[2018-19 Guinness Pro 14] Round 6 (05 & 06/10/2018)

[Leonormous Boozer]

James Lowe is my dad

 

[Hanley!]

For all the talk by pundits during the week about players being rested ruining the Munster vs Leinster fixture, you think they could have dedicated that time to Ben ******* Whitehouse. I knew going in that he was going to hurt my enjoyment of the game, and boy did he ever. He's beyond awful.

Good intensity to the game though, I don't know why we have to go through the farce of acting like fans and players don't care about the rivalry anymore every single time Munster and Leinster play. It's demonstrably not true. I thought both sides played really well today. Hopefully both teams carry form into the start of the Heineken Cup.

 

[Bruce_ma gooshvili]

Raining cats and dogs in Treviso and I think we may have a new world record for the number of scrums in one game

EDIT: a King prop sent off for two yellow cards for scrum infringements probably sums up this game perfectly. Winning BP for the mighty Benetton though.

 

[snoopy snoopy dog dog]

Keith Earls in full flight scares the sh*t out of me. Great winger.

Leinster fully deserved their win. Will need to go up a couple of gears against Wasps and Toulouse though.

 

[Leinster Fan]

That was a great game. Gives the lie to the old 'forwards win the game, backs by how much' cliche. Makes a myth of the idea that the rivalry is dead as well. 50,000 fans there and massive bite and intensity to it.

I don't think Whitehouse was particularly poor to be honest. Porter should have seen yellow, but the penalty try was borderline and the deliberate knock-on decision, while wrong, didn't matter because Earls was offside from the knock-on anyway (and that one came from the touch judge so not his fault). He's had worse games for sure.

Leinster good value for their win. The back row was quiet though and I wouldn't be surprised if none of them start next week. McGrath destroyed Archer in the scrum and looked decent but went off at half time. Tracy and Bent were poor but the second row was very influential. Excellent performance from everyone behind the pack.

On the Munster side Kilcoyne was good but not so good he needed Quinlan swooning over him 3 different times in commentary. Their pack was good and Carbery/ Mathewson have look like a strong partnership already. They're a stronger team than last year.

 

[munstermuffin]

Keith Earls in full flight scares the sh*t out of me. Great winger.

Leinster fully deserved their win. Will need to go up a couple of gears against Wasps and Toulouse though.

The ref was desperate. But agreed Leinster shaded it.
Forget about the refs awful calls. That wasn't Leinster fault and regardless. In my eyes they won as they are very efficient in their defensive set up now and absorb and then act at the right moment. We are still strugling to convert possession and territory in to the points in deserves. But also we are happy at where we are and there is improvments to be happy about.

 

[snoopy snoopy dog dog]

The ref was desperate. But agreed Leinster shaded it.
Forget about the refs awful calls. That wasn't Leinster fault and regardless. In my eyes they won as they are very efficient in their defensive set up now and absorb and then act at the right moment. We are still strugling to convert possession and territory in to the points in deserves. But also we are happy at where we are and there is improvments to be happy about.

Munster wasted a staggering amount of overlaps. They had a drill in warmups which was three quick passes within a 5 metre space. When it came to game time and the opportunity to put this drill into practice, every single time the player failed to draw the defender and pass the ball quickly. That's not a coaching problem, that's a decision making problem when the heat is on.

Munster were always going to bring their A game when playing Leinster. The trick is doing it every week. Their away record is dreadful. That's where I do have an issue with their coaching. Despite adding Joey Carbery, Tadhg Beirne (really good yesterday) and Jean Kleyn to their team from the same fixture last year, they came up short again.

No shame in losing to Leinster who are a juggernaut right now but a near full strength Munster of 10 years ago would have won that game.

James Lowe makes a couple of infuriating mistakes every game but is a threat to bust a line or score whenever the ball is in his hands. I hope Leinster don't look to curb his attacking instinct in any way because he's the sort of player you'd gladly pay to watch. I'd start him next week against Wasps. I'd have Jordan Larmour at fullback in that team too.

 

[munstermuffin]

Munster wasted a staggering amount of overlaps. They had a drill in warmups which was three quick passes within a 5 metre space. When it came to game time and the opportunity to put this drill into practice, every single time the player failed to draw the defender and pass the ball quickly. That's not a coaching problem, that's a decision making problem when the heat is on.

Munster were always going to bring their A game when playing Leinster. The trick is doing it every week. Their away record is dreadful. That's where I do have an issue with their coaching. Despite adding Joey Carbery, Tadhg Beirne (really good yesterday) and Jean Kleyn to their team from the same fixture last year, they came up short again.

No shame in losing to Leinster who are a juggernaut right now but a near full strength Munster of 10 years ago would have won that game.

