Pro12 FINAL - Glasgow Warriors v Munster Rugby, 30 May

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31 GLASGOW WARRIORS v MUNSTER RUGBY 13
Saturday 30 May 2015
KO: 18:30
Ravenhill, Belfast

Live on Sky Sports/TG4/BBC Sport Scotland

Referee: Nigel Owens (WRU, 127th competition game)
Assistant Referees: 1) Ian Davies, 2) Sean Brickell, 4) Gwyn Morris, 5) Wayne Davies (all WRU )
Citing Commissioner: Stefano Marrama (FIR)
TMO: Derek Bevan (WRU)

A. Head to Head - Aggregate

25 Played 25
9 Wins 15
15 Losses 9
1 Draws 1
46 Tries 63
36 Conversions 42
64 Penalties 54
1 Drop Goals 1
491 Points 564
25 Avg. Age 27

B. Head to Head - Recently

Sat 28 Feb 2015 - Munster Rugby 22 - 10 Glasgow Warriors

Sat 20 Dec 2014 - Glasgow Warriors 21 - 18 Munster Rugby

Fri 16 May 2014 (PO) -  Glasgow Warriors 16 - 15 Munster Rugby

Sat 12 Apr 2014 - Munster Rugby 5 - 22 Glasgow Warriors

Fri 25 Oct 2013 - Glasgow Warriors 6 - 13 Munster Rugby

C. Run-In

Glasgow Warriors

22/05/15 - Glasgow 16 - 14 Ulster

16/05/15 Glasgow 32 - 10 Ulster

08/05/15 Ospreys 21 - 10 Glasgow

Munster Rugby

23/05/15 Munster 21 - 18 Ospreys

16/05/15 Munster 50 - 27 Dragons

09/05/15 Ulster 23 - 23 Munster

D. Teams

Glasgow Warriors

Stuart Hogg, Tommy Seymour, Richie Vernon, Peter Horne, DTH van der Merwe, Finn Russell, Henry Pyrgos, Gordon Reid, Dougie Hall, Rossouw de Klerk, Leone Nakarawa, Jonny Gray, Rob Harley, Ryan Wilson, Josh Strauss (captain).

Replacements: Fraser Brown, Jerry Yanuyanutawa, Jon Welsh, Al Kellock, Chris Fusaro, Niko Matawalu, Duncan Weir, Sean Lamont.

Munster Rugby

Felix Jones; Keith Earls, Andrew Smith, Denis Hurley (captain), Simon Zebo; Ian Keatley, Duncan Williams; Dave Kilcoyne, Eusebio Guinazu, BJ Botha; Billy Holland, Paul O'Connell; Donnacha Ryan, Paddy Butler, CJ Stander.

Replacements: Duncan Casey, James Cronin, Stephen Archer, Sean Dougall, Jack O'Donoghue, Cathal Sheridan, JJ Hanrahan, Ronan O'Mahony.

I think Munster will give Glasgow's pack a bit of a do'in. Munster I think will just be too strong sadly.

I was surprised by how Ospreys handled the Munster pack, i think Glasgow should be looking at doing the same as i don't think O's have a better pack than The Warriors.

Is it true that Munster didn't concede a single penalty at the scrum in the semi final?

No doubt its the best 2 coaches in the league going head to head. Our problem is that apart from the game v Bath in the non-Heino (where we ripped them a new one), we have not played for 80 mins all season. The never say die attitude of the lads is to be praised though. The levels of fitness are also rather good to keep it up. Watch how Ulster faded in the last 20 last Friday and the previous Saturday and we played out onto 80+mins.

Anyway interesting to see what Toonie's Tombola of Selection will come up with this week. In Toonie we trust !

WHATEVER IT TAKES

21st Century Schizoid Man wrote:No doubt its the best 2 coaches in the league going head to head.

No way is Foley better than Pat Lam - what hotels where you looking at - there should be loads?

Personally I always though the botanic area.. queens quarter or whatever they call it now was pretty handy for Ravenhill - depends what you want though...

Glasgow fans are having real problems getting accommodation from what I've seen on Twitter. A real lack of hotels with availability.

