Scarlets V Munster PYS Sat

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Preview: Scarlets v Munster

Scarlets have won their last two fixtures at Parc y Scarlets, over Leicester in the Anglo-Welsh Cup and Connacht in the RaboDirect PRO12.

Munster have won five of their last six contests in all competitions. The Munstermen have won their last two away games in the RaboDirect PRO12, but have not won three in a row on the road in the same season in the tournament since 2010/11.
Scarlets beat Munster 13-6 at Musgrave Park in round nine, and have not completed a league double over the Munstermen since 2003/04.

At Parc y Scarlets , 6.30pm Live on S4C/RTE Sport
Referee: Dudley Phillips (IRFU, 31st competition game)
Assistant Referees: Neil Hennessy, Simon Rees (both WRU)
Citing Commissioner: Russell Howell (WRU)
TMO: Gareth Simmonds (WRU)

SCARLETS -
Gareth Owen,
Liam Williams,
Gareth Maule,
Adam Warren,
Andy Fenby,
Owen Williams,
Aled Davies,

Phil John,
Emyr Phillips
Jacobie Adriaanse
George Earle
Johan Synman
Rob McCusker (capt)
Josh Turnbull
Kieran Murphy.

Replacements: 16 Kirby Myhill, 17 Rhodri Jones, 18 Samson Lee, 19 Jake Ball, 20 Johnathan Edwards, 21 Gareth Davies, 22 Aled Thomas 23 Nick Reynolds.

MUNSTER -

I Keatley;
D Hurley,
I Dineen,
JJ Hanrahan,
J Murphy;
R O’Gara,
D Williams;

W du Preez,
M Sherry,
BJ Botha;
D O’Callaghan,
I Nagle;
CJ Stander,
T O’Donnell,
P Butler.

Replacements: D Varley, J Ryan, S Archer, B Holland, S Dougall, C Sheridan, D Barnes, C Laulala.

valjester wrote:

BlueMuff wrote:Dreadful stuff but want to say good was Sherry tonight. He is pure class

He was unlucky to be binned, I'd have him ahead of Cronin atm if I'm completely honest.

He has big future ahead of him.

Well that was awful

valjester wrote:

glamorganalun wrote:LaLaLa is not doing very well everybody knows he is not going to pass, he is better when the back line is moving forward.

He has been a terrible signing for Munster, absolutely beyond poor.

He was very good for the Blues although his tackling was not always great.

BlueMuff wrote:

valjester wrote:

BlueMuff wrote:Dreadful stuff but want to say good was Sherry tonight. He is pure class

He was unlucky to be binned, I'd have him ahead of Cronin atm if I'm completely honest.

He has big future ahead of him.

Yep, still lots of aspects to improve on but he has shown that he is willing to work, and most importantly the fundamentals of his game are solid.
His throwing is a joy to watch, really great technique.

Red Stag's older brother is having a mare. Dudley Phillips

Thanks Declan Kidney. The ROG selection is crippling Munster this season. The Scottish coaches will be praying he starts next week. If he does get your money on Scotland. Even his kicking from the ground was shocking tonight.

profitius wrote:Thanks Declan Kidney. The ROG selection is crippling Munster this season. The Scottish coaches will be praying he starts next week. If he does get your money on Scotland. Even his kicking from the ground was shocking tonight.

The fact that Fitzy was starting at 15 today for Leinster proves Kidders has an input on who gets selected for the provinces.

I can't see either of those two sides winning the play off's even with their internationals back. If Ulster/Leinster want to win the Pro12 they should give points to Scarlets to keep the Ospreys out of the top 4.

DOD wrote:Seems to be a couple of stray blue rinses around...a shocking Munster team no less...stick to the cupcakes love

I think I'll ask that Munster team to help me bake them

Laulala was never going to be a wonder signing, thats why the Blues didn't put up too much of a fight in letting him go.

He can break the line now and then but his game is based around his show and go style, once teams figured out his reluctance on a simple pass he could be gotten to, and the Blues must've known that was coming.

Good player who thrives when the chips are down or when his team are dominant out wide, and Munster are neither at the minute.

Plus he's a bit of an arse, and couldn't see many Munster players suiting his arrogance.

Tigers and Munster in the same month

Laulala is a testement to the phrase...

'When playing well use foreign interest to leverage a better deal, not go searching for a better deal from foreign interest'

thebluesmancometh wrote:Laulala was never going to be a wonder signing, thats why the Blues didn't put up too much of a fight in letting him go.

He can break the line now and then but his game is based around his show and go style, once teams figured out his reluctance on a simple pass he could be gotten to, and the Blues must've known that was coming.

Good player who thrives when the chips are down or when his team are dominant out wide, and Munster are neither at the minute.

Plus he's a bit of an arse, and couldn't see many Munster players suiting his arrogance.

