Leinster v Munster

[Leinster Zulu]

Winner goes top, just to add a little extra spice. A shame the game is the week before the start of the HEC.

Leinster grinding out wins so far, Munster playing slightly better rugby.

My team:

Kearney
Nacewa
BOD
D'Arcy
Fitz
Sexton
Reddan
Stan
Jackman
Ross
Cullen
Hines
O'Brien
Jennings
Heaslip

Fog
Healy
Toner
McLaughlin
Keane
McFadden
Horgan

[Leinster Zulu]

Healy needs a rest. Shouldn't have played against Edinburgh.

Jackman needs a start.

If O'Brien doesn't impress at six then McLaughlin back in for the London Irish match.

Nacewa to cover ten.

Munster massive favourites.

[leinsterfan100]

Disagree, i think Healy will start as he is our best prop. I would also put Horgan at 14 and put Isa or Rob at full back.

[Hippo]

Munster favourites, but not massive ones. Big improvement needed from us though!

[Leinster Zulu]

Disagree, i think Healy will start as he is our best prop. I would also put Horgan at 14 and put Isa or Rob at full back.

Healy will be needed for the big matches against London Irish and Brive. I don't want our 21 year old prop starting seven weeks on the spin - that'd be obscene. It's a straight choice between Isa and Horgan on the wing, as Kearney has to play fullback.

[Donald]

Healy must start as Kidney will have a keen eye on this high intensive match like the trials of the past. Healy will start

[Leinster Zulu]

Healy must start as Kidney will have a keen eye on this high intensive match like the trials of the past. Healy will start

Do you want Healy starting seven weeks on the trot, at 21, as a prop?

[[Jackass]]

1. Healy
2. Jackman
3. Wright
4. Cullen
5. Hines
6. O'Brien
7. Jennings
8. Heaslip

9. Reddan
10. Sexton
11. Fitzgerald
12. D'Arcy
13. O'Driscoll
14. Horgan
15. Kearney

16. Ross, 17. Fogarty, 18. Toner, 19. McLoughlin, 20. Simon Keogh, 21. Nacewa, 22. McFadden

Nacewa to cover 10, McFadden alternate kicking option also.

Healy should play. He should have been rested by now, but there are games too big to drop him now. I don't think he'll burn out, but he should be rested after Heineken Cup action.

It's a reasonably strong bench with good cover for the forwards and good impact in the backs.

Absolutely can't wait for Sexton v O'Gara. O'Gara was poor against Dragons and I'd love too see Sexton dominate him, make his international claim undeniable.

Posted this in another thread, but put a video together to get the adrenaline pumping for the game!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FsnZN9lC8ig

[Leinster Zulu]

Healy should play. He should have been rested by now, but there are games too big to drop him now. I don't think he'll burn out, but he should be rested after Heineken Cup action.

If he's rested after the HEC then he could be out of action for five weeks before the Fiji match, if Horan gets the nod against Australia. Not what you want, either.

I hope Cheika and Kidney have all this planned out. Just really would have made sense to have started Stan and Ross yesterday for me, give Healy a little rest and then back for the next three of four weeks (Ulster away match after the Brive HEC match, still three weeks before the AIs).

[LeRouxIsPHat]

Healy must start as Kidney will have a keen eye on this high intensive match like the trials of the past. Healy will start

Do you want Healy starting seven weeks on the trot, at 21, as a prop?

Thing is if Horan is still first choice in the Autumn internationals (and I'm not saying he will be and certainly I'd have Healy starting) then Healy might have a bit of a break then and if that happens then I don't mind him getting the games now. I agree he shouldn't play 7 weeks in a row but with the AIs and the 23 man squads in the HC his gametime might be reduced over the next while.

[Leinster Zulu]

I agree he shouldn't play 7 weeks in a row but with the AIs and the 23 man squads in the HC his gametime might be reduced over the next while.

That doesn't matter if by the time the Brive match comes around we're either forced to not play by far and away our best loosehead or play an absolutely cream crackered one.

