Munster v Leinster St Stephen's Day 5.30 Sky/TG4

[wixfjord]

Leo has been banging on about the intensity of the Xmas period and 3 games in 11 days, while the Irish guys have some sort of camp this week too, so I wouldn't be remotely surprised to see us without majority of the internationals for this. Would probably take a LBP in that case as Munster have a much more settled squad than us.

Team I'd like to see:
Healy, Cronin, Bent, Triggs, Mike Mac, Ruddock, Leavy, Conan, McGrath, Byrne, A Byrne, Reid, ROL, Isa, ZK
Tracy, Dooley, Furlong, Nagle, SOB, JGP, Daly, Daly

That side is still pretty tasty.
Not sure if we'd get SOB back, or particularly Tadhg, but having both of those to come on would help.
I'd start McGrath again for this one as I think JGP won't get enough good ball to be effective at the start at least.

[cormac]

Leo has been banging on about the intensity of the Xmas period and 3 games in 11 days, while the Irish guys have some sort of camp this week too, so I wouldn't be remotely surprised to see us without majority of the internationals for this. Would probably take a LBP in that case as Munster have a much more settled squad than us.

Team I'd like to see:
Healy, Cronin, Bent, Triggs, Mike Mac, Ruddock, Leavy, Conan, McGrath, Byrne, A Byrne, Reid, ROL, Isa, ZK
Tracy, Dooley, Furlong, Nagle, SOB, JGP, Daly, Daly

That side is still pretty tasty.
Not sure if we'd get SOB back, or particularly Tadhg, but having both of those to come on would help.
I'd start McGrath again for this one as I think JGP won't get enough good ball to be effective at the start at least.

We can afford to rest a lot of the frontliners in the game against Zebre on the 6th of January. Then again, I'd imagine there'll be a fair amount of rotation between the Munster and Ulster games in the pack where we have real options, less so in the backs due to injury.

[simonokeeffe]

With that Zebre game before Euro games and Ireland camp, I think our test starters will miss Munster game (same goes for regular Ireland benchers) and Zebre.

We can still field a good side, but Munster will be at home (full house) and missing fewer players to Ireland/mandated rest

[riocard911]

Regardless of who we're missing, the main thing for me would be that they're without Conor Murray.

[cormac]

We fielded a strong side down there last year in identical circumstances. Why does everyone think it'll be different this season?

[maps]

Would be a joke if we fielded anything less than our strongest team for this one

[curates_egg]

I'd like to see our second rows who have been somewhat inexplicably excluded over the past few weeks back involved. McCarthy and Nagle to start. I also would like some clarity on Mick Kearney. He looked very good at times towards the end of last season.
Leavy - our statistical player of the season - also should be back involved.
We are going to need to manage our now somewhat threadbare back three over this period but not sure how best to do that.
In the continued absence of signing a back-up 10, we will have to watch through our hands if and when Sexton comes back. Ross Byrne is going to get a lot of game time one way or another.
Henshaw has played all of our last two games but he has very little gametime this season. Has to start one of the interpros and I think this is the right one.
Finally, it would be nice to have some clarity on Mike Ross - and/or see him back on the pitch. He was going well before getting injured.

Healy, Tracey, Bent, Nagle, McCarthy, Ruddock, Leavy, Conan, McGrath, Byrne, Isa, Henshaw, O'Loughlin, Byrne, Kirchner for me.

[neiliog93]

Will we not rest some players in light of their Autumn workload and having Ulster at the RDS five days later? (And then two Euro Cup games)..

[Dave Cahill]

I don't think it'll be a matter of chosing whether we can rest players or not - from what I've read the Irish squad guys are not available?

[molloyjh]

We fielded a strong side down there last year in identical circumstances. Why does everyone think it'll be different this season?

It was a RWC season last year which completely changed the structure of the season.

[Dave Cahill]

We fielded a strong side down there last year in identical circumstances. Why does everyone think it'll be different this season?

The 'shape' of the season is entirely different - with no Rugby World Cup and warmup games but with Autumn Internationals the players are being conditioned differently. The season before is a better comparison and there were virtually no players released.

[cormac]

We fielded a strong side down there last year in identical circumstances. Why does everyone think it'll be different this season?

It was a RWC season last year which completely changed the structure of the season.

I don't think it changed it that much. Two seasons ago is really the only time both teams have been forced by the IRFU to field weakened sides in such a fixture. This season we've got a fixture at home to Zebre in between the interpros and the ECC. We can fully rest the frontliners then while rotating against Munster and Ulster surely?

[Dave Cahill]

I don't think it changed it that much. Two seasons ago is really the only time both teams have been forced by the IRFU to field weakened sides in such a fixture. This season we've got a fixture at home to Zebre in between the interpros and the ECC. We can fully rest the frontliners then while rotating against Munster and Ulster surely?

Its not a matter of when we want to rest the frontliners for the ECC, its a matter of when Joe wants to rest the frontliners for the 6 Nations.

[the spoofer]

I don't think it changed it that much. Two seasons ago is really the only time both teams have been forced by the IRFU to field weakened sides in such a fixture. This season we've got a fixture at home to Zebre in between the interpros and the ECC. We can fully rest the frontliners then while rotating against Munster and Ulster surely?

Its not a matter of when we want to rest the frontliners for the ECC, its a matter of when Joe wants to rest the frontliners for the 6 Nations.

Looking at the training photos, it looks like Healy, McGrath X 2, Cronin,Tracey,Furlong, Dev, all the backrows inluding Ruddock and Leavy but excluding Conan all missing along with Henshaw, Ringrose. No sign of Adam Byrne which is a worry as he seemed to pick up a knock on Saturday.