Let's be honest, the Blues could not afford his asking price, it looks like it has turned out well for the Blues although they have been crap this year.

Listen to these guys on RTE is hilarious. They are talking like these last two games are the only bad games ROG has had.

glamorganalun wrote:I can't see either of those two sides winning the play off's even with their internationals back. If Ulster/Leinster want to win the Pro12 they should give points to Scarlets to keep the Ospreys out of the top 4.

Scarlets have a handy run in bar next week. They could easily make the playoffs. Ospreys have 3 tough away games. Munster have Ospreys and Leinster at home and Glasgow away.

glam

Your right, once anyone showed a sniff Laulala's demands went through the roof (typical of a guy who conducts himself as he did though) and the Blues knew they would lose him, I'm not saying they wouldn't have resigned him if they could, but he was always going to be worked out due to his strengths being just physical attributes teams could quantify and deal with!

Jenifer McLadyboy wrote:

glamorganalun wrote:I can't see either of those two sides winning the play off's even with their internationals back. If Ulster/Leinster want to win the Pro12 they should give points to Scarlets to keep the Ospreys out of the top 4.

Scarlets have a handy run in bar next week. They could easily make the playoffs. Ospreys have 3 tough away games. Munster have Ospreys and Leinster at home and Glasgow away.

That is true statement, Munster is not looking difficult at the and like Leinster the Ospreys have a good record, the hardest game is Glasgow.

viewtothegym wrote:Tigers and Munster in the same month

I take it Scarlets beat Tigers in the LV=. Did they make the semis? Sorry, I don't really follow that competition.

You have to come to us last though. Both teams will know what's at stake.

Hound_of_Harrow wrote:

viewtothegym wrote:Tigers and Munster in the same month

I take it Scarlets beat Tigers in the LV=. Did they make the semis? Sorry, I don't really follow that competition.

Tigers come to town with Chuter,Mulipola,Stankovich,Waldrom,Goneva,Hamilton and Murphy.
Scarlets had a bunch of kids, lets also remember Cockerills comments how the Tigers never play in a dead rubber game.

Fair play. As I said, I can't get into a competition where a team can lose all its games and qualify. Plain daft is the LV=.

LeinsterFan4life wrote:Listen to these guys on RTE is hilarious. They are talking like these last two games are the only bad games ROG has had.

Its progress though, the media seem finally to be waking up and realising that Rog's time is gone.

Hound_of_Harrow wrote:Fair play. As I said, I can't get into a competition where a team can lose all its games and qualify. Plain daft is the LV=.

Yep agree on the LV being a strange and pointless comp, but when i saw the Tigers team sheet before kickoff i thought the Scarlets would have done well to get anything over six points on the board.

To be fair our forwards did a top rate niggling job. Not sure if it came over on the tv well or not. Phil John won us a pen by niggling their winger into shoving him, then DOCs lip gave us ten yards. I think we won the battle mentally, and that caused Munster to lose the game as opposed to us winning it. But a win is a win and all that.

valjester wrote:

LeinsterFan4life wrote:Listen to these guys on RTE is hilarious. They are talking like these last two games are the only bad games ROG has had.

Its progress though, the media seem finally to be waking up and realising that Rog's time is gone.

It's cynical and its hypocritical. They have very obviously turned a blind eye to his failings when it suited the agenda of their paper or broadcaster, but they'll turn on him just as quickly should if think its suits them to. The same pundits who were suggesting ROG could even go on the Lions Tour (ahem, Conor George) may well be throwing him to the Lions if they realise that angle will play better.

Now I know the nature of ROG is when you do criticise him, people assume you do it because its personal. Truth is, I have an enormous amount of respect for what he has achieved. I don't see the point in pretending that he is playing as well as he can right now, I think it's damaging for everyone, but the respect I have for what he has given us earlier in his career can't ever be diluted. The whole situation is sad.

Marcus Horan said something about the Irish media once, can't remember exactly but it was like- The pat you get on the back isn't far from a kick up the arse. It's true.

Notch wrote:

valjester wrote:

LeinsterFan4life wrote:Listen to these guys on RTE is hilarious. They are talking like these last two games are the only bad games ROG has had.

Its progress though, the media seem finally to be waking up and realising that Rog's time is gone.

It's cynical and its hypocritical. They have very obviously turned a blind eye to his failings when it suited the agenda of their paper or broadcaster, but they'll turn on him just as quickly should if think its suits them to. The same pundits who were suggesting ROG could even go on the Lions Tour (ahem, Conor George) may well be throwing him to the Lions if they realise that angle will play better.

Now I know the nature of ROG is when you do criticise him, people assume you do it because its personal. Truth is, I have an enormous amount of respect for what he has achieved. I don't see the point in pretending that he is playing as well as he can right now, I think it's damaging for everyone, but the respect I have for what he has given us earlier in his career can't ever be diluted. The whole situation is sad.

