Pro12: Munster vs Edinburgh - Friday 29th April

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Form:
Munster
16/4/16 Connacht 35 - 14 Munster
2/4/16 Leinster 16 - 13 Munster
25/3/16 Munster 47 - 0 Zebre

Edinburgh
15/4/16 Leinster 30 - 23 Edinburgh
1/4/16 Edinburgh 29 - 0 Zebre
27/3/16 Dragons 15 - 16 Edinburgh

Head to head
Not including all the stats here, but this one caught my eye:
Played 27
Munster Wins: 21 vs Edinburgh wins: 6.  

Edinburgh really pee me off. How can we still be so inconsistent from quarter to quarter???

The problem is we start games so badly - we wait until we're behind before playing any rugby!

George Carlin wrote:Munster get the bonus point win whilst looking unbelievably average.

You might say 'classic' Munster.  
Anyway, I was working and saw the game in bits and pieces - not all of it - and from the bits I saw my opinion was that you can take nothing from Edinburgh, they were in the game until the last few minutes because they were good enough to be.  And you might go one better and say they looked to have more of a structure than Munster and looked more a modern team
.... BUT.... this Munster team, even when down and out and even when probably at their lowest point in many years.... they just keep trucking and doing these games where they just fall across the line and no more.  And yet they seldom look annoyed with themselves or wishing that they'd done better.  Body language is always *yawn* "yeah, we won that one - I think".
If they pulled up their socks even by 10 or so percent and played more like the best teams now play - organised fast stab, stab constant motion game - they'd be in the running for the title again.  They're down on their luck and well well off their best and still fall over the line playing very average stuff.

It appears Tovey did ok again. Good to see.

Seems a fairly popular signing from Edinburgh supporters I've seen on Twitter.

RiscaGame wrote:It appears Tovey did ok again. Good to see.

Seems a fairly popular signing from Edinburgh supporters I've seen on Twitter.

Lovely solo try bit messed a kick to touch and a kickable penalty that would have given us a lbp ultimately. A bit of a mixed bag - just like Edinburgh.

I hope we sign him on though!

Yep, Tovey definitely has something but missing penalty kicks to touch is becoming something of an annoying habit with him. With Weir arriving I'm not convinced we'll be able to hang onto him. Tovey is clearly a player looking for a regular starting slot.

Haven't seen the game. Sounds all rather familiar, particularly the impact Andress brought from the bench. If you're going to base your game around the scrum, always useful having bench props who can scrummage.

Fair enough thanks. Nobody mentioned that anywhere. I guess he's trying to put extra yardage on his kicks to touch. It wasn't a common theme at the Dragons, but it did happen occasionally.

He only missed one kick to touch and one kick at goal but it was the timing of them - we really needed them at the time!

It is probably being a bit harsh - he's hardly the first 10 in history to do that. Finn Russell would class one miss of each as s successful strike rate!

I think we should sign him - he'll still get plenty gametime even if Weir arriving.

funnyExiledScot wrote:Yep, Tovey definitely has something but missing penalty kicks to touch is becoming something of an annoying habit with him. With Weir arriving I'm not convinced we'll be able to hang onto him. Tovey is clearly a player looking for a regular starting slot.

Haven't seen the game. Sounds all rather familiar, particularly the impact Andress brought from the bench. If you're going to base your game around the scrum, always useful having bench props who can scrummage.

It certainly was familiar - haven't seen the stats but I suspect we had the more possession, we just didn't do much with it.

First half we did well building up phases and getting over the gainline, but once we were in their 22 we didn't do much with it and knocked on and were turned over regularly. It seemed every time we were turned over in their 22 within a minute or two they broke away and scored a try or got 3 points.

Munster showed good attacking intent but our defence was awful in the first half, especially out wide - Hoyland has become a liability in defence.

2ND half we again had plenty ball but just couldn't get in front. Ultimately they scored a try late on that killed us off.

Biggest plus of the night was Matt Scott - he was outstanding and made ground whenever he touched the ball. Will be interesting to see how he gets on with an attack minded team next season!

Very happy with the result. Was getting seriously worried that Munster may not finish in the top 6. Thought Edinburgh were very wasteful of a few opportunities and unfortunate not to get a LBP.

RDW_Scotland wrote:

Biggest plus of the night was Matt Scott - he was outstanding and made ground whenever he touched the ball. Will be interesting to see how he gets on with an attack minded team next season!

Totally agree about Scott, came back like he'd never been away and played really well.

In a strange way I'm happy with the result. Edinburgh are not ready for Champions cup rugby and I believe it would be detrimental to their development.

I think it also should flag up to Solomons that his tactics need changing. I think he's done a fantastic job with Edinburgh but the message that his team selections are not optimal and his tactics are predictable doesn't appear to have resonated.

For instance: the squad needs rotated; Berghan and Dell need more game time; Bradbury needs to start more; play the likes of Beard and Fife more, don't kick so much...

Sorry I cant agree about Solomans. He steadied the ship in the first season, but has shown complete unwillingness to evolve the team past that. He makes the same mistakes season after season, flogging his first 15 into the ground, alienating fringe players and those whose face doesnt fit, coaching mindless losers tactics into his guys. I have never once heard him accept any responsibility for a defeat or a season as a whole. Not once.

The club has stagnated and I truly believe the longer he stays, this steadying out weve seen will turn into regression and well be back to being table proppers in 2 years.

I agree that we would struggle in the champions cup - probably only getting wins if we had Treviso or the Edinburgh classic, playing a French team at home when both are already knocked out!

That's not really the point though.

We desperately needed to qualify to show progress. Solomons has finished 8th every season and looks like we'll do the same again - this time without a run to a final. So on paper we'll have gone backwards!

Also, being in the big league raises the profile of the club - bigger sponsorship, bigger crowds and more attractive to high profile players.

Solomons said at the start of the season that Top 6 was the minimum expectation for this season - it looks like he's failed.

The only plus we've had this season is the demolition job on Glasgow, but instead of leading to something good it heralded the dreadful run of form that ultimately ruined our Top 6 prospects.

Imperialbigdave wrote:Sorry I cant agree about Solomans. He steadied the ship in the first season, but has shown complete unwillingness to evolve the team past that. He makes the same mistakes season after season, flogging his first 15 into the ground, alienating fringe players and those whose face doesnt fit, coaching mindless losers tactics into his guys. I have never once heard him accept any responsibility for a defeat or a season as a whole. Not once.

The club has stagnated and I truly believe the longer he stays, this steadying out weve seen will turn into regression and well be back to being table proppers in 2 years.

I totally agree with that. Ideally, i would have liked to see the back of Solomons at the end of last season and brought in someone to get us to the next level, like Pat Lam did with Connacht or Townsend with Glasgow.
Some of his selections are bewildering and totally counter productive. What were Andress and Strauss doing on the team sheet while Beard and Berghan stayed at home on friday? Solomons doesn't deserve to be coaching Edinburgh with selections like that.