Kolpak players in any match squad. George Smith has a Tongan Passport, so I think that Toulon can only play two of the players above. I could be wrong about 2 - might be 3?

This is all from a vague recollection.

It looks certain that Hayman will play, but I'm going to make a wild prediction and say that Munster's scrum will be ok at the weekend, assuming Thornley is wrong and Hayes doesn't start. Munster would cope better against a tall, powerful tighthead. It is the small, squat, square fellahs that cause them the most trouble.

SomeFool · 13-01-2011 06:10PM

TheHighRoad wrote: »

The only game where Munster had home advantage and played in Dublin was the HC Semi, and Munster chose themselves to move it to Croke Park for revenue!Both the teams were just as unfamilar with Croke Park and the support was more in favour of Munster than Leinster. I'd hardly call that a home game for Leinster. And besides considering the manner of the victory in that game (and the other ones)I find it very hard to believe that the venue played a factor at all. For all the other games Leinster were fixtured to have home advantage or earned it (ML semi).

In the HEC semis your home games can't be in your home ground, there was no where else in Ireland suitable really. They played Wasps a few years ago in Landsdowne in the semis too.

twinytwo · 13-01-2011 06:10PM

Podge_irl wrote: »

You must be watching a different Munster from me.

I would be surprised if Munster win this weekend, though not shocked given it is Munster we're talking about after all. They're in disarray though and as soon as they meet a semi-competent team (Tououse, Leinster etc) they're going to lose.

lets not get too far ahead of ourselves... munster have been worse than ****e for alot of the season... they have one massive game in them. But to assume they are capable of beating leinster or toulouse is daft. Sure it may require them to play the way we know they can which as we know has not really been seen this season , but its not impossible

CouchSmart · 13-01-2011 06:13PM

donfers wrote: »

about the playing in dublin, if we meet leinster in a semi-final and are drawn at home (as has happened twice already) it will be played at Lansdowne

Don't the semi finals have to be in a neutral venue in the home teams country?

twinytwo · 13-01-2011 06:15PM

SomeFool wrote: »

In the HEC semis your home games can't be in your home ground, there was no where else in Ireland suitable really. They played Wasps a few years ago in Landsdowne in the semis too.

correct me if im wrong but last year toulouse played in the Muncipal stadium ie in Toulouse which they use for all their big HC and T14 games, and Biarritz only moved to the san sebastian because its a bigger stadium... essentially home semi finals

CIARAN_BOYLE · 13-01-2011 06:16PM

CouchSmart wrote: »

Don't the semi finals have to be in a neutral venue in the home teams country?

nominally neutral, ie it can't be the official home ground of either party. Also it has to be a certain size too.

twinytwo · 13-01-2011 06:16PM

CouchSmart wrote: »

Don't the semi finals have to be in a neutral venue in the home teams country?

Nope

SomeFool · 13-01-2011 06:19PM

twinytwo wrote: »

correct me if im wrong but last year toulouse played in the Muncipal stadium ie in Toulouse which they use for all their big HC and T14 games, and Biarritz only moved to the san sebastian because its a bigger stadium... essentially home semi finals

Stade Municipal is not Toulouses registered home ground, Stade Ernest Wallon is. Biarritz have been using San Sebastian for years, just like Leinster use Landsdowne.

CouchSmart · 13-01-2011 06:20PM

twinytwo wrote: »

Nope

I think you'll find you're wrong. Anyway it's hardly important.

Huge game for Munster. I feel that a loss could be a major point in Munster's history - perhaps leading to a big change in personnel.

irishbucsfan · 13-01-2011 06:26PM

It would be in Lansdowne. Any Leinster-Munster semi will be. No way the IRFU miss out on that pay-day

thomond2006 · 13-01-2011 06:30PM

The Toulon players affected by Kolpak are: Hayman, Fernandez Lobbe and Contepomi. So Toulon must pick 2 of those 3. Lobbe was left out of the side that went to Thomond Park.

I just found that Rudi Wulf has a Samoan passport so he doesn't count in this. Same with George Smith, he has a Tongan passport.

I think they will pick Hayman and Lobbe, personally I would go for Contepomi and Lobbe. They won't want to play a wide game against us IMO hence going for Hayman to murder us in the scrum.

The side should look something like:
Emmanuelli, Bruno, Hayman, Chesney, Schofield, Van Niekerk, Smith, Lobbe;
Mignoni, Wilkinson, Sackey, Lovobalavu, Messina, Wulf, Lamont

Contepomi could have got an Irish passport, he was there for so long. Bet he's kicking himself over it.

some_dose · 13-01-2011 06:34PM

Ciaran-Irl wrote: »

I'm going to make a wild prediction and say that Munster's scrum will be ok at the weekend

This.

More than anything else we need the scrum and lineout to function. Just look at how our inferior scrum away to the Ospreys cost us. If Mushy starts, he had better play like he did on the tour down under. The front 5 will need to be playing out of their skin, something I'm sure that Paulie's presence will help.

BoarHunter · 13-01-2011 06:39PM

I think Munster will do it. This match is far more important than it is for Toulon whose real goal is the Brennus. Munster have aways produced when needed ( perpignan last year ). this match has Munster written all over it. Toulon will fancy their chances but experience is on Munster side big time.

thomond2006 · 13-01-2011 06:52PM

BoarHunter wrote: »

I think Munster will do it. This match is far more important than it is for Toulon whose real goal is the Brennus. Munster have aways produced when needed ( perpignan last year ). this match has Munster written all over it. Toulon will fancy their chances but experience is on Munster side big time.

