Munster Team Talk/Gossip/Rumours Thread.

Foxtrol · 08-05-2012 01:56PM

Otacon wrote: »

How about we define it then. To me, international standard means good enough to play for the international team. MOD has proven that he is good enough by filling in when asked and not letting the side down.

Should we aspire for a higher standard of player, of course, and we do, but you cannot deny that he has served us well when asked to.

To me international standard is either a regular starter at international level or at least minimum starting some games and the rest of the time giving their coach (& fans) a selection headache. MOD does not fit into that definition. The two lions being ahead of him argument doesn’t really hold water for me as firstly other second rows managed to put more pressure on those two at different stages than MOD ever did and also for the majority of his career I don’t think he would have pushed for a place on any of the top international teams, so it wasn't just that the Ireland had an abundance of top second rows.

He was always just below what I’d call international standard, which is nothing to be ashamed of.

Wexfordboy89 · 08-05-2012 02:00PM

CIARAN_BOYLE wrote: »

Apparently they are going for a project ball carrying backrow. There isn't any chance for NIQs other than a project

hopefully not another Nick Williams is anyone around worth while who could be a project player?maybe send someone on a scouting mission to the pacific islands or somewhere?

thomond2006 · 08-05-2012 02:02PM

Wexfordboy89 wrote: »

just wondering if anyone has heard of anymore possible signings for next season
maybe one or two more back rowers especially if leamy has to retire

They will definitely go shopping if Leamy has to retire, Ronan might not be fit for the start of next season either.

Sean Dougall has effectively replaced Wallace in the squad, openside for openside.

CIARAN_BOYLE · 08-05-2012 02:03PM

Wexfordboy89 wrote: »

hopefully not another Nick Williams is anyone around worth while who could be a project player?maybe send someone on a scouting mission to the pacific islands or somewhere?

Well I'm sure the NZ U20 Head Coach will have some ideas when he joins Munster. Otherwise his NPC team has three or four loose forwards under 24 with some super rugby experience.

Fireball07 · 08-05-2012 02:06PM

thomond2006 wrote: »

They will definitely go shopping if Leamy has to retire, Ronan might not be fit for the start of next season either.

Sean Dougall has effectively replaced Wallace in the squad, openside for openside.

I don't know much about Dougall... but Wallace has left big shoes to fill.

Otacon · 08-05-2012 02:13PM

Foxtrol wrote: »

To me international standard is either a regular starter at international level or at least minimum starting some games and the rest of the time giving their coach (& fans) a selection headache. MOD does not fit into that definition. The two lions being ahead of him argument doesn’t really hold water for me as firstly other second rows managed to put more pressure on those two at different stages than MOD ever did and also for the majority of his career I don’t think he would have pushed for a place on any of the top international teams, so it wasn't just that the Ireland had an abundance of top second rows.

He was always just below what I’d call international standard, which is nothing to be ashamed of.

In that case, we are disagreeing on the definition of international standard. Using yours, I would agree with you. I assume you'd agree with me if you used mine.

jm08 · 08-05-2012 02:14PM

thomond2006 wrote: »

It wouldn't surprise me if Munster try to keep MOD as cover if POC's injury is serious i.e. 6-9 months. Dave Foley is out too with a dislocated shoulder, has any timeframe been given yet for his return?

POC (thanks be) is 4-6 weeks. He will miss the tour to NZ though.

http://www.munsterrugby.ie/news/10469.php

Flincher · 08-05-2012 02:15PM

If Leamy is gone, we need, for want of a better expression, an angry **** in the backrow. Somebody like Jack Lam from the Hurricanes would fill that.

I'm struggling to think of other backrows who would be eligible as a project player.

yimrsg · 08-05-2012 02:33PM

If Leamy was to retire, would Munster go for a 6 or a 7? And would they be able to get a NIQ or would it have to be a project backrower? POM provides cover for all positions but with the current run of injuries it does seem a little threadbare.

CIARAN_BOYLE · 08-05-2012 02:38PM

yimrsg wrote: »

If Leamy was to retire, would Munster go for a 6 or a 7? And would they be able to get a NIQ or would it have to be a project backrower? POM provides cover for all positions but with the current run of injuries it does seem a little threadbare.

It would have to be a project

The rule for next season is afaik 4 NIQs +1 projects

NIQs are WDP, Botha, Lualua, and Howlett so it would have to be an NIQ

Fireball07 · 08-05-2012 02:39PM

yimrsg wrote: »

If Leamy was to retire, would Munster go for a 6 or a 7? And would they be able to get a NIQ or would it have to be a project backrower? POM provides cover for all positions but with the current run of injuries it does seem a little threadbare.

Well our options would be:

6- POM, DOC2, Ryan, Holland
7- Ronan, Dougall, TOD, POM
8- Coughlan, Butler, POM

While we'd be lacking a really top class 7, at least we have some options there. At 6...we'd have POM and DOC2 but then two second rows. I'd probably get a 6 tbh.

But I'm almost sure it has to be project player, so we might have to take what we get tbh.

durkadurka · 08-05-2012 02:47PM

POC out for 4-6 weeks.

thomond2006 · 08-05-2012 02:53PM

durkadurka wrote: »

POC out for 4-6 weeks.

*whew*

durkadurka · 08-05-2012 03:01PM

I hope they don't drag him to NZ. Bit of a break might do him the world of good.

Fireball07 · 08-05-2012 03:22PM

durkadurka wrote: »

POC out for 4-6 weeks.

Thank fúck.

Amazotheamazing · 08-05-2012 03:43PM

durkadurka wrote: »

I hope they don't drag him to NZ. Bit of a break might do him the world of good.

