tackle-bag wrote:Munster are definitely going to need to make an emergency addition to their back division in view of that litany of injuries. I wonder whether a Southern Hemisphere player like Adam Ashley-Cooper, Richard Kahui or Isaia Toeava be willing to come on a 2/3 month deal until the Super 15 returns.
We already have Chambers on a 3 month deal till Feb/Mar though. A backline of kids and guys on a jolly is not really what we need.
What is needed is a big name player on a long-term deal.
Shite news about Howlett. Love watching him play. Earls is back training which is good news. Whats the word on Jones?
"My final expression of thanks is to the supporters of both Ireland and Leinster with whom I have shared some special days that I will never forget" - Shane Horgan
RTÉ Website wrote:Munster wing Doug Howlett has been ruled out for the rest of the season with an ankle injury.
It was confirmed today that the 33-year-old will have surgery on the ruptured Achilles tendon he sustained during Munster's RaboDirect Pro12 defeat to the Ospreys on Saturday.
The surgery is due to take place tomorrow and is expected to rule him out for six to nine months. It means Howlett will miss all of Munster's Heineken Cup and RaboDirect Pro12 campaigns this year.
The news further weakens the Munster backline ahead of crucial back-to-back Heineken Cup clashes against Llanelli Scarlets over the next two weekends.
Munster are already without Felix Jones. Keith Earls has also been absent for the province since picking up an injury in the opening minute of Munster's RaboDirect Pro12 defeat to Munster in early November.
Munster been playing with themselves again?
Champions of Europe 09, 11 & 12!
Pro 12 and Challenge Cup Champions 13!
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Best supported in the Magners League 08 & 11!
Could this be a good time to swap one of our backs for their second rows? Wouldn't be against losing D Kearney for Nagle til the end of the season and take it from there.
Someone like Drew Mitchell might be up for a short loan deal due to the amount of rugby he's missed recently. I know those short deals aren't ideal but in the circumstances it'd be better than nothing.
LeRouxIsPHat wrote:Could this be a good time to swap one of our backs for their second rows? Wouldn't be against losing D Kearney for Nagle til the end of the season and take it from there.
Someone like Drew Mitchell might be up for a short loan deal due to the amount of rugby he's missed recently. I know those short deals aren't ideal but in the circumstances it'd be better than nothing.
A guy who couldn't make the Reds squad - and will be off in Feb/Mar - is now our starting 13, which has, imo, greatly affected Barnes who was dropped like a stone (against Leinster) and is now being played in his less favoured position of 12. Do we similarly bring in Drew on a 2/3 month deal and drop Zebo? As I said above we need a big character @cente/wing who will commit to 2/3 years - Nonu/Fourie whould have been perfect, but they're in the retirement home that is Japan now.
I think Munster are better off sticking with what they have to be honest. This could be the making of someone like Simon Zebo. They need to look at these games as 'money in the bank' to some extent. If they get out of their group now, it will be an awesome achievement, if they don't, they will go down fighting for sure, and the fans will be more forgiving because the run of injuries has been pretty awful.
tackle-bag wrote:Munster are definitely going to need to make an emergency addition to their back division in view of that litany of injuries. I wonder whether a Southern Hemisphere player like Adam Ashley-Cooper, Richard Kahui or Isaia Toeava be willing to come on a 2/3 month deal until the Super 15 returns.
Tough. It's a 3 month minimum if you want someone for the Heineken Cup. That means missing a week or two of S15, at least.
Maybe there's some wiggle room due to offloading Stringer for the moment, but there's also a 48 man squad whose outside backs won't be affected by international fixtures/player management for the most part.
They're not going to get anyone before the weekend, so they may as well wait and see if they can get someone to the end of the season.
tackle-bag wrote:Munster are definitely going to need to make an emergency addition to their back division in view of that litany of injuries. I wonder whether a Southern Hemisphere player like Adam Ashley-Cooper, Richard Kahui or Isaia Toeava be willing to come on a 2/3 month deal until the Super 15 returns.
Tough. It's a 3 month minimum if you want someone for the Heineken Cup. That means missing a week or two of S15, at least.
Maybe there's some wiggle room due to offloading Stringer for the moment, but there's also a 48 man squad whose outside backs won't be affected by international fixtures/player management for the most part.
They're not going to get anyone before the weekend, so they may as well wait and see if they can get someone to the end of the season.
Hmmm, let me see, our options outside 10 are currently:
Dougie: injured
Earls: injured
Mafi: injured
Felix: injured
Smith: injured
Dineen: injured
Deasy: injured
Barnes [22]: fit but inexperienced
Zebo [21]: injured
Murphy [26]: fit but short of confidence
Hurley [27]:fit but short of confidence
Gleeson [25]: fit but AIL level
O'Dea [20]: fit but Academy
Last edited by Apocrypha on December 6th, 2011, 6:02 pm, edited 1 time in total.
things are going from bad to worse, and that's an understatement. Munster should be looking in the shop window for a long term niq as well as signing chambers till the end of the season. They should break the bank for a world class utility back.
