Great win for Munster. Thought they won all the key individual battles and dominated most aspects of play (except for lineouts).
On the matchups that have implications for the national team:
Earls got the better of Fitzgerald. It was mainly through prominence early on as he got involved a small bit more and just looked more threatening, then when the game opened up he showed a bit of class in creating the first try and nearly got one himself earlier from two good chips.
I thought Dowling was better than Horgan too. Horgan took one decent rip from Flannery (I think) in the first half but other than that he did precious little and he just looks awkward and cumbersome instead of imposing. His crash ball ability is non-existent and as heâs not very quick or much of a kicker then I think itâs time to look at someone else. Wouldnât say his international career is over but he shouldnât be in the team on form anyway.
Hooker was a hard one to call. Unquestionably Flannery was more prominent around the park and he had a smashing game at rucks and in the loose but once again the lineouts were an unmitigated disaster. The change of hooker doesnât seem to improve them though so youâd have to imagine thereâs something systematically wrong.
Jennings (the Leinster man of the match) didnât really do anything to suggest he should be ahead of Wallace or Quinlan in the pecking order. Heaslip was quiet enough too but had a fair bit of grunt about him, didnât see him capitalising on the Leinster front row though at scrum time and Wallace is certainly a more dynamic runner from the base of the scrum.
OâKelly was decent enough but his best years are behind him and you wouldnât think thereâs real competition at second row anyway.
A word too for Emmet Byrne whose sideline input was nonsensical. It wasnât just that he was biased, but he offered absolutely nothing in the way of analysis or the inside track. It was pretty good coverage from Setanta otherwise but Byrne is a terrible pundit.
As cojak said to me at half time, youâd really have to worry about the future of Irish rugby if this is the best our two elite teams can manage. An absymally low standard and immensely boring game. If Leinster replicate that ineptitude a couple more times this season then I wonât be back to watch them. Munster closed out the game in their usual efficiently boring manner but the handling, passing and running lines from both teams were poor in comparison to the Dundalk and Wicklow Under 9s who provided more entertainment during half time than was served up in the 80 minutes of Magnerâs League rugby football.
while weâre talking about implications for the national team, whatever about being the best out-half in ireland, ROG is no longer the best out-half in munster.
was at the game, and spent half the night watching the replay on setanta before beer, hormones and peer pressure dragged me to coppers.
the majority of the ball he laid off was awful, at one stage in the first half he nearly decapitated doug howlett. also spotted tipoki having to pick a ball off his shoelaces and mafi knocked on as a result of the piss-poor ball he received. stringer made a difference when he came on but the game was won at that stage and iâm not sure if it was this or the fact that he chose to bypass oâgara that made the situation look better than it was.
oâgara seem far more comfortable, and far more effective, when putting boot to ball (his grubber for howlett showed more finesse than anything he managed from the hand)
with the new ELVs becoming less of a mystery, his limitatons could be exposed come the business end of the heineken cup.
Thought he played quite well TE but I canât say I noticed him doing anything spectacular. Thought he gave a few nice inside balls and generally controlled the game very well. Dominated Sexton anyway.
One area where I think the ELVs will help him is that his kicking to touch from outside the 22 has always been superlative. Guys like Beauxais and Steyn and Goode can all kick the ball a mile but none are particularly adept at finding the corner with a low kick hopping into touch. And that sort of kick will become far more useful in the current game. If the ELVs do nothing other than eliminate the phases of possession of a lineout outside the 22 with decent ball to out half who spins it wide to one of the centres in acres of space who just boots it as far as he can then theyâll have made decent progress.
Couldnt agree bandage. Thought it was a magnificent defensive display as two sides came to terms with new rules and players. Once it opened up Munster found the gaps easier, but the key to winning was the way in which Munster suffocated the Leinster attack.
On another note, Horgan is fucked, and BOD is a shadow of his former self.
