Leinster v Exeter

[neiliog93]

Qualification looking very unlikely now...a misfiring Munster could come unstuck. but only if a second string Metro XV show some pride. Castres denied us a bonus point at the RDS in similar circumstances, and Montauban nearly shocked Munster. I know that I'm clutching at straws here, but there's a small chance that the fact they have nothing to play for (apart from starting places in future Racing Metro selections) could mean they swing from the hip and produce a very good performance.

[[Jackass]]

I hope you're right and they do just that. If they get stuck into Munster, it's game on.

[munster#1]

I really don't see what the panic is all.about? Muster will not do it tomorrow. Whatever happens, neither team deserves to be anywhere near a cup, both teams are finished when it comes to hec's. We need Marty mcfly to help us out.

[ronk]

Unless something weird happens in the Toulouse-Leicester game or Edinburgh do us a favour. It's one of Leinster or Munster in the Amlin. I'll just make the best of it if so. If it's Leinster, I hope we win it. The Heineken Cup is a tough competition and there isn't a lot of room for error.

It was a good match today. Some things we'd worked on I was really happy with. There was some crisp no-look passing and some great lines. We took a few risks and got punished a few times. We need a stronger maul, we need to do better with our lineout (especially given we had Toner) and most importantly -- we have to get lower & harder in the rucks. Body positions weren't good enough for clearing out. It doesn't matter what Poite was letting them away with, there were bodies there and we weren't consistently smashing them.

We're starting to click, I hope it's not too late for us.

[Logorrhea]

While I feel (like in the Scarlets game) we left a score or two behind, it would be harsh to complain when the team won the game and scored the four tries. Not many teams have been able to do that away to Exeter this year, especially against a team that competed for the full 80 minutes.

I dont think it'll be enough though. Dissapointed that Racing havent sent a team worth playing but thats the cup for you.

[baaba maal]

I think not playing Jennings was a big mistake. Not having a go at Locky (assuming SOB would go to six), but we started with plenty of carriers with Healy, Strauss, SOB, BOD and Darce- Jenno would have worked the rucks a bit smarter for us. I though Leo and Rosser also got into the spirit of things with the carrying too!

Well done to the team. They scored four tries to a team at home that rarely concedes four tries and to a team who clearly stated before the game that they were going to try to put the current HC holders out (admired the honesty). We did seem to run out of ideas a bit. We lacked accuracy in the lineout and we had a ref who.....well, he likes to be at the centre of the decision-making instead of wanting to ref the game so that it is consistent and comprehensible.

Joe must have been incandescent with rage, because it would strike me that Poite would only react negatively to having the rules explained to him at half time.

I'd say it was a cracker of a game to watch if you were neutral.

It will be fascinating to see if Keatley gives Munster a better platform to get the bp. If he does, Radge may be stuck to the bench for province and country.

[mikey]

We could and should have got at least a draw away at clermont - but if buts and maybes don't change the position. I'm proud that needing 10 points to have a chance we did just that showing real professionalism.

C'mon racing

And pray maybe for a miracle in murrayfield (will that help??!!)


Great trip to Exeter - great fans lovely city.

[berniemac67]

I really don't see what the panic is all.about? Muster will not do it tomorrow. Whatever happens, neither team deserves to be anywhere near a cup, both teams are finished when it comes to hec's. We need Marty mcfly to help us out.

i disagree. i can't see munster not doing it, we have a better chance of edinburgh surprising saracens.

as for getting near cups - once you're in the knockout stages anything can happen. edenburgh made the semis last year for gawdsakes!

and ... sandy park and exeter were fantastic, a thoroughly enjoyable trip.

[Coonor]

Firstly it's got to be said that getting the bonus point at Sandy Park is an achievement in itself, but like so many times this year, we left a lot out on the pitch and that's always disappointing. Healy was again Immense, Cullen had a great game, Heaslip is showing good form, O'Brien looks strong, D'Arcy is continuing his good season, and Luke looks hungry.

As mentioned before, the maul, lineout and rucks is what's making our game so disjointed. That's what killed us this season, disjointed performances. Unfortunately a lot of the blame comes down to Toner, and for much of the season Cullen. They have both failed for the majority to get the engine room moving.

On this referee issue, I can certainly say there is no corruption!

All we do is sit here and wait. Munster SHOULD have got a bonus point last week, Munster SHOULD have beaten Cardiff the week before...... But they didn't, and although this is a Racng Metro team that favours Munster to get the bonus point, it's by no means done deal.

[Scott]

I think not playing Jennings was a big mistake.

I'd say it was a cracker of a game to watch if you were neutral.
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Agreed. Can't for the life of me figure why Jennings not get on in second half.

[outcast eddie]

I think not playing Jennings was a big mistake.

I'd say it was a cracker of a game to watch if you were neutral.
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Agreed. Can't for the life of me figure why Jennings not get on in second half.

