Munster, The Money Pit Province 2019/2020

[Dave Cahill]

The attendance figures in the Pro14 are universally almost entirely fictional. Its basically the biggest number you can get away with without attracting negative media attention. It used to be a rule that you announced the total number of tickets sold, but that attracted too much negative media attention.

There is no way on god's green earth that there was 13k in either the RDS or Thomond Park this weekend.

[Keith]

The attendance figures in the Pro14 are universally almost entirely fictional. Its basically the biggest number you can get away with without attracting negative media attention. It used to be a rule that you announced the total number of tickets sold, but that attracted too much negative media attention.

There is no way on god's green earth that there was 13k in either the RDS or Thomond Park this weekend.

Really? I thought the crowd looked very healthy on tv.

[blockhead]

The attendance figures in the Pro14 are universally almost entirely fictional. Its basically the biggest number you can get away with without attracting negative media attention. It used to be a rule that you announced the total number of tickets sold, but that attracted too much negative media attention.

There is no way on god's green earth that there was 13k in either the RDS or Thomond Park this weekend.

Really? I thought the crowd looked very healthy on tv.

Yep. Looked about a 3rd empty to me.

[timothydec77]

The Stadium did look empty.

33% of Munster fans come from Limerick 33% Cork 33% everywhere else in Ireland and the World. Munster have a group of 5,000 10 year ticket holders that only go to the European games.

As most sensible people would agree its hardly worth having a car accident over a Pro 14 game.

The empty grounds factor in the Pro 14 is due to the devaluation of the competition due to poor teams like the Southern Kings and the fielding of second string teams. The amount of matches on TV is another issue. A 2 hour drive each way from Cork to watch Munster v Zebre is hard to justify when its on TV at home .

[The Doc]

There is no way on god's green earth that there was 13k in either the RDS or Thomond Park this weekend.

I was there on Friday... 13k sounds about right from what I saw.

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[desperado]

There is no way on god's green earth that there was 13k in either the RDS or Thomond Park this weekend.

I was there on Friday... 13k sounds about right from what I saw.

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I'd agree; as did just under 8k look about right for the Cheetahs game.

[JB1973]

I'm glad they beat the turks

Them and Edinburgh look to have play off places in the bag , with Gallagher and the boks on board next season they look in a good place

[dropkick]

While Baird rightfully got all the headlines I thought Gavin Coombes was again immense off the bench again. Not just his 2 tries but he can keep running with forwards hanging off him and he looks for the offload too. It looks like he will end up at second row.


I've no idea why he's featured so little this season especially with DOS getting more minutes.

[Dave Cahill]

Carbury confirmed to be out for the remainder of the season

[ronk]

Carbury confirmed to be out for the remainder of the season

He's had a rotten 12 months with injury. His longest stretch is 3 games without injury, usually less

For someone who gets so injured so often as he is getting up to speed, they (Munster and Ireland) are managing him very very badly.

He's no use to anyone like this.

[Twist]

Carbury confirmed to be out for the remainder of the season

He's had a rotten 12 months with injury. His longest stretch is 3 games without injury, usually less

For someone who gets so injured so often as he is getting up to speed, they (Munster and Ireland) are managing him very very badly.

He's no use to anyone like this.

I saw some really stupid comments from Munster fans about this on Facebook. I know it’s mostly the most stupid people who have the most to say, but these were some absolute beauts

“It's a pity Book deal Schmidt wasn't as clever when he had half of his attention on the world cup.”

Idiots. It’s a non sequitor and everything!

[ronk]

He took a risk to make the RWC after the Italy injury. He made the RWC but he’s paying for it this season. At least that risk was understandable. It’s all the other times he rushed back I have a problem with.

[blockhead]

Its sad for Joey. An entire season lost. It'll be forgotten of course if he has a couple of strong seasons afterwards but at this moment he must feel pretty low.
The move to Munster has been a nightmare so far.
Not so bad for Munster though, out of Europe anyway and JJ is doing ok.

Word is that there is a schism between Larkham/Rowntree and the Saffas.
Watch this space.

[leinsterforever]

While Baird rightfully got all the headlines I thought Gavin Coombes was again immense off the bench again. Not just his 2 tries but he can keep running with forwards hanging off him and he looks for the offload too. It looks like he will end up at second row.


I've no idea why he's featured so little this season especially with DOS getting more minutes.

He'd be the perfect no. 19 - covers lock, blindside and 8, and is an immensely powerful carrier against tiring defences.

[bronxbull]

https://www.independent.ie/sport/rugby/ ... 10159.html

Mako in self isolation.

