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

Sport
1061

My only issue with all of this Gman is there is a consistent theme across this and other forums that there is a strong distaste for the Munster bandwagon and the fans in general. The team and its achivements are then denigrated, unfairly in my opinion, for this reason.

if Connacht first 15 had held the AB to 18-16 Im sure the thread wouldnt have been quite as dismissive.

I am not interested in debating the rights and wrongs of it anymore because your all entitled to your opinion and I’m not a spokesman for Munster rugby and I am not interested in trying to ‘convert’ anyone

1062

You have to love the bitterness on this thread!! you know you’re doing something right when everyone else is trying to knock you.

Munster by the grace of god !

1063

Kiwi reaction from Todays IT

Gavin Cummiskey on the New Zealand media’s reaction to Tuesday’s classic match, admiring the host side’s ‘passionate, almost crazed performance’

OVERALL, MUNSTER’S two- point loss against the All Blacks at Thomond Park caused a slight ripple in the New Zealand media, but the performance resonated enough to leave the imagination open to the effect it could have had if the result went with the hosts on Tuesday night.

It wouldn’t be New Zealand if they didn’t bottle the Irish up with references to passion and, well, Guinness but, in fairness, both were in clear evidence on a special night.

The front page of the Dominion Post showed Rua Tipoki leading the four-man Munster haka.

“The European champions, shorn of its Irish Test players, produced a passionate, almost crazed performance that sucked the All Blacks into a frenetic type of game,” wrote Jim Kayes.

"They lacked composure for long periods and were rattled by the din from the 26,000 at Thomond Park and the weight of history as they fell behind and the clock ticked down.

“The All Blacks were as desperate not to repeat the loss inflicted on their 1978 predecessors in Limerick just as Munster were keen to emulate those heroes. The fans were also incredibly noisy.”

Inside, under the headline: “Munster madness as fans yell themselves hoarse,” Kayes continued to praise the Red Army, "They cheered or booed for everything - kicks, passes, dropped ball and nifty touches. They loved the second half punch up but not as much as Munster line breaks, or All Blacks getting tackled and penalised.

"They cheered in approval when Stephen Donald missed penalties (three of them) and the conversion for Rokocoko’s try.

"They went crazy when first five-eighth Paul Warwick kicked two penalties and a drop kick.

“But they went bananas when wing Barry Murphy crossed for a try from a scrum move - replicating flanker Christy Cantillon’s feat three decades ago.”

Wynne Gray of the New Zealand Herald’s match report was beside a picture of Donnacha Ryan landing a blow on opposing lock Jason Eaton with Tony Buckley in close proximity.

“The history books will record a narrow win for the visitors,” wrote Wynne. "But there was enough rugby material for the locals to chew over as they sip their Guinness for the next 30 years.

“Munster looked a well-drilled team, an accomplished outfit, even without their Test players, while the All Blacks looked like a collection of players who had rarely trained together. The less flamboyant but accurate Munster side played to their strengths, made their tackles and showed great cohesion. The atmosphere was something else, from the thunderous noise to the deathly quiet when kickers from both sides tried goal shots.”

Wynne, in a rare error, associated Leinster’s Brian O’Driscoll with the night when stating: “Munster captain Mick O’Driscoll, brother of the Irish national skipper, said it had been a great honour for his team to be part of the historic pre-match rituals as his side’s Kiwi imports laid down a haka challenge to their All Black opposites.”

All Blacks number eight Liam Messam said it had been “awesome” facing the Munster haka which welcomed the visitors to Limerick and the match.

Messam clapped and nodded his appreciation to Tipoki and his mates for their haka before the All Blacks swept into their response.

“'I just wanted to pay my respects to Rua because he was the senior player and used to be my captain in the Maoris and I wanted to show my respect to him in his home game.”

A respect undoubtedly returned to the world’s best tourists.

1064

[quote=“dancarter”]My only issue with all of this Gman is there is a consistent theme across this and other forums that there is a strong distaste for the Munster bandwagon and the fans in general. The team and its achivements are then denigrated, unfairly in my opinion, for this reason.
[/quote]

thats true. wont argue with that. but its hard to have a love for munster if you’re not from there and when you hear all the shite thats been spouted, and it goes the opposite way too in knocking other teams.

1065

It’s not a blatant lie by any means dan. I think you’re confusing a friendly match played by two reserve teams with actual league fixtures. As I say, I’m not big into friendlies, testimonials, exhibition games and even the Scottish League Cup but I take the SPL and European games pretty seriously alright.

1066

[quote=“Gman”]right, so instead of actually looking at what I contributed, you are just happy to pass it off at begrudgery by me. fair enough. dont know why you see the problem with it yet puke and dan can comment and discuss what I said. and in the context of what I said. all I said was that Munster were hardly a bench mark for Leinster in choking it. Munster have choked it on a few times IMO. At least puke cam back and tired discuss the cases I mentioned, saying the semis they gave it their all, and were just beaten by a better side in one final, but accepted they choked the first one. but I’m a begrudger for pointing it out. fair enough.

if my opinion that Munster should have won a lot more when they have had the oppertunities means I’m a begrudger or a WUM, then fair enough.

Think pikeman may have hit the nail on the head tho.[/quote]

Well as long as ye continue to pigeon hole people then i will find it hard to take ye seriously on matters like this.
I certainly wasn’t the only (or first) to mention begrudgery, but it is defintely prevalent in these threads.

