Home Pro 14 Semi-Final, Sat 18/5 @ The RDS, 14.30

[Ruckedtobits]

Both on the evidence of today and based off recent visits to Dublin from both teams we're getting the easier game.

Agreed. Certainly prefer to play Munster, the team with one Game Plan regardless of who or where they're playing.

[ronk]

Both on the evidence of today and based off recent visits to Dublin from both teams we're getting the easier game.

Agreed. Certainly prefer to play Munster, the team with one Game Plan regardless of who or where they're playing.

Munster will be confident. We have eyes on a bigger prize and they beat us this season.

Their tactics will be obvious. Late hits and fights while acting the victim. Hurt Sexton.

We should pull him for the RWC sake.

[neiliog93]

Munster tend to massively target the breakdown when they play against us. With a laissez-faire referee this is very effective but with a stickler referee it isn't. Hopefully we get a ref closer to the latter description.

[leinster23]

Both on the evidence of today and based off recent visits to Dublin from both teams we're getting the easier game.

Agreed. Certainly prefer to play Munster, the team with one Game Plan regardless of who or where they're playing.

Munster will be confident. We have eyes on a bigger prize and they beat us this season.

Their tactics will be obvious. Late hits and fights while acting the victim. Hurt Sexton.

We should pull him for the RWC sake.

I doubt that he'll play this game.

[blockhead]

I doubt that he'll play this game.

Yep, win or lose against Saracens, the B-team will be playing in the RDS. Same as last year.

[wixfjord]

I doubt that he'll play this game.

Yep, win or lose against Saracens, the B-team will be playing in the RDS. Same as last year.

Joey Carbery; Jordan Larmour, Garry Ringrose, Isa Nacewa (capt), James Lowe; Ross Byrne, Luke McGrath; Jack McGrath, Seán Cronin, Tadhg Furlong; Devin Toner, James Ryan; Rhys Ruddock, Jordi Murphy, Jack Conan.

James Tracy, Cian Healy, Andrew Porter, Scott Fardy, Max Deegan, Nick McCarthy, Rory O’Loughlin, Barry Daly.

Not sure I'd call that a B team...

[leinster23]

I doubt that he'll play this game.

Yep, win or lose against Saracens, the B-team will be playing in the RDS. Same as last year.

Joey Carbery; Jordan Larmour, Garry Ringrose, Isa Nacewa (capt), James Lowe; Ross Byrne, Luke McGrath; Jack McGrath, Seán Cronin, Tadhg Furlong; Devin Toner, James Ryan; Rhys Ruddock, Jordi Murphy, Jack Conan.

James Tracy, Cian Healy, Andrew Porter, Scott Fardy, Max Deegan, Nick McCarthy, Rory O’Loughlin, Barry Daly.

Not sure I'd call that a B team...

Well it's not a B team but several players are rested compares with the week before.

[leinsterforever]

Munster really lacked intelligence in attack versus Treviso. But, I still expect this game to be a close-run thing. The dynamic is completely different. Against Treviso they were the favourites and breaking even would mean running in a few tries. That put the microscope on their attacking play, and it was really found wanting. The emphasis against Leinster will probably be much more about backing their defence and sticking in the game, which is what they're good at. There'll probably only be a score in it either way.

[wixfjord]

Well it's not a B team but several players are rested compares with the week before.

I would expect the same again, with maybe the likes of Deegan, Ruddock, Tracy, JGP maybe coming in, depending on who plays next week.

But I wouldn't call that a B team and I'd say we need to do it considering how much Newcastle will take out of the guys.

[ronk]

I doubt that he'll play this game.

Yep, win or lose against Saracens, the B-team will be playing in the RDS. Same as last year.

Joey Carbery; Jordan Larmour, Garry Ringrose, Isa Nacewa (capt), James Lowe; Ross Byrne, Luke McGrath; Jack McGrath, Seán Cronin, Tadhg Furlong; Devin Toner, James Ryan; Rhys Ruddock, Jordi Murphy, Jack Conan.

James Tracy, Cian Healy, Andrew Porter, Scott Fardy, Max Deegan, Nick McCarthy, Rory O’Loughlin, Barry Daly.

Not sure I'd call that a B team...

.

4 of that squad left to get more gametime for other provinces.

They felt they were B team

[wixfjord]

Joey Carbery; Jordan Larmour, Garry Ringrose, Isa Nacewa (capt), James Lowe; Ross Byrne, Luke McGrath; Jack McGrath, Seán Cronin, Tadhg Furlong; Devin Toner, James Ryan; Rhys Ruddock, Jordi Murphy, Jack Conan.