.......and Ferg. We're only still in with a shout here because of Ferg and the poor fecker , on the form of his life can't get a start.

We worry about Johnny going to France I wouldn't be surprised if Ferg's belief in this team has been shaken.

BTW I know it wasn't the complete performance last night but I reckon it ranks up there with the Stoop and Croker. Today's game is just taking the shine off it.

We are not a cold weather, poor conditions team. Grinding out wins is not Leinster's m.o.

I think we'll get through. Take that mockers!

[artaneboy]

I really don't see what the panic is all.about? Muster will not do it tomorrow. Whatever happens, neither team deserves to be anywhere near a cup, both teams are finished when it comes to hec's. We need Marty mcfly to help us out.

Hey- speak for yourselves! If we do by a statistical miracle get to play Harlequins, I fancy our chances. But that is not likely to happen as Munster will roll over Paris in a few hours.

[Oldschool]

I really don't see what the panic is all.about? Muster will not do it tomorrow. Whatever happens, neither team deserves to be anywhere near a cup, both teams are finished when it comes to hec's. We need Marty mcfly to help us out.

Ah! but we have a magic mirror, what have you got?

[johnmcg]

Reckon our chances of getting through at this point are about ten percent. If you look at the Munster game another way, what would be the repercussions for Penney if his team failed to get a bonus point against a second string side with nothing to play for in thomond. I'd say Edinburgh have as much chance of beating sarries as Munster have of NOT getting the bp win

[jezzer]

The line out was a mess, but that can happen to the best of teams.

But we seemed to have a tactic of not putting bodies in the ruck or maul (and when we did, it was with 70% intensity and shite body positions). That killed us. I can't understand why we didn't change the plan and get over the ball. It was so obvious we needed more firepower in the breakdown...

Ah well. Having won it three times recently you can't be shocked if the hunger isn't as consistently high as it was. You can argue it should be, but that's human nature.

It's good for the competition, maybe good for the extended squad, good for Joes successor that not every season works out like a dream for us these days.

4 tries is not a given in any game, even against Zebre or Newport, but I wouldn't hold out much hope of Racing trying a leg. A little maybe, but not much.

[tackle-bag]

I really don't see what the panic is all.about? Muster will not do it tomorrow. Whatever happens, neither team deserves to be anywhere near a cup, both teams are finished when it comes to hec's. We need Marty mcfly to help us out.

Hey- speak for yourselves! If we do by a statistical miracle get to play Harlequins, I fancy our chances. But that is not likely to happen as Munster will roll over Paris in a few hours.

Yeah, both teams have grossly underperformed in this year's HC, but we're still at least the 4th or 5th best team in the competition. I'd probably have Munster around 8th or 9th, meaning that the draw has actually left them in a fairly accurate position.

[ratpack]

Thought what we missed yesterday was the control and precision at key times. Polite didn't help and I'd have had Jenno in from the start. I admire Locky but think Jenno was mad for yesterday. Fingers crossed for the right results today but I think it's unlikely we'll get through. The amlin doesn't excite me to the same extent but I'd still love us to win it but the league should be priority if today's results don't go our way.

On the whole though I think we've been poor this season, only now starting to click and it looks like being too late. Possibly signs of some staleness, I think the squad needs a bit of investment similar to what we did in bringing in Rocky, CJ (I realise he was a failure but the signing showed intent) and Isa. Second row is a big cause for concern.

Really enjoyed Sandy Park, very friendly crowd and had a good laugh. Good to see a club like them on the up.

[Hippo]

Really couldn't care less about the Amlin if that's where we end up, I'd much rather we concentrated our efforts on winning the Rabo.

With regard to the failure of Poite to apply the advantage at the very end of the game, and having watched it again, I'm not certain he gave a penalty advantage. It could as easily have been for a knock-on, and the application of that is a very moveable feast. If it's going to be produced as some evidence of a nonsense conspiracy theory then why would he have bothered with not applying the advantage, he could just have ignored the offence in the first place.

[BarryP]

If Munster don't beat Racing by what they need to get through, then they don't deserve to qualify....but same argument stands for us, more so for the game in France when we should have (based on how the game panned out) come away with more....

Well done to all concerned for the H-Cup performances in the last two games - shows clearly that while we do have some great younger players, to be forced to play them all at once was always going to make it tough (as happened Munster last year (or was it the year before when they were ravaged?))

[fourthirtythree]

Really couldn't care less about the Amlin if that's where we end up, I'd much rather we concentrated our efforts on winning the Rabo.
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So would I, so would most of the supporters. The organisation will be looking at the money tournament though. Looking at Dawsons comments recently, as well as Joes, it reminds you of why the tournament exists: money.
IRFU would want us to follow the money too as they get half the gate and the whole merit payments.