wixfjord wrote:Our front five is a good 15-20kg heavier than theirs too.
Would be saying to Ross/JGP to avoid kicking long and giving Haley a run up. Just fire it into the stands and let our lads compete.
I'd also be sticking Dev up in the middle for almost every throw of theirs and putting Connors into the midfield to get in the face of of JJ/Scannell.
Pressure them into throwing to the front and force shorter ball.
KOB is a good lineout thrower but hard to do much when our 4-8 can jump and their second row is much shorter than ours.
COB is an important player tomorrow also. Big chance for him to put down a marker and if we can get JOB into some space against Arnold he has the footwork and outside break to make hay.
The key to the line-out is to give them no easy-out at No 2. Compete with an early jump and make them throw to 4, 5 or 6 with a more lobbed trajectory (to avoid being picked-off at No.2). I'm not convinced KO'B is such a consistent thrower but we'll know for sure atclose of business tomorrow.
Out back, I'm confident that Ross and the O'Briens will handle the middle of the park with ease and our back three will thrive on any loose kicks that come their way.
Hard to imagine where the Red Fire will come from. Maybe it will be the bench.
With our jumpers I just can't see how they're gonna get much change in the lineout.
Do Munster go for a 5 man that often? I'd be throwing Doris up at 2 and someone at 5 and we're golden.
€1 from each programme sold tomorrow in Thomond Park will be given to Peter McVerry Trust and the Jack and Jill Foundation. Just an FYI for anyone going to the match......
wixfjord wrote:Our front five is a good 15-20kg heavier than theirs too. .
That weakness can be a strength in the right circumstances.
2 specialist opensides with a part time backrow at lock and a utility backrow who can play 7 at 8. They'll like their chances of frustrating us behind the gainline, slowing down ball and getting around the corner faster.
Jaysus but the #9 cupboard looks very bare now. Remind me again why NIck McCarthy is playing for Munster. A former 20s Captain. How hard did we try to keep him?
backrower8 wrote:Jaysus but the #9 cupboard looks very bare now. Remind me again why NIck McCarthy is playing for Munster. A former 20s Captain. How hard did we try to keep him?
If you look at one game in isolation with our starting 9 unavailable and our second 9 ill then it does.
If you view more broadly as us having two senior 9s and three young guys behind then it doesn't really.
Nick M never really made the first 23 breakthrough for us and got a shot to move up the depth chart by going into second spot in Munster, so no issue with him moving.
He's the senior 9 on the pitch tonight so let's see what we could've had.
backrower8 wrote:Jaysus but the #9 cupboard looks very bare now. Remind me again why NIck McCarthy is playing for Munster. A former 20s Captain. How hard did we try to keep him?
O’Sullivan arguably had a better underage career playing (started all of them) 21 school cup games (2 junior cup finals, 3 senior cup finals and winning back to back senior cups with Belvedere and played Ireland u20s). They must of believed there are better scrum halves coming through although McCarthy is a terrific player, he probably felt he deserved more game time so he moved to Ireland’s second biggest club which is Munster, it’s not a bad move for him but some may see it as Leinsters loss...good thing we have a lot of depth
Wasn’t he a fullback in school? He hasn’t done well either this season or last where he was outshone by Patterson. Big chance for him when he comes on tonight and of course big chance for Osborne. C’mon Leinster
Jonny tight lips wrote:Wasn’t he a fullback in school? He hasn’t done well either this season or last where he was outshone by Patterson. Big chance for him when he comes on tonight and of course big chance for Osborne. C’mon Leinster
Wasn’t outshone by Patterson last season as he was ahead of him in the pecking order at Leinster and HOS was also picked ahead of him in the Heineken Cup final to be sub and always started ahead of him in the u20s and still is ahead of him, he just needs to have a chance by starting a game, I’d say he’s fed up of only coming on last 10/15 minutes every game
Doing well bar the last 5 mins. Not sure 10 points is enough of a lead with this wind. Hopefully it dies down a bit.
Osborne looks nervous but Munster are really hammering every ruck and trying to put him off to.
We'll need another try from somewhere to win this imo. Limiting our pens to 4 or so would be helpful too. Make them win it rather than giving easy ground.
Big 40 needed from the forwards.
Ross the pick of the lot so far. Controlling really well, but will be a different game this half.
Our back row have been very quiet. Having to do a lot of work to keep our ball.
wixfjord wrote:Doing well bar the last 5 mins. Not sure 10 points is enough of a lead with this wind. Hopefully it dies down a bit.
Osborne looks nervous but Munster are really hammering every ruck and trying to put him off to.
We'll need another try from somewhere to win this imo. Limiting our pens to 4 or so would be helpful too. Make them win it rather than giving easy ground.
Big 40 needed from the forwards.
Ross the pick of the lot so far. Controlling really well, but will be a different game this half.
Our back row have been very quiet. Having to do a lot of work to keep our ball.
Ha, I couldn't disagree more about our back row, think they've mostly been great although Munster did get onto the ball a few times.
