Leinster v Munster Saturday 2.05 Sky/TG4

[simonokeeffe]

and for I told ya sos, a rusty Henshaw was one of the best players on the pitch

Deserved!

Yeah I thought he was excellent. Defence was brilliant and he carried very strongly. No big breaks and he held on to the ball a few times when he could have let it go, but wouldn't say he was rusty like I'd predicted. Really impressive stuff.

I am the GOAT

Am going to further claim it was no accident Ringrose had his best game of the season too

[simonokeeffe]

Anyone notice JGP getting studs in the face by Cronin bottom of the ruck on 73 mins 12/14 secs? Looked fairly deliberate!

Yes, been all over the internet. He should be getting a citing today and a ban later in the week.

There was a Nick Williams style clearout by Mr Angry Face in first half too

[LeRouxIsPHat]

Am going to further claim it was no accident Ringrose had his best game of the season too

Yeah true. Thought Earls was very poor though, and Sweetnam was caught out badly a good few times. Don't mean to take anything away from Ringrose though, he was excellent. He was my MOTM I think.

[Dave Cahill]

Kilcoyne may miss a week with the auld noggin, so I'd say that Cronin will escape for a little bit, then when Kilcoyne returns, will 'get' 'injured' for a couple of weeks.

[simonokeeffe]

Am going to further claim it was no accident Ringrose had his best game of the season too

Yeah true. Thought Earls was very poor though, and Sweetnam was caught out badly a good few times. Don't mean to take anything away from Ringrose though, he was excellent. He was my MOTM I think.

Thats why I excluded their defending. Sweetnam still inexperienced.

Kilcoyne may miss a week with the auld noggin, so I'd say that Cronin will escape for a little bit, then when Kilcoyne returns, will 'get' 'injured' for a couple of weeks.

Thats paranoid even for you. They might be forced into naming Andress in a 23

[Dave Cahill]

Kilcoyne may miss a week with the auld noggin, so I'd say that Cronin will escape for a little bit, then when Kilcoyne returns, will 'get' 'injured' for a couple of weeks.

Thats paranoid even for you. They might be forced into naming Andress in a 23

You think it hasn't happened before? I know of at least one case where an international player 'was unavailable due to injury' due to a disciplinary issue.

[Oldschool]

interesting to see the dressing room at half-time, Leo just standing there with his iPad while Lancaster gave the talk with all of the players giving him their full attention.

Not just that. As far as I could tell there was nobody running around; every single player was sitting in place, while Lancaster was talking.

was that not the case with Leo talking before?
and now is Leo somehow forwards coach and DOR and IRFU liason but Lancaster is head coach?

couple of tackle stats Murphy, Sexton, Henshaw, Kearney, ALL the props didnt miss any tackles officially, leavy the only sub at all to miss a tackle

Henshaw 11 & 0
Ruddock 15 & 1
Furlong 10 & 0

I'd be quite happy to let Dambuster do the talking and take notes.
Even I might learn something.

[Oldschool]

and for I told ya sos, a rusty Henshaw was one of the best players on the pitch

Deserved!

Yeah I thought he was excellent. Defence was brilliant and he carried very strongly. No big breaks and he held on to the ball a few times when he could have let it go, but wouldn't say he was rusty like I'd predicted. Really impressive stuff.

I am the GOAT

Am going to further claim it was no accident Ringrose had his best game of the season too

Ringrose was able to play his own game and not worry about others' frailties and that freedom showed.

[simonokeeffe]

Kilcoyne may miss a week with the auld noggin, so I'd say that Cronin will escape for a little bit, then when Kilcoyne returns, will 'get' 'injured' for a couple of weeks.

Thats paranoid even for you. They might be forced into naming Andress in a 23

You think it hasn't happened before? I know of at least one case where an international player 'was unavailable due to injury' due to a disciplinary issue.

Was it Horan? Tell me it was Horan?
But seriously who was it?
And we talking because of an on pitch matter?

I doubt the incident though has helped Cronin with Irish set up by exhibiting severe loss of control

[munster#1]

Congratulations on the win ladies and gents.

It was a contest played between two poor teams, with neither having much to shout about in open play.

Munster put themselves in positions where they should have scored a number of times, but made stupid mistakes most of the time.