With dougie a long term injury, his niq spot is open. We are down to the bare bones in the outside backs.
What was an starting to look like a promising season now looks fairly dire.
Last edited by munster#1 on December 6th, 2011, 6:47 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Just because a post upsets you, that doesn’t mean that it is wrong. People have different views in all aspects of life, this is a key ingredient to an interesting conversation.
Apocrypha wrote:
Dougie: injured
Earls: injured
Mafi: injured
Felix: injured
Smith: injured
Dineen: injured
Deasy: injured
Barnes [22]: fit but inexperienced
Zebo [21]: injured
Murphy [26]: fit but short of confidence
Hurley [27]:fit but short of confidence
Gleeson [25]: fit but AIL level
O'Dea [20]: fit but Academy
When you say short of confidence, you mean your confidence not theirs.
Suggestions I saw were that Mafi would be available for this weekend. Think a few of those should be around soon too. There's also Chambers and Keatley (as an outside back) available.
As I see it there are 3 guys injured who would be starting this weekend. Zebo is also a loss, Mafi might be one, but might not have been picked.
LeRouxIsPHat wrote:Could this be a good time to swap one of our backs for their second rows? Wouldn't be against losing D Kearney for Nagle til the end of the season and take it from there.
Someone like Drew Mitchell might be up for a short loan deal due to the amount of rugby he's missed recently. I know those short deals aren't ideal but in the circumstances it'd be better than nothing.
A guy who couldn't make the Reds squad - and will be off in Feb/Mar - is now our starting 13, which has, imo, greatly affected Barnes who was dropped like a stone (against Leinster) and is now being played in his less favoured position of 12. Do we similarly bring in Drew on a 2/3 month deal and drop Zebo? As I said above we need a big character @cente/wing who will commit to 2/3 years - Nonu/Fourie whould have been perfect, but they're in the retirement home that is Japan now.
I was thinking that Mitchell could play at fullback as well. The only reason I thought of him was because he might be glad of the gametime, I'm sure there are other options. I agree that you need someone to be there for the long haul but you're not going to get that now so I think you should take anyone you can get tbh.
tackle-bag wrote:Munster are definitely going to need to make an emergency addition to their back division in view of that litany of injuries. I wonder whether a Southern Hemisphere player like Adam Ashley-Cooper, Richard Kahui or Isaia Toeava be willing to come on a 2/3 month deal until the Super 15 returns.
Tough. It's a 3 month minimum if you want someone for the Heineken Cup. That means missing a week or two of S15, at least.
Maybe there's some wiggle room due to offloading Stringer for the moment, but there's also a 48 man squad whose outside backs won't be affected by international fixtures/player management for the most part.
They're not going to get anyone before the weekend, so they may as well wait and see if they can get someone to the end of the season.
Hmmm, let me see, our options outside 10 are currently:
Dougie: injured
Earls: injured
Mafi: injured
Felix: injured
Smith: injured
Dineen: injured
Deasy: injured
Barnes [22]: fit but inexperienced
Zebo [21]: injured
Murphy [26]: fit but short of confidence
Hurley [27]:fit but short of confidence
Gleeson [25]: fit but AIL level
O'Dea [20]: fit but Academy
I'm going to make somebody's day with this one!
Leamy can "do a job for you" at centre. (Feck ya anyway Tackle Bag)
Mirror, Mirror on the Wall who's the greatest player of them all? It is Drico your majesty.
The problem Munster may have if they decide to sign a big name player (apart from the lack of money) is that they already have a queue of key players currently not in their HEC squad - Jones, Flannery and Wallace for example - that they will want to register as they return from injury. They can replace one during the pool stages and a further three (one of whom must be a front rower) for the Amlin/HEC Quarters.
Dave Cahill wrote:The problem Munster may have if they decide to sign a big name player (apart from the lack of money) is that they already have a queue of key players currently not in their HEC squad - Jones, Flannery and Wallace for example - that they will want to register as they return from injury. They can replace one during the pool stages and a further three (one of whom must be a front rower) for the Amlin/HEC Quarters.
Interesting stuff Dave. Wasn't aware of the 3-man rule for the QFs.
Jerry Flannery has been some man for the short-term comebacks, long-term injuries. Even though he showed up very well straight off the bat in the build-up to the World Cup, I'm of the opinion that they shouldn't be in any way relying on him making a big contribution on his return. Some Munster fans keep on holding him up as their first choice hooker even though he has only started 5 games in almost two and a half seasons.
hugonaut wrote: Some Munster fans keep on holding him up as their first choice hooker even though he has only started 5 games in almost two and a half seasons.
Even if Sherry & Fla ended up in wheelchairs, no Munster fan would ever call Varley or Fogs first choice.
