Champions Cup Pool 4: Stade Francais Paris v Munster, 9 January

                      
Stade Francais Paris v Munster Rugby 
Saturday 9 January 2016
KO: 17:45
Stade Jean Bouin, Paris

Live on FR2 / Sky Sports / beIN Sports

Referee Nigel Owens (Wales)
Touch Judge 1 Sean Brickell (Wales)
Touch Judge 2 Jon Hardy (Wales)
Fourth Official Remi De L'Isle (France)
TMO Derek Bevan (Wales)
Assessor Jim Fleming (Scotland)
Citing Commissioner Douglas Hunter (Scotland)

A. Head to Head

4 Played 4
1 Wins 3
3 Losses 1
0 Draws 0
72 Points 95

B. Recent European Form

Stade Francais Paris
19/12/15: SF Paris 40 - 14 Treviso
12/12/15: Treviso 17 - 50 SF Paris
13/11/15: Tigers 33 - 20 SF Paris

Munster Rugby
20/12/15: Tigers 17 - 6 Munster
12/12/15: Munster 19 - 31 Tigers
14/11/15: Munster 32 - 7 Treviso

C. Teams

Stade Francais Paris

[tbc]

Munster Rugby

[tbc]

I will have to wait and see the teams but right now, I cant see a Munster win in this.

Stade, last year's T14 champs, are flirting with the relegation zone at the moment. A decent comeback against Toulouse secured a much needed win at the weekend. I cant see them caring much about Europe, just wanting a chance to defend their crown, which means a top 6 finish.
I suspect Stade will field a weakened team and Munster, buoyed after their stuffy win away at Ulster, will fancy their chances if they can be bothered to send a strong team.

If Munster could beat Stade that would be useful. Would pretty much end their interest in Europe and hopefully allow Tigers an easier trip to Paris.

formerly known as Sam wrote:If Munster could beat Stade that would be useful. Would pretty much end their interest in Europe and hopefully allow Tigers an easier trip to Paris.

Jaysus, a Tigers fan hoping for a Munster win

I do hope Munster win but I think they are in some poor form even if they did manage a win against Ulster.

Come on Munster win this bloody game please.

Munster: Andrew Conway; Keith Earls, Francis Saili, Rory Scannell, Simon Zebo; Ian Keatley, Conor Murray; Dave Kilcoyne, Mike Sherry, BJ Botha; Dave Foley, Mark Chisholm; Robin Copeland, Tommy O'Donnell, CJ Stander - capt.

Replacements: Niall Scannell, John Ryan, Mario Sagario, Billy Holland, Jack O'Donoghue, Tomás O'Leary, Denis Hurley, Ronan O'Mahony.

Stade Francais Paris
15. Hugo Bonneval; 14. Julien Arias, 13. Waisea Vuidarvuwalu, 12. Paul Williams, 11. Josaia Raisuqe; 10. Morné Steyn, 9. Julien Dupuy; 1. Zak Taulafo, 2. Laurent Sempéré, 3. Paul Alo Emile, 4. Hugh Pyle, 5. Paul Gabrillagues, 6. Sekou Macalou, 7. Sylvain Nicolas, 8. Sergio Parisse
16. Laurent Panis, 17. Heinke Van der Merwe, 18. Rabah Slimani, 19. Gerhard Mostert, 20. Jonathan Ross, 21. Julien Tomas, 22. Jules Plisson, 23. Jonathan Danty

Strong team for Munster today but I am still not very optimistic.

Conway off early, doesn't look good.

Now Botha off, 2 injuries in the first 10mins for Munster...

Owens got that absolutely right, Josaia Raisuqe had his fingers in Standers eyes. Stupid thing o do and a deserved red card.

Not a great game with Munster also loosing TOD but Stade are worth their 10 point lead although Keatley missed two kicks that he should be making. The 2nd half will be interesting now.

Jesus Munster are being mullered by 14 men here, the scrum is being obliterated.

Scrums and Nigel O'wens don't mix. He is awful.

