Munster Rugby 2021/2022 - Search for the Holy Grail

[CiaranIrl]

Munster played well Sunday, the lad Gallagher at 15 very good ,the hooker and cloete on the flank were excellent

Looks like snyman has done cruciate again huge blow for him and for munster

Gallagher is a good player, but has been unfortunate with injury and he plays in the same position as Haley who seems ever present.

Barron was the hooker, he looks a good prospect alright, and with Marshall having departed last season we should hopefully see plenty more of him this season.

IMO, and I know it is probably not a popular one, Cloete is the best openside in the country and is a real game changer as he wins so many turnovers and even when he doesn’t win the ball he slows the opposition to a standstill.
Even though he was identified as a threat by Scarletts they were powerless to stop him.

However, and this is crucial and is why he is not an automatic first choice player, he is way too prone to giving away stupid penalties, and will likely collect a couple of cards a season.

Surely your last two paragraphs contradict each other?

[Sugary tae]

Barron has surprised me this season. Seen more of him than I had expected so far and hasn’t looked out of place at all. His opposite number was Ken Owens on Sunday n he wasn’t out of place. He seems to have very good fundamentals in terms of lineout and our scrum looks fine with him in it. Sunday was certainly impressive a couple of good breaks but he is small so I’d wonder how he progresses as the season goes on ….. i suppose Munster have a flagged issue with size in the front town so I wonder does barron have more to his game like say a breakdown threat …coz if he added that then that would be impressive. So far it’s been a v positive start tho


Cloete to me is a funny one. I think the very best teams can nullify him but he’s very effective at times. He’s a type of player that is ideal if 1-5 are all big and there are enough ball carriers. He’s an absolute pest at the breakdown and offers something we don’t have across our back row options. Cloete is a guy tho who if he lets say doesn’t suit a referring interpretation he can be whistled off the park.

I like Gallagher. I think there’s a serious player there but he’s had an injury bedevilled time

[munster#1]

Munster played well Sunday, the lad Gallagher at 15 very good ,the hooker and cloete on the flank were excellent

Looks like snyman has done cruciate again huge blow for him and for munster

Gallagher is a good player, but has been unfortunate with injury and he plays in the same position as Haley who seems ever present.

Barron was the hooker, he looks a good prospect alright, and with Marshall having departed last season we should hopefully see plenty more of him this season.

IMO, and I know it is probably not a popular one, Cloete is the best openside in the country and is a real game changer as he wins so many turnovers and even when he doesn’t win the ball he slows the opposition to a standstill.
Even though he was identified as a threat by Scarletts they were powerless to stop him.

However, and this is crucial and is why he is not an automatic first choice player, he is way too prone to giving away stupid penalties, and will likely collect a couple of cards a season.

Surely your last two paragraphs contradict each other?

I can’t disagree with you.

[wixfjord]

Barron has surprised me this season. Seen more of him than I had expected so far and hasn’t looked out of place at all. His opposite number was Ken Owens on Sunday n he wasn’t out of place. He seems to have very good fundamentals in terms of lineout and our scrum looks fine with him in it. Sunday was certainly impressive a couple of good breaks but he is small so I’d wonder how he progresses as the season goes on ….. i suppose Munster have a flagged issue with size in the front town so I wonder does barron have more to his game like say a breakdown threat …coz if he added that then that would be impressive. So far it’s been a v positive start tho


Cloete to me is a funny one. I think the very best teams can nullify him but he’s very effective at times. He’s a type of player that is ideal if 1-5 are all big and there are enough ball carriers. He’s an absolute pest at the breakdown and offers something we don’t have across our back row options. Cloete is a guy tho who if he lets say doesn’t suit a referring interpretation he can be whistled off the park.

I like Gallagher. I think there’s a serious player there but he’s had an injury bedevilled time

You've hit the nail on head there.

Cloete is probably the best poacher in the country at league level.

His effectiveness lessens quite a bit when the quality of the opposing team goes up and the other parts of his game don't really stack up.

[Ruckedtobits]

Despite some opinions, he is definitely not the best openside in the country. JVdF holds that mantle by a country mile at this point.

[Sugary tae]

Ya fully agree. But until hodnett or perhaps kendellan come through i sometimes feel our mid level pro 14 (and friends) teams badly lack a breakdown threat. For the higher level games we have either Pom or beirne and routinely both. Our needs differ in those games.

Next interpro is vital for the season.

[munster#1]

Munster have sent Alex McHenry out on loan to Wasps for 1 month.
Bit strange as Munster have Wasps in the HC.
Good idea to have an insider

[ronk]

Munster have sent Alex McHenry out on loan to Wasps for 1 month.
Bit strange as Munster have Wasps in the HC.
Good idea to have an insider

A loan is an extended notice period.

He could well be Wasps insider.