VinceWLB wrote:I was surprised by how Ospreys handled the Munster pack, i think Glasgow should be looking at doing the same as i don't think O's have a better pack than The Warriors.

Glasgow have gone something like 6 games unbeaten against the Ospreys now and so I would say that their packs are at least comparable.

What Munster has, I think, is more settled units where everyone knows their job and it that sort of fluency which concerns me - rather than any sort of general asbestos underpants views about their quality of player being higher (which I don't believe that they are).

It's not just the set piece that I'm worried about from Munster, if they get momentum up (as they did against Edinburgh) their driven maul and pace and power of their carrying game is near unstoppable. Just as Glasgow's backs are near unplayable if they get let loose with some momentum.

So Munster's forwards or Glasgow's backs - whoever gets the most momentum and opportunities to shine will win I reckon.

RDW_Scotland wrote:Glasgow fans are having real problems getting accommodation from what I've seen on Twitter. A real lack of hotels with availability.

Wow - isn't the Irish open on too this weekend? That will be a nightmare!

Glasgow have chartered a flight that people can book onto - fly in the morning and back at night

http://www.glasgowwarriors.org/news/15/05/25/join-warriors-belfast-chartered-flight

The club are delighted to announce they will be chartering a day flight to Saturday’s GUINNESS PRO12 Final in Belfast against Munster.

The plane will fly from Glasgow Airport to Belfast International Airport at approximately 10.30am before flying back to Scotland at approximately 11.30pm, after the game.

The return flight including transfers to the Kingspan Stadium costs £260 per person, excluding a match ticket and there are limited places available.

Bit of a mess up there with the planning as the Open was scheduled for county down a few years in advance - I guess Ulster were banking on making it the final themselves!

It's a pity more visiting fans won't get to stay for the weekend.

rodders wrote:

RDW_Scotland wrote:Glasgow fans are having real problems getting accommodation from what I've seen on Twitter. A real lack of hotels with availability.

Wow - isn't the Irish open on too this weekend? That will be a nightmare!      

Nah...Golf is falling out of favour now worldwide.

Thank God!!!

Sorry to all weekender purple and tangerine sweater wearers.

So does everyone still think that Belfast was clearly a great choice to host the game?

I believe the theme we heard most when that proposition was explored on these boards earlier was that it would encourage fans to travel to a stadium already with a minimum baseload of local rugby fans. That's less of an advantage if travelling fans have nowhere to stay...

Who cares about the fans?

The five star hotels are for the Pro12 wheelers and dealers with suits - and discussions to be had with wheeler dealer sponsors and such like.

SecretFly wrote:Who cares about the fans?

The five star hotels are for the Pro12 wheelers and dealers with suits - and discussions to be had with wheeler dealer sponsors and such like.

if Edinburgh had got to the final, all of the 5 star hotels would have been the first (and only) thing to go...

George Carlin wrote:So does everyone still think that Belfast was clearly a great choice to host the game?

I think Belfast would be a great choice if they hadn't organized the 2 biggest sporting events of the year on the same weekend...

Considering the 2 teams that made it it's as neutral as you can get accessibility wise.

Would you rather it was in Swansea or Dublin?

rodders wrote:

George Carlin wrote:So does everyone still think that Belfast was clearly a great choice to host the game?

I think Belfast would be a great choice if they hadn't organized the 2 biggest sporting events of the year on the same weekend...

Considering the 2 teams that made it it's as neutral as you can get accessibility wise.

Would you rather it was in Swansea or Dublin?

No - Belfast is great but I cannot believe that they double booked the city.

McIlroy Demanded that the Irish open happen at the same time as he felt sure his boys would be playing, and he could kill two birds with one stone.

So I say Blame McIlroy for being an Ulster fanboy and Glasgow for winning.

Press reports I've read (Paddy and Soapdodger) indicate that:

- POM is hopeful he will make it if he just takes it easy in training
- Murray is a major doubt and will see a specialist today, but nobody seems to be hopeful he will make it
- Zebo is going through the concussion protocol procedures but most people agree that a week is quite a short timescale, even for a milder concussion

In other bad news for Glasgow, Al Kellock might be fit*.

*Not.

Kellock was obviously concussed last week. I saw him making a tackle so he clearly had no idea where he was.

