Munster v Scarlets - Sunday

First topic message reminder :

Keith Earls has been included in the 29 strong Munster squad named this morning for the Heineken Cup round four game at Thomond Park Stadium on Sunday (12.45).

Earls came through the squad training session in UL yesterday and if he does likewise in tomorrow's run could be a contender for a place in the match day squad with Tony McGahan adding "We've to wait and see, he's been out of action for three to four weeks, so we'll have to see how he gets on in training for the rest of the week."

Munster Squad (29): Marcus Horan, Wian du Preez, Stephen Archer, John Hayes, BJ Botha, Denis Fogarty, Damien Varley, Donncha O'Callaghan, Donnacha Ryan, Paul O'Connell, Mick O'Driscoll, Ian Nagle, Billy Holland, Denis Leamy, Niall Ronan, James Coughlan, Tommy O'Donnell, Tomas O'Leary, Conor Murray, Ian Keatley, Ronan O'Gara, Johne Murphy, Denis Hurley, Scott Deasy, Simon Zebo, Will Chambers, Lifeimi Mafi, Danny Barnes, Keith Earls.

Irish Curry wrote:Whats with Preistland wearing number 24?

Changes shirts at half time because it was ripped

Feagh McHugh wrote:Roddersm he is like and extra backrower you know?

They should move Leamy to 9 then!

Great tackle DOC!!

Feagh McHugh wrote:Changed form 15 at half time - might have been ripped or had blood on it.

Ah ok... looks weird! Great tackle by DOC dispite barnes trying to get him a yellow card.

What a game...!

Well Done Munster, a brilliant team...

Valuable LBP for Scarlets you feel

Good result Munster. Not a great performance but that rounds of a very good weekend for Irish rugby.

Funny how this time last year the Munster obituary was the journalism angle of choice.

Well done Muster, good win and decent game to watch.
Murray was excellent and Zebo looked very lively too.

Well done Munster. all but got a home QF now. Excellent.

With my Ulster hat on (and i will draw Rodders ire here as well) if we can beat Leicester and deny them a BP we are almost certain to have european rugby and quite possibly a HEC QF looking at the tables.

Good weekend for Irish rugby

What a load of bull crap, Scarlets shafted by the Ref! how the hell can a team compete with this bull Poopie decisions?

It puts you of watching

Very lucky Rhys Thomas. He really is a d*ck. Punching a player with 1 minute to go and conceding a penalty. Thank god for the Scarlets that Munster decided to take a lineout instead of kicking for goal. Could have been bye bye losing bonus point.

viewtothegym wrote:What a load of bull crap, Scarlets shafted by the Ref! how the hell can a team compete with this bull Poopie decisions?

It puts you of watching

What was the last penalty for ? Munster players went in for argy bargy and Scarletts get penalized ? Good game though , could of gone either way



Rhys Thomas punch ? Zeeebo went in swinging no ?

I really hope you guys do get the win and a 1/4 final stand.

TOL really just doesnt cut it anymore in my books, he has not been on form for a while now and is way to slow with his ditribution and decision making.

viewtothegym wrote:What a load of bull crap, Scarlets shafted by the Ref! how the hell can a team compete with this bull sh!t decisions?

It puts you of watching

Ah yes -the famous anti Wales conspiracy.

I didn't see the ref disadvantaging the scarlets at all. What are you refering too?

eirebilly wrote:I really hope you guys do get the win and a 1/4 final stand.

TOL really just doesnt cut it anymore in my books, he has not been on form for a while now and is way to slow with his ditribution and decision making.

Is it form or is he just not good enough?
I dont think its a form issue with him.

Standulstermen wrote:Well done Munster. all but got a home QF now. Excellent.

With my Ulster hat on (and i will draw Rodders ire here as well) if we can beat Leicester and deny them a BP we are almost certain to have european rugby and quite possibly a HEC QF looking at the tables.

Good weekend for Irish rugby

....its all to play for stand and if we could get 3 Irish sides in the QF that would be fantastic.

Standulstermen wrote:Well done Munster. all but got a home QF now. Excellent.

With my Ulster hat on (and i will draw Rodders ire here as well) if we can beat Leicester and deny them a BP we are almost certain to have european rugby and quite possibly a HEC QF looking at the tables.

Good weekend for Irish rugby

With my realistic inquisitors hat on wouldn't an Amlin place be better in terms of getting further and winning silverware? Ulster are having a so so Pro12 season and a HEC QF might stretch them too thin, but their European form is very good, but maybe not good enough to trouble Toulouse etc. Amlin might be the way to go.

munkian wrote:What was the last penalty for ? Munster players went in for argy bargy and Scarletts get penalized ? Good game though , could of gone either way

Thomas took a swing, had he not have done then the penalty could have gone Scarlets way.

