Munster, celtic league, heineken cup, general and tag rugby thread 🐐

[caoimhaoin]

@Bandage

Anyone heading to the Cork derby in Temple Hill tomorrow? It’s a pity that the semi-finals fall between the quarter final and semi final stages of the European Cup so lads that have toiled away for the clubs all year will miss out as they’re filling in for Munster’s rested front line players in the Magner’s League. But notwithstanding the fact that Con and Dolphin have lost 6 and 4 players respectively, it should still be a belter. On the flip side, this will lead to Anthony Horgan and his sunscreen coming out of retirement yet again and he’s worth the admission money alone in my opinion. The remaining variable is whether Sam Cronin will make it back from Belgium in time to play - the last I heard he definitely wasn’t able to get a flight but he was en route to Paris for the Eurostar and his ultimate aim was to get from London across to Wales and onto the Swansea-Cork overnight ferry. If Cronin’s out then Dolphin don’t have a chance; if he’s in they’ll likely still be beaten. Con by 10 points for me.

Technically Tomas O’ Leary can play instead, and may well do i believe, as long as he doesn’t play for Munster. The general dislike of Con could lead to this happening.

Con would always have the bigger squad and generally better back up, but my sources tell me the players they are down are harder to replace than Dolphins. One Dolphin man today told me to stick a nice few bob on them. I won’t, as i try to not bet against history, and Con definitely have the history here.

[Rocko]

Ospreys have dominated the first 10 minutes here until Nacewa picked that off for 7 points. Silly pass.

[myboyblue]

how did it finish up Rocko?

[Rocko]

Leinster won by 4. Ospreys dominated the first half and went in 6 points up. Leinster played well second half and owned the ball. Berne kicked the corners well and they closed it out relatively comfortably once they got back in front with about 15-20 to go.

Horgan was poor again which is a worry with injuries elsewhere.

Reasonable game from O’Donohoe at scrum half. Hasn’t had enough exposure really and did one or two things badly but overall more than held his own.

[Bandage]

Are you all right Rocko? We were all down the pub watching the Italian football. We wondered where you were. Surely you weren’t watching this absolute piss? Were you?

[Bisto]

disgraceful behaviour in Glasgow with the home captain at end of the match opting to take the kick himself (he plays no.8)… he missed… giving Ulster a bonus point loss which fcuks up Connauchts chances
of passing out Ulster for last HC place…

[Bandage]

@Bandage

Anyone heading to the Cork derby in Temple Hill tomorrow? It’s a pity that the semi-finals fall between the quarter final and semi final stages of the European Cup so lads that have toiled away for the clubs all year will miss out as they’re filling in for Munster’s rested front line players in the Magner’s League. But notwithstanding the fact that Con and Dolphin have lost 6 and 4 players respectively, it should still be a belter. On the flip side, this will lead to Anthony Horgan and his sunscreen coming out of retirement yet again and he’s worth the admission money alone in my opinion. The remaining variable is whether Sam Cronin will make it back from Belgium in time to play - the last I heard he definitely wasn’t able to get a flight but he was en route to Paris for the Eurostar and his ultimate aim was to get from London across to Wales and onto the Swansea-Cork overnight ferry. If Cronin’s out then Dolphin don’t have a chance; if he’s in they’ll likely still be beaten. Con by 10 points for me.

Con 31-18 Dolphin. That’s close enough within the parameters to warrant a

St Mary’s defeated Old Belvo 24-23 in the other semi-final and they’ll stand between Con and a dream double in the final at Dubarry Park in a couple of weeks.

[myboyblue]

Thats, eh, a fairly experimental Munster line up…!

