Pro 14 Final vs Munster, March 27th. 5pm. @ The RDS.

[mildlyinterested]

The "BIG" one.

[MylesNaGapoleen]

At the RDS on the 27th march..is that still the case?

[Lock9541]

At the RDS on the 27th march..is that still the case?

Would it not be in the Aviva no?

[Dexter]

At the RDS on the 27th march..is that still the case?

Would it not be in the Aviva no?

Sunday Times saying it's in the Palindrome.

[blockhead]

I wonder who the ref will be?
Since rugby resumed after Lockdown 1, we have played 8 provincial derbies. We have had a Munster Branch ref in every one of those bar the one we lost to Connacht. We had an Ulster Ref for that game.
Clancy and Murphy once, and Brace 5 times. Busby was the Ulster ref.
So much for claims of ref bias in favour of Leinster.
Would it be too much to ask for a "neutral" ref?
Or, are Munster Ref's overcompensating to prove they're not biased against us, thus letting us get away with daylight robbery?

[Dave Cahill]

I'd be happy enough with Brace. I think he's pretty decent. Obviously an out of country ref would be ideal, but it may not be possible.

[mildlyinterested]

weakened leinster/munster sides for final: https://www.irishtimes.com/sport/rugby/ ... -1.4503693

[erskinechilders]

IRFU should get the finger out and sign up JP Doyle!

[mildlyinterested]

Looks like the final will be an afternoon kick-off in the RDS...

[leinsterforever]

Does the body of that IT article match the headline? Headline seems a bit clickbait-y.

That Welsh ref who's new to the league this season seems good. Adam Jones or Alan Jones, I think is his name. Maybe he'll get the final. I thought Busby was reasonably good in Mun v Conn. Might be the best of the Irish.

[munster#1]

Great to finally make a final, if I were offered that at the start of the season I would have been happy.

Munster will surely be underdogs given the difficulty that they have had in overturning Leinster over the last few years.

The fact that the match is taking place 7 days after the last 6 nations game could well be a blessing for Munster.
Munster will not be affected as much as Leinster, and Munster should also have POM back from suspension for that game, and potentially have Joey ready to start alongside Casey.

With any luck the Irish team will include a full roster of Leinster outside backs along with Johnny.

[joooooe]

At the RDS on the 27th march..is that still the case?

Would it not be in the Aviva no?

Sunday Times saying it's in the Palindrome.

Big coup for Navan RFC

[mildlyinterested]

Munster literally won't get a better chance given the likely absences for Leinster.

[MylesNaGapoleen]

I think Ulster must feel hard done by that the semis were cancelled...based on the season, I think they deserved another final and munster can consider themselves lucky they weren't in the same pool or had to play them in a semi.

That said..I'm sure munster will throw everything at us, albeit a weakened leinster if the Irish Times is correct.

[joooooe]

Munster literally won't get a better chance given the likely absences for Leinster.

Up until the week of the match, Munster will be preparing for this final without:

• Dave Kilcoyne;

• Tadhg Beirne;

• CJ Stander;

• Craig Casey;

• Conor Murray; and

• Keith Earls

At times, they may also be missing Gavin Coombes, Andrew Conway, and Shane Daly.

Up until the week of the match, Leinster will be preparing for this final without:

• Cian Healy;

• Rónan Kelliher;

• Tadhg Furlong;

• Andrew Porter;

• James Ryan;

• Ryan Baird;

• Jack Conan;

• Will Connors;

• Rhys Ruddock;

• Josh Van der Flier;

• Jamison Gibson-Park;

• Jonathan Sexton;

• Ross Byrne;

• Robbie Henshaw;

• Garry Ringrose;

• Jordan Larmour;

• James Lowe; and

• Hugo Keenan.

At times, they may also be missing Ed Byrne and Harry Byrne.

The above doesn't account for injuries, which currently rule out Irish internationals Caelan Doris, Dan Leavy and Adam Byrne, among others (admittedly, I haven't looked up Munster's injury report).

Tadhg Beirne, Nick McCarthy, Joey Carbery and Andrew Conway can also speak from experience of having won Pro12/14 winner's medals in the past.

Munster will never have a better chance to win a Pro14 final.

[wixfjord]

Even with weakened sides we can still put out a fairly strong first 15 if we at least get the Irish subs and non playing guys back.

For eg:

Dooley, Cronin, Bent, Baird, Toner, Rhys, Penny, Conan, Luke, Ross, DK, Frawley, ROL, Kelleher, JOB
Tracy, Byrne, Clarkson, Fardy, Molony, VDF, Osborne, Harry.

would be more than enough to compete with a Munster side shorn of Murray, Stander, Beirne, POM, Earls imo.

The IRFU are hardly going to keep guys like Baird, Rhys, Conan etc who have feck all gametime in green out of a Pro14 final.

Even Tadhg should be an option to play considering how little he has played.

(If they do hold to that, it means Munster would have to start Nick McCarthy btw...!)

[bronxbull]

Surely Leinster and Munster would not be forced to line out in a final of their domestic league without all of their current Irish players.

Obviously something has to give with so many matches scheduled but playing a second team would totally devalue the competition, regardless of what a lot of people may think about it's worth already.

Leinster have won matches before with Ross stepping in for Sexton or 3 or 4 other changes but 10 or 11 sitting in the stands for a final could be a bridge too far for the legitimacy of this competition, especially if we win it.

[LeinsterLeader]

Even with weakened sides we can still put out a fairly strong first 15 if we at least get the Irish subs and non playing guys back.

For eg:

Dooley, Cronin, Bent, Baird, Toner, Rhys, Penny, Conan, Luke, Ross, DK, Frawley, ROL, Kelleher, JOB
Tracy, Byrne, Clarkson, Fardy, Molony, VDF, Osborne, Harry.

would be more than enough to compete with a Munster side shorn of Murray, Stander, Beirne, POM, Earls imo.

The IRFU are hardly going to keep guys like Baird, Rhys, Conan etc who have feck all gametime in green out of a Pro14 final.

Even Tadhg should be an option to play considering how little he has played.

(If they do hold to that, it means Munster would have to start Nick McCarthy btw...!)

My assumption would be (and it's only an assumption mind), is that like the European games earlier in the year the week after an international it may be left up to the provinces themselves.

So if you take that as a guide, Munster will go fully loaded but we won't (Leocaster like their teams to have had at least a full weeks training before naming them). We'd still be pretty strong (as you say playing guys on the fringes of the International games) but without guys who've put in a big shift during the 6 nations.

[mildlyinterested]

Ross to start final with Harry on the bench?

Or what do people think?

Penny to start at 7 or JVDF?

[Keith]

Ross to start final with Harry on the bench?

Or what do people think?

Penny to start at 7 or JVDF?

Penny has to start surely. You have to reward the players that have got us to here.