The Province Formerly Known As Munster 2018-19

[MylesNaGapoleen]

They did it again tonight. Won with 6 tries having played like drains for middle 40 mins. In fact, their power and support lines in final 20 mins would give Sarries a run.

As much as I would like munster to beat sarries.... I just cannot see it. Sounds like carbery is out with his hamstring but even with him in, the saracens squad is just so strong.

[sunshiner1]

Ronan O'Mahoney retires. I can't beleive this guy is 29!?! I still think of him a year or so out of the academy.

https://www.the42.ie/ronan-omahony-4585690-Apr2019/

[ronk]

Tough for the guy. Kept in there for years until his contract expired and he probably didnt have much choice.

Decent player. 70 caps not bad going for a guy who was a bit of a late started and played 4 matches in the last 2 seasons.

[MylesNaGapoleen]

Ronan O'Mahoney retires. I can't beleive this guy is 29!?! I still think of him a year or so out of the academy.

https://www.the42.ie/ronan-omahony-4585690-Apr2019/

sad news. must be really tough for him. never good to see a player retiring that young.

[blockhead]

MUNSTER (v Benetton Rugby): Mike Haley; Darren Sweetnam, Sam Arnold, Dan Goggin, Shane Daly; JJ Hanrahan, Alby Mathewson; Jeremy Loughman, Rhys Marshall, Stephen Archer, Fineen Wycherley, Billy Holland (capt), Jack O’Donoghue, Chris Cloete, Gavin Coombes.
Replacements: Kevin O’Byrne, Liam O’Connor, Ciaran Parker, Darren O’Shea, Dave O’Callaghan, Neil Cronin, Bill Johnston, Alex McHenry.

17 Munster men! Must be some sort of record. Big guns being rested for Coventry.

[OTT]

MUNSTER (v Benetton Rugby): Mike Haley; Darren Sweetnam, Sam Arnold, Dan Goggin, Shane Daly; JJ Hanrahan, Alby Mathewson; Jeremy Loughman, Rhys Marshall, Stephen Archer, Fineen Wycherley, Billy Holland (capt), Jack O’Donoghue, Chris Cloete, Gavin Coombes.
Replacements: Kevin O’Byrne, Liam O’Connor, Ciaran Parker, Darren O’Shea, Dave O’Callaghan, Neil Cronin, Bill Johnston, Alex McHenry.

17 Munster men! Must be some sort of record. Big guns being rested for Coventry.

I don't know 17 lads outside your catchment area, it is not a great endorsement on the Leinster academy.

[blockhead]

Benetton Rugby: 15 Jayden Hayward, 14 Ratuva Tavuyara, 13 Tommaso Benvenuti, 12 Marco Zanon, 11 Monty Ioane, 10 Tommaso Allan (C), 9 Dewaldt Duvenage, 8 Toa Halafihi, 7 Abraham Steyn, 6 Sebastian Negri, 5 Federico Ruzza, 4 Irné Herbst, 3 Marco Riccioni, 2 Luca Bigi, 1 Nicola Quaglio.
Substitutes: 16 Hame Faiva, 17 Cherif Traore, 18 Simone Ferrari, 19 Marco Lazzaroni, 20 Giovanni Pettinelli, 21 Tito Tebaldi, 22 Antonio Rizzi, 23 Tommaso Iannone

One change from last week.
Massive game for Benetton. Would be the biggest achievement ever in Italian club rugby to gain a spot in the Heino on merit.
If things go there way they could lose tomorrow and still clinch it on the last weekend at Zebre.

[yellabelly1961]

If Benetton win this does it get them a quarter final spot?

[paddyor]

If Benetton win this does it get them a quarter final spot?

It will guarantee they make the playoffs for Europe at the very least. But they’ve Zebre up next and on current form (derbies etc) they should pick up 4-5pts there. If Embra lose to Ulster with no points they’re probably golden, after points it’s wins then pts diff so they’re still catchable.

[blockhead]

If Benetton win this does it get them a quarter final spot?

