Munster 2015/2016

[All Blacks nil]

Positive off season for Munster.

Aside from the departure of POC and TOD's injury, Munster seem to have summered well.

They have made two quality signings in Saili and Chisholm and some of the returning players had been injured so long they will seem like new signings.
Mike Sherry, Donnacha Ryan, Dave Foley, GVDH, Bleyenaal, Copeland have all had long periods on the sideline and will add strength to the team and depth to the squad. Earls return for Munster was electric and hopefully he can retain that form and more importantly his health.

And of course there have been no leaked emails and the guy who shot Clarence the Lion has not signed for Munster.

[paddyor]

Cecil

[All Blacks nil]

Nothing like a bit of fishing to while away a summer's day

[simonokeeffe]

Cecil

its the seagulls theyre after in Munster

Munster left with a handy enough panel during RWC window even if Killer, POM, Murray, Zebo, Earls and Jones all go even if theyve no 7s
Will Cronin be TH only even while/if Killer is away?
Very handy starting scrummaging unit

ROM, Conway, Saili, Hurley, GVDH, Keatley, TOL
Ryan, Sherry, Botha, Chisholm, Foley, JOD, Stander, Copeland
Casey, Cronin*, Archer, Holland, DOC2, Williams, TB, Sweetnam

Shane Monahan joining as World Cup Cover, already training with them according to the42.ie

[Xanthippe]

Shane Monahan joining as World Cup Cover, already training with them according to the42.ie

Official now according to IRFU

Monahan Joins Munster On Short-Term Contract


Munster have signed winger Shane Monahan on a three-month contract. The Drogheda native, who has been training with the province for the last three weeks, has officially signed up on a short-term basis in providing Rugby World Cup cover.
Shane Monahan (28) joins Anthony Foley's men from English Premiership side Gloucester where he made 34 appearances since 2012, scoring 13 tries.

A former Rotherham Titans, Connacht and Leinster Academy player, he was a member of the Ireland Under-20 squad that won the U-20 Six Nations Grand Slam in 2007, playing alongside current Munster backs Keith Earls, Felix Jones and Ian Keatley.

[simonokeeffe]

wonder will they bring in a medical joker for TOD at 7 now?
obvious one would be Sean Doyle at brumbies (but never plays) who was at Ulster

with Dougal leaving and Barry O'Mahony forced to retire it was an iffy position in terms of depth

I have slight suspicion that Foley doesnt see 7 as that much of a specialist position/isnt a huge believer in out and out 7s, possibly from rarely playing alongside any
Theyve a lot of big 6'4 6'5 sixes and or eights but no one who looks like a good fit at 7 especially with POM away

[munster#1]

There is plenty of cover across the backrow to justify not signing a medical joker.

I would much rather see the likes of jod or stander playing there. We also have coughlan who is likely to play there a fair bit.

[simonokeeffe]

There is plenty of cover across the backrow to justify not signing a medical joker.

I would much rather see the likes of jod or stander playing there. We also have coughlan who is likely to play there a fair bit.

Coghlan is an 8 (six maybe) who was a centre who was an 8 who was a fast bowler, he aint no genuine 7

[janeymac08]

Seems he was signed as a 7, as at the time he signed, the42.ie said that he was a replacement for Sean Dougall & Paddy Butler.

[simonokeeffe]

Seems he was signed as a 7, as at the time he signed, the42.ie said that he was a replacement for Sean Dougall & Paddy Butler.

just their departing backrowers in general

wasnt expecting Munster to go Pocock/Hooper but you need a 7 who can slow down ball

[munster#1]

Seems he was signed as a 7, as at the time he signed, the42.ie said that he was a replacement for Sean Dougall & Paddy Butler.

just their departing backrowers in general

wasnt expecting Munster to go Pocock/Hooper but you need a 7 who can slow down ball

I wouldn't fully agree with you. I think the day of the out and out 7 has passed.

We now see the work load spread across the backrow and even out to the backs. Just look at Sob, he is not the typical 7, he is more like an 8 the way he plays.

At munster we will have Pom and stander who can put the work in at the breakdown from 6 and 8.

I personally like a proper 7, but it is not essential.

[simonokeeffe]

brief write up but IT saying TB went well on debut last night against Grenoble

[leinster4life13]

Seems he was signed as a 7, as at the time he signed, the42.ie said that he was a replacement for Sean Dougall & Paddy Butler.

just their departing backrowers in general

wasnt expecting Munster to go Pocock/Hooper but you need a 7 who can slow down ball

I wouldn't fully agree with you. I think the day of the out and out 7 has passed.

We now see the work load spread across the backrow and even out to the backs. Just look at Sob, he is not the typical 7, he is more like an 8 the way he plays.

At munster we will have Pom and stander who can put the work in at the breakdown from 6 and 8.

I personally like a proper 7, but it is not essential.

not if you want to be successful

[munster#1]

And just how many medals have SOB and wally won?

[olaf the fat]

Now that Richie McCaw is packing it in, we could do away with 7 all together.

Sure there are no real 7's any more.

14 man game?

[Golf Man]

Absolutely still a place for a traditional 7, just not neccessairily vital -Irelandhave won 3 6N in the last 7 years without a traditional 7. There is far morefluency about the backrow positions than there ever was before - just a by product of in creased professionalism and increase in size. SOB (freak that he is) often our top tackler, carrier and breakdown specialist

You absolutely need to slow down and competeon opposition ball - this just doesn't hav eto come from a traditional 7 anymore

[LeRouxIsPHat]

I reckon the England - Australia game might force a shift one way or another on this. Been saying for a while that a lot of countries are going down the traditional 7 route (which might be an extra reason that SOB was at 8 on Saturday with Henry possibly overtaking Murphy as the bench option) and the World Cup has a habit of setting trends for the following couple of seasons. In that game it's likely to be Robshaw up against Pocock and Hooper, so whoever loses could be forced into a radical rethink IMO.

[simonokeeffe]

SOB definitely has the skill set of a traditional 7, and more, in spades

You do need to have 2 players in the backrow who can slow down opposition ball, just hard to get that when you have 2 or 3 big number 8s playing there

[goreyguy]

Only teams without a good tradition 7 claim you don't need a traditional 7.

[munster#1]

Only teams without a good tradition 7 claim you don't need a traditional 7.

Well munster, Leinster and Ireland have shown that you don't need a traditional 7.

Your statement makes no sense really? Have you heard many teams talk about the need for a traditional 7?