Aye fES why can't you go and discuss how world class Toolis and Gilchrist are with the other Luvvies on here ? You don't have the class to stop sniping about The Warriors and Kellock when they have achieved something - again. If there was such a thing as atmosphere on an online forum you would suck it all out of every topic with your relentless negativity. Are you Alistair Darling by any chance ?

Just glad you don't represent me given the time you spend on here tbh !

21st Century Schizoid Man wrote:Aye fES why can't you go and discuss how world class Toolis and Gilchrist are with the other Luvvies on here ?    You don't have the class to stop sniping about The Warriors and Kellock when they have achieved something - again.    If there was such a thing as atmosphere on an online forum you would suck it all out of every topic with your relentless negativity.    Are you Alistair Darling by any chance ?

Just glad you don't represent me given the time you spend on here tbh !  

Someone's not had their morning medication

Now come on FES - this is not the ongoing banter thread, no sense of humour or jokes allowed!

Serious debate only. And under no circumstances make jokes about The Captain.

RDW_Scotland wrote:Now come on FES - this is not the ongoing banter thread, no sense of humour or jokes allowed!

Serious debate only.  And under no circumstances make jokes about The Captain.

Reminds me of the SNL Weekend Update quote from Seth Myers when the swimmer Michael Phelps was pillored for getting caught smoking weed at a party:

And parents, if your children come up to you and say 'Michael Phelps smokes pot, why can't I?,
Your response is simply 'Sure you can. Just after you've won 18 Olympic gold medals for your country'.

There must be some really great athletes amongst the posters on these boards if the criticisms of Kellock are anything to go by.

George Carlin wrote:

RDW_Scotland wrote:Now come on FES - this is not the ongoing banter thread, no sense of humour or jokes allowed!

Serious debate only.  And under no circumstances make jokes about The Captain.

Reminds me of the SNL Weekend Update quote from Seth Myers when the swimmer Michael Phelps was pillored for getting caught smoking weed at a party:

And parents, if your children come up to you and say 'Michael Phelps smokes pot, why can't I?,
Your response is simply 'Sure you can. Just after you've won 18 Olympic gold medals for your country'.

There must be some really great athletes amongst the posters on these boards if the criticisms of Kellock are anything to go by.

By Michael Phelps smoked pot before he won those medals....just saying.....

21st Century Schizoid Man wrote:Aye fES why can't you go and discuss how world class Toolis and Gilchrist are with the other Luvvies on here ?    You don't have the class to stop sniping about The Warriors and Kellock when they have achieved something - again.    If there was such a thing as atmosphere on an online forum you would suck it all out of every topic with your relentless negativity.    Are you Alistair Darling by any chance ?

Just glad you don't represent me given the time you spend on here tbh !  

Oh don't be so soft Schizoid! If us Edinburgh fans got as tearful every time our team or players were criticised Edinburgh would be underwater.

Best of luck this weekend. I shall be shouting on my weegie brethren and abstain from having a shower in the morning as a mark of respect.

funnyExiledScot wrote:

George Carlin wrote:

RDW_Scotland wrote:Now come on FES - this is not the ongoing banter thread, no sense of humour or jokes allowed!

Serious debate only.  And under no circumstances make jokes about The Captain.

Reminds me of the SNL Weekend Update quote from Seth Myers when the swimmer Michael Phelps was pillored for getting caught smoking weed at a party:

And parents, if your children come up to you and say 'Michael Phelps smokes pot, why can't I?,
Your response is simply 'Sure you can. Just after you've won 18 Olympic gold medals for your country'.

There must be some really great athletes amongst the posters on these boards if the criticisms of Kellock are anything to go by.

By Michael Phelps smoked pot before he won those medals....just saying.....

Reports were mixed. You can't blame Phelps for not remembering exact times and dates. The poor feller was high.

There isnt another referendum in Scotland happening is there? Usually you guys are all so good humoured and reasonable.

ME-109 wrote:There isnt another referendum in Scotland happening is there? Usually you guys are all so good humoured and reasonable.

Sadly we are in a state of permanent referendum in Scotland until the 36% who voted for separation get their way. That's how democracy works.

funnyExiledScot wrote:

ME-109 wrote:There isnt another referendum in Scotland happening is there? Usually you guys are all so good humoured and reasonable.

