Munster in the Aviva, August 22nd, 7.35pm KO

[LeRouxIsPHat]

Was it Archer who ended up head butting Sexton at a maul too? It probably wasn’t as bad as I’ve made it sound but I thought it was fairly deliberate anyway.

[wixfjord]

Would agree with a lot of the sentiment on here. Thought we looked rusty but that's understandable.

Reffing was a bit lopsided. Toner's yellow was harsh and Sexton was right, the ruck was absolute chaos.

Scrum was solid and I thought we had then on the rack a few times. With another ref could've gotten more from it.

The glimpse of an attacking kicking game was interesting, the Ringrose try and the Sexton kick in behind that resulted in a 5 metre scrum were good examples. Clearly something we've worked on.

Lineout was an absolute shambles, which was predicted pre-game. Kelleher has a bit to go throwing wise, but obviously with Ryan/Toner/Rhys things would be much easier.

Thought Baird had a really good game besides a mad offload he threw.

Backrow in general was good. VDF looks even more fit and athletic than he did pre-lockdown.

Larmour's aerial game was a bit worrying.

Overall we'll need to really improve both lineout and aerially to overcome Sarries, but am sure the coaching team are well aware of that.

[paddyor]

Happy with a losing bonus point???? I'd be appalled if we did the same.

I don’t think Casey was, it looked like he wanted to play on but was under orders not to. Tbf you can imagine that the players were exhausted and playing on might have led to another injury. If players were cramping up it probably wasn’t worth the risk from there.

The LBP takes Connacht out of the SF equation too.

[Blue not red blood]

Does anybody know if our semi will be on the Friday 4th or Sat 5th?

[Theleinsterlad]

Friday

[ronk]

Would have been going mental if we kicked it out, the losing bonus pt is no use to them, it was surrender monkey stuff

A losing bonus point qualified Munster mathematically for the Heineken Cup.

Like they were thinking about that....they play connacht next week if they can't get a point v Connacht they have no place in the hcup....it was pathetic, 2 pts down - all you need to do is play a few phases, perhaps get a penalty, hoof it down the sideline and just maybe you can squeeze another penalty and win the game.

Spinless and stupid stuff whoever made the call. I hope Connacht roast them next week and all going well they miss out on the semi. Really don't want to play them again and have to sit through all the Munstery cr@p again.

https://rugbylad.ie/peter-omahony-expla ... er-defeat/

That can be read multiple ways though.

[Oldschoolsocks]

A losing bonus point qualified Munster mathematically for the Heineken Cup.

Like they were thinking about that....they play connacht next week if they can't get a point v Connacht they have no place in the hcup....it was pathetic, 2 pts down - all you need to do is play a few phases, perhaps get a penalty, hoof it down the sideline and just maybe you can squeeze another penalty and win the game.

Spinless and stupid stuff whoever made the call. I hope Connacht roast them next week and all going well they miss out on the semi. Really don't want to play them again and have to sit through all the Munstery cr@p again.

https://rugbylad.ie/peter-omahony-expla ... er-defeat/

That can be read multiple ways though.

that website is a fricking mess

[johng]

I think it would need a lot of work to make it just a "fricken mess" perhaps the bronze package sir?

[Blueberry]

Still would have been absolutely livid if we had done the same thing, shows really mentally where Munster is atm, they just couldn't actually believe a bit.....you think ROG and Paulie would have rolled over like this ? No way. Feel sorry for POM, tough as nails, gives everything and has had to live through this mess of a decade for Munster where they have totally lost their identity and continue to dig a trough with more imports....

[blockhead]

Still would have been absolutely livid if we had done the same thing, shows really mentally where Munster is atm, they just couldn't actually believe a bit.....you think ROG and Paulie would have rolled over like this ? No way. Feel sorry for POM, tough as nails, gives everything and has had to live through this mess of a decade for Munster where they have totally lost their identity and continue to dig a trough with more imports....

Yeah, Sept 2009. Munster were goin to piss on us in the RDS for the temerity of Crokerchoker. We beat them 30 to SFA. The game was up an ROG kicked the ball to touch rather than play on.

[blockhead]

Toland gave the MOTM to Farrel. Fair enough says you. But he also gave it to Jack Carty in 2018 in the RDS. Bit of a pattern emerging.

[joooooe]

Still would have been absolutely livid if we had done the same thing, shows really mentally where Munster is atm, they just couldn't actually believe a bit.....you think ROG and Paulie would have rolled over like this ? No way. Feel sorry for POM, tough as nails, gives everything and has had to live through this mess of a decade for Munster where they have totally lost their identity and continue to dig a trough with more imports....

Yeah, Sept 2009. Munster were goin to piss on us in the RDS for the temerity of Crokerchoker. We beat them 30 to SFA. The game was up an ROG kicked the ball to touch rather than play on.

That was different. At 30-0 they had nothing to play for other than pride and injuries. On Saturday "Munster" could have won the game but chose to kick the ball out. I would be spitting feathers if Leinster did that. If we kicked the ball out at 30-0 down I'd be fine with that.

[Oldschool]

Still would have been absolutely livid if we had done the same thing, shows really mentally where Munster is atm, they just couldn't actually believe a bit.....you think ROG and Paulie would have rolled over like this ? No way. Feel sorry for POM, tough as nails, gives everything and has had to live through this mess of a decade for Munster where they have totally lost their identity and continue to dig a trough with more imports....

Yeah, Sept 2009. Munster were goin to piss on us in the RDS for the temerity of Crokerchoker. We beat them 30 to SFA. The game was up an ROG kicked the ball to touch rather than play on.