Was BoD even playing last night? Iâd agree in relation to some of RoGâs passes, they were terrible, but his kicking was good and Munster really ground out a result
Yea he was there alright, pretty anonymous, at one stage he could have taken on Flannery on the outside on the touchline, but chose not to, that summed it up for me.
ROGâs passing was a little loose, but on the whole his game management was as good as ever and while I do understand Warwicks virtues, ROG wont lose the jersey anytime soon.
Good to see Earls live in that rarefied air also, the boyâs got it.
Ledge is wasted on the Leinster wing and Kearns must start instead of Horgan, if not Girv.
RoG really pulls the strings of the team, when heâs on form the whole team is buzzing, ou donât want him flying in September though, itâs a long season there
Noticed that alright when BOD got a chance to run and opted not to. Bit worried about how defeatist he has become, he seems to concede that heâs not as quick anymore so he just doesnât try but really a good conditioning coach and a prioritisation of his work in a game would turn him around. Not sure itâs on the cards though.
ROG wasnât just alright yesterday, that was a tight game and had the potential to go either way for a long time but he managed it perfectly.
Good to see Earls live in that rarefied air also, the boyâs got it.
Ledge is wasted on the Leinster wing and Kearns must start instead of Horgan, if not Girv.[/quote]
Yep, would agree with that. Was disappointed Sexton had such a bad game. Resorted to a load of useless Garryowens that Usain Bolt wouldnt have caught up with. Think Fitzgerald has to come into the centre now. Kearney has to go full back. Horgan is a spent force and Iâd be playing Nacewa as soon he could play. Doesnt matter where - just get him back. That makes Sextons performance all the more annoying. he had a chance to nail down a regular spot for himself with the other lad out injured and in an âIrish trialsâ game but bottled it. Sorry if Iâm being too harsh!
Was impressed by Earls and the try he nearly got with the 2 kicks was unreal but I hope that heâs kept learning his trade in Munster for another few months. Heâs still a bit raw and I think pushing him forward too quickly could ruin him.
From an Irish point of view - neither set of backs really impressed me. Up front - I thought Jackman did well but after what he did against Wales last year he wont get another shot. Thought Cullen and Big Mal shaded it against POC and DOC. Heaslip had another consistent game (cant ever remember him playing badly), Jennings did ok, as did Wallace, didnt really see a lot of Donncha Ryan.
Great result, and I have to say i really enjoyed it, some massive hits from both sides, and Paul OâConnell in particular.
For Munster, I though Earls was very good, he maybe exposed under a high ball, but when he has the ball in hand he is very very good, and immensely strong for a young player. Dowling also had a good game, and defensively he is the best winger availabel to Ireland, but cant see him playing, as for me a back 3 of Kearney, Earls and Bowe is far more appealing. I cannot understand why Dempsey is keeping Kearney out of the leinster team.
Up front, there was little impact from CJ and Rocky, but in the loose where I expected CJâs bulk to have an impact John Hayes overshadowed him with some great rucking and carrying. Justin Melck looks decent at Magners league level and has now probebly done enough to warrant being kept on for the rest of the season.
BOD was shite. DâArcy added more to the game and he was only the waterboy. ROG, while passing poor, gave Sexton and Dr. Pony a lesson in kicking.
Mac, thought Flannery outplayed Jackman by quite a bit around the park. He won a couple of turnovers and hit his rucks well and everything and all his scrummaging strikes were good, despite the pressure he was under. Lineouts were a big problem but Jackman is hardly the solution for that.
Agreed on Sexton - he did little or nothing. Needs to work on his left foot, he was under pressure there behind his own line and had to scramble one to touch but thatâs his home patch and there are tight dead ball lines so he has to kick quicker and needs an emergency left foot at least. Thought Munster hemmed them in well there and other teams will do the same at the RDS if he canât get out of his dead ball area cleanly. But his attack was probably more disappointing alright. He never got his backs moving, partly because the guy outside him only wants to pass the ball so straight away theyâre down a strike runner. But everything was static and his execution of kicks and passes was poor.
