Munster 2013/14

First topic message reminder :

Some news of players leaving Munster.

Doug Howlett has announced his retirement.

Other departures from the current squad - besides Peter Stringer who remains with Bath, Marcus Horan who announced his retirement recently, Sean Scanlon (Rotherham Titans) and Sean Henry (Connacht) - include Wian du Preez who returns to his native South Africa, Scott Deasy and Christy Condon.

BJ Botha will continue on with Munster having signed a two year contract extension while Danny Barnes has not been re-contracted but is understood to have negotiated an opportunity to play abroad and news of that will be confirmed in the coming weeks.

Ah well. I tried. A mate of mine knows him........ Long story

Team up for Gloucester friendly


Munster: Denis Hurley; Andrew Conway, Casey Laulala , Ivan Dineen, Johne Murphy; Ian Keatley, Duncan Williams; James Cronin, Mike Sherry, John Ryan; Donncha O’Callaghan, Billy Holland; CJ Stander, Niall Ronan, James Coughlan.

Replacements from: Niall Scannell, Duncan Casey, Alan Cotter, Stephen Archer, Paddy Ryan, Ian Nagle, Dave Foley, Danny Kenny, Willie Ryan, Shane Buckley, Barry O’Mahony, Cathal Sheridan, Gerry Hurley, JJ Hanrahan, Johnny Holland, Cian Bohane, Mike Kelleher, Niall Kenneally, Ronan O’Mahony.


Lots of new faces there esppecially on the bench.

POC has a future on some reality tv shows:

http://www.thescore.ie/munster-job-interview-video-1050806-Aug2013/

The shop assistant promotion was excellent last year.

Great win against Glaws yesterday, we were brilliant and everyone was brilliant and even though we didn't win anything last year we should have 12 starters on the Irish team against the All Blacks.....ZZZZZZZZZzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.....oh hang on I woke up from my nap...for a second there I thought I was an Ulster supporter...

Up the Rebels...(A decent summer and Cork in an All Ireland Final - like old days or what Sin É)

 (Ulsterfans)

I heard that CJ & Casey were outstanding and the rest were all fairly good. It seems that CJ was pretty good in the lineout as well.

If another person tells me the hurling has been great this summer I'll belt them  

Sin é wrote:

If another person tells me the hurling has been great this summer I'll belt them  

Yeah. My "Live and breath hurling" Tipperary cousins are not impressed that Dublin went further than them OK. (And beat Killkenny......)

It's funny how they went all quiet on the banter front. Was almost as bad as May 09.

Jenifer McLadyboy wrote:

Sin é wrote:

If another person tells me the hurling has been great this summer I'll belt them  

Yeah. My "Live and breath hurling" Tipperary cousins are not impressed that Dublin went further than them OK with the help of an ex-Tipp player. (And beat Killkenny......)

It's funny how they went all quiet on the banter front. Was almost as bad as May 09.

Fixed that for you. Happy with Dublin doing well - my cousin has been working as a Dublin Hurling Dev Officer with GAA for the last few years - has coached a lot of the Dublin players.  

Sin é wrote: (Ulsterfans)

I heard that CJ & Casey were outstanding and the rest were all fairly good. It seems that CJ was pretty good in the lineout as well.

If another person tells me the hurling has been great this summer I'll belt them  

I'll tell you after Sept 8th if its been a great summer for hurling, or for mad little leprechauns....

Nice win last night Sin É, good crowd as well (>6K). Ronan O'Mahony looks as if he will challenge this year. Keatley played well but JJ made a big difference when he came on. Lots of mistakes early on but still good. Casey looks like he is starting to play as expected. Good stuff all round.

By all accounts Munster have put in their best pre season in a while. The squad is looking stronger too and they're targeting a good league campaign this season. The players look more comfortable playing the Canterbury style and I think Rob Penney is a top quality coach. I have a feeling Munster are becoming a team to be feared again! Bring on the new season!!

*Honestly coming from Belfast I think Munster have more to look forward to than any other Irish province next season, the transition is almost complete.

*POC's fitness permitting

ME-109 wrote:

Sin é wrote: (Ulsterfans)

I heard that CJ & Casey were outstanding and the rest were all fairly good. It seems that CJ was pretty good in the lineout as well.

If another person tells me the hurling has been great this summer I'll belt them  

I'll tell you after Sept 8th if its been a great summer for hurling, or for mad little leprechauns....

Hey Sin É still in the balance if its a good year for hurling or leprechauns. Ah in the beginning there was Christy Ring and he begat JBM...long time before BOD (the false God).

Munster Heineken Cup Squad:

Denis Hurley, Felix Jones, Simon Zebo, Keith Earls, Ronan O’Mahony, James Downey, Johne Murphy, Casey Laulala Ivan Dineen, Andrew Conway, Ian Keatley, JJ Hanrahan, Conor Murray, Cathal Sheridan, Duncan Williams.