Sadly we are in a state of permanent referendum in Scotland until the 36% who voted for separation get their way. That's how democracy works.

Sounds a bit like the old PRL versus ERC fiasco.

Although the best thing that has come out of the referendum is the indignant "We are the 45" campaign. They didn't quite get the irony of the fact that the fact that the fact it was "45" was why Scotland wasn't independent.

Although getting back on topic I think Glasgow will win on Saturday and then it depends on a number of factors whether we kick on to the European stage or fade into edinburgh esque obscurity.

123456789 wrote:Although the best thing that has come out of the referendum is the indignant "We are the 45" campaign. They didn't quite get the irony of the fact that the fact that the fact it was "45" was why Scotland wasn't independent.

Or more importantly that the number was 44.65% of votes cast, not 45%, and that in actual fact the percentage of Scots who voted Yes was only 36.7%.

funnyExiledScot wrote:

123456789 wrote:Although the best thing that has come out of the referendum is the indignant "We are the 45" campaign. They didn't quite get the irony of the fact that the fact that the fact it was "45" was why Scotland wasn't independent.

Or more importantly that the number was 44.65% of votes cast, not 45%, and that in actual fact the percentage of Scots who voted Yes was only 36.7%.

Still quite a few undecided then? Maybe getting more decided as per the last election

Possibly. My view is that with such fundamental change you are for it or not. Not showing up to vote feels more status quo to me than undecided.

Maybe...but momentum is a big thing with these types of issues. It appears as if people got engaged and are getting more engaged.

God, a much more interesting debate than the bluefaced choking one I'm involved in, and I missed it.

I still can't believe though that people that didn't want Independence and people who listened to and loved Labour's campaign on the Independence question then suddenly said: "Oh but for most everything else we love these SNP Independent minded f**king bastards that want to break up our great Nation!"

I just don't get people who say they feel safe voting overwhelmingly for the SNP divisionists in a General election but that the same party doesn't speak for them in Independence.

It's like saying a Unionists in Northern Ireland would vote in all Sinn Fein candidates into the British Parliament (that wouldn't take their seats anyway).

So I think the idea of SNP and the landslide is that this is a new groundswell of voters that fully back the SNP agenda.  They had new members by the thousands after the Independence referendum.

Interesting question, Fly in fact only 1.4 million people voted SNP at GE2015, compared to 1.6 million voting Yes in the Indyref.

Clearly there were lots of people voting SNP for the first time (their vote increased by almost three times), but the result was primarily the result of the Unionist vote staying at home, it being divided between the three main Unionist parties, and as always, the first past the post system.

This is completely off topic now, but 50% of Scotland voted for the SNP and that led to 56/58 seats - so as much as it was a landslide in terms of seats, as many people voted for SNP as didn't.

The joys of our election system!

Imagine having the Kraken from Planet Biffer as your mother in law:


Just imagine it for a moment.

Sounds like an opportunity for a best politicians xv thread, although regardless of which party, seriously doubt the ability to find a decision making spine of a team that could win any game.

In other news i believe Glasgow are playing Munster this weekend?

Well whatever the rest of the XV would be, King Salmond would be the first name on the teamsheet at tighthead!

We have dibs on (a) John Prescott at tighthead, (b) Paddy Ashdown involved with the hookers (sorry, I just had to), (c) Ed Balls at lock/enforcer and (d) Boris Johnson at scrum half. Boris could do the talking for everyone.

There was a poll a week or so ago that suggested support was at a similar level it was before the referendum (47-53). It's also worth remembering that the turnout was significantly lower in the general election than it was in the referendum, it's also far more likely that people who weren't happy about the referendum result and felt engaged by the SNP just nine months ago would come out to vote in the election. Furthermore if Salmond and his cronies are right and large swathes of people were influenced by the introduction of the offers of more powers it is hardly surprising that they voted for the SNP because they are more likely to deliver powers because not only do they seem to be exceptionally conspiratorial and economic with the truth the other parties empty themselves at the mere thought of Nicola Sturgeon.

