Munster v Treviso

Munster have made two changes to the team that beat Edinburgh. Stephen Archer gets a chance to shine at tighthead instead of BJ Botha while Dave O'Callaghan (no relation to Donncha O'Callaghan) comes into the backrow:

01 Wian du Preez
02 Damien Varley
03 Stephen Archer
04 Donncha O'Callaghan
05 Billy Holland
06 Dave O'Callaghan
07 Sean Dougall
08 James Coughlan
09 Duncan Williams
10 Ian Keatley
11 Luke O'Dea
12 James Downey
13 Casey Laulala
14 Doug Howlett
15 Denis Hurley

16 Mike Sherry
17 Dave Kilcoyne
18 BJ Botha
19 Dave Foley
20 Paddy Butler
21 Peter Stringer
22 Scott Deasy
23 Ivan Dineen

No complaints from me with this. We need to develop our tight heads and although I think Paddy Butler is a potentially better player than O'Callaghan, he is not suited to playing at #6. Bringing himself, Peter Stringer, Mike Sherry and BJ Botha on late in the game will be a sucker punch to Treviso (who still haven't named their team).

Im quite confident about this one and would be hopeful for a bonus point win.

I'm excited for this one. I think it will test us against an strong side that will keep it tight. Last week it was esier to play open as both teams wanted it but with treviso it will show if they have a chance of being an NZ style team of being stong but also being open when we have the ball.

We don't want to see Munster revert to a 10 man game just to compete and forget about the signs of back play we saw last week.

I don't think its fair to label teams with a style of play.

It is fair to lable teams and there manager with a style of play.

eg Arsenal used to be 1-0 to the Arsenal, and boring boring Arsenal, but now they are one of the best passing (closest to Baca) best to watch teams in the prem. You can't say Arsenal play a typical boring game, and don't forget the Leeds Utd boxing club.

Anyway point is teams play how the manager sets them up, therefore we can't say that munster will play a typical forward dominated game, that they used to play as they have a new coach in Rob Penney in charge.

This is like Boring boring Arsenal turning into the invincables, Forward dominated boring Munster, into a slick New Zealand Super 15 ,style team, it will be intresting to watch.

To be the top team in Ireland over the last 6/7 years has meant being basicaly the top team in Europe, even the 2nd team in Ireland is a very tough position to get, and it will be intresting to see who is the 2nd team in Ireland durning this season.

Would be expecting a win anything less would be a big disappointment. We played good stuff last week ad back in the day we were never as broing as people said we were. If people say Munster play like Ireland do now then those are what we call idiots.

Kingshu what I was saying is want to see Munster play like they did last week and not revert to 10 man rubgy if treviso are trying to arm wrestle them.

Penny wants them to be slick where it is get in with force and secure ball and quickly get it moving again. That is what I want to see. I don't want to see stick it up the jumper because Treviso are armwrestling like they would have done before.

Munster will win and should get 5 points but a hard fought game but I want them to stick with the style like we saw with Leinster when they were getting beat in the first five games under Smit.

I see a comfortable win, but no bonus point. Treviso to be obstinate enough to force you to rely on kicking points.

I can see a bonus point if they go down to 13/14 men however.

They wilol be hard to beat but I think we can get 4 tries two in each half will be ok. I do think we may have to go for corners at important times and not just kick the goals.

Downey has suprised me a little and him and Lualua will be fine creating the tries needed as they are strong so will cause overlaps

But they have to stick to the plan or we'll never be slick with the munster force at the breakdown

I'd like to think that there is a bonus point win there.

I definitely think that its a good impact bench especially Butler (ball carrying in the pack), Botha (improve the scrums massively), Stringer (bullet pass) and Sherry (ball carrying).

If Munster are ahead with 60 minutes on the clock then these guys can really help us pull away from Treviso.

I'm expecting a few more tries from Munster this season. They looked very good in patches against Edinburgh. Early days yet but after the horrible rugby of the last few seasons its good tofinally see Munster play quality rugby again.

Munster to score at least 3 tries IMO. Treviso will score one or two also because Munster have not been concentrating on defense much.

Defense is definitely my biggest worry this year.

Against La Rochelle - Conceded 4 Tries
Against London Irish - 3 Tries
Against Edinburgh - Conceded 3 Tries

Thats not really good enough especially when we come up against Saracens, Leinster, Scarlets, Ospreys, Ulster etc.

Treviso Team Named:

01 Michele Rizzo
02 Enrico Ceccato
03 Lorenzo Cittadini
04 Antonio Pavanello (capitano)
05 Valerio Bernabò
06 Simone Favaro
07 Dean Budd
08 Paul Derbyshire
09 Edoardo Gori
10 Alberto Di Bernardo
11 Tommaso Iannone
12 Luca Morisi
13 Alberto Sgarbi
14 Ludovico Nitoglia
15 Brendan Williams

16 Giovanni Maistri
17 Alberto De Marchi
18 Ignacio Fernandez-Rouyet
19 Corniel Van Zyl
20 Robert Barbieri
21 Alessandro Zanni
22 Fabio Semenzato
23 Kristopher Burton

I'm quite confident after seeing this. No Benvenuti, No Zanni, No Ghiraldini, No Botes.

Obviously the cliché is that they won't be easy etc but we should certainly win. If we don't win this match we have no business aspiring for trophies.