Munster Team Talk/Gossip/Rumours Thread.

phog · 13-12-2011 10:39PM

I downloaded the results for all the H/C games and did some checking on attendances.

If you inlcude all games where Munster were listed as the home team (that includes the 2 S/Fs and one Final) then we will top the One Million mark for home supporters duirng the Castres game in TP.

If you count all games that Munster were involved in during the H/C then we will top the 2 million mark in the same game.

Home Team Venues Total
Munster Croke Park 82,208
Munster Lansdowne Road 97,500
Munster Millennium Stadium 74,417
Munster Musgrave Park 46,500
Munster Thomond Park 658,911
Total Munster 959,536
All others Various 999,650
Total Support 1,959,186

PhatPiggins · 13-12-2011 11:29PM

irishbucsfan wrote: »

If Nagle has bulked up mid season it absolutely makes sense why he isn't involved more. He must be on a much fuller programme than the others, who would just be doing lighter work during the season. Generally players can only put on mass during the offseason or else they'll vastly increase the risk of injury etc.

Thats a very interesting post. I don't know its true in this case as Nagle has been playing for Con and the A's at every opportunity. It would be interesting to get clarification on it. I'll email Mick Galway he seems to be getting paid a full time wage for doing.................................

thomond2006 · 14-12-2011 12:21AM

http://www.munsterrugby.ie/rugby/9805.php

From the photos here it looks like TOD is in the senior squad (photos 3,6 & 15). Photo 9 has Nagle, MOD and Holland in the 2nds.

Earls is in the 1sts too, unsurprisingly!

ed7890 · 14-12-2011 10:13AM

If Earls is back, who gets dropped from the squad? Assuming he wouldn't start, would that put Barnes out? Or Zebo?

phog · 14-12-2011 10:19AM

ed7890 wrote: »

If Earls is back, who gets dropped from the squad? Assuming he wouldn't start, would that put Barnes out? Or Zebo?

Zebo is a winger while Barnes is mainly a centre but did well when he came on in the wing for Earls in the Leinster game. I think McGahan will got for Barnes.

wixfjord · 14-12-2011 12:14PM

See on Twitter that McGahan has said Hayes will finish up in the next few weeks.

Cpt_Blackbeard · 14-12-2011 12:23PM

wixfjord wrote: »

See on Twitter that McGahan has said Hayes will finish up in the next few weeks.

His contract was only up until Christmas afaik. It's a good sign that he is being allowed leave. It shows that there must be some confidence in Archer/Borlase

durkadurka · 14-12-2011 12:37PM

wixfjord wrote: »

See on Twitter that McGahan has said Hayes will finish up in the next few weeks.

Presumably the end of the HEC group stages? Thats about 5 weeks time.

Fireball07 · 14-12-2011 12:44PM

It'll be sad to see him go but the time has to come eventually. Hopefully he'll get one last send-off at Thomond Park anyway.

Benny Cake · 14-12-2011 12:57PM

Fireball07 wrote: »

It'll be sad to see him go but the time has to come eventually. Hopefully he'll get one last send-off at Thomond Park anyway.

No-one deserves it more. I'm sure we'll get to see him in thomond park at least once more before he retires, he will get one hell of a send-off!!

CiaranMT · 14-12-2011 01:48PM

thomond2006 wrote: »

http://www.munsterrugby.ie/rugby/9805.php

From the photos here it looks like TOD is in the senior squad (photos 3,6 & 15). Photo 9 has Nagle, MOD and Holland in the 2nds.

Earls is in the 1sts too, unsurprisingly!

Nice to see a bit of personality in the captions for once!

phog · 14-12-2011 06:05PM

A hero amongst heros, started with Munster back in 1998 and has featured every season since. He has 200+ caps for his province and 100+ for his country. Two H/C medals, 4 Triple Crowns and a Grand Slam under his belt.

One of the most unassuming guys you could meet yet a total professional.

Best of luck to him and his family.

Fireball07 · 14-12-2011 06:42PM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-mf919_qRGE

ormond lad · 16-12-2011 02:56AM

http://www.munsterrugby.ie/matchdaytv/play/media/id/10270
Test your skills outside the Dugout Bar in Thomond Park at Sunday's Heineken Cup game
James Coughlan awful, conor murray super but what would you expect from a no. 9

thomond2006 · 16-12-2011 09:05AM

I would have liked to have seen Strings do that!

Amazotheamazing · 16-12-2011 10:31AM

It'd be interesting to see how Williams and TOL would do too. Murray has a lovely pass though, I think it's closer to Stringer's than people give credit.

ormond lad · 16-12-2011 01:54PM

munsterrugby.ie
Munster Chasing Best Runner-Up Spot in B&I Cup
15 December 2011, 6:50 pm
By The Editor
Munster's task tomorrow in Moseley is to take the points and then wait and see what happens in the other games before they know whether or not they'll be taking any further part in this year's British & Irish Cup.
As things stand, Munster are in second place in Pool Two on 13 points, Moseley are in second place in Pool Two on 13 points. So the winner will immediately want to know exactly what's happened in Pool Three where Bedford Blues, on 10 points host Llanelli and in Pool Six where either leaders Ulster Ravens or Nottingham could thwart Munster ambitions depending on how results go.
London Welsh on 10 points in Pool 4 also come into the equation until you consider their final game is against unbeaten Leinster in Dublin on Sunday.
"We've obviously no control of what's happening in other places, "says coach Ian Costello, " so we'll focus solely on what we need to do in Moseley. With the format of this competition, it's hard to get an angle on opponents. You can't compare their performance against sides we've both played so far. But we do know they're playing week in week out and in contention for a place in the B&I play-offs, at home. I think that says it all."
Costello brings a side laced with experience and none more so than Mick O'Driscoll who is set this season to become the next Munster player to reach the 200th cap mark. O'Driscoll is partnered in the second row by one for the future Ian Nagle while their backline can only benefit by the presence of Will Chambers who drops down from the senior squad.
JJ Hanrahan partners Chambers in the centre and they've loads of pace out wide in the shape of Luke O'Dea who scored a try on his debut for the senior side and full back Sean Scanlon.
All to play for in Billesley Common tomorrow (2pm) where one side will see their British & Irish Cup involvement end.
Munster: S Scanlon; L O'Dea, JJ Hanrahan, W Chambers, T Gleeson; S Deasy, D Williams; D Kilcoyne, S Henry, C Condon; M O'Driscoll, I Nagle; B Holland capt, D O'Callaghan, P Butler. Replacements: D Casey, P Borlase, D Foley, B O'Hara, C Sheridan, D Cusack, R O'Mahony.