RDW_Scotland wrote:This is completely off topic now, but 50% of Scotland voted for the SNP and that led to 56/58 seats - so as much as it was a landslide in terms of seats, as many people voted for SNP as didn't.

The joys of our election system!

...and if we had used first past the post in the IndyRef, I believe only 4 constituencies in Scotland (out of 32) voted Yes.

Please no - The SNP are on here - again!

When I come to power I will make it illegal to use the word's "referendum", "45", "55", "Independence" etc with the penalty being for y** supporters to watch an hour of Jim Murphy's "best" speeches and for n* supporters an hour of Alex Salmond's awkward "I wannabe Sean Connery Hullo there!" smiles.

As was said in Flower of Scotland (which really, really needs a techno remix)

Those days are past now And in the past they must remain

Please, please, please, please, please, please, pleeeeeeaaaaaaasse can we have a SNP/Independence safe zone.

I. Can't. Take. It. Any. More

(I can't even go underground at Murrayfield cos of the artificial turf )

George Carlin wrote:We have dibs on (a) John Prescott at tighthead, (b) Paddy Ashdown involved with the hookers (sorry, I just had to), (c) Ed Balls at lock/enforcer and (d) Boris Johnson at scrum half. Boris could do the talking for everyone.

1.Prescott - fat
2.Currie - hooker
3.Salmond - fat
4.Balls - enforcer
5.Pickles - enforcer
6.Boris Johnson - wandering hands
7.Ashdown - wandering hands
8.Cooper - carries Balls
9. Alan Johnson - good delivery
10.Mandelson - playmaker
11.Kinnock - left wing plus all the best left wingers are Welsh - apparently
12.Blair - centre left crash merchant
13.Camreon - centre right side stepper
14.Thatcher - extreme right wing
15.Kennedy - social secretary

And presumably Blatter as coach - ultimate politician, who can turn any loss into a win (100% record up until this week at least)..........

My original point was clearly missed!!!!..........Glasgow / Munster anyone?

Nematode wrote:Please no - The SNP are on here - again!

When I come to power I will make it illegal to use the word's "referendum", "45", "55", "Independence" etc with the penalty being for y** supporters to watch an hour of Jim Murphy's "best" speeches and for n* supporters an hour of Alex Salmond's awkward "I wannabe Sean Connery Hullo there!" smiles.

As was said in Flower of Scotland (which really, really needs a techno remix)

Those days are past now And in the past they must remain

Please, please, please, please, please, please, pleeeeeeaaaaaaasse can we have a SNP/Independence safe zone.

I. Can't. Take. It. Any. More

(I can't even go underground at Murrayfield cos of the artificial turf )

I second this in full. It has gone from 9 months ago being one of the most interesting things to happen in politics to now being easily the most tedious.

Do we have any update on either sides injury concerns yet?

funnyExiledScot wrote:

George Carlin wrote:We have dibs on (a) John Prescott at tighthead, (b) Paddy Ashdown involved with the hookers (sorry, I just had to), (c) Ed Balls at lock/enforcer and (d) Boris Johnson at scrum half. Boris could do the talking for everyone.

1.Prescott - fat
2.Currie - hooker
3.Salmond - fat
4.Balls - enforcer
5.Pickles - enforcer
6.Boris Johnson - wandering hands
7.Ashdown - wandering hands
8.Cooper - carries Balls
9. Alan Johnson - good delivery
10.Mandelson - playmaker
11.Kinnock - left wing plus all the best left wingers are Welsh - apparently
12.Blair - centre left crash merchant
13.Camreon - centre right side stepper
14.Thatcher - extreme right wing
15.Kennedy - social secretary

 
In terms of substitutes:

16 Merkel (replacement tighthead - heavyweight, hard as nails)
17 Berlusconi (knows more about hookers and trouble in the tight than anyone)
18 Rumsfeld (deadly in the loose, one of the big guns)
19 Medvedev (like Colin Meads, absolutely bloody terrifying)  
20 Hollande (clearly knows how to push, stone cold and immoveable)
21 Sarkozy (replacement 9 - tiny, devious)
22 Clinton (playmaker, fantastically elusive)
23 Blair (utility man, Glasgwegian [world class and hopelessly overrated at the same time], great at post match interviews)