Stade have turned up Marshes but Munster are truly terrible and Keatley is again having one of those games again...

That was serious dangerous foul play from Chisholm on Sempere and yet nothing from Mr Owens. I know he does not like the French but Nigel should be a bit more respectful on time to time...

Yep it was always going to be tough but Stade seem really up for it. Feel bad for Keatley, finding it tough to get out of the slump.

I don't believe its a slump for Keatley, its the way he is. He has some good moments/games but he is generally a poor player.

Wonderful try from Stade

That's the end of Munster in Europe.

eirebilly wrote:I don't believe its a slump for Keatley, its the way he is. He has some good moments/games but he is generally a poor player.

Wonderful try from Stade

That's the end of Munster in Europe.

I mean he has definitely dropped off of even inconsistently good/bad from previous seasons, now he is a liability.

Two well worked tries but to be fair the defence for both has been very poor.

Its been an awful performance from Munster but credit to Stade, this is some performance.

I get what you mean now Marshes and agree 100%

Munster have gone the same way as Glasgow in the second half, both just feel off completely. Munster against 14 men!

What's going on at Munster these days?

If Foley isn't sacked in the morning the whole IRFU board needs to go. The provinces have been managed disgracefully the last few seasons.

Loosing Botha, Conway and TOD in the first 25 minutes didn't help Munster but that was a bad performance. Munster desperately need a consistent 10 to go further. Its not all Foley's fault and I would not sack him just yet...

whocares wrote:That was serious dangerous foul play from Chisholm on Sempere and yet nothing from Mr Owens. I know he does not like the French but Nigel should be a bit more respectful on time to time...

There was nothing in that as the player wasn't lifted, just an unlucky accident.

Surely this is the right time for Foley to resign?

Feel sad for Munster rugby as an European cup without a Munster team competitive is a bit like cheese without wine to me. Since their defeat at home to Clermont they seem to have gone really downhill. Hope they sort it out.

Complete and utter rubbish from a second rate team. Needs a root and branch review of the organisation and the management/coaching team. Get rid of the second rate Leinster blow ins (now its clear why Copeland didn't make it). Get JJ Hanrahan back and give people like Rory Scannall and others in the academy a chance to develop. Get rid of Foley, Keatley et al. Loath though I am to say it get Bradley in for the remainder of the season and try to get some proper structures in place.

whocares wrote:Feel sad for Munster rugby as an European cup without a Munster team competitive is a bit like cheese without wine to me. Since their defeat at home to Clermont they seem to have gone really downhill. Hope they sort it out.

Me too mate.

Cardiff Dave wrote:

whocares wrote:Feel sad for Munster rugby as an European cup without a Munster team competitive is a bit like cheese without wine to me. Since their defeat at home to Clermont they seem to have gone really downhill. Hope they sort it out.

Me too mate.

A Cardiff supporter! What a rare sighting.

LeinsterFan4life wrote:

Cardiff Dave wrote:

whocares wrote:Feel sad for Munster rugby as an European cup without a Munster team competitive is a bit like cheese without wine to me. Since their defeat at home to Clermont they seem to have gone really downhill. Hope they sort it out.

Me too mate.

A Cardiff supporter! What a rare sighting.

Fair point and BOD at the Arms Park was also a rare sighting btw.

Sure we could send the kids over and cone back with a bonus point, imagine what BOD would have done to them

LeinsterFan4life wrote:Sure we could send the kids over and cone back with a bonus point, imagine what BOD would have done to them

Even though i'm a Cardiff supporter, I would've loved to have seen more of BOD in his prime ripping us to shreds. Saw him at CAP once I think.

Cardiff Dave wrote:

LeinsterFan4life wrote:Sure we could send the kids over and cone back with a bonus point, imagine what BOD would have done to them

Even though i'm a Cardiff supporter, I would've loved to have seen more of BOD in his prime ripping us to shreds. Saw him at CAP once I think.

Aye well according to him he has been playing with pain since 09 so he did have to be carefully managed. But the season does need a complete overhaul so we can see full teams being fielded more often.