Munster Thread 2010/2011

[Darce]

If they play with the focus they showed in the 2nd half of the Leinster game, they'll beat brive out the gate. Of that, I'm sure

[Dexter]

If they play with the focus they showed in the 2nd half of the Leinster game, they'll beat brive out the gate. Of that, I'm sure

Would agree. Even Brive don't seem to be giving themselves much of a chance.

[Bosco]

Brive are close to the drop in France, they have a bit of a cushion over La Rochelle, but they wont give a fiddlers about the Amlin imo But Munster will still have to go out and beat them.

[Peg Leg]

Brive are close to the drop in France, they have a bit of a cushion over La Rochelle, but they wont give a fiddlers about the Amlin imo But Munster will still have to go out and beat them.

Brive handing out experience at this one?

[Bosco]

Just speculation on my part but they'll certainly have an eye on their next T14 game which is away to Biarritz.



EDIT: Bump for Johng

[suisse]

But Munster will still have to go out and beat them.

That's normally something you need to do if you want win a match

[Bosco]

But Munster will still have to go out and beat them.

That's normally something you need to do if you want win a match

too bad leinster thought different in the second half on Saturday

[suisse]

But Munster will still have to go out and beat them.

That's normally something you need to do if you want win a match

too bad leinster thought different in the second half on Saturday

I was gonna label it: "Bosco's guide to winning; beat the other team" - but analysis is best left to this espnscrum.com's Austin Healy, an insightful pundit if ever I saw one

[Bosco]

[Donny B.]

Brive were no great shakes when we beat them last year and if anything they've gotten worse since then. Munster should win at a canter.

[Isaac4leinster]

Downey..?

You picked up Sam from Worchester, a struggling AP side and yet you laugh at the idea of Downey being a good idea for Munster, when he is a good performer for an AP team that are doing well. Plus he more closely resembles Halstead. At this stage beggars shouldn't be choosers, as lets face it you're not going to have the funds to pick up a worldclass centre are you? Plus gonna be hard pushed to attract world class operators to Munster in general these days.

Sam has 8 all blacks caps. downey had a go at munster and failed. very ordinary player. doubt theres another club in world rugby as well known as munster. thats just a fact. we won a heineken without halstead why do you think we want to reinvent him? another tipoki would be a closer comparison. JDV again perhaps? hope so

Sam got his 8 caps, granted, but quite possibly one the weakest centres to get a cap over the last 15 years, maybe with the exception of Benson Stanley. Munster need to get a player that suits Munster, not anotehr JDV who was a great player unsuited to Munster. Luke McAllister would be a great buy and I see the Daily Mail suggested he might be heading down, but I would be shocked if he did.

Halstead was an unexceptional player who was able to do a great job for Munster. Downey could do the same. You wanted Ross who had had a go at Munster and left for England and come back a much improved player. Munster need quality, first phase, go forward ball

[tackle-bag]

James Downey is one of the most consistent performers in the AP, but if Munster were going to try to mould him into a solution to their problems at 12, they should have done so 4 years ago when he packed his bags for Northampton. If he had been given a chance at Munster and played as well as he has done for the Saints, there's no doubt but that he would have a few caps to his name at this stage. Unfortunately, he's now 30 and given that he has been one of the first names down on the teamsheet for Northampton over the past 4 seasons, I can't see them letting him go in the immediate future.

[ronk]

James Downey is one of the most consistent performers in the AP, but if Munster were going to try to mould him into a solution to their problems at 12, they should have done so 4 years ago when he packed his bags for Northampton. If he had been given a chance at Munster and played as well as he has done for the Saints, there's no doubt but that he would have a few caps to his name at this stage. Unfortunately, he's now 30 and given that he has been one of the first names down on the teamsheet for Northampton over the past 4 seasons, I can't see them letting him go in the immediate future.

4 years ago Downey was a struggling player in a lot of ways and Munster were between Heineken Cup wins. It's one thing to talk about potential missed and their reliance at the time on imported players, but they simply had different priorities at the time. They didn't have an opportunity to develop players in a key position and in many ways that was the right strategy at the time. Sometimes short term success does a lot to set up the long term platform.

This time 4 years ago Northampton were about to be relegated before re-building. If it was so obvious that Downey was a rising star then others would have been after him, not just Munster. They wanted guaranteed results and were willing to pay accordingly, not project players.

Downey would probably do a good job for Munster but he's doing well for Northampton and why should he move. He's an important player for them and having that bit of punch in midfield is useful when you have someone like Ashton looking for gaps. He's one of the lost generation of Irish players who slipped through the net, he could prove useful but Ireland will probably develop someone younger for the position.

[ceemec]

downey had a go at munster and failed. very ordinary player.

Downey had a trial at Munster and was offered a contract on the back of it which he rejected as he wanted to be in the starting 15 and Munster couldn't guarantee him that with Halstead on the books. As it turned out, Halstead was absent for a few of the group games and Downey might have had a couple of games to stake his claim in the HEC. Instead, he went to Italy, started every HEC game and the rest, as they say, is history.

[downsouthdukin]

Downey..?

Sam has 8 all blacks caps. downey had a go at munster and failed. very ordinary player. doubt theres another club in world rugby as well known as munster. thats just a fact. we won a heineken without halstead why do you think we want to reinvent him? another tipoki would be a closer comparison. JDV again perhaps? hope so

Sam got his 8 caps, granted, but quite possibly one the weakest centres to get a cap over the last 15 years, maybe with the exception of Benson Stanley. Munster need to get a player that suits Munster, not anotehr JDV who was a great player unsuited to Munster. Luke McAllister would be a great buy and I see the Daily Mail suggested he might be heading down, but I would be shocked if he did.

Halstead was an unexceptional player who was able to do a great job for Munster. Downey could do the same. You wanted Ross who had had a go at Munster and left for England and come back a much improved player. Munster need quality, first phase, go forward ball

i take your point. However Munster first phase hasn't been bad this season. its 4th or 5th phase that been the problem. i would totally disagree with your assessment of JDV time with Munster. He was after a shakey start he was generally very good for munster. he is exactly the type of player we need at 12. one who can bust the line strong defensively and really good hands. imo the best 12 in the world.i would worry abuot his injury record though.
Downey would be a piss poor signing imo and many others

[downsouthdukin]

From today's Irish Times:

In other Munster news, coach Tony McGahan suggested yesterday he would be looking abroad to fill the centre position soon to be vacated by Sam Tuitupou.
“Our history suggests the number 12 position is one we could look to fill from outside,” he said. “We’re developing players underneath, but at this point in time we’ll look to see what’s out there.”

[Comer Toes]

Why didn't they give young Dineen more game-time this year? looks a good player...

If they're going outside, NZ is the place to go; Nonu, Kahui, McAllister, Sweeney would all be a huge improvement.

[Donny B.]

This is some mad game. Five tries in the first 25 minutes

[ceemec]

Absolute madness. No shape to the game. If a few passes had stuck Munster could find themselves a bit further behind. 20-19 approaching half time. Line out all over the place too. Sheahan claiming this is "as good a half of rugby as has been played this season". Absolute manure. Totally adventurous and entertaining but the mistakes are absolutely horrific. Munster have lost 3 line outs in a row. Brive have knocked on repeatedly. Tackling is optional.

[Hippo]

Very silly game