[Donald]

I know everyone fav Munster win was last April but my favourite purely just for Horgans great try from the set move was excellent. I remeber this match vividly and was freezing sitting in the West stand that October night and then cries of Boring Boring Munster kepy ringing around the stadium. Ah memories

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9MPyK9BNuqs&feature=fvw

[Leinster Zulu]

God I wish we still played rugby like that. Hickie doing what Hickie did best for that Horgan try. Great bit of commentary for it to by Mark Robson.

[Danthefan]

Don't think Healy starting every game is a great idea but we can be fairly sure he will start. I'd go with LZs backline, but not sure about Jackman to be honest because his throwing was abysmal when he came on yesterday.

[ronk]

I agree he shouldn't play 7 weeks in a row but with the AIs and the 23 man squads in the HC his gametime might be reduced over the next while.

That doesn't matter if by the time the Brive match comes around we're either forced to not play by far and away our best loosehead or play an absolutely cream crackered one.

Don't forget the 10 minute rest he got.

Actually, I'm not too concerned with him and discipline. Most of the stuff he gets caught for is stuff that some let refs slide, sometimes he's getting pinged because he's quick to think the ball is out when the ref disagrees. Is it in from the side or is it up to the team in possession to protect the ball? You can't always play it safe. Ultimately, we need him to looking for those opportunities and getting better experience of knowing when you're going to get pinged -- understanding, of course, that sometimes he's right, in law.

[HarpinOnRugby]

There's a lot of love for Cian Healy in this thread but personally I wouldn't just drop him next Saturday to give him a rest, I'd do it to deal with the serious problems we have in our front row. Between props giving away needless penalties and hookers throwing crooked-ass lineouts, if this isn't addressed right now our season could be over before it really starts. Doesn't look like CJ is back any time soon so I'd play Ross a full game and split Stan & Cian on the other side to make them all fight for their HCup place. As for hooker, I suppose Jackman should get the nod but he needs to be sure we can win our own lineout ball.

[jezzer]

Healy
Fogarty
Wright
Mal
Leo
McLaughlin
Jennings
Heaslip

Keane
Sexton
Fitz
D'Arcy (just)
BOD
Nacewa
Kearney

Ross
Jackman
Hines
O'Brien
Reddan
Berne
McFadden

My one controversial pick is Mal for Hines/Toner (unless you're Donny and then it's Keane!) Game like this is made for Mal to come in and have a stormer. You want players out there who would die for the cause and I'm not sure Hines has earned his right to have a cut off Munster yet. I'd start Keane as he's more settled and has the physicality to deal with Munster around the fringes. Was one of the aspect of Whits' game that helped us a lot in the SF for example.

Healy to start is a no-brainer.

[ruck]

Am I missing something here? Why do ye think that Munster are favourites to win this? We're hardly playing at the top of our game. O'Gara has one very poor game under his belt, and we won't get away with the mistakes that we've been making recently, against Leinster. You're also at home, and incredibly tough to beat anywhere, but especially at home. Ok, so you're not exactly scoring trys at the moment, but home advantage, along with Sexton's decent form, would make you (slight)favourites, imo.

[jezzer]

Am I missing something here? Why do ye think that Munster are favourites to win this? We're hardly playing at the top of our game. O'Gara has one very poor game under his belt, and we won't get away with the mistakes that we've been making recently, against Leinster. You're also at home, and incredibly tough to beat anywhere, but especially at home. Ok, so you're not exactly scoring trys at the moment, but home advantage, along with Sexton's decent form, would make you (slight)favourites, imo.

You didn't see the Edinburgh game, then?

Unless we've been hiding so many back plays for the Munster match that we have been incapable of scoring a pre-worked try since the last time we met, then we're in a spot of bother.

[Dave Cahill]

Am I missing something here? Why do ye think that Munster are favourites to win this? We're hardly playing at the top of our game. O'Gara has one very poor game under his belt, and we won't get away with the mistakes that we've been making recently, against Leinster. You're also at home, and incredibly tough to beat anywhere, but especially at home. Ok, so you're not exactly scoring trys at the moment, but home advantage, along with Sexton's decent form, would make you (slight)favourites, imo.

Gwan outta dat, we don't believe you