James Lowe makes a couple of infuriating mistakes every game but is a threat to bust a line or score whenever the ball is in his hands. I hope Leinster don't look to curb his attacking instinct in any way because he's the sort of player you'd gladly pay to watch. I'd start him next week against Wasps. I'd have Jordan Larmour at fullback in that team too.

Yes that is part of our regular warm up but it's transferring it to games as you say. I don't think personnel was issue as much like we could have won it. Lowe is good and was key to alot. But equally is the easiest to drop as I think Fardy is vital and JGP too. Lowe is in a position where there is no shortage.

On us I'm not to disappointed in the loss. Agree we may have won in an older era but I think we are closing gap and well not as far off as we were in previous years. Argubally our mistakes cost 17 points at a minimum

 

[snoopy snoopy dog dog]

I think we are closing gap and well not as far off as we were in previous years. Argubally our mistakes cost 17 points at a minimum

This is where I disagree with you. Munster have certainly improved since the last year of Anthony Foley's reign as as coach but Leinster are pulling away from them. That Leinster team was shorn of Jordan Larmour, Garry Ringrose, Johnny Sexton, Luke McGrath, Cian Healy, Sean Cronin, Tadhg Furlong and arguably Scott Fardy and Jack Conan from their first choice team yet were still relatively comfortable in victory. Just as Munster were Leinster's benchmark for so long, now it's the other way and there's no sign of the gap closing despite all the recent signings.

 

[mosfeldt]

I'm pretty happy with the result to be honest, despite losing a game we could've won. Beirne was very busy I thought and showed glimpses into his recent Scarlets glory. He is only going to get better the more he is embedded into Munster's system. If Munster can bring that intensity every week with even better accuracy I would feel we have a great shot at the European cup. I was really impressed with some of the stuff we played in the first 30 minutes, before the momentum and flow of the game was killed a bit (what do you expect from Shitehouse?). Can't help but kind of prefer to see Conway at wing.

Anyways, if the intensity can be maintained (I hope Europe will fire that pashun up even more) and we don't sustain injuries to key positions Munster are in with a shout. Would be delighted with the Pro14 either, it's a more quality and prestigious tournament these days IMO (still a way to go though). However I don't think Munster are going to be able to survive the attrition battle. Maybe I'm just being pessimistic. But it seems to be the norm in these days, to suffer ridiculous injury lists. It seems that the teams who win are often the teams with the most quality players at back up. Modern rugby is a bit concerning in that sense.

 

[munstermuffin]

This is where I disagree with you. Munster have certainly improved since the last year of Anthony Foley's reign as as coach but Leinster are pulling away from them. That Leinster team was shorn of Jordan Larmour, Garry Ringrose, Johnny Sexton, Luke McGrath, Cian Healy, Sean Cronin, Tadhg Furlong and arguably Scott Fardy and Jack Conan from their first choice team yet were still relatively comfortable in victory. Just as Munster were Leinster's benchmark for so long, now it's the other way and there's no sign of the gap closing despite all the recent signings.

See I'd agree with some there and disagree with other. Like I don't think Leinster are better than last year. But well that is on form. On the depth comment. Well look being fair who is up there with Leinster. It's pointless comparing. But I think if we have our best 15 out we are getting closer. Like agreed ye were missing a few yesterday but I don't think Conan would be an upgrade on what ye had in backrow, and I rate JGP higher than Luke McGrath.
Also I'm not naive to think we are right up there with ye yet. But I feel we are up there to compete for Europe. And that means if we met ye in a 1 off game we might shock ye in a reverse of 2009, although much different as ye had a core of todays era starting out then we don't have a core of similar nature.

 

[Bruce_ma gooshvili]

6 weeks in, who predicted Munster 4th and Ulster 5th in their respective conferences?

Connachts first win at Ulster in 50 years? Coach Friend seems a step up from last year. They are probably my favourites for 3rd in Conference A if they can avoid injuries to the pack.

 

[munstermuffin]

6 weeks in, who predicted Munster 4th and Ulster 5th in their respective conferences?

Connachts first win at Ulster in 50 years? Coach Friend seems a step up from last year. They are probably my favourites for 3rd in Conference A if they can avoid injuries to the pack.

I think for us in Munster it was very much expected. Our road form isn't great, as it wasnt last year, and well we had tough away days to Glasgow and Leinster which are tough even on form

 

[Tooting Carmen]

6 weeks in, who predicted Munster 4th and Ulster 5th in their respective conferences?

Connachts first win at Ulster in 50 years? Coach Friend seems a step up from last year. They are probably my favourites for 3rd in Conference A if they can avoid injuries to the pack.

Even above Cardiff Blues and Munster? (Glasgow and Ospreys are fine as 1st and 2nd).

 

[Bruce_ma gooshvili]

Even above Cardiff Blues and Munster? (Glasgow and Ospreys are fine as 1st and 2nd).

Behind Munster and above Ospreys is my prediction. Ospreys likely have a lot more depth though.