[JB1973]

Cloete ruled the breakdown last weekend the scarlets simply couldn't cope with him. Him Coombs and POM is a very good back row you can play beirne lock and have a load of jacklers in your team , whose that winger that kept going outside stef evans? looks another prospect

[Oldschool]

Cloete ruled the breakdown last weekend the scarlets simply couldn't cope with him. Him Coombs and POM is a very good back row you can play beirne lock and have a load of jacklers in your team , whose that winger that kept going outside stef evans? looks another prospect

Coombes' cousin
He's quick alright.

[munster#1]

Very strong side out and as expected, the team is a complete change from Sunday.

I would have loved to have seen L Coombes, Ahern and Nash retain their positions, but completely understand the logic.

Munster v Connacht, tomorrow, 7.35; RTÉ, Premier Sports;

Munster: M Haley; A Conway, K Earls, R Scannell, S Zebo; J Carbery, C Casey; D Kilcoyne, N Scannell, J Ryan; J KIeyn, T Beirne; P O’Mahony (capt), C Cloete, G Coombes. Reps: D Barron, J Loughman, S Archer, F Wycherley, J O’Donoghue, N Cronin, J Flannery, D Goggin.

Connacht – T O’Halloran; J Porch, S Arnold, B Aki, M Hansen; J Carty, C Blade; M Burke, D Heffernan, F Bealham; N Murray, U Dillane; C Prendergast, C Oliver, P Boyle.

Reps: S Delahunt, G McGrath, J Aungier, E Masterson, A Papali’I, K Marmion, J Butler, T Daly.

[munster#1]

Cloete ruled the breakdown last weekend the scarlets simply couldn't cope with him. Him Coombs and POM is a very good back row you can play beirne lock and have a load of jacklers in your team , whose that winger that kept going outside stef evans? looks another prospect

Coombes' cousin
He's quick alright.

Does he mean Nash. Nash had a very good outing.

[dropkick]

Cloete ruled the breakdown last weekend the scarlets simply couldn't cope with him. Him Coombs and POM is a very good back row you can play beirne lock and have a load of jacklers in your team , whose that winger that kept going outside stef evans? looks another prospect

Coombes' cousin
He's quick alright.

Does he mean Nash. Nash had a very good outing.

Yup Nash.

Speaking of cousins, not sure about Liam but Gavin Coombes' other cousins are the rowers, the O'Donovan brothers.

[blockhead]

Coombes' cousin
He's quick alright.

Does he mean Nash. Nash had a very good outing.

Yup Nash.

Speaking of cousins, not sure about Liam but Gavin Coombes' other cousins are the rowers, the O'Donovan brothers.

Normally I would step in here and make some crude joke about Cork and cousins, but I'm trying to grow, so I wont.

[munster#1]

Does he mean Nash. Nash had a very good outing.

Yup Nash.

Speaking of cousins, not sure about Liam but Gavin Coombes' other cousins are the rowers, the O'Donovan brothers.

Normally I would step in here and make some crude joke about Cork and cousins, but I'm trying to grow, so I wont.

It does seem like all of the Cork lads are related in some way.

[ronk]

Very strong side out and as expected, the team is a complete change from Sunday.

I would have loved to have seen L Coombes, Ahern and Nash retain their positions, but completely understand the logic.

Munster v Connacht, tomorrow, 7.35; RTÉ, Premier Sports;

Munster: M Haley; A Conway, K Earls, R Scannell, S Zebo; J Carbery, C Casey; D Kilcoyne, N Scannell, J Ryan; J KIeyn, T Beirne; P O’Mahony (capt), C Cloete, G Coombes. Reps: D Barron, J Loughman, S Archer, F Wycherley, J O’Donoghue, N Cronin, J Flannery, D Goggin.

Connacht – T O’Halloran; J Porch, S Arnold, B Aki, M Hansen; J Carty, C Blade; M Burke, D Heffernan, F Bealham; N Murray, U Dillane; C Prendergast, C Oliver, P Boyle.

Reps: S Delahunt, G McGrath, J Aungier, E Masterson, A Papali’I, K Marmion, J Butler, T Daly.

Looks mostly first choice with the same patched up midfield and the only surprise being Healy not making the 23. Takes a lot of pressure off Carbery.

[wixfjord]

That Connacht side doesn't look up to much on paper.

[riocard911]

Earls at 13? I thought that boat had sailed long ago...........

[munster#1]

Earls at 13? I thought that boat had sailed long ago...........

He is a very talented player, I’m sure he will do a good job when needed.

I wonder if this request is coming from Farrell with a view to having Earls as a bench option covering wing and centre.

[riocard911]

Earls at 13? I thought that boat had sailed long ago...........

He is a very talented player, I’m sure he will do a good job when needed.

I wonder if this request is coming from Farrell with a view to having Earls as a bench option covering wing and centre.

Earlsy is an extremely talented player, no question - on the wing though, not in the centre. I can't for the life of me imagine Faz mór wanting to play him at 13 in green, as he has never convinced in that position at Test level, despite various attempts. If anything his selection at second centre vs Connacht is Van Graan cutting his cloth to his needs as he sees them. IMO it's more evidence of Van Graan's inherent conservativism; or is there no other back in Munster could have filled in for Chris Farrell?