ed7890 · 16-12-2011 01:59PM

Anybody know what the story is with Alan Cotter? I was wondering why he's not getting a run out in these A games.

CIARAN_BOYLE · 16-12-2011 02:05PM

Interesting to see Hanrahan out at 13 and chambers at 12, would have thought it would be the other way around.

Nice to see the faith that Munster management have in Leinster to take London Welsh out of the running for a second place spot

Munster and Mosely are both second place in their groups at the moment but instead of having 13 points as the press release says they both have 9 points.

Cpt_Blackbeard · 16-12-2011 02:17PM

CIARAN_BOYLE wrote: »

Interesting to see Hanrahan out at 13 and chambers at 12, would have thought it would be the other way around.

Nice to see the faith that Munster management have in Leinster to take London Welsh out of the running for a second place spot

Munster and Mosely are both second place in their groups at the moment but instead of having 13 points as the press release says they both have 9 points.

I presume its a miss print but, it is interesting. Chambers is built for 12 and Mafi is hitting the 30 mark and may prefer to move on rather than only getting the security of a 1year deal.

Hanrahan seems to split his rugby between 10/12 so maybe playing 13 would be used to further broaden his development?

The backrow balance is just awful/odd too.

Fireball07 · 16-12-2011 03:49PM

ormond lad wrote: »

http://www.munsterrugby.ie/matchdaytv/play/media/id/10270
Test your skills outside the Dugout Bar in Thomond Park at Sunday's Heineken Cup game
James Coughlan awful, conor murray super but what would you expect from a no. 9

Barnes was quite good, nice snappy style, I thought too.

Cpt_Blackbeard wrote: »

I presume its a miss print but, it is interesting. Chambers is built for 12 and Mafi is hitting the 30 mark and may prefer to move on rather than only getting the security of a 1year deal.

Hanrahan seems to split his rugby between 10/12 so maybe playing 13 would be used to further broaden his development?

The backrow balance is just awful/odd too.

It would seem to be a case of getting the best players on the pitch? What would you suggest as an alternative without TOD?

And it doesn't look like my hopes of Hanrahan being the new ROG are going to come to fruition.

castie · 16-12-2011 03:58PM

Chambers isnt in the HEC team??

Fireball07 · 16-12-2011 04:02PM

castie wrote: »

Chambers isnt in the HEC team??

No, Earls is at 13 and Barnes is on the bench.

I just realised that Hayes isn't on the bench either...his sub appearance against Llanelli is probably the last time we'll ever see him in the HC.

CIARAN_BOYLE · 16-12-2011 04:30PM

Fireball07 wrote: »

It would seem to be a case of getting the best players on the pitch? What would you suggest as an alternative without TOD?

I don't think there is an other 7 in the Munster squad when you consider Wallace out, Ronan in the HEC squad, TOD in the HEC squad and even though he has been playing at 6 recently POM out.

Fireball07 wrote: »

And it doesn't look like my hopes of Hanrahan being the new ROG are going to come to fruition.

To be honest I see him coming through as a slightly better version of Paddy Wallace if he develops well.

thomond2006 · 16-12-2011 04:35PM

I'd say Hayes will make an appearance next week to bow out.

Amazotheamazing · 16-12-2011 04:53PM

CIARAN_BOYLE wrote: »

I don't think there is an other 7 in the Munster squad when you consider Wallace out, Ronan in the HEC squad, TOD in the HEC squad and even though he has been playing at 6 recently POM out.

BOH with Cork Con is well worth watching, imo.

Fireball07 · 16-12-2011 05:07PM

CIARAN_BOYLE wrote: »

I don't think there is an other 7 in the Munster squad when you consider Wallace out, Ronan in the HEC squad, TOD in the HEC squad and even though he has been playing at 6 recently POM out.

To be honest I see him coming through as a slightly better version of Paddy Wallace if he develops well.

Ah, Paddy Wallace is a fine player. Questionable decision-making at times but as an attacking 12, he was good.

padraig.od · 16-12-2011 05:12PM

Fireball07 wrote: »

Ah, Paddy Wallace is a fine player. Questionable decision-making at times but as an attacking 12, he was good.

Still is, lovely pass. Had a great game v Oz down south in 08. Same match the Kearney showed his stuff.

irishbucsfan · 16-12-2011 05:33PM

Can't see Hanrahan being as good as Wallace tbh, but id be delighted if he was.

Benny Cake · 16-12-2011 09:01PM

ormond lad wrote: »

http://www.munsterrugby.ie/matchdaytv/play/media/id/10270
Test your skills outside the Dugout Bar in Thomond Park at Sunday's Heineken Cup game
James Coughlan awful, conor murray super but what would you expect from a no. 9

Seriously impressive stuff from Murray, as someone else said it would be interesting to see how strings would perform...

Munster Team Talk/Gossip/Rumours Thread.

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