Quarter Final Draw

[Sir Speedy]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (MunsterMan @ Jan 25 2009, 10:02 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div>

or even Munster coming out of the group of Death having conceded just 6.[/b]

What's more impressive than that is that they finished as second seeds and only lost one match...
When a pool contains Clermont Auvergne, Sale and Montauban and you win five matches, you know you're a superb team who are odds on favourites to win the tournament again.

 

[gingergenius]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (snoopy snoopy dog dog @ Jan 25 2009, 07:59 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div>

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (gingergenius @ Jan 25 2009, 06:26 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Harlequins I think will have the edge on Leinster, who are also not a very good side.[/b]

I see Quins having the edge at scrumhalf and, if Nacewa starts, at flyhalf too. Other than that, Leinster have a better team on paper. Home advantage could swing the tie Harlequins' way but they'll be facing the outstanding defence in the competition so tries will be hard to come by. No more than 7 points will seperate the teams after 80 minutes.
[/b][/quote]

Well I'm basing my logic on the most recent Leinster game I've been to see - vs Wasps last week.

That was a vital HC game in South-West London; just like the QF will be. Wasps are a poor side atm, and tbh Leinster looked just as bad. Wasps should have won the game by more, and I saw very little from Leinster to suggest there was something they'd left on the showjumps. Fitzgerald was made to look ordinary by an off-form Paul Sackey; Kearney was about the only spark in your entire backline. I haven't seen anything from BOD for about 2 years and the rest of them are just as past it.

On paper means nothing anyway. On paper Stade are packed full of stars and Quins beat them twice. Their pack does a very solid job, and their back row may not have any superstars, but it is the best unit in the GP. Care, Turner-Hall, Monye and Brown are all excellent club players and Nick Evans we know is the 3rd best 10 in the world. You have to give it to Quins, they have a very good, well-balanced TEAM, and don't need too many stars to suceed.

 

[Sir Speedy]

A 'well-rounded side' relies on a single player to win them three games?

And for relevance, 'Quins lost direly to Wasps aswell.

 

[shazbooger]

Its all pointless debating it now. As a Leinster fan I was happy enough with the draw. However if the game was taking place next week I'd be pretty confident we'd lose, regardless of who we were playing. Anyone tipping a Harlequins win is correct in pointing out Leinster's poor form, and their inability to convert anything into scores, but this game isnt for another 2 months.

Leinster on form have the ability to win, but they need to sit on the arses for 2 months and hope when they all get back together, that the form comes to them quickly. It probably wont, but here's hoping that the break is as good as a change.

As for the others;

Cardiff should be rightly pished, a home tie against Toulouse is hardly a reward for 5 straight wins.
Ospreys as well, should be kicking themselves for allowing Leicster the bonus point.

No predictions though, to far away.

 

[An Tarbh]

Leinster found themselves in a similar position 4 years ago when we got the 6 wins only to get Leicester in the quarter finals. Ominously enough for the Blues the no. 1 seed has never gone on to win the tournament in the current format

 

[snoopy snoopy dog dog]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (MunsterMan @ Jan 25 2009, 09:05 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div>

The outstanding defense in the competetion? You had Wasps, Edinburgh and Castres in your group Wait til ye play some good teams to claim something like that.[/b]

Leinster have the top defence in the Magners League too.

http://www.magnersleague.com/122_125.php

In 16 games this season, they've only given up 20 points or more on one occasion (in the 21-20 win over Cardiff Blues).Their defence will mean that their game with Quins will be close. On average they've given up less than 14 points per game. Despite their poor form, the likes of O'Driscoll, Contepomi and D'arcy only need to produce a couple of moments of magic and the game can be won.

 

[DonBilly]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Thingimubob @ Jan 25 2009, 07:00 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div>

Toulouse in the Millenium Stadium, could be a very interesting game
can't say I;m confident about it, but the Blues did get through some tough home and away fixtures to Gloucester and Biarritz, so they should be more than capable of winning.
Allez les Blues! [/b]

Biarritz is far from being a top level side nowadays...

