Munster 2017 -2018

[Dave Cahill]

ease up on the witch hunt or you will have the so called Munster fans up in arms.

'roid rage

[Peg Leg]

ease up on the witch hunt or you will have the so called Munster fans up in arms.

'roid rage

Shooting up in arms

[simonokeeffe]

Steroid use essentially has permanent benefits but my concern for South Western Province (c) is this lock theyve signed is more liable to have a bad attitude/make bad life decisions etc

Bad news is reading up on the substance he popped for, Drostanolone, he was most likely on a stack of various roids & PEDs. If he wasnt then he was taking it for cosmetic purposes which is even worse. Either way ANY drug test was going to nab him

[RAILWAY1]

It's really quite simple the guy was young and made a stupid decision but he has paid the price demanded by the powers that be, so let's not keep going on about it forever. I have already said that as someone involved heavily in Munster youths rugby I am not overly happy about the number of imports we are bringing in and would much rather we have a lower number of these players but ones who would help in the development of local talent. Players like Doug Howlett, Jim Williams and John Langford who help homegrown players develop

[neilinboston]

It's really quite simple the guy was young and made a stupid decision but he has paid the price demanded by the powers that be, so let's not keep going on about it forever. I have already said that as someone involved heavily in Munster youths rugby I am not overly happy about the number of imports we are bringing in and would much rather we have a lower number of these players but ones who would help in the development of local talent. Players like Doug Howlett, Jim Williams and John Langford who help homegrown players develop

If it's science that people are idiots until their mid 20's then teenage stupidity should be written off.
I can only imagine the pressure to get big and strong if you have the ability to make it pro but are on the fringe a little.

As an aside, what sort of testing is done at underage level over here? I'd be amazed if it isn't rife within schools rugby. Huge pressure, huge incentive.

[simonokeeffe]

It's really quite simple the guy was young and made a stupid decision but he has paid the price demanded by the powers that be, so let's not keep going on about it forever. I have already said that as someone involved heavily in Munster youths rugby I am not overly happy about the number of imports we are bringing in and would much rather we have a lower number of these players but ones who would help in the development of local talent. Players like Doug Howlett, Jim Williams and John Langford who help homegrown players develop

If it's science that people are idiots until their mid 20's then teenage stupidity should be written off.
I can only imagine the pressure to get big and strong if you have the ability to make it pro but are on the fringe a little.

As an aside, what sort of testing is done at underage level over here? I'd be amazed if it isn't rife within schools rugby. Huge pressure, huge incentive.

One post is not going on about it forever but the risk is that somebody who did something braindead stupid (and something he would have been doing over a period of months) can do other braindead stupid things or have a bad attitude eg Finnegan, Tuqiri, Powell, Henson, Cipriani, any of the guys at Bath that time etc
Hopefully he wont and he works out well and Munster have a great season

No testing in schools unless theyre on u18 and over representative sides I think

[RAILWAY1]

Regarding testing at age grade level when testing was being brought in for age grade in all sports schools rugby resisted it very strongly and as far as I know the union backed off from a confrontation with them, youths players can be tested

[neilinboston]

Surely if the sct is effectively trials for future pro contracts (overly simplified I know there are many steps involved) it should be policed at some level.

[brenno]

So let me see, it's quite feasible that in a game next season, Munster could start 5 SA born players, Grobler, Cloete, Kleyn, Taute and CJ. Jeez, and people slag off Saracens as Saffersens! No doubt we'll hear the usual stuff about how how they all "buy in" to whatever every import is supposed to "buy in" to down in Limerick.

[RAILWAY1]

Brenno if you want you could bring this even further as in three years four of the five could be wearing the green of Ireland along with the other few lads in the other provinces. We could nearly have an Irish team with no Irish born players

[scentofgunpowder]

Brenno if you want you could bring this even further as in three years four of the five could be wearing the green of Ireland along with the other few lads in the other provinces. We could nearly have an Irish team with no Irish born players

1. Schalk van der Merwe
2. Rhys Marshall
3. Wiehann Herbst
4. Jean Kleyn
5. Quinn Roux
6. Chris Cloete
7. Jake Heenan
8. Robbie Diack
9. Jamison Gibson-Park
10. Tyler Bleyendaal
11. James Lowe
12. Bundee Aki
13. Jared Payne
14. Stacey Ili
15. Louis Ludik

[simonokeeffe]

Brenno if you want you could bring this even further as in three years four of the five could be wearing the green of Ireland along with the other few lads in the other provinces. We could nearly have an Irish team with no Irish born players

1. Schalk van der Merwe
2. Rhys Marshall
3. Wiehann Herbst
4. Jean Kleyn
5. Quinn Roux
6. Chris Cloete
7. Jake Heenan
8. Robbie Diack
9. Jamison Gibson-Park
10. Tyler Bleyendaal
11. James Lowe
12. Bundee Aki
13. Jared Payne
14. Stacey Ili
15. Louis Ludik

all it will take is a meteor hitting Carton House

Heenan, Lli, and Ludik would need their dads coaching the team to get capped
Diack would need both his parents coaching the team to get more caps
JGP is behind Ireland's 3rd choice scrumhalf at provincial level
Herbst would need injuries ahead of him on a rare occassion hes not injured
SVDM has very little chance given his age, age of his competition, and depth
Hooker is a bit of an orgy of projects but still Scannell, Heffernan, Annett medium term

will be interesting to see if Aki bothers with Ireland

At least PJ Stander's Irishness wasn't brought into disrepute

[sunshiner1]

Does anyone know what the story is with McGuigan i think at the Tigers? Is he English capped now or is there still a chance of us getting him for Ireland?

[simonokeeffe]

Does anyone know what the story is with McGuigan i think at the Tigers? Is he English capped now or is there still a chance of us getting him for Ireland?

He seems committed to/set on playing for England though hes not tied yet

[cormac]

Commenting on the jersey reveal Debbie Byrne, Marketing Director Life Style Sports, said:
“There is a new breed of Munster supporter rising to prominence and as the official and exclusive retail partner to Munster Rugby, Life Style Sports, is adapting to this shift in supporter base and handed joint responsibility to unveil the jersey over to Munster supporters

[simonokeeffe]

I second that eye roll

Just saw said jersey, looks like a Matrix apron

[olaf the fat]

So let me see, it's quite feasible that in a game next season, Munster could start 5 SA born players, Grobler, Cloete, Kleyn, Taute and CJ. Jeez, and people slag off Saracens as Saffersens! No doubt we'll hear the usual stuff about how how they all "buy in" to whatever every import is supposed to "buy in" to down in Limerick.

I love the way they confuse 'buying in' with 'being paid to'.

[offshorerules]

So IRFU confirm Erasmus handed in his notice in March well before he told the players he was definitely staying. Bizarre.

[blockhead]

So IRFU confirm Erasmus handed in his notice in March well before he told the players he was definitely staying. Bizarre.

White lies for the players. Derailment of the seson, the risk of being honest.

[RAILWAY1]

It's been handled very badly by all parties from the start which doesn't give me much confidence in either Munster Rugby or the IRFU when it comes to appointing a new head coach /DoR.