RaboDirect Pro12 Round 6

[SelimNiai]

Ok, now my head hurts

 

[Peat]

I agree I keep thinking I should be more happy with the result, but preventing them scoring a point is good going.
I don't know what commentary you get in England, but the BBC NI chat afterwards was very negative about the game in my opinion.

They stream the game live thankfully - didn't listen to the talking heads after though.

 

[monkeypigeon]

\**** sake, ref giving Leinster most of the calls here.

That said, Leinster are probably value for their lead.

Edit: That sounds like I'm Bi**ing about the ref. I actually think he's doing a very good job. Just one or two the calls have gone to Leinster a bit harshly.

 

[monkeypigeon]

Heaslip's a *ick. Has Howlett over the line already and then he tries to chuck him into the side boarding. BOOOO LEINSTER! Boo!!11!11!11!!!!

 

[monkeypigeon]

The new TMO rules would have been handy there. Think that looked like a try rather than a knock on.

Everytime Leinster go back and the scrum goes down they 'slipped' when Munster are moving back and go down it's a penalty?


And tat one was definitely backwards. Listening to the crowd too much here mr Ref.

Who picked the man of the match? Reddan's had an average match.

 

[monkeypigeon]

Well Leinster take it 30 - 21. They probably deserved it overall. Thought the match was closer than the scoreline mind.

Best Leinster/Munster match in the last couple of years by my reckoning. Thought Strauss had an excellent match, McFadden was decent too.

Felt that POM was very good for Munster. We need Downey at 12 in the big matches, LALALALA looks a bit confused at 12.

Feel Keatley has to start in France if we're to have any chance. Looks much more comfortable with the gameplan.

 

[Feicarsinn]

Well, a win's a win. Considering the back line we had on at the end I would have gladly taken a one point win. We're properly focked if the guys who went off today weren't just precautionary.

Munster look a different beast with Keatley on tbh, time for ROG to accept a back sea role at last.

 

[TRF_Cymro]

Blues were an attacking mess, sorry Phil but the Blues lacked any attacking threat.

Referee was terrible, the scrum situation was a shambles and at the tackle situation he gave some odd calls, notably Filise jackle.

Glasgow were however more clinical and deserved the win.

 

[lynam1104]

Yea score line faltered us a tad pretty sure that the las "try" for munster was fine, but their first one was a knock on for sure just the way ti is really get some calls other you don't.

 

[Bluemoon]

Well deserved win for Glasgow, took their chances whilst never really threatening the whitewash.

Cardiff on the other hand look a shambles in attack. No attacking potency whatsoever despite having ball at times and having a handful of internationals in the backline. Gareth Baber still under question for me.

14 penalties at scrum time, 10 against the blues, 15 points kicked from those penalties. That stat says it all. My money is on Sales first win of the season next weekend.

 

[monkeypigeon]

Yea score line faltered us a tad pretty sure that the las "try" for munster was fine, but their first one was a knock on for sure just the way ti is really get some calls other you don't.

Thought the 'knock on' for the first try was off a Leinster player?

 

[TRF_Cymro]

Well deserved win for Glasgow, took their chances whilst never really threatening the whitewash.

Cardiff on the other hand look a shambles in attack. No attacking potency whatsoever despite having ball at times and having a handful of internationals in the backline. Gareth Baber still under question for me.

14 penalties at scrum time, 10 against the blues, 15 points kicked from those penalties. That stat says it all. My money is on Sales first win of the season next weekend.

Agreed, but some of the scrum offences were poor. Glasgow on Blues ball would stand up just before the hit giving the idea that the Blues were going in for the early engagement.

 

[TRF_Olyy]

Ma'afu vs Buckley is going to be......interesting!

Not a great match, pretty much just scrum after scrum after scrum, and then (as said above) the scrums were a mess.

 

[psychic duck]

Well, a win's a win. Considering the back line we had on at the end I would have gladly taken a one point win. We're properly focked if the guys who went off today weren't just precautionary.

Munster look a different beast with Keatley on tbh, time for ROG to accept a back sea role at last.

I agree.

You said a while back that teams know that he is never going to be attacking the gainline so can basically just ignore him with ball in hand and focus on the centres. I saw him play against the Ospreys last week and he exactly proved your point, the Ospreys defence had no problems with the Munster attack that match.

