Questions for Munster moving forward

First topic message reminder :

- Has emerging loose head prop David Kilcoyne done enough to retain his starting place over his more experienced South African colleague Wian du Preez.

- At hooker is it Mike Sherry or Damian Varley who should be starting.

- What will the make up of our back row be - We have got Donnacha Ryan, Peter O'Mahony, Niall Ronan, CJ Stander, Tommy O'Donnell, Paddy Butler, Sean Dougall, Dave O'Callaghan and James Coughlan to choose from. It is very hard to choose from.

- Ian Keatley or Ronan O'Gara? Or both with Keatley playing as a fullback. Obviously with O'Gara injured Keatley is getting a good run with youngster JJ Hanrahan getting the chance for game time too.

- Keith Earls - he has to play somewhere but where? On the left wing? With Laulala in the centre? With Downey in the centre? At fullback?

- Are Laulala and Earls too similar to play in the centre. Do we need a big lump like James Downey to give us go forward ball in the backs.

- Fullback - a very very very open position. Keith Earls, Felix Jones, Denis Hurley and Ian Keatley are all real contenders for the starting berth.

rodders wrote:

Sin é wrote:
He can be if he is just back being integrated into his club from a world cup final which France lost! Most his time that season was on France duty.

The game was 7 months after the RWC. The man must need a fair bit of intergration

World Cup Final: 23rd October 2011.

Ulster v Clermont: 12 Nov (Rougerie & King v Cave & Wallace)
Clermont v Ulster: 21 January 2012. (Rougerie & Fofana v Whitten & Wallace)

Hookisms and Hyperbole wrote:Bless your cotton socks Sin, making up examples of things that others did to praise Earls. Its sad really. I know plenty about Munster thanks, and I know the fans of the provincial team aren't represented by people of your ilk. Thank goodness.

What do you mean by 'ilk'?

All you have to offer to this debate is anti-Leinster and anti-Ulster tourettes. I'll give you an example. In this scenario I am a Munster fans with Sin tourettes. And......action!
'Oh, hello Rodders, how are you? Have you been working out, look at the size of those guns you're...JONATHAN SEXTON....packing. Why yes thank you, I have lost some...DARREN CAVE...weight. Thanks for noticing. Unfortunately I am not going to the Edinburgh match tonight as...ANDREW TRIMBLE...SAFFERS...SAFFERS....its my wedding anniversary on Monday'.

All you have to offer when we discuss Earls faults is irrelevant Youtube clips that only reinforce our point that Earls can deliver but does so inconsistently. As I've said before if Earls was on form he'd be a cert in the Irish team for me- on the wing. He excels in broken play. On the other hand in more structured play he doesn't play heads up rugby, he isn't good enough at creating space for others.

There are none so blind as those who refuse to see. Pretty much every coach Earls has had rates him. And his newest coach sees him as a 13 and has selected him ahead of Casey Lauala to play in the 13 slot when fit.

On the other hand Darren Cave, who you brought into this discussion not me, had been excelling in a better team, outplayed Earls (who played pretty well that day too) when we knocked out out at fortress Thomond. In fact he was in some publications best 13 in the european cup last season, and was also highlighted for his excellent form not not ultimately picked by the Sunday Times and Sky Sports. He's not as quick as Earls, who is? He is certainly not as good a finisher. He he runs good lines, he makes space for others unselfishly. Moreover he is a 13. Earls only thinks he is. But sure, we are only top of the league. He must be terrible!

Listen here - all Ulster did when they came to Munster was tackle, tackle, tackle. Some of them were illegal, and if Afoa had been red carded for his tackle on Felix Jones Munster too might have been found out by Leinster in the final.

Cave hasn't got the pace of international rugby which shifts up a gear or two. While his defence was good last season, it seems to be gone to the dogs this season. Missing 7 tackles against Cardiff Blues is tag rugby standard.

Sin é wrote:
World Cup Final: 23rd October 2011.

Ulster v Clermont: 12 Nov (Rougerie & King v Cave & Wallace)
Clermont v Ulster: 21 January 2012. (Rougerie & Fofana v Whitten & Wallace)

ah sure 7 months wasn't far out, sure we all exaggerate from time to time....