 

[DonBilly]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Sir. Speedy @ Jan 25 2009, 11:50 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div>

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (MunsterMan @ Jan 25 2009, 10:02 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

or even Munster coming out of the group of Death having conceded just 6.[/b]

What's more impressive than that is that they finished as second seeds and only lost one match...
When a pool contains Clermont Auvergne, Sale and Montauban and you win five matches, you know you're a superb team who are odds on favourites to win the tournament again.
[/b][/quote]

They started slowly with Montauban near to win their firt HEC match in Limerick but after that they played a very consistent brand of Rugby. Munster was one of the most impressive sides of the pool phase.

 

[shazbooger]

Yeah you cant argue with their achievement. They came out top of the group of death with a home quarter final. Says it all really.

 

[cyRil]

I've just bet my mate a tenner on the outcome of the Munster v Ospreys match, and I'm 95% confident I'll be £10 richer come April... Can you guess who I'm backing???

 

[Sir Speedy]

Leicester?

 

[cyRil]

Cross Keys.

 

[Sir Speedy]

And I was so close!

 

[dullonien]

I think it's worse for Munster that it's a fellow Magners League team their facing in the Quarters, if anyone can go to Thomund and win, it's a team like the Ospreys. They are used to playing and beating Munster on a consistent basis. If this were a league game I'd expect it to be close, but this is the Heineken were Munster are a competely different side.

So I'll say Munster are easily favourites, but you can never know what a team packed full of stars like the Ospreys can do. Ever the optimist eh? Probably more stupid lol

The Blues should be a bit peeved, they will go into the game with doubt unfortunately, they got completely outplayest last year out in Tolouse. But the Blues are a totally different side this year, their pack seems stronger, their defence is excellent and they posses one of the bast backlines in the tournament.

Overall, I'm wary that neither will progress, how the 6 Nations goes might have a big impact. If Wales win again this year, it'll give a big confidence boost to the players involved with the Blues and the O's.

 

[cyRil]

We're going to get tanked. There are no two-ways about it!

*Prays he can use this as an avatar quote in 3 months time*

 

[MunsterMan]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (dullonien @ Jan 27 2009, 12:03 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div>

how the 6 Nations goes might have a big impact. If Wales win again this year, it'll give a big confidence boost to the players involved with the Blues and the O's.[/b]

Just like last year?

 

[shazbooger]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (dullonien @ Jan 27 2009, 12:03 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div>

but you can never know what a team packed full of stars like the Ospreys can do.[/b]

I think Sale might have been saying something similar before they received the spanking of all spankings earlier this year.

Joking aside, looking through the Quarter final line up, there are no "easy wins" or clear favourites for three of the games, and I actually agree with the sentiment from the Ospreys fans. They wont be favourites but there is always a chance, and in this case a decent chance of an upset. Munster have upped their game on the big occasion but both Ulster and Connaught have caught them cold this year. Why not the Ospreys too.

 

[dullonien]

Just think the Magners teams have a big advantage when facing Munster compared to wither the GP or Top 14 teams. We know they aren't invincible and I'd say any of the Magners teams left would give themselves a chance against them, even in Thomund. On their day, the O's can play as well as anyone, it just doesn't happen all that often. I'm praying their one big performance will be v Munster. Our defense is up there with the very best, so doubt they'll score more than 1-2 try's. What can Shane, Henson, Burne and co pull out the bag? I'd also think the Ospreys can match them physically (Munster haven't got as strong a scrum as Leicester who pushed the Ospreys round), but they'll rape us linout time unless something changes.

The Ospreys have been creating sh*t loads of clear cut chances, if they would have finished half of them, they would have easily topped the pool. On certain days, they can all go to hand.

Suppose at the end of the day, Munster topped their pool of death, getting the all important home 1/4 final, wheras the Ospreys failed to top their pool even though they had an out of sorts Leicester, Perpignan (minus Carter) and an Italian team. Munster will win unless the Ospreys can produce something special (the kind of display we always see from them v Blues). Also no Johnny Vaughton would help, along with a Burne at full back who can catch a bloody up n' under!

 

[An Tarbh]

well Munster have only lost once to ML opposition in Europe since the league was formed, so you could say it's very much a case of familiarity breeds contempt for them.

 

[An Tarbh]

Kick offs have been confirmed so expect the flight prices to sky rocket as well.

Cardiff Blues v Toulouse , Saturday 15.30
Leicester v Bath, Saturday 18:00
Munster v Ospreys Sunday 13:00
Harlequins v Leinster, Sunday 15:30

At least they've had the sense not to put any of the Irish games on Good Friday.