You never hear it from us when discussing KK hurling, Tyrone football etc etc.

1067

Who was knocking other teams?

1068

You still refuse to accept that Rugby plays Test games, and their performances are not solely based on competitions that have a Cup for the winners.

1069

So, Tuesday night equates to a ‘test’ match now? It’s a definitional point, a mere term. A test match is the same as a friendly. I agree that performances are not solely based on competitions with a cup for the winners and people will judge the performance of the Irish football team based on last night’s test match friendly against Poland too for example. I’d expect them to do so in the context of the game being a friendly though and not go overboard in their praise, criticism and hyperbole.

1070

[quote=“caoimhaoin”]Well as long as ye continue to pigeon hole people then i will find it hard to take ye seriously on matters like this.
I certainly wasn’t the only (or first) to mention begrudgery, but it is defintely prevalent in these threads.

You never hear it from us when discussing KK hurling, Tyrone football etc etc.[/quote]

sorry, that has to be the biggest case of the pot calling the kettle black. you started calling me a wum and a begrudger, and then say that I’m pigeon holing people?

and I never mentioned anyone here knocking other teams, but then again, I didnt think that the whole support of Munster posts on this board.

1071

[quote=“Gman”]sorry, that has to be the biggest case of the pot calling the kettle black. you started calling me a wum and a begrudger, and then say that I’m pigeon holing people?

and I never mentioned anyone here knocking other teams, but then again, I didnt think that the whole support of Munster posts on this board.[/quote]

No yourslef and Pikeman are pigeon holing me due to my langerness. It’s tiresome now, we don’t agree on this, lets move on.

1072

Bandage is clearly talking through his hole on all this.

A great cricket fan but not a man who likes any of that competition bullshit prevalent in the shorter form of the game. The competitive cricket that Bandage enjoys is in the test match arena. Different sports obviously place different levels of emphasis on different competitive structures. Sure the 6 Nations was only a series of test matches until very recently.

1073

[quote=“therock67”]Bandage is clearly talking through his hole on all this.

A great cricket fan but not a man who likes any of that competition bullshit prevalent in the shorter form of the game. The competitive cricket that Bandage enjoys is in the test match arena. Different sports obviously place different levels of emphasis on different competitive structures. Sure the 6 Nations was only a series of test matches until very recently.[/quote]

That’s the point. Different sports do place different emphasis on different structures. The 5-day test match format has always been the ultimate in cricket but apparently a friendly between a provincial second string and a touring side’s midweek reserve side equates to the ultimate in rugby now. Do me a favour.

1074

Let it go Bandage

1075

I agree Bandage. It is fcuking ridiculous. Overkill in the extreme. Quote on front page of the Cork Examiner yesterday…“Today was the day the people of Limerick claimed the city back from the thugs”…fuck off.

1076

But you said

“A test match is the same as a friendly”

Do you no longer agree with that statement?

1077

[quote=“caoimhaoin”]Lads for all your (very worthwhile) debating there about Ulster, RTE and their shortcomings etc, ye have all totally disregarded Connaught. I for one believe the IRFU should be doing more for the 2 weaker provinces as they are now. There is 4 Provinces in Ireland.

I would (by a mile) shout for Leinster. Having lived in a provincial town and met many a supporter from outside D4 i believe there is alot more we would have in common with alot of them. I have found the real Rugby D4 crowd to be very much “Rugby” people as well, and want to talk about the game, and not the bullshit.

Like Dan i would have met both the very nice and knowledgeable Ulster fan and i have met the toerag Loyalist type. They would probably have similar experiencves of Munster people.[/quote]

Read back through the thread Kevin. I mentioned in one of my posts that Tuesday nights match throws weight behind Bradleys argument that half of the Munster second string should be sent to Connacht where they will get proper European match experience. You just seem obsessed with having an argument to be honest. Its almost Puke-esque.

1078

[quote=“therock67”]But you said

“A test match is the same as a friendly”

Do you no longer agree with that statement?[/quote]

Was waiting for the forensic analysis but expected multi-quotes rather than just the one though. Yes, I very much agree with the statement in a rugby context. Like we agreed, different sports have different competitive structures and I expect most New Zealanders would regard the World Cup as most important, with the Tri-Nations probably next in line. I assume they’d put a lot of precedence on winning the Bledisloe Cup as part of the Tri-Nations and I would imagine their end of season test match / friendly tour to the Northern Hemisphere doesn’t have the same priority. And added to that, I doubt their season will be judged by the performance of their midweek reserve touring side either.

1079

I agree with you Mac, and must have missed that, but i was just pointing it out to Clareman and Dan Carter. The IRFU fund the shite out of Munster and Leinster and only keep Connaught ticking over, Munster now have a squad the size (if not quite the quality) of Toulouse, whereas Connaught are struggling. But Munster in fairness bring in alot more money for the IRFU. Imagine what Coughlan, Ronan, Murphy etc would do for Connaught. the players themselves may not like it, but if the IRFU were serious about everything they say then’d make it happen, i don’t believe they are.

On a related topic, do Connaught have a Development squad, do they use NUIG the way Munster use UL and UCC?

1080

They have placed huge emphasis on this tour, and going for the “Grand Slam”. You are probably right about the order in priority, WC, Tri-Nations, NH tour, but with no WC for 3 years i think they put a huge amount into this year and the tour, their coach has alot to prove.