Stephen Archer, BJ Botha, Alan Cotter, James Cronin, Dave Kilcoyne, John Ryan, Niall Scannell, Duncan Casey, Mike Sherry, Damien Varley, Dave Foley, Billy Holland, Ian Nagle, Dave O’Callaghan, Donncha O’Callaghan, Paul O’Connell, Donnacha Ryan, Paddy Butler, Sean Dougall, Peter O’Mahony, Niall Ronan, CJ Stander, James Coughlan.

Tommy O'Donnell replaced due to injury?

Guaranteed to miss the first 2 rounds. they can sub him in if he is fit by December.

Munster A team announced. CJ Stander dropped for the away trip to Perpignan.


Munster A: Ronan O'Mahony; Darren Sweetnam, Cian Bohane, Niall Kenneally, Alex Wootton; Johnny Holland, Gerry Hurley; Alan Cotter, Niall Scannell (Capt), John Ryan; Ian Nagle, Billy Holland; Dave O'Callaghan, Barry O'Mahony, CJ Stander.

Replacements: Max Abbott, Brian Scott, Darren O'Shea, Shane Buckley, Brian Haugh, Dan Goggin, Rory Scannell

Stander will surely leave at the end of the season. Deserves a lot more than getting an A game.

It must be down to his attitude cos his performances on the pitch have been good.

Any munster fans have any insider info?

Donnacha Ryan probably going to London Irish next season.

Welly wrote:Donnacha Ryan probably going to London Irish next season.

Check out these Munster fans:



Podolski, Cazorla and Ozil.

GunsGerms wrote:

Welly wrote:Donnacha Ryan probably going to London Irish next season.

Check out these Munster fans:



Podolski, Cazorla and Ozil.

What's the Gunners connection with Munster anyway apart from both playing in red

Jerry Flannery. Strength and conditioning coach at Arsenal.

Guy on Planetrugby who usually knows his stuff says Ryan has signed on for 3 years

Stand - hes staying with Munster for 3 years or signed with London Irish for 3 years?

Apologies Dodger. Rumour was he is a Munsterman for 3 more years. Good news if true. We need to keep our players here. If the welsh do bugger off I think we need to look at reviving the interpros and keeping our best players is essential to that

GunsGerms wrote:Jerry Flannery. Strength and conditioning coach at Arsenal.

They did a similar version for Clare in the All Ireland.

Fla's take on it:

"I wasn’t responsible for the ‘Up The Banner’ picture of Lukas Podolski and Santi Cazorla that appeared online last Saturday. The facts are that the two lads are massive hurling fans and I’m fairly sure Santi has a mobile home in Kilkee whilst Podolski is often seen surfing in Lahinch. They’re practically Clare men."

He is a gas man!

Fla is some man for the craic. Have had a few chats with him on twitter. Didn't know he was at arsenal.

Copeland man of the match for Blues again - looks like a great signing for Munster.

Right, that's me set. France 2 showing Munster

POM with a yellow card for defending himself against two players punching him with the ref saying he should have stopped???

And the penalty is for Munster... Very odd.

Two harsh yellows there. Just a bit of pushing by POM and the Perp hooker.  If anyone was to go i thought it would be the Perpignan 6.

Why does the Ref go to the TMO and not let him give an opinion on it?

Not to mention the first penalty conceded by POC (correct decision) but the Perp 9 kicks him and the ref then tells him not to do that...

How that was a penalty I also don't know. He was committed to the tackle.

Rafael Ibanez just said that Perp are getting the rub of the green here with the decisions, home game so a little understandable.

Ye definitly seemed he was influenced by the crowd, but if its a penalty its surely a yellow?

Allan looks a good player. I'd like to see him in the 6 nations.

Get the feeling there will be a few more cards shown in this game

Perp are in all the time with afters... This is getting silly.


Agree Golden, if it was a penalty then it should have been a yellow.

Ref gives 2 YCs to show he is "in control" and then lets the afters continue. Could be a long afternoon.

Great kick Keatley

Shocking knock on

Not even an attempt at a tackle, should have been a Munster penalty...

perpignan pretty good for their lead. only team who look dangerous ball in hand outside the forwards. some obstructions from munster they have gotten away with to create a couple of their line breaks.

2nd half munster 6 or 7 are going to go to the bin if they keep infringing at the breakdown and around the ruck, especially with the ref being influenced by the home crowd.

i think perpignan take this by 15 with at least a couple of second half tries.

Munster have made a couple of breaks themselves quins and have looked very decent with ball in hand. A lot of handling errors have cost Munster field position.

I see that Perp are infringing more around the rucks than Munster, also their scrum has been taken apart and the ref is giving them a lot of leeway there.

I also think that Perp will win from here but I think that it will be closer than 15 points.

When is a penalty try going to be given here?

Finally

Nachos Jones wrote:Finally

So nervous in those sitations, Nachos, it is especially well done to get the penalty try

KiaRose wrote:

Nachos Jones wrote:Finally

So nervous in those sitations, Nachos, it is especially well done to get the penalty try

I just thought that he was going to keep on penalising there.

Interesting to see Sheridan box-kicking. It wasn't part of his game at all last week and he hasn't done much of it in his Rabo games.

He has done well with the box kicks Kia but I have been more impressed with Munster's chasing of them.

Back in the lead

Well done Keatley