It will guarantee they make the playoffs for Europe at the very least. But they’ve Zebre up next and on current form (derbies etc) they should pick up 4-5pts there. If Embra lose to Ulster with no points they’re probably golden, after points it’s wins then pts diff so they’re still catchable.

Yep sums it up.
A win means Scarlets cant catch them even though they will almost certainly get 10pts from the last 2 games.
A BP win for Benetton and no pts for Edinburgh would mean top 3 at least, but thats unlikely.
All sorts of scenarios in both conferences.

[RichardP]

Very good win for Munster’s youngsters, took over completely for the last 35 mins after some great rugby by both sides - and a few bizarre moments too.

[deco]

Very good win for TPFKAM, just goes to show that their young, native players can do the job. The pity is that they don't get the game time. It will be interesting to see if they're trusted more next season. As far as this season goes, "Munster" should win silverware, I certainly would be very worried facing them in a playoff game.

[tomthefan]

Very good win for TPFKAM, just goes to show that their young, native players can do the job. The pity is that they don't get the game time. It will be interesting to see if they're trusted more next season. As far as this season goes, "Munster" should win silverware, I certainly would be very worried facing them in a playoff game.

I don't blame you with the way Leinster are going.

[harblstuff]

They did it again tonight. Won with 6 tries having played like drains for middle 40 mins. In fact, their power and support lines in final 20 mins would give Sarries a run.

As much as I would like munster to beat sarries.... I just cannot see it. Sounds like carbery is out with his hamstring but even with him in, the saracens squad is just so strong.

I think it's confirmed he's out now.

Bleyendaal to start I presume? He seems on form, I hope they beat Sarries.

[dropkick]

JVG looking to add to the coaching staff during the summer. Hopefully they're looking at an attack coach.

[fourthirtythree]

JVG looking to add to the coaching staff during the summer. Hopefully they're looking at an attack coach.

Flannery and Jones's contracts are up, I'd assume Flannery will be kept but what I heard from him yesterday was something like "first we have to get the team re-signed". I would have thought that Munster should look to take the opportunity to replace Jones.

[Ruckedtobits]

JVG looking to add to the coaching staff during the summer. Hopefully they're looking at an attack coach.

Flannery and Jones's contracts are up, I'd assume Flannery will be kept but what I heard from him yesterday was something like "first we have to get the team re-signed". I would have thought that Munster should look to take the opportunity to replace Jones.

Maybe an outsider in the potential recruits, but Simon Mannix has ended his tenure at Pau1 by announceing that he and his forwards and backs Coaches will end their involvement at the end of the Season, despite having a Contract till 2020.

Mannix made Pau a sort of 'home from home' for Munster forwards and a number have had a decent tenure at the Club, notably Coughlan, Foley and Butler. Mannix also attracted a number of high quality New Zealanders, not least Colin Slade and his teams have played a nice brand of attacking rugby.

He probably lost his Director of Rugby post because of the Club's home form this Season which finds them languishing towards the bottom of the Top 14 table in 11th place.

He spent four years at Munster (2007-2011) and made the transition to Coach in Pau whom he guided from Pro D2 to the Top 14 fairly seamlessly. That's no easy task and his appreciation of players' skill-sets, coupled with good communication skills, were the primary assets that enabled him to give a very good account of his coaching ability over the past 5 Seasons.

Munster could do a lot worse than interview Mannix, who is likely to be in demand at more than one Stadium for next Season.

[Oldschool]

Prediction time for the faithful.
Saracens to win by 10+ points.
Only glint of hope for Munster is Billy's attack of foot in mouth.

[deco]

We've made a huge investment in "Munster", if they lose, that investment is wasted.

[sunshiner1]

by Ruckedtobits

Simon Mannix

If I remember at the time he was disliked by a large segment of Munster Supporters who made it known on the forums. The dude got fall guyed a lot. Seemingly his biggest sin at the time was that he wasn't Axel Foley but I doubt he'd want to go back again.