European Champions Cup 2017/18: Pool 4

[Groundhog]

******* hell, we should have won that with a bonus point, but we're coming away with a LBP because we didn't back ourselves, chose shots at goal when we should have been murdering them with pressure and some bad discipline, although that petulant little guy Carley got a few things wrong as well, but I'm not English so won't harp on them. Captaincy was poor at times too.
A lot of guys played well. Murray marshalled a lot of things, Keatley passed brilliantly and ran the show well until that final howler kick. Cloete was incredible. Kleyn is class. The pack had good intensity, but need to listen to the ref more, whether he's right or wrong, that cost us so badly. Scannell I felt was poor today, while Farrell had one of his best games for us. Earls is just electric. I right him more highly than I'm willing to admit for fear of Leo's minions dog piling me.
Off topic Jesus that stadium looked like a sterile hotbox coffin. Very little atmosphere and people at it have said it was really not good for a rugby game and they were hoping this wasn't what the future of rugby would be. I think I'd like to give it a try for one game, but think I'd avoid it like the plague thereafter. Rugby should be played on grass with an open roof so the baby Jesus can watch from heaven, not in a pit of hell with grass faker than Racing Metro's club culture. May be biased from a couple concussions from artificial pitches, but it hasn't dulled my wits as you all know.

 

[munstermuffin]

Stadium is strange here but well we got what we needed. We will learn

 

[Groundhog]

Can still see us humping Castres, but equally leaving it too late to put them away.

 

[munstermuffin]

Can still see us humping Castres, but equally leaving it too late to put them away.

All we need is a win

 

[Groundhog]

All we need is a win

Humping wouldn't go amiss.

 

[curtbob7]

Ref hasn't helped but my god we're in such a state.

 

[LeinsterMan (NotTigsMan)]

Munster better hope Castres do what they did at Welford road because i wouldn't want to bank on Tigers keeping Racing to less than 3 tries ATM.

Castres have it to play for aswell so might well be up for it.

 

[munstermuffin]

Munster better hope Castres do what they did at Welford road because i wouldn't want to bank on Tigers keeping Racing to less than 3 tries ATM.

Castres have it to play for aswell so might well be up for it.

All we need is a win. Don't need to depend on Tigers. Will be interesting to see Racing approach. They need a BP. I think that escaped them with that last pen yesterday. They needed to try get a BP and deny us 1

 

[LeinsterMan (NotTigsMan)]

All we need is a win. Don't need to depend on Tigers. Will be interesting to see Racing approach. They need a BP. I think that escaped them with that last pen yesterday. They needed to try get a BP and deny us 1

But if you win and Racing get a TBP win v Tigers don't they top the group?

 

[munstermuffin]

But if you win and Racing get a TBP win v Tigers don't they top the group?

Nope. Goes on head to head and we got that covered. Hence why we were all shocked at end they took 3 instead of going for try

 

[curtbob7]

 

[Groundhog]

G'WAN LEICESTER naming a full strength team with nothing to play for. That's proper order
Munster are unchanged from last week bar Scannell to the bench.
Munster:

15. Simon Zebo
14. Andrew Conway
13. Chris Farrell
12. Rory Scannell
11. Keith Earls
10. Ian Keatley
9. Conor Murray

1. Dave Kilcoyne
2. Rhys Marshall
3. Stephen Archer
4. Jean Kleyn
5. Billy Holland
6. Peter O'Mahony (captain)
7. Chris Cloete
8. CJ Stander

Replacements:

16. Niall Scannell
17. James Cronin
18. John Ryan
19. Darren O'Shea
20. Jack O'Donoghue
21. Duncan Williams
22. JJ Hanrahan
23. Alex Wootton

Castres:

15. Geoffrey Palis
14. Kylian Jaminet
13. Thomas Combezou
12. Robert Ebersohn
11. David Smith
10. Julien Dumora
9. Rory Kockott

1. Antoine Tichit
2. Jody Jenneker
3. Damien Tussac
4. Alexandre Bias
5. Thibault Lassalle
6. Yannick Caballero
7. Steve Mafi
8. Alex Tulou

Replacements:

16. Kevin Firmin
17. Tudor Stroe
18. Daniel Kotze
19. Victor Moreaux
20. Baptiste Delaporte
21. Yohan Domenech
22. Yohan Le Bourhis
23. Afusipa Taumoepeau

I hope we positively destroy this crowd and get the bonus point, but we should not pass up on three points until we're distant. This could be a banana skin. I'm not worried about our trajectory. Our game has gotten a little bit loose as we're adapting to a new coach and scoring a lot more tries. Ferreira will hopefully pick up where Nienaber left off and we'll have some nice balance. Non necessary penalties are something we can't afford though, it's ******* frustrating and senior squad members need to put their feet down on it..... and stop committing them themselves.
My only regret is that we didn't play Grobler so his steroid fuelled legs could kick penalties from 60 metres, he could throw the ball to himself in the lineout and slide on his on five metre line and score at the other end of the field like the freakish monster from Space Jam steroids have made him.

