Grahamunster - Graham Rowntree's Munster 2022/2023

[Oldschoolsocks]

Munster really are in a precarious position right now.
With home games against Scarlets and Glasgow up next, Munster could find themselves in 4th place before heading to SA for their matches against Sharks and Stormers.

Alternatively, if they lose one of their home games they could find themselves in 7th heading to SA and needing to win at least one of those games possibly even both to secure a top 8 finish.

The margins for error are very small.

nah, yiz'll be grand. there's too much quality there to not finish top 8

[naraic]

Munster really are in a precarious position right now.
With home games against Scarlets and Glasgow up next, Munster could find themselves in 4th place before heading to SA for their matches against Sharks and Stormers.

Alternatively, if they lose one of their home games they could find themselves in 7th heading to SA and needing to win at least one of those games possibly even both to secure a top 8 finish.

The margins for error are very small.

The teams placed 8-10 at the moment are Connacht and Cardiff who have to play each other and Benetton who have to travel to SA themsevles.

I'd bet on 47 points being sufficient for top 8.

[ronk]

Munster have 5 internationals back + Snyman. Scarlets have spent the last few weeks threatening strike and will collapse easily under pressure.

It's an outstanding time to play them. The highest paid region not doing great on the supplying international players front at the moment it all went to poo.

A lot of players getting contract offers they wont like this week.

[ronk]

Scarlets not getting any of the 8 internationals released out of camp.
https://www.walesonline.co.uk/sport/rug ... x-26341441

[munster#1]

Munster really are in a precarious position right now.
With home games against Scarlets and Glasgow up next, Munster could find themselves in 4th place before heading to SA for their matches against Sharks and Stormers.

Alternatively, if they lose one of their home games they could find themselves in 7th heading to SA and needing to win at least one of those games possibly even both to secure a top 8 finish.

The margins for error are very small.

The teams placed 8-10 at the moment are Connacht and Cardiff who have to play each other and Benetton who have to travel to SA themsevles.

I'd bet on 47 points being sufficient for top 8.

I’m definitely not predicting that Munster will implode and fall down the table, but anything is possible.
I would be surprised if Munster lost to Scarlets, but it is Glasgow that I am worried about.

Right now Munster, despite their march forward, are still a good distance from being considered the finished article, which is why I think they will be lucky to return with 2 points from SA.

Right now it looks like top 7 get into the HC with Cardiff likely to be the Welsh representative in place of Connacht.
So top 7 must be the minimum target, but I’d imagine the team have top 4 as their goal.

[ronk]

If Munster beat Glasgow, then 4th place is in their hands instead of 5th.

4th plays 5th at home. If you don't have the ambition to beat Glasgow at home then you won't expect much going away for a knockout. The prize fits the difficulty of the task.

[blockhead]

Snyman could play this weekend. Really hope has a good run at it this time. He's had awful luck.

[munster#1]

Snyman is essentially a new signing for Munster, and a very timely one at that.

Given the fact that Beirne is out for the next while and we are fast approaching the knockout stages of the URC and the HC, Snyman could be a very important player over the next couple of months.

Saying that, I am cautiously optimistic on how he will go.
After 18 months out, he will take a while to get back to his best, if he ever does.

[munster#1]

Another sad passing in the province with the news of Brian O’Brien.
Brian was one of those people my dad would constantly talk about. He was a true legend around the parish.

It is a very difficult time for all involved in the province to lose both Brian and Tom within a short space of time.

https://www.the42.ie/munster-hall-of-fa ... 3-Feb2023/

[Ruckedtobits]

Another sad passing in the province with the news of Brian O’Brien.
Brian was one of those people my dad would constantly talk about. He was a true legend around the parish.

It is a very difficult time for all involved in the province to lose both Brian and Tom within a short space of time.

https://www.the42.ie/munster-hall-of-fa ... 3-Feb2023/

+1.
A total gent who was never "locked into" the anti-Leinster outlook which often prevailed in Limerick. A great National Manager who integrated Irish Squads in a way that Coaches couldn't do.

RIP

[neill_m]

Munster 23 v Scarlets in Cork Friday Night

Patrick Campbell; Calvin Nash, Antoine Frisch, Malakai Fekitoa, Shane Daly; Joey Carbery, Paddy Patterson; Josh Wycherley, Diarmuid Barron, Roman Salanoa; Jean Kleyn, Fineen Wycherley; Jack O’Donoghue (C), John Hodnett, Gavin Coombes.

Replacements: Niall Scannell, Mark Donnelly, Keynan Knox, RG Snyman, Alex Kendellen, Ethan Coughlan, Jack Crowley, Jack O’Sullivan.

[blockhead]

Munster 23 v Scarlets in Cork Friday Night

Patrick Campbell; Calvin Nash, Antoine Frisch, Malakai Fekitoa, Shane Daly; Joey Carbery, Paddy Patterson; Josh Wycherley, Diarmuid Barron, Roman Salanoa; Jean Kleyn, Fineen Wycherley; Jack O’Donoghue (C), John Hodnett, Gavin Coombes.

Replacements: Niall Scannell, Mark Donnelly, Keynan Knox, RG Snyman, Alex Kendellen, Ethan Coughlan, Jack Crowley, Jack O’Sullivan.

[munster#1]

Munster 23 v Scarlets in Cork Friday Night

Patrick Campbell; Calvin Nash, Antoine Frisch, Malakai Fekitoa, Shane Daly; Joey Carbery, Paddy Patterson; Josh Wycherley, Diarmuid Barron, Roman Salanoa; Jean Kleyn, Fineen Wycherley; Jack O’Donoghue (C), John Hodnett, Gavin Coombes.

Replacements: Niall Scannell, Mark Donnelly, Keynan Knox, RG Snyman, Alex Kendellen, Ethan Coughlan, Jack Crowley, Jack O’Sullivan.

That’s a fairly exciting team.

For me, Campbell has been under utilised this season.
He is a very exciting player, and I really hope he starts to push his way into more squads.

Good to see that Munster are going with the young front row, and that Knox has returned.

Really looking forward to getting to see Coughlan play again. IMO he is a potential international standard SH.

Here’s to 20 mins of RG magic.

[wixfjord]

Is Zebo injured again?

[paddyor]

6-2 split injury enforced or a choice?

[munster#1]

6-2 split injury enforced or a choice?

I’m wondering if it’s a safety net.
In the event that one of the second rows and back rows go down early, having JOS also on the bench prevents Munster from having to put RG on earlier than planned.

Additionally, if RG tightens up within 10 mins of being on, Munster can take him off.

[cormac]

Chris Farrell has left Munster.

[paddyor]

SO Munster, will be signing another centre.

[wixfjord]

Wow. Hard to parse that without speculating on the circumstances.

I would think that the case is dragging on, IRFU don't want him playing while that's hanging over him and both player/club need to move on for certainty.

Sounds like he's off to France.

Big loss for Munster though. 6'3 17 stone Irish qualified test centres are hard to come by.

[munster#1]

Really have to feel for Farrell. Granted I don’t have all the facts of his case, but from what I’ve heard, he is being prosecuted for something that wouldn’t be considered a crime in Ireland, but Ireland is the country that deems him as surplus to requirements.

I really believe that Farrell is a player who could have really pushed on under the Munster coaching structure, and from what I’ve heard he’s been working really hard up until a couple of weeks ago with a view to returning to action with Munster in the near future.

Munster are now minus a very good player, and will be worse off without him.