Good point on Hayes from HangBlaa. He was excellent in the loose and looked like the most athletic prop on the park.
Kearney really needs to get back into that Leinster team because that backline isnât playing particularly well so youâd really want your Irish test players getting their game 100% of the time, particularly when a couple of lads are out with injuries. Personally Iâd start Dowling on the wing for Ireland. You lose a bit on pace but heâs not terribly slow and he brings so much else to the game in terms of yardage, something weâre badly missing with no strike runners in the centre.
Iâd agree there about Dowling rocko. He was my MOTM last night, he never puts a foot wrong, is good under a high ball, and chases an up and under like nobody else. He may not have pace to burn, but he has a great brain and deserves a look in at least.
Also Flannery again handed Jackman his arse (best t-shirt of the night btw, belonged to a little girl wearing the batman insignia with Jackmans bald head as the centre and âJACKMANâ where Batman is, made myself and the missus crack up when we saw it). The line out was yet again a problem and needs to be looked at, I cant remember whoâs in charge of the forwards now, but they need to look into that pretty soon. Still its early days in the season.
Finally, a note on the RDS, great atmosphere, fine stands, and credit the stewards also who were very friendly and helpful. One steward was wonderful with a little boy who had obviously gone out for some chips at half time and got seperated from his dad. He carried him around on his shoulders til the kid found his dad in the North Stand, and then left the kid with his dad and went back to reclaim the kids rugby ball and chips. Nice work out of him.
Great game to watch. Thought the scoreline didnât really reflect what happened on the pitch, The missed penalties would have made a difference.
Positives from the weekend.
Great defensive performance from Munster and, for a lot of the game, Leinster.
John Hayes and Mal Oâ Kelly, age is just a number.
Tommy Bowe is playing well.
Kearney, Fitzgerald and Earls comming along nicely.
Looks like we dont have to worry about giving penalties away against Argentina if Dr Phil is taking them
Negatives from the weekend.
3 Provinces fail to score
2 Provinces were hammered.
BOD and Horgan are now shadows of their former selves.
Sexton didnt step up, but he did stamp down.
Lineout from Munster
Special mention for Damien Varley also who made his debut in the Guinness Premiership over the weekend. The ex Garryowen hooker only got his contract with Wasps 2 weeks ago and came on against Leicester in Welford Road and scored Wasps only try of the game.
Worth pointing out also, that there were the scorers from the game.
[quote=âmyboyblueâ]Special mention for Damien Varley also who made his debut in the Guinness Premiership over the weekend. The ex Garryowen hooker only got his contract with Wasps 2 weeks ago and came on against Leicester in Welford Road and scored Wasps only try of the game.
Worth pointing out also, that there were the scorers from the game.
Hows Staunton been doing over the past while? Always had him in the same sort of league as Paddy Wallace in that he promised a lot but never delivered. Is he first choice outhalf at wasps now?
3rd out half Wasps have tried this season as they await the return of Cipriani. Cipriani isnt far off now, but this performance by Staunton will most likely give him a little bit more time to get himself right Iâd imagine. Happy for Staunton, nice fella who suffered as a result of ROG at Munster and being shoved to 15.
Saying that, youâre right, heâs never fulfilled the potential he showed. Nice to see him getting a run again with Wasps though. Two ex Garryowen men scoring all of Wasps points.
[quote=âmyboyblueâ]3rd out half Wasps have tried this season as they await the return of Cipriani. Cipriani isnt far off now, but this performance by Staunton will most likely give him a little bit more time to get himself right Iâd imagine. Happy for Staunton, nice fella who suffered as a result of ROG at Munster and being shoved to 15.
Saying that, youâre right, heâs never fulfilled the potential he showed. Nice to see him getting a run again with Wasps though. Two ex Garryowen men scoring all of Wasps points.[/quote]
Was it Harlequins he was with a few years ago? They got relegated and he missed a penalty that could have kept them up? Dont think they ever forgave him for that. Probably 3-4 years ago?