Leinster, despite Munster's frailties, struggled to take full control of the game.
Only for the ref refusing to go upstairs for Isa's second try, and Rom, and Tyler's juggling act, the game would have been a lot closer.

Then again, if my aunt had balls..........

The better team won.

[neiliog93]

I think Leinster looked pretty good in open play for the most part. Quite a few half breaks and openings, Nacewa and Ringrose particularly prominent. They butchered some of the opportunities they created, but at least they created them.

[the spoofer]

I thought Leinster were playing at about 70%, they knew they didnt need to go all out.

[Oldschool]

Congratulations on the win ladies and gents.

It was a contest played between two poor teams, with neither having much to shout about in open play.

Munster put themselves in positions where they should have scored a number of times, but made stupid mistakes most of the time.

Leinster, despite Munster's frailties, struggled to take full control of the game.
Only for the ref refusing to go upstairs for Isa's second try, and Rom, and Tyler's juggling act, the game would have been a lot closer.

Then again, if my aunt had balls..........

The better team won.

Well that started out well but then as the song goes - sort off.
And then you went and spoiled it all by saying "something stupid" like you begrudge us all.

[Kinger83]

James Cronin cited.

http://www.the42.ie/munster-prop-james- ... 8-Oct2016/

[simonokeeffe]

James Cronin cited.

http://www.the42.ie/munster-prop-james- ... 8-Oct2016/

Build his gallows high

[molloyjh]

Watched it back last night and was really encouraged by some of the stuff. Forwards were workmanlike, got the job done with minimal fuss. Every one of them. And that's not meant in a bad way. None of them had bad games, not one. Backs had a few moments where they showed what they could do. Ringrose is a class act. One thing stood out. The first time that we got into a scoring position and let Munster off the hook fully was 79 mins in. While we got turned over a few times throughout, Munster were never able to get out of their half until we scored (a Leinster line-out 2m inside our half being the only brief exception). When we had our periods of pressure we made them count right up until that turnover on 79 mins. That's the sort of ruthlessness that we want to see.

We were a little unfortunate a few times and a little careless others. There was a TBP there for us had we been a bit more accurate at times. But overall it was a continuation of what has been a good season for us. I don't think we ever really got out of 2nd gear on Saturday and feel there is definitely more in this team. Can't wait to see what a Sexton-Henshaw-Ringrose midfield can do once it settles. Henshaw really didn't look like a guy making his debut while coming back from injury.

[curates_egg]

Congratulations on the win ladies and gents.

It was a contest played between two poor teams, with neither having much to shout about in open play.

Munster put themselves in positions where they should have scored a number of times, but made stupid mistakes most of the time.

Leinster, despite Munster's frailties, struggled to take full control of the game.
Only for the ref refusing to go upstairs for Isa's second try, and Rom, and Tyler's juggling act, the game would have been a lot closer.

Then again, if my aunt had balls..........

The better team won.

It's funny how different people watch the same game and see something completely different. We butchered 2 glaring try chances in the first half and were on the Munster line a couple of other times without scoring.
In truth, we should have had the bonus sewn up before the subs came on. Our rustiness and profligacy kept Munster in it, which made the game seem closer and put more focus on a couple of incidents (the Kearney forward pass and the Cronin double movement - the latter being the right call) than otherwise would have been necessary.
That said, given we were playing with a new backline (including two very rusty players and one out of position) and a new back five in the scrum, we looked comfortable and put together some good phases.
The main negative was our maul defence: that was basically the only way Munster were able to get purchase on us. That will need to be sorted by Montpellier.

[Ruckedtobits]

Question: Why were we so confident in running the 9, 10,11 option from the 5m scrum on the left, with only a 10 / 7m blind side, not once but twice?

Granted Sweetnam is inexperienced and particularly against somebody as wily as Isa, but who had seen what flaw in Munster back-row or scrum defence, to be so confident to run it a second time, with 3m less space?

Great call, as was the option at the previous scrum where Isa took ball on a sharp cut-back from the 12 position, and only for a great Stander tackle, would have scored from about 15m out. Both of these were new to the play-book, but highly effective. The Lancaster Bomber effect?

[Lar]

Cronin suspended for four weeks.

[neiliog93]

Seems lenient but at the same time wanting someone to burn isn't right either.