[blockhead]

Going for our 4th in a row against Munster, and 14th out of last 19 games (including Croker Park, as Barnsey calls it). Also could be our 5th win in TP since 2010 season.

[neiliog93]

If the doomsday player availability scenario is true, we're looking at this:

1.Dooley
2.Strauss
3.Bent
4.Nagle
5.Triggs
6.Deegan/Timmins (if fit)
7.D.Ryan
8.Conan

9.Gibson-Park 10.R.Byrne 12.Reid 13.O'Loughlin 14.Nacewa

11.B.Daly 15.Kirchner

16.B.Byrne
17.Porter
18.Loughman
19.Molony
20.Deegan/M.Kearney
21.McCarthy (if fit)/Rock
22.T.Daly
23.Keenan/Power

Given how far we're plunging into our depth chart, it's not a bad team. We'd be up against and would probably lose, but the fixture would still be just about winnable, if we played really well.

Corresponding Munster team (?):

1.Kilcoyne
2.N.Scannell
3.J.Ryan
4.Foley
5.Kleyn
6.P.O'Mahony
7.O'Donnell
8.O'Donoghue

9.Williams 10.Bleyendaal 12.R.Scannell 13.Taute 14.Sweetnam

11.B.O'Mahony 15.Conway

16.Marshall 17.J.Cronin 18.Archer/Scott 19.O'Shea 20.Copeland 21.New Islander lad 22.Keatley 23.Wooton

[curates_egg]

If the doomsday player availability scenario is true, we're looking at this:

1.Dooley
2.Strauss
3.Bent
4.Nagle
5.Triggs
6.Deegan/Timmins (if fit)
7.D.Ryan
8.Conan

9.Gibson-Park 10.R.Byrne 12.Reid 13.O'Loughlin 14.Nacewa

11.B.Daly 15.Kirchner

16.B.Byrne
17.Porter
18.Loughman
19.Molony
20.Deegan/M.Kearney
21.McCarthy (if fit)/Rock
22.T.Daly
23.Keenan/Power

Given how far we're plunging into our depth chart, it's not a bad team. We'd be up against and would probably lose, but the fixture would still be just about winnable, if we played really well.

Corresponding Munster team (?):

1.Kilcoyne
2.N.Scannell
3.J.Ryan
4.Foley
5.Kleyn
6.P.O'Mahony
7.O'Donnell
8.O'Donoghue

9.Williams 10.Bleyendaal 12.R.Scannell 13.Taute 14.Sweetnam

11.B.O'Mahony 15.Conway

16.Marshall 17.J.Cronin 18.Archer/Scott 19.O'Shea 20.Copeland 21.New Islander lad 22.Keatley 23.Wooton

If they really were the two sides - and I doubt it for both sides - you would have to fancy Munster for 5 points!

[riocard911]

If the doomsday player availability scenario is true, we're looking at this:

1.Dooley
2.Strauss
3.Bent
4.Nagle
5.Triggs
6.Deegan/Timmins (if fit)
7.D.Ryan
8.Conan

9.Gibson-Park 10.R.Byrne 12.Reid 13.O'Loughlin 14.Nacewa

11.B.Daly 15.Kirchner

16.B.Byrne
17.Porter
18.Loughman
19.Molony
20.Deegan/M.Kearney
21.McCarthy (if fit)/Rock
22.T.Daly
23.Keenan/Power

Given how far we're plunging into our depth chart, it's not a bad team. We'd be up against and would probably lose, but the fixture would still be just about winnable, if we played really well.

Corresponding Munster team (?):

1.Kilcoyne
2.N.Scannell
3.J.Ryan
4.Foley
5.Kleyn
6.P.O'Mahony
7.O'Donnell
8.O'Donoghue

9.Williams 10.Bleyendaal 12.R.Scannell 13.Taute 14.Sweetnam

11.B.O'Mahony 15.Conway

16.Marshall 17.J.Cronin 18.Archer/Scott 19.O'Shea 20.Copeland 21.New Islander lad 22.Keatley 23.Wooton

No way they'll have P. "Angry Face" O'M playing, IMO. He'll be with Joe and the rest of the BIG in Carton House.

[neiliog93]

Fair, I just put him in because of his lack of game time. Copeland to start at 8 with O'Donoghue to 6 in that case, Conor Oliver on the bench.

[Oldschool]

If the doomsday player availability scenario is true, we're looking at this:

1.Dooley
2.Strauss
3.Bent
4.Nagle
5.Triggs
6.Deegan/Timmins (if fit)
7.D.Ryan
8.Conan

9.Gibson-Park 10.R.Byrne 12.Reid 13.O'Loughlin 14.Nacewa

11.B.Daly 15.Kirchner

16.B.Byrne
17.Porter
18.Loughman
19.Molony
20.Deegan/M.Kearney
21.McCarthy (if fit)/Rock
22.T.Daly
23.Keenan/Power

Given how far we're plunging into our depth chart, it's not a bad team. We'd be up against and would probably lose, but the fixture would still be just about winnable, if we played really well.

Corresponding Munster team (?):

1.Kilcoyne
2.N.Scannell
3.J.Ryan
4.Foley
5.Kleyn
6.P.O'Mahony
7.O'Donnell
8.O'Donoghue

9.Williams 10.Bleyendaal 12.R.Scannell 13.Taute 14.Sweetnam

11.B.O'Mahony 15.Conway

16.Marshall 17.J.Cronin 18.Archer/Scott 19.O'Shea 20.Copeland 21.New Islander lad 22.Keatley 23.Wooton

If they really were the two sides - and I doubt it for both sides - you would have to fancy Munster for 5 points!

And we'd be lucky to get none!