James Tracy, Cian Healy, Andrew Porter, Scott Fardy, Max Deegan, Nick McCarthy, Rory O’Loughlin, Barry Daly.

Not sure I'd call that a B team...

.

4 of that squad left to get more gametime for other provinces.

They felt they were B team

10 of the starting 15 will likely be starting next Saturday, with 16 of the 23 involved.

[mildlyinterested]

tickets secured for semi final.

[riocard911]

Upheaval in the enemy camp: Fla & Felix imithe:

https://www.the42.ie/felix-jones-jerry- ... 2-May2019/

[olaf the fat]

Discounting Munster's blip in the QF, because that's all it was - we have 2 bloody hard games ahead.

We will be battered and bruised after Saracens - expect the Munster game to be a week too soon for a lot of lads!
Regardless of the outcome of the HCup, Munster will be primed to catch us out. Everything that drives them will be rolled into taking a shot at us, whereas we may not have the same motivation & depth of squad this time around.

I would REALLY hate to be beaten by either of these two teams - anybody else I would eventually get over, but please don't let it be these.

[wixfjord]

Yup, I think there’s been a good bit of bravado on here about people being happy we got Munster in the semi.
I think that’s overplayed. While they’re not as good as us on form and we’ll be at home, they’ve beaten us already this year, were one point away in the semi last year, will be rested and prepared while we nurse our wounded from Sarries.

I think it’ll be closer than some might think…

Albeit it is great to get some depth like JVDF and Molony back as options.

[leinster23]

Discounting Munster's blip in the QF, because that's all it was - we have 2 bloody hard games ahead.

We will be battered and bruised after Saracens - expect the Munster game to be a week too soon for a lot of lads!
Regardless of the outcome of the HCup, Munster will be primed to catch us out. Everything that drives them will be rolled into taking a shot at us, whereas we may not have the same motivation & depth of squad this time around.

I would REALLY hate to be beaten by either of these two teams - anybody else I would eventually get over, but please don't let it be these.

Wouldn't call it a blip when it's the exact same level of attack they've been showing all season. There was nothing in that game that was different from what they've been doing all season.

It'll be a really hard game especially after Saracens, as our history in games after European finals shows, but let's not pretend that Saturday was a comparitevely poor performance from Munster when it's been the exact same as they've been showing all season. Even against 14 men in December against us they created more or less nothing.

[wixfjord]

Discounting Munster's blip in the QF, because that's all it was - we have 2 bloody hard games ahead.

We will be battered and bruised after Saracens - expect the Munster game to be a week too soon for a lot of lads!
Regardless of the outcome of the HCup, Munster will be primed to catch us out. Everything that drives them will be rolled into taking a shot at us, whereas we may not have the same motivation & depth of squad this time around.

I would REALLY hate to be beaten by either of these two teams - anybody else I would eventually get over, but please don't let it be these.

Wouldn't call it a blip when it's the exact same level of attack they've been showing all season. There was nothing in that game that was different from what they've been doing all season.

It'll be a really hard game especially after Saracens, as our history in games after European finals shows, but let's not pretend that Saturday was a comparitevely poor performance from Munster when it's been the exact same as they've been showing all season. Even against 14 men in December against us they created more or less nothing.

That’s not really true though is it?
They were comparatively worse at the weekend. It was a poorer performance than usual.
And that level of performance was certainly worse than the likes of wins against Exeter, Castres, Glos and us at home.


Their attack is poor, and I can’t see them creating too many tries against us, but with Carbery and Earls in tow and two weeks to prepare they’ll more than likely be better.

[LeRouxIsPHat]

Not sure about that, I thought they were fairly poor in those games. Exeter should really have won, and the Lowe and Cipriani red cards gave them huge boosts in those games. They still really struggled to break us down and IIRC we had a nightmare that day. Castres were rubbish but Munster didn't manage a bonus point.

I'm not taking them lightly though by any means, and I think the focus on their performance does Benetton a massive disservice, they were brilliant and would have won if the officials had been competent.

[Grumpy Old Man]

I'm not taking them lightly though by any means, and I think the focus on their performance does Benetton a massive disservice, they were brilliant and would have won if the officials had been competent.

Benetton would have won if Benetton were competent. They butchered two or three try’s in the second half and the drop goal attempts were very poor.

[Oldschool]

Not sure about that, I thought they were fairly poor in those games. Exeter should really have won, and the Lowe and Cipriani red cards gave them huge boosts in those games. They still really struggled to break us down and IIRC we had a nightmare that day. Castres were rubbish but Munster didn't manage a bonus point.

I'm not taking them lightly though by any means, and I think the focus on their performance does Benetton a massive disservice, they were brilliant and would have won if the officials had been competent.

Munster will be hungry for success.