Exactly. And it would give Ireland a good chance to give guys like Toner and Touhy a run out.

skregs · 08-05-2012 03:52PM

Serious blow for Munsters silverware chances this year though

Fireball07 · 08-05-2012 03:55PM

skregs wrote: »

Serious blow for Munsters silverware chances this year though

Meh, I think a potential away final to Leinster did that anyway.

irishbucsfan · 08-05-2012 04:05PM

Shame for POC but a summer off must be a nice prospect for a guy like him. Generally he's playing rugby 11 months a year.

It'll be good for Foley and Nagle to have him home for an entire preseason.

phog · 08-05-2012 04:45PM

irishbucsfan wrote: »

Shame for POC but a summer off must be a nice prospect for a guy like him. Generally he's playing rugby 11 months a year.

It'll be good for Foley and Nagle to have him home for an entire preseason.

Wally tweeted "So that's what a bank holiday is like! #firstinfifteenyears #icouldgetusedtothese #nochoice" so yes, while I hate to see a player injured there are positives, especially if it works out that he's around for pre-season training with the younger guys.

phog · 08-05-2012 05:42PM

Rob Penney on Munster and Anthony Foley

fitz · 08-05-2012 07:14PM

phog wrote: »

Rob Penney on Munster and Anthony Foley

Very interesting stuff. Clearly Munster have a plan for developing Foley, which is great for him.

With that in mind, you reckon Penney will stay longer than the two years? Or is he being brought in as a transitionary coach?

Amazotheamazing · 08-05-2012 07:21PM

fitz wrote: »

Very interesting stuff. Clearly Munster have a plan for developing Foley, which is great for him.

With that in mind, you reckon Penney will stay longer than the two years? Or is he being brought in as a transitionary coach?

The concept of a coach to coach coaches is an interesting one. There's nothing, in principle wrong with saying Foley would be the preferred coach down the line, in the same way we'd all say JJ hanrahan is the preferred centre in two or three years time, but coaching rarely seems to work like that.

Lelantos · 08-05-2012 07:23PM

fitz wrote: »

phog wrote: »

Rob Penney on Munster and Anthony Foley

Very interesting stuff. Clearly Munster have a plan for developing Foley, which is great for him.

With that in mind, you reckon Penney will stay longer than the two years? Or is he being brought in as a transitionary coach?

Penney said today that his job is to turn things around & he will enjoy working with the Irish players, but it could take 3-4 years for his work to bear fruit, so he expects to be here for more than his initial 2 year contract

phog · 09-05-2012 06:35AM

fitz wrote: »

Very interesting stuff. Clearly Munster have a plan for developing Foley, which is great for him.

With that in mind, you reckon Penney will stay longer than the two years? Or is he being brought in as a transitionary coach?

I suppose results will have a huge say in how long he'll be around for, if we move up a notch then why not extend his contract.

I'd have been happy enough to see Foley being tried now, so if he learns anything in the next 2 years from Penney that can only make him better, so 2 years could be enough.

At the end of the day, whichever coach will do the business for Munster is the coach for me.

AmbyJ · 09-05-2012 06:45AM

Interesting comments here from Keith Earls.

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/sport/2012/0509/1224315798903.html

thomond2006 · 09-05-2012 06:55AM

Irish Times wrote:

Meanwhile, Irish international Keith Earls yesterday confirmed he will be approaching new Munster coach Rob Penney and asking that he continue as a centre and not on the wing.

And the straight-talking Limerick man will not be wasting any time in letting the New Zealander know about his favoured position.

“Hopefully, the first day he comes, I’ll be going straight into him and say, ‘look, I want to play 13’.

“I don’t want to play on the wing any more. It’s not my position and I don’t enjoy it so, hopefully, I want to improve as a 13. I don’t want to keep mixing and matching. Hopefully I can start creating space for my wingers,” said the 24-year old.

Earls said he was worried when he saw Munster signing centres James Downey and Casey Laulala – who Penney coached in Canterbury – but he is confident he will be able to continue in the number 13 shirt.

“I’ve played in the centre all season and I’ve enjoyed it and I’m getting better, defensively especially, putting in more tackles in a game and getting a lot more confident. Whereas on the wing, I don’t have great confidence there,” added Earls.

He acknowledged he may end up on the wing for Ireland given the unavailability of the likes of Luke Fitzgerald and Tommy Bowe for the trip to New Zealand.

“Getting selected is the first thing and then I’ll deal with that when that comes, if Deccie needs me to play on the wing. But I’ll let my feelings be known that I don’t feel comfortable on the wing anymore and I want to be a centre,” he added.

He's pretty adamant about not liking the wing!

AmbyJ · 09-05-2012 06:58AM

I really dont think he is doing himself any favours here. Wing is his best position. Not good enough at 13. You can see from the article that he thinks defence is about making more tackles???

09-05-2012 07:03AM

Fitzgerald had a similar article about playing full back before.

Part of what makes Keith a fantastic winger is what makes him a poor 13. He's supposed to be selfish and cocky.

I'll admit that he's improved pretty well in the defensive positioning aspect of the jersey, but he hasn't got the hands that a 13 should have. O'Malley, Cave and Griffin have all shown far brighter creativity (but less impressive finishing) than Earls over the past season.

For me, you're asking one of your best strikers to play in a creative midfield role. He may enjoy the additional freedom, time and options that are now open to him in this role, but it does not play to his instinctive strengths.

profitius · 09-05-2012 07:12AM

If I was Earls I'd think twice about ruling out the wing position because if it comes down to a 50/50 decision, some coach might pick another player ahead of Earls on the wing.

The best wingers come off their wing often ie Tommy Bowe. Bowe pops up in midfield a few times per game and that makes it hard for defenses.

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