Agreed. Henshaw is a superior player in my opinion.
2003 too although Munster were agonisingly close during that period.
Peter stringer was better than Gibson-Park in my opinion. Be interesting to see how many of the 2023 team would have started on the 2007 equivalent. Tommy Bowe would edge out Mack Hansen too if we take the 2009 Grand Slam team.
He caused them problems but he isnât in the same breadth as a Jordan or Kolbe.
Nah.
I think Stringer was underrated and would have been a great man to have in the squad but he isnât on that level.
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Stringer was a great passer of the ball.
Is he still waiting around for that 100th cap?
One big thing and Iâve mentioned it here a few times. It was some cluster fuck by Nuicifora to leave van graan in Munster so long and offered him another new deal when he left.
Under Rowntree weâve seen the emergence of Crowley. Daly and nash improving significantly. Murray coming back to form. Coombes and a clutch of other young forwards breaking into the side too.
Maybe If van graan was removed two or three years ago Crowley could have been a real option.
Somebody like Coombes who is different to our other options could have made an impact too.
Carberry was starting v France in 22 and sub in New Zealand in 22. It was clear as day to me he wasnât Munster best option at ten. Both Healy and Crowley were superior players.
It wasnât until Farrell dropped carberry in November 2022 munster binned him off either.
One or two players would have made the difference last week.
A lot of crumbs make the cake I guess.
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Itâs very difficult to compare someone like a DâArcy to a modern player.
Talent wise he was out of this world.
I would be interested to know what would end up happening with a guy like him these days. Heâd never have had the first few years that he had boozing.
I suspect he never ended up at 12.
That was an amazing change in career direction for him 6 years in.
In fact originally OâDriscoll lined up at 12 and DâArcy at 13 but they kept the numbers for sponsorship reasons.
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Gibson park is a fine on the front foot but heâs no good when youâre struggling up front.
Watch v La Rochelle. His head went and wouldnât pass to Ross Byrne when Leinster needed a drop goal to win it.
I guarantee you stringer doesnât let that happen.
Stringer was not the man you wanted behind a weak pack.
Murray is the best scrum half of the pro era by a distance.
A position that we still donât get right imo.
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Murrays pass is too slow, he needs a step
Heâs been badly coached for a long time in Munster. He got a woeful neck injury too.
He hasnât been the same force but has been to form in the past few months.
Heâs a beast but i think the most important thing a 9 has to do is get it away quick. He spent 3 or 4 years box kicking the fuck out of everything
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That was coaching and tactics. Murray wouldnât have lasted long unless that was a part of the plan. Fellas donât be going off on solos at that level.
Heâs the all round best 9 we have produced.
He is the only Lions test match 9 of quality we have had.
He has deficiencies in his game but was an all round good 9.
As I said, not a position of great quality in Irish rugby. You could always see how little emphasis was placed on it coming through the system. The small lad who loved to pass ended up there.
I love a 9 who snipes 
Craig Casey must be a classic of this genre.
If o gara was five years older Murray would have ended up at ten too wouldnât he.
Yeah probably.
Itâs a weird one, you could see it a mile off at underage and it still seems to be the way.
You generally donât get near the best athletes or most skilful players there.
I donât know. Donât remember him being a phenom in school? Heâd have been late 2000s, wouldnât he?
Earls was the well known one from Munster schools. And Zebo. âWonder tryâ uploaded by the Simon Zebo Twitter account here.
Gibson Park is a top player, Lowe has tremendous upside but is flawed