 

[munstermuffin]

G'WAN LEICESTER naming a full strength team with nothing to play for. That's proper order
Munster are unchanged from last week bar Scannell to the bench.
Munster:

15. Simon Zebo
14. Andrew Conway
13. Chris Farrell
12. Rory Scannell
11. Keith Earls
10. Ian Keatley
9. Conor Murray

1. Dave Kilcoyne
2. Rhys Marshall
3. Stephen Archer
4. Jean Kleyn
5. Billy Holland
6. Peter O'Mahony (captain)
7. Chris Cloete
8. CJ Stander

Replacements:

16. Niall Scannell
17. James Cronin
18. John Ryan
19. Darren O'Shea
20. Jack O'Donoghue
21. Duncan Williams
22. JJ Hanrahan
23. Alex Wootton

Castres:

15. Geoffrey Palis
14. Kylian Jaminet
13. Thomas Combezou
12. Robert Ebersohn
11. David Smith
10. Julien Dumora
9. Rory Kockott

1. Antoine Tichit
2. Jody Jenneker
3. Damien Tussac
4. Alexandre Bias
5. Thibault Lassalle
6. Yannick Caballero
7. Steve Mafi
8. Alex Tulou

Replacements:

16. Kevin Firmin
17. Tudor Stroe
18. Daniel Kotze
19. Victor Moreaux
20. Baptiste Delaporte
21. Yohan Domenech
22. Yohan Le Bourhis
23. Afusipa Taumoepeau

I hope we positively destroy this crowd and get the bonus point, but we should not pass up on three points until we're distant. This could be a banana skin. I'm not worried about our trajectory. Our game has gotten a little bit loose as we're adapting to a new coach and scoring a lot more tries. Ferreira will hopefully pick up where Nienaber left off and we'll have some nice balance. Non necessary penalties are something we can't afford though, it's ******* frustrating and senior squad members need to put their feet down on it..... and stop committing them themselves.
My only regret is that we didn't play Grobler so his steroid fuelled legs could kick penalties from 60 metres, he could throw the ball to himself in the lineout and slide on his on five metre line and score at the other end of the field like the freakish monster from Space Jam steroids have made him.

Be careful on those comments Groundhog Kimmage might trace you. I think himself and Ruadhri O Connor (who was told F off few weeks ago in UL) were shown up.
They couldn't report it accurate at all

 

[snoopy snoopy dog dog]

Be careful on those comments Groundhog Kimmage might trace you. I think himself and Ruadhri O Connor (who was told F off few weeks ago in UL) were shown up.
They couldn't report it accurate at all

Don't agree with you at all. It was accurately reported. Munster signed a player who has served a 2 year ban for a doping offence. You may not agree with how they went about their business of reporting but I'd say the episode has the IRFU reconsidering employing people with doping in their past in future. As such they could be successful in achieving their aims.

I'd question why wasn't this reported 6 months ago and why wasn't there the same scrutiny directed towards the IRFU around a decade ago when Carlo Del Fava signed?

The biggest question is how did a then 22 or 23 year old learn about how to use the substance the use of which he was banned for? Is it institutionalized like in the Carrera, US Postal, Festina and other cycling teams?
...............................................

Good looking Munster team. They should be looking to get a bonus point win on Sunday. Thought Niall Scannell was supposed to be out for longer.

 

[munstermuffin]

Don't agree with you at all. It was accurately reported. Munster signed a player who has served a 2 year ban for a doping offence. You may not agree with how they went about their business of reporting but I'd say the episode has the IRFU reconsidering employing people with doping in their past in future. As such they could be successful in achieving their aims.

I'd question why wasn't this reported 6 months ago and why wasn't there the same scrutiny directed towards the IRFU around a decade ago when Carlo Del Fava signed?

The biggest question is how did a then 22 or 23 year old learn about how to use the substance the use of which he was banned for? Is it institutionalized like in the Carrera, US Postal, Festina and other cycling teams?
...............................................

Good looking Munster team. They should be looking to get a bonus point win on Sunday. Thought Niall Scannell was supposed to be out for longer.

Wasn't accurate at all Snoop. Especially from O'Connor. And the style was embarrassing. There was a reason O'Connor was told leave few weeks ago.
He said Munster were 1st side to sign a doper. This was false.
Said we were promoting it. False. He served time and offence never happened on our watch.
And there few other bits that were just hypocritical and false.
On your comment it has got people talking. That is fair. But his reasoning was to aim at Munster 1 way or another as it's known he is disliked down here and has a vendetta. As you said if genuine it'd be done when Gerbrandt signed or played in pre season.
On question regards usage. He has explained. It was the need to numb pain for injuries as well as pressures to have bulk as that was required to be a pro in South Africa at time. As in that was main focus. He was naive and took it while injured.
Doesn't excuse what he did but he offered no bulllshit. Did time accepted time.
Also went out tonight and in my eyes was MOTM in A game.

Also Kimmage is just a negative man.
A failed doper himself who makes a living now being hypocrite.
He only admitted his guilt after being caught and still being poor with them.

On Niall its a gamble. Personally I'm not happy. We were asked Tuesday on thoughts about it. And it was mixed view.

Just also to edit and add on this week' controversial subject Snoop. If younwant to report it and start a healthy debate then look at Thornley or Murray Kinsella. They did a well and balanced view.
But the Independent did it with an agenda based on a dislike for Munster. Don't let the sponsorship of Musgrave Park fool you. As I said O'Connor is a poor journalist and has no class or credibility who was called up on it by us in past. On the debate I agree it is healthy to have it talked about and look not everyone will agree. I respect that. But there is a right way of reporting it

 

[curtbob7]

Tuilagi dropped from line up. Hope it isn't serious but have heard that's something's 'just a bit tight'.

Gareth Owen starts at 13 which begs the question why on earth wasn't he on the bench ahead of Joe Ford in the first place.

 

[Groundhog]

Our match postponed until 4 because the rain has ruined the pitch. Not ******* bonus point weather is it.

 

[Leonormous Boozer]

Great! I can watch it now!

 

[munstermuffin]

Our match postponed until 4 because the rain has ruined the pitch. Not ******* bonus point weather is it.

Even then doubtful. It bad here

 

[Groundhog]

Even then doubtful. It bad here

Go get a pitchfork and put yourself to good use would you? Fairly poor show having the fans there in purgatory for the bones of 5 hours. The bloody pitch inspection for my match managed to be done early this morning and I play J4 on a good day.