View, what are you on about Scarlets being robbed by the ref?

TJ wrote:

viewtothegym wrote:What a load of bull crap, Scarlets shafted by the Ref! how the hell can a team compete with this bull Poopie decisions?

It puts you of watching

Ah yes -the famous anti Wales conspiracy.

I didn't see the ref disadvantaging the scarlets at all. What are you refering too?

No need to insult the whole of Wales because you disagree with one post TJ.

Agree its not form , hes not a scrum half and never has been, its a shame a lot of people wont accept this because they are just denying the inevitable, which is that O'Leary is a rubbish 9 and should of been moved much earlier in his career.

Feagh McHugh wrote:
Is it form or is he just not good enough?
I dont think its a form issue with him.

I am hoping against all hope it is form but he may just not be good enough anymore

Shut up SKY with your "dark arts" line, it is what it is CHEATING.

BULL Poopie

good win by Munster, da iawn

Went into this match hoping for a LBP, now disappointed that that's all we've got. Our handling at key times was absolutely shocking, and so unlike us. It's so frustrating that in these two matches where Munster have looked really beatable, we've failed both times to make that step up. Missed chances galore.

Scarlets have only got themselves to blame.

Feagh McHugh wrote:TOL is on for his superior defense and his experience of playing with Rog...................................

He came on, kicked a stupid box kick which none of his teammates had any chance of chasing, ran backwards into the clutches of 3 defenders, (because of not communicating with ROG) conceding a penalty, and kicked an dodgy ball into touch which nearly rebounded of a defender.

The only good thing he did was kick it out at the end.

i'd say he got a severe slap on the head at the end.

He was dismal.

greybeard wrote:

Standulstermen wrote:Well done Munster. all but got a home QF now. Excellent.

With my Ulster hat on (and i will draw Rodders ire here as well) if we can beat Leicester and deny them a BP we are almost certain to have european rugby and quite possibly a HEC QF looking at the tables.

Good weekend for Irish rugby

With my realistic inquisitors hat on wouldn't an Amlin place be better in terms of getting further and winning silverware? Ulster are having a so so Pro12 season and a HEC QF might stretch them too thin, but their European form is very good, but maybe not good enough to trouble Toulouse etc. Amlin might be the way to go.

There is an argument for that Grey but to get out of this group would be a great acheivment in itself and to be in the top 8 in europe 2 years running would be massive for us. You never know and we were competitive at MK last year. Lot of rugby still to go but 2 weeks ago i would have said we had no chance of getting 10 points from aironi.

Anyway enough of the threadjack. Looks like home QF's for Munster and Leinster and thus avoiding Toulouse. Excellent stuff

View

Group up chief. You seriously need to learn how to lose.

Whatever happens best of luck either way, I was gutted for ulster two years ago when they were the bottom second place team and missed out on both comps. horrible way to end.

Lets not heap all the blame on TOL. Ok, he was absolutely shocking but Masi's brain freeze earlier should also be looked at. No vision at all and deaf as a post, i could hear Ronan calling for the pass and it was a try.

Earles moments later wasnt as bad but was not very good either. Munster should have been well out of sight before TOL's brain farts.

Standulstermen wrote:

View

Group up chief. You seriously need to learn how to lose.

+1

That;s true eirebilly. Couldn't believe neither Mafi or Earls passed there, although obviously glad from a Scarlets pov!

Standulstermen wrote:
View
Group up chief. You seriously need to learn how to lose.

He has plenty of knowledge on that score.

Just not graciously

Artful_Dodger wrote:Agree its not form , hes not a scrum half and never has been, its a shame a lot of people wont accept this because they are just denying the inevitable, which is that O'Leary is a rubbish 9 and should of been moved much earlier in his career.

I've been saying that for the past 2 seasons. He is clueless when he has the ball, he can't read the game and takes far to long to make a descision at the ruck. Munster perhaps should have let him go and kept Stringer. Murray, Reddan and Boss are miles ahead of him now.

That said he has played ok recently when he's came on bar today when he was shambolic.

eirebilly wrote:Lets not heap all the blame on TOL. Ok, he was absolutely shocking but Masi's brain freeze earlier should also be looked at. No vision at all and deaf as a post, i could hear Ronan calling for the pass and it was a try.

Time to try Keatley at twelve, even off the bench?

I'm amazed he hasn't seen a single minute of HEC game time yet. Or am I wrong there?