[bronxbull]

Wrong thread

[hugonaut]

Its sad for Joey. An entire season lost. It'll be forgotten of course if he has a couple of strong seasons afterwards but at this moment he must feel pretty low.
The move to Munster has been a nightmare so far.
Not so bad for Munster though, out of Europe anyway and JJ is doing ok.

Two serious wrist surgeries [both wrists] and three ankle surgeries [both ankles] in less than four years is a lot of mileage for any rugby player. I'm not sure what the solution is. He's a naturally slight guy.

Moving to Munster is incidental. Two of the injuries he required surgery on were picked up during Irish duty [broken arm vs Fiji in Dec 2017, torn ankle ligaments in Aug 2019]; the Dec 2016 ankle injury was on Leinster duty and the Jan 2020 wrist injury was on Munster duty.

Munster gave him 10 weeks off after RWC19 to let his ankle settle, it's not their fault that it didn't heal properly. He wanted to play in that tournament, dodgy ankle or not.

[blockhead]

Its sad for Joey. An entire season lost. It'll be forgotten of course if he has a couple of strong seasons afterwards but at this moment he must feel pretty low.
The move to Munster has been a nightmare so far.
Not so bad for Munster though, out of Europe anyway and JJ is doing ok.

Two serious wrist surgeries [both wrists] and three ankle surgeries [both ankles] in less than four years is a lot of mileage for any rugby player. I'm not sure what the solution is. He's a naturally slight guy.

Moving to Munster is incidental. Two of the injuries he required surgery on were picked up during Irish duty [broken arm vs Fiji in Dec 2017, torn ankle ligaments in Aug 2019]; the Dec 2016 ankle injury was on Leinster duty and the Jan 2020 wrist injury was on Munster duty.

Munster gave him 10 weeks off after RWC19 to let his ankle settle, it's not their fault that it didn't heal properly. He wanted to play in that tournament, dodgy ankle or not.

I'm not saying his rotten luck is because he moved to Munster.
But he has had a miserable time of it since he moved down there. I can't think of any real highlight, club or country, since he won the Heino and Pro 14 with us.

[hugonaut]

Its sad for Joey. An entire season lost. It'll be forgotten of course if he has a couple of strong seasons afterwards but at this moment he must feel pretty low.
The move to Munster has been a nightmare so far.
Not so bad for Munster though, out of Europe anyway and JJ is doing ok.

Two serious wrist surgeries [both wrists] and three ankle surgeries [both ankles] in less than four years is a lot of mileage for any rugby player. I'm not sure what the solution is. He's a naturally slight guy.

Moving to Munster is incidental. Two of the injuries he required surgery on were picked up during Irish duty [broken arm vs Fiji in Dec 2017, torn ankle ligaments in Aug 2019]; the Dec 2016 ankle injury was on Leinster duty and the Jan 2020 wrist injury was on Munster duty.

Munster gave him 10 weeks off after RWC19 to let his ankle settle, it's not their fault that it didn't heal properly. He wanted to play in that tournament, dodgy ankle or not.

I'm not saying his rotten luck is because he moved to Munster.
But he has had a miserable time of it since he moved down there. I can't think of any real highlight, club or country, since he won the Heino and Pro 14 with us.

He has.

My point was that he is fragile - not a word any player wants to be damned with. But you can't avoid it when you look at his injury record.

2016-17 [ankle surgery - Dec 2016]
2017-18 [wrist surgery - Nov 2017]
2018-19 [hamstring - 11 weeks total, Feb-Apr]
2019-20 [ankle surgery, wrist surgery, ankle surgery - Aug 2019, Jan 2020, Feb 2020]

That's a hell of a lot of ankle and wrist injuries. There's not a huge amount of muscle around those joints to strengthen and stabilise them and take stress off the ligaments, so I am quite pessimistic about his chances of staying injury free in the future.

[The Doc]

He has.

My point was that he is fragile - not a word any player wants to be damned with. But you can't avoid it when you look at his injury record.

2016-17 [ankle surgery - Dec 2016]
2017-18 [wrist surgery - Nov 2017]
2018-19 [hamstring - 11 weeks total, Feb-Apr]
2019-20 [ankle surgery, wrist surgery, ankle surgery - Aug 2019, Jan 2020, Feb 2020]

That's a hell of a lot of ankle and wrist injuries. There's not a huge amount of muscle around those joints to strengthen and stabilise them and take stress off the ligaments, so I am quite pessimistic about his chances of staying injury free in the future.

Hugo - do you think position has any part to play. If someone is "fragile" (or let's put it another way - is like a thoroughbred and needs to managed carefully), does the 10 vs 15 debate come back into it?

I always thought the added time at 15 allows him have a bigger impact - in some ways he was the best fullback Munster had. But do you think fullback might protect against the ankle / wrist injuries?