That was different. At 30-0 they had nothing to play for other than pride and injuries. On Saturday "Munster" could have won the game but chose to kick the ball out. I would be spitting feathers if Leinster did that. If we kicked the ball out at 30-0 down I'd be fine with that.

The odds of Munster scoring were almost zero and their chances of overtaking Edinburgh almost the same so why risk a HCC place.
Particularly, in hindsight, given Connacht's performance the following day.

[Blueberry]

Just says a lot about their mindset ATM - I am 100% sure even if we were in the same place on Saturday (i.e 2 pts down but in possession) even though it was a dead rubber for us we would have played on trying to snag an unlikely win. Ultimately even from that position barring some miracle 80 meter line break you only need to win two penalties to win that game.........

Leocaster understand the importance of keeping the winning run going especially after a long break, if Munster don't have that mindset now the media can talk them up for eternity but they will continue to just make up the numbers as they have done for a decade now.

[OTT]

I thought they were right to kick it out, I thought they would cough up position and we would score again, they looked bollixed.

But...

They chose a team to try and win the game. They went and picked a pack which had an average age of 30+, the first 15 was slightly less at 29+ years they could have had Wycherley involved, they could have had Knox involved, they could have had JOD and JOS involved, they could have started Casey, they could have stuck one of their growing list of young 10's on the bench. Lots more young guys who I have not named.

So they started with one mindset and finished with another. JVG take a bow son.

You feel they have a worryingly good squad if JVG accidentally falls on the right selections. Like Stephen Archer is like a J4 prop who thinks he is the sneakiest player on the pitch but in reality he is just a lazy sh!t who costs his team points. Anyway touch wood they keep picking these chaps.

[wixfjord]

Stephen Archer is like a J4 prop who thinks he is the sneakiest player on the pitch but in reality he is just a lazy sh!t who costs his team points.

[Blueberry]

I thought they were right to kick it out, I thought they would cough up position and we would score again, they looked bollixed.

But...

They chose a team to try and win the game. They went and picked a pack which had an average age of 30+, the first 15 was slightly less at 29+ years they could have had Wycherley involved, they could have had Knox involved, they could have had JOD and JOS involved, they could have started Casey, they could have stuck one of their growing list of young 10's on the bench. Lots more young guys who I have not named.

So they started with one mindset and finished with another. JVG take a bow son.

You feel they have a worryingly good squad if JVG accidentally falls on the right selections. Like Stephen Archer is like a J4 prop who thinks he is the sneakiest player on the pitch but in reality he is just a lazy sh!t who costs his team points. Anyway touch wood they keep picking these chaps.

Good post - I think it kinda sums up where they are right now - trying to 'buy' a trophy with expensive toy imports and Carbery style transfers rather than rebuilding and growing from the ground up with the youngsters in their academy etc. JVG understandable is desperate to win a trophy of any-type so is trying to taking shortcuts wherever he can whereas really what Irish rugby needs is a coaching system in Munster determined to give local youngsters a run, build talent even if it means taking a serious step back for a couple of season. The IRFU are 100% blame of course as they are allowing Munster to continue on their current path - who on earth for example sanctioned the Snyman and DDA imports......crazy.

It is as clear as day to me what the IRFU needs to do to Munster to reverse the current path - i.e tell them to priortise development for the next few seasons.....don't understand what on earth the IRFU are doing.

I don't care a toss about Munster winning anything but their current path has an impact on the national side and Leinster as we end up being the dominant supplier to the national team and also end up losing players to Munster we would rather have kept.....

[ronk]

I thought they were right to kick it out, I thought they would cough up position and we would score again, they looked bollixed.

But...

They chose a team to try and win the game. They went and picked a pack which had an average age of 30+, the first 15 was slightly less at 29+ years they could have had Wycherley involved, they could have had Knox involved, they could have had JOD and JOS involved, they could have started Casey, they could have stuck one of their growing list of young 10's on the bench. Lots more young guys who I have not named.

So they started with one mindset and finished with another. JVG take a bow son.

You feel they have a worryingly good squad if JVG accidentally falls on the right selections. Like Stephen Archer is like a J4 prop who thinks he is the sneakiest player on the pitch but in reality he is just a lazy sh!t who costs his team points. Anyway touch wood they keep picking these chaps.

With you on Archer. He gave away unnecessary penalties in bad positions.

It’s a long season and they had already lost players to injury and had a patched together team. Save it for another day. Leinster were still getting off the line well and they were going to have to run it from behind their own line against a set defence with players out of position. Really easy to cough up the bonus point which would have left it in Connacht’s hands to pass them.

Munster made some bad calls in recent years but at least this time they took the bonus point and took the mature option rather than the gung ho one.

[mildlyinterested]

rewatching, looks like Baird was calling the lineout, big responsibility for a 21 yr old.

[munster#1]

Jesus, going by some of the comments on here you would swear that Leinster were miles ahead of Munster in the game, both tactically and on the score board.

Fact is that there was very little between both teams apart from error count.
Munster spilled the ball far too many times to win the game. With many of the errors being unforced.

Leinster were deserving winners, but I would not be getting up on my high horse over that victory.
Munster were minus 3 of their top players by the 7th minute of that game in Joey, RG and Killer, and had a late withdrawal in Cronin, not to mention the retirement of Tyler, and were still only beat by 2 points.

Enjoy the well earned and deserved victory, but try not to get too carried away when you beat that Munster team by 2 points.