Marcus Horan said something about the Irish media once, can't remember exactly but it was like- The pat you get on the back isn't far from a kick up the arse. It's true.

As someone who works in the media, I apologise slightly for the way we carry on, sometimes it is necessary, but in sport especially in smaller places it is harder to criticise without getting yourself, and your organisation into trouble.

On ROG, I'm disappointed that he didn't retire at his peak, because I think we would all have preferred to remember his best games. I think it would be fair to say that if every Irish player had Rog's mentality and arrogance, Ireland would have beaten the All Blacks in the past 10 years, and would not have such problems against France.

thought aled davies had one of the best performances in a scarlet 9 shirt i've seen in a long time. also owen williams looks like the real deal -tavis and priestland will have their work cut out for them to regain a starting position.

http://www.irishtimes.com/sports/rugby/2013/0216/1224330152971.html

Match report on the Irish Times website. Very different take on it to just a few weeks ago. In the world of Sport journalism things are very binary. A player doesn't slowly get worse; one day he is the messiah but the next he is a very naughty boy.

I know how it is Val, it's understandable but it's frustrating too. What can I say? If you don't pay for journalism, you won't get good work. But I wouldn't pay for what we get. But what we get is what we get because it has to be sensationalist to generate page hits online. Which is of course what we give it.

thebluesmancometh wrote:Laulala is a testement to the phrase...

'When playing well use foreign interest to leverage a better deal, not go searching for a better deal from foreign interest'

You know, I was wondering where that well known phrase came from...

pioden gorllewin wrote:thought aled davies had one of the best performances in a scarlet 9 shirt i've seen in a long time. also owen williams looks like the real deal -tavis and priestland will have their work cut out for them to regain a starting position.

Agree with this for the most part. I do think we miss Knoyle's abrasiveness around the tackle areas at times though and he'll be back in but will need to be on form. Priestland a year ago was spoken about as a possible Lions 10, now his place at regional level is being questioned. People are blinded by his poor place kicking which of course isn't a problem for Wales with Halfpenny in the side. It becomes a major deal at the Scarlets though. We have 2 other FH's who can both kick better than him, he's still a class player but he's really going to be up against it when he returns. He could catch some splinters as a utility back I guess but when JD, Williams and North return as well as the boys playing at the moment the bench is even going to be a struggle. Even the fullback position is covered well now with Sanjay and Owen. It's great for the team, everyone has to be on form and play themselves into contention, including Priestland.

As for yesterdays game. It wasn't the prettiest but it was a win. Munster didn't look themselves and couldn't play in the right areas. ROG was poor and the ref was inconsistent. We tried to play in Munsters half whenever possible and looked like we wanted to run the ball when we had the opportunity. We took our chances and won. If we can get something against Leinster then I'll be surprised if we don't make the playoffs this year.

so many options at 10 for next season priestland, owen williams, s shingler, jordan williams, dan newton and gareth owen. same with the 9's, although can't see them all staying this summer.

agreed not the prettiest of wins, but last time we did the double over munster was back in the 03/04 season - for a fair young team it was a great result.

pioden gorllewin wrote:so many options at 10 for next season priestland, owen williams, s shingler, jordan williams, dan newton and gareth owen. same with the 9's, although can't see them all staying this summer.

agreed not the prettiest of wins, but last time we did the double over munster was back in the 03/04 season - for a fair young team it was a great result.

Considering some of the pretty loses we have had against them, almost scoring winning tries in dying moments, I am more than happy with two ugly wins.

It's good to see after claims the Scarlets look good and lose much like Wales, both can front up and win when needed.

overlordofthewest wrote:It's good to see after claims the Scarlets look good and lose much like Wales, both can front up and win when needed.

Lets see how yiz do next week. can you do another Irish double? Leinster used to get whitewashed in Wales back in the mid noughties. didn't lose at home too often.

We are still smarting from the loss in 07. Worst loss ever.

It's a biggie for both sides this one. Leinster are clear favourites and are expected to win - for good reason. If we can play in the right areas and front up we'll be in with a shout. If there's only a score in it in the last 15 minutes it'll be very interesting.

Jenifer McLadyboy wrote:

overlordofthewest wrote:It's good to see after claims the Scarlets look good and lose much like Wales, both can front up and win when needed.

Lets see how yiz do next week. can you do another Irish double? Leinster used to get whitewashed in Wales back in the mid noughties. didn't lose at home too often.

We are still smarting from the loss in 07. Worst loss ever.

If it is any coloslation i woke up with no money in my wallet and my worst ever hangover the following morning.

The match next week has a fair bit of pride riding on it, after the openning game for you and after the hec for us.

Well done to Scarlets. Managed the game better and deserved the win. Really unhappy at Munsters approach.

As Scarlet Spiderman says we lost the battle mentally.