I'm beginning to think this way too.

the knocker · 13-01-2011 07:17PM

Showdown at ok coral, Johnny V Ronan. There will be blood, can paulie keep his cool or is south of france no country for old men. Sorry munster men think this one is a bridge to far

some_dose · 13-01-2011 07:21PM

the knocker wrote: »

Showdown at ok coral, Johnny V Ronan. There will be blood, can paulie keep his cool or is south of france no country for old men. Sorry munster men think this one is a bridge to far

Your username is quite apt

Quint2010 · 13-01-2011 08:40PM

CouchSmart wrote: »

I think you'll find you're wrong. Anyway it's hardly important.

Huge game for Munster. I feel that a loss could be a major point in Munster's history - perhaps leading to a big change in personnel.

The home drawn team in the semi final cannot play the match at their designated home ground but most choose another venue within their country to play the match ie Munster with Croke Park, Toulouse with The Municiple Stadium. Munster could choose the play a semi at Semple Stadium or Pairc Ui Chaoimh if they so chose

durkadurka · 13-01-2011 08:56PM

I suspect this is a match too far for Munster.

Will be delighted if they win but I think this is too tricky.I. Think the team is in transition and the younger guys are not really up to it yet and the older guys are fading.

Yes I am preparing to eat my words when munster do yet another miracle performance....

irishbucsfan · 13-01-2011 09:05PM

Munster to win by 10, Leinster to beat Saracens, Clermont to beat Racing at home... 10-1

Come on Munster!

Bogsnorkler · 13-01-2011 09:17PM

Munster are 15/8 by the bookies. Gonna be close..........

The Rooster · 14-01-2011 09:28AM

Quint2010 wrote: »

Munster could choose the play a semi at Semple Stadium or Pairc Ui Chaoimh if they so chose

Not really. Firstly its a GAA stadium so you'd need permission, and that permission would require a vote at the annual convention (its only Croke Park where the GAA board can make the decision without reverting to Congress). A load of hassle, plus you'd be giving away lots of money. In an emergency it could happen, but there's never going to be such an emergency.

A semi final between any 2 of Leinster, Munster and Ulster would absolutely definitely be played in Lansdowne, no matter who is the home team.

If Munster win their last two games, and Leinster beat Sarries but lose to Racing, then we could easily end up with Munster as 3rd seeds and Leinster as 6th seeds, thus meeting in the quarter-finals with Munster at home. Then it would be very interesting to see whether Munster would plump for home advantage or extra revenue. I wonder would the decision be Munster's to make or the IRFU's to make?

thomond2006 wrote: »

The Toulon players affected by Kolpak are: Hayman, Fernandez Lobbe and Contepomi. So Toulon must pick 2 of those 3. Lobbe was left out of the side that went to Thomond Park.

Never realised this rule applied in the H Cup, thought it was only the Top 14. I would have thought Munster and Leinster would have broken it numerous times over the years, but maybe not.

Judgement Day · 14-01-2011 12:21PM

It's only Friday and I can't think of much else but the match. Just watched these You Tube highlights of the Thomond Park encounter again and I really think that if the lads believe in themselves they can carry it off. The ideal scenario would be Munster to batter Toulon in the 1st half and be ahead at halftime; early in the 2nd half the Toulon heads to drop and Philippe Saint-Andre starts to sub his best players as he wants them intact for the Top 14. My hopes for the game are a resounding Munster win and Jonny Wilkinson to reach the dressing room uninjured after 40/50 minutes.

CouchSmart · 14-01-2011 01:09PM

Munster: P Warwick; D Howlett, K Earls, S Tuitupou, J Murphy; R O'Gara, P Stringer; W du Preez, D Varley, J Hayes; D O'Callaghan, P O'Connell; J Coughlan, D Wallace, D Leamy capt.

Replacements: M Sherry, D Hurley, T Buckley, M O'Driscoll, D Ryan, N Ronan, T O'Leary, L Mafi.

Quint2010 · 14-01-2011 01:12PM

CouchSmart wrote: »

Munster: P Warwick; D Howlett, K Earls, S Tuitupou, J Murphy; R O'Gara, P Stringer; W du Preez, D Varley, J Hayes; D O'Callaghan, P O'Connell; J Coughlan, D Wallace, D Leamy capt.

Replacements: M Sherry, D Hurley, T Buckley, M O'Driscoll, D Ryan, N Ronan, T O'Leary, L Mafi.

So Hayes plays? Will The Bull have one last performance left in him?

Otacon · 14-01-2011 01:13PM

While I wouldn't have picked Tuitupou, it still looks like a strong team. I hope Hayes has the game of his life, otherwise we're f*cked.

TheHighRoad · 14-01-2011 01:46PM

O'Connell is the complete wrong call. Hes had less than 10minutes of rugby for Munster in which he was instantly sin binned. How in gods name is the man deemed match fit for such an important game? He hasn't played any rugby for months. I hope to be proven wrong but don't think I will be. I am shocked that he can just walk back into the squad for a game like that especially when Mick O'Driscolls there I don't care who he is.

theKramer · 14-01-2011 01:53PM

Interesting to see Stringer in there. Didn't think McG was a fan. We should expect a high tempo game from the off so. Hope Hayes and O'Connell can hack the pace. They better not start knocking on, so they can avoid scrums. That will murder an already depleted Hayes.

Toulon v Munster Sun 16th Jan. KO 16:00 Local Time (15:00 Irish Time)

Comments