I honestly expected a close game rugbydreamer and if i was a Scarlets fan i would be very disappointed. Munster where there for the taking but for some shocking handling errors for Scarlets.

case and point, all the bandwagon Irish fans who haven't a clue a live in denial can't see what goes on at the breakdown,

Munster cheat like it or not they cheat simple as and the ref even threw decision their way,

Example munster box kick Scarlets scrum half chases back falls on the ball followed by two Munster forwards jumping on him whilst on the ground, ref gives Munster penalty for Scarlets hanging on! O'Gara bangs over 3 points.
You do know you have to at least let the player attempt to get to his feet before you tackle?

Last 20 was shocking Munster just lay all over the ball and Pearson just kept calling play on, Scarlets do it he pings them.

Just before the Scarlets try Munster fail to collect a chip through Scarlets gather less than a meter before the line Matthew Rees arrives to get the ball with no defenders to beat and pearson calls back for a scrum!!!!!!!!!!!!! WTF happened to advantage?

So don't make out Munster are some amazing team when they are not they are just amazing at getting carried trough by the refs.
So go do one.

that pretty much sums it up billy, hugely, hugely frustrating. Missed chances completely! Fingers crossed we can win now against Saints and Castres (neither guaranteed!) and then qualify in the runners up spot, it's still possible for us to do.

eirebilly wrote:Lets not heap all the blame on TOL. Ok, he was absolutely shocking but Masi's brain freeze earlier should also be looked at. No vision at all and deaf as a post, i could hear Ronan calling for the pass and it was a try.

Earles moments later wasnt as bad but was not very good either. Munster should have been well out of sight before TOL's brain farts.

Yeah that was unacceptable by both Mafi and Earls. Neither have the awareness needed. Munster will have to find something better in that midfield.

Cmon now lads , he's a little frustrated , Scarletts blew going ahead with poor handling.

Gracious winning goes a long way too

munkian wrote:Cmon now lads , he's a little frustrated , Scarletts blew going ahead with poor handling.

Gracious winning goes a long way too

+1

Keatley is a good option but not in the centres, he has to come on for ROG.

I honestly was worried with ROG's defense today, we all know that its not the best but he was skinned numerous times. A more clinical side would have punished Munster in the first 25mins today.

God i could punch my way through a mother efing wall right now, same every season Munster given everything they want.

eirebilly wrote:Keatley is a good option but not in the centres, he has to come on for ROG.

I honestly was worried with ROG's defense today, we all know that its not the best but he was skinned numerous times. A more clinical side would have punished Munster in the first 25mins today.

Yeah that's a problem too. Munster are strong in the pack and the back 3 are excellent when everyone is fit but that 10-13 axis is not good enough. ROG's spectacular drop goals and excellent goal kicking have masked the fact that he is not playing well with the ball in hand and has struggled in defence.

Scarlets are just the odd knock on and missed kick from being a very good side.
They just need to work on the basics then they will win the majority of their matches.
Well done Munster you managed to grind out another hard fought win.

munkian wrote:Cmon now lads , he's a little frustrated , Scarletts blew going ahead with poor handling.

Gracious winning goes a long way too

It certainly does. But nobody has rubbed Scarlets fans noses in it, but I think we should all be allowed the right to call out a whine when we see it.

Otherwise where's the fun?

Cymroglan wrote:Scarlets are just the odd knock on and missed kick from being a very good side.
They just need to work on the basics then they will win the majority of their matches.
Well done Munster you managed to grind out another hard fought win.

They need a top class 4 or 5 as well in my opinion, just missing that little bit of grit that other teams get from the likes of O'Connell. When Ulster brought in Johann Muller he made an unbelievable difference to our pack in every way. Think Scarlets could use a top class lock.

viewtothegym wrote:God i could punch my way through a mother efing wall right now, same every season Munster given everything they want.

Have you tried anger management view?

Cymroglan wrote:Scarlets are just the odd knock on and missed kick from being a very good side.
They just need to work on the basics then they will win the majority of their matches.
Well done Munster you managed to grind out another hard fought win.

Exactly. I am sure everyone enjoyed the game, it was spectacular. End to end stuff. If the Scarlets dont make it further than their pool this year they will take a lot from this HEC and be a far better side in the future.

Just have to try and hold on to their players.

View been there and got the shirt. Frustrating as hell when you lose but thats what happens sometimes.

Munster really need homeground advantage in the quarters as i cant see them doing well on their travels.

rugbdreamer, i think that Scarlets have the game to win their last 2 matches, work on the hadling and finishing and you will do well. The LBP today was really important i feel.