Also by the way, Ian Keatley is the most accurate kicker in the league at the minute (http://www.rabodirectpro12.com/statzone/rhino_golden_boot.php), so goal kicking shouldn't keep ROG in the side either.

 

[Bluemoon]

Agreed, but some of the scrum offences were poor. Glasgow on Blues ball would stand up just before the hit giving the idea that the Blues were going in for the early engagement.

Yeah very true, there were some very strange calls aswell. But even when Cardiff had the ball the backs were often receiving the ball very flat. They looked poorly drilled and when you give away that much ball at set piece its hard to get any momentum at all. There were also some very loose kicks when Cardiff run out of ideas.

Cardiff need Filise at THP, Kyricou at hooker and Borrust at LHP. That is their only decent front row, and I use that term loosely. They generally don't give away penalties and can withstand enough pressure to retain possession on blues put in. Campese Mafu was beyond awful at Scrum time, often boring in and breaking the bind. Then the ref focused on Campese and nothing else for that first half.

The backs needs to sharpen up before Sale, who will look to out muscle the blues and give them very little possession.

 

[TRF_Cymro]

Ma'afu vs Buckley is going to be......interesting!

Not a great match, pretty much just scrum after scrum after scrum, and then (as said above) the scrums were a mess.

Buckley will have a field day.

Yeah very true, there were some very strange calls aswell. But even when Cardiff had the ball the backs were often receiving the ball very flat. They looked poorly drilled and when you give away that much ball at set piece its hard to get any momentum at all. There were also some very loose kicks when Cardiff run out of ideas.

Cardiff need Filise at THP, Kyricou at hooker and Borrust at LHP. That is their only decent front row, and I use that term loosely. They generally don't give away penalties and can withstand enough pressure to retain possession on blues put in. Campese Mafu was beyond awful at Scrum time, often boring in and breaking the bind. Then the ref focused on Campese and nothing else for that first half.

The backs needs to sharpen up before Sale, who will look to out muscle the blues and give them very little possession.

Sweeney at 10 does not offer anything, sadly it's really unlucky to lose both Patchell and Tovey. Gavin Evans needs to realise he is not Jaime Roberts and cannot bosh through players like he can. Hewitt offers more but can't seem to string a set of games together.

The Blues are in a mess, and its not a mess they are going to come out of quickly or anytime real soon.

 

[psychic duck]

Cardiff need Filise at THP, Kyricou at hooker and Borrust at LHP. That is their only decent front row, and I use that term loosely. They generally don't give away penalties and can withstand enough pressure to retain possession on blues put in. Campese Mafu was beyond awful at Scrum time, often boring in and breaking the bind. Then the ref focused on Campese and nothing else for that first half.

The backs needs to sharpen up before Sale, who will look to out muscle the blues and give them very little possession.

Bourrust has spent his entire career as a tighthead prop, he has never played loosehead, so that is not an option.

 

[Bluemoon]

Ahh must have my wires crossed. It was Trevett, Kryicou, Bourrust where the scrum actually functioned in the Treviso game.

 

[Draggs]

Nothing that Ma'afu has done should be surprising.
I think everybody had the same reaction when he was signed, and he has done nothing to change their minds.

Worryingly, Phil Davies seems to not think the scrum is an issue. Unless they have been falling over to trick their HEC opponents, I must disagree with him!

 

[dullonien]

The Blues are in a mess. They only have one front row that can actually survive in the scrums, all their other options at prop are getting absolutely mullered! Bourrust is their only credible option on the tighthead, and the options aren't much better on the looshead. Whoever signed Ma'afu needs their head checking, they desperately needed scrummaging props and they sign one of the worst scrummaging international props going, the mind boggles!

It is unfortunate that they have to once again rely on Sweeney at outside half, but as Cymro said, he brings nothing to this Blues team at the moment. Their only attacking move seems to be sending Roberts up the middle, but it is so predictable, and Roberts is getting nowhere. One of the best centers in world rugby going to waste. One thing that is their fault is their insistence on playing Gavin Evans. I know I harp on about it constantly, but it just drives me insane. Get someone in there who offers something to the team, it's not as if there are no options to choose from. The answer isn't Hewitt either!

Navidi can hold his head high though, he was the Blues best player again today.

I can't see much changing any time soon, because there simply isn't the calibre of player to come in where needed.