Munster v Connacht, The Sportsground, Galway, Magners League, Sunday April 18, 5.05pm:

Connacht: Gavin Duffy; Troy Nathan; Niva Ta’auso; Keith Matthews; Fionn Carr; Ian Keatley; Frank Murphy; Brett Wilkinson; Sean Cronin; Jamie Hagan; Michael Swift; Bernie Upton; John Muldoon (captain); Johnny O’Connor; George Naoupu

Replacements: Adrian Flavin; Ronan Loughney; Michael McCarthy; Mike McComish; Conor O’Loughlin; Miah Nikora; Aidan Wynne

Munster: Scott Deasy; Simon Zebo, Tom Gleeson, Paul Warwick, Danny Barnes; Declan Cusack, Peter Stringer; Dave Ryan, Damien Varley, Tony Buckley; Mick O’Driscoll capt; Billy Holland; Nick Williams, Niall Ronan, James Coughlan.

Replacements: Denis Fogarty, Julien Brugnaut, Dave Foley, Peter O’Mahoney, Conor Murray, Jeremy Manning, Sean Scanlon.

[Rocko]

The Munster pack is reasonably competitive but it’s a fairly different looking backline. Connacht won’t have been 2/5 for many games against Munster in the past.

[myboyblue]

@Rocko

The Munster pack is reasonably competitive but it’s a fairly different looking backline. Connacht won’t have been 2/5 for many games against Munster in the past.

Zebo played for U20s, never thought he was a Munster boy though. Has pace. Gleason looks a prospect, as does Deasy, the rest are new to me though. Varley in again, good stuff.

[Bandage]

Zebo doesn’t get in the Con team when everyone’s available but the chances of Richie Lane and the likes making the grade with Munster has passed at this stage so Zebo’s involved with Munster ‘A’ as he has years ahead of him to develop up to standard. Will be interesting to see how he gets on.

[myboyblue]

@Bandage

Zebo doesn’t get in the Con team when everyone’s available but the chances of Richie Lane and the likes making the grade with Munster has passed at this stage so Zebo’s involved with Munster ‘A’ as he has years ahead of him to develop up to standard. Will be interesting to see how he gets on.

Any idea what happened the O Boyle’s Bandage?

[myboyblue]

Munsters backline look fairly shaky, to be expected mind you. I imagine Lar wont like this so far.

Poor Gavin Duffy there :lol: :lol: :lol:

[Rocko]

Nick Williams having a stormer. He’s playing like the player they thought they signed. Some power in him.

[myboyblue]

Wonderful try there for Munster, as Rocko has said Williams has been class here so far. Nice finish from the two young bucks.

[Rocko]

This is a really good game actually.

By no means won yet, Connacht look very dangerous out wide but they can’t cope with Munster’s power up front. Varley has been very good too.

[myboyblue]

Great hands there from Connacht. That no 8, wont even try his name, is quite decent. Murphy has been having some battle with Stringer as well. Munster fucked up when on the Connacht line and has put them into the position they’re in now. A very decent game, fair amount of turnovers, but exciting nonetheless.

Any idea why they took off Williams? Varley is gone there now too, another strange one as he wasn’t doing anything wrong either?

[Rocko]

@myboyblue

Great hands there from Connacht. That no 8, wont even try his name, is quite decent. Murphy has been having some battle with Stringer as well. Munster fucked up when on the Connacht line and has put them into the position they’re in now. A very decent game, fair amount of turnovers, but exciting nonetheless.

Any idea why they took off Williams? Varley is gone there now too, another strange one as he wasn’t doing anything wrong either?

Yeah some strange changes - it’s not like they hadn’t experimented from the start. Buckley went off too didn’t he? He’d been doing not bad also.

[myboyblue]

Yep, Buckley gone too, very odd. Front row done v well today for Munster, I really like the look of Dave Ryan.

On another note, Alain Rolland is a tremendous referee.

[Rocko]

@myboyblue

Yep, Buckley gone too, very odd. Front row done v well today for Munster, I really like the look of Dave Ryan.

On another note, Alain Rolland is a tremendous referee.

Used to hate him but he’s done very well today anyway. Haven’t seen him get anything wrong. Connacht trying too many offloads today. They look like they’re afraid of rucks - maybe rightly so.