Munster 2016-2017

[simonokeeffe]

Saw a highlight reel. Pretty underwhelming reminds me of Roux
.

He seems to do more in the loose than Roux, and he's got more Super Rugby appearances than Roux had. I wonder how he compares as a pusher in the scrum?

All in all, I think this looks like a shrewd signing

Roux had f all super rugby, mostly Currie and Vodacom cup. This guy looks a lot busier

[BarryP]

Dear Lord this is awful.

http://www.munsterrugby.ie/news/22872.php#.V5jNNP5wW1s

[hugonaut]

Dear Lord this is awful.

http://www.munsterrugby.ie/news/22872.php#.V5jNNP5wW1s

Holy smokes. Every single piece of clothing shown there is f*cking appalling.

[Dave Cahill]

Adidas brought in a new design 'language' a couple or three years ago and it is a f%~king horror. I haven't even looked at the new munster stuff, and I don't really intend on either. I loved adidas, their stuff was always so sleek - even stuff like the Stade Francais kit looked sleek. But since they turned the three shoulder stripes through 90 degrees, more often than not they've turned my stomach.

[domhnallj]

Poor old Zebo looks like he's going to cry.

I've just figured out that it's a buck on the jersey and not a lightening bolt. I like it a lot more now.

[sunshiner1]

Wow that is horrendous. It's like someone puked down the front of the jersey and it dried up. I imagine the sales of this will be low.

[johng]

Which one is Zebo? Saili or Conor Murray?

It reminds me of our unicorn jizz shirt.

[cormac]

Is this #MunsterRising goes to last less than a week too?

[cormac]

Which one is Zebo? Saili or Conor Murray?

It reminds me of our unicorn jizz shirt.

You need to learn to scroll down the page

[johng]

Which one is Zebo? Saili or Conor Murray?

It reminds me of our unicorn jizz shirt.

You need to learn to scroll down the page

Someone was able to look at that long enough to scroll down the page?

[domhnallj]

Someone was able to look at that long enough to scroll down the page?

I was sucked in by the marketing speak

[limecat]

I was sucked in by the marketing speak

That's what the unicorn said!

[LeRouxIsPHat]

Adidas brought in a new design 'language' a couple or three years ago and it is a f%~king horror. I haven't even looked at the new munster stuff, and I don't really intend on either. I loved adidas, their stuff was always so sleek - even stuff like the Stade Francais kit looked sleek. But since they turned the three shoulder stripes through 90 degrees, more often than not they've turned my stomach.

I haven't read anything about the Munster kit but I doubt it tops the blurb for the new Man City jersey...

"The advanced performance technology in the kit is visible on the chest, where engineered knit zones create a geometric pattern that enhances fit with smaller mesh shapes at the bottom of the graphic".

Stop the world, I want to get off.

[domhnallj]

Adidas brought in a new design 'language' a couple or three years ago and it is a f%~king horror. I haven't even looked at the new munster stuff, and I don't really intend on either. I loved adidas, their stuff was always so sleek - even stuff like the Stade Francais kit looked sleek. But since they turned the three shoulder stripes through 90 degrees, more often than not they've turned my stomach.

I haven't read anything about the Munster kit but I doubt it tops the blurb for the new Man City jersey...

"The advanced performance technology in the kit is visible on the chest, where engineered knit zones create a geometric pattern that enhances fit with smaller mesh shapes at the bottom of the graphic".

Stop the world, I want to get off.

Sounds like the used google translate to produce that word salad

[simonokeeffe]

I like their new jersey

But anything better than a solid all red kit is fine by me

[jezzer]

Dear Lord this is awful.

http://www.munsterrugby.ie/news/22872.php#.V5jNNP5wW1s

Ghostly deer, mysterious crowns.... have they switched the Muzzer games to Hogwarts?

[offshorerules]

I believe gawk is the word.

[hugonaut]

Collie O'Shea training with Munster: http://www.sportsfile.com/id/1195841/

Munster running very, very heavy in the second row this season with eight locks in the senior panel. In order of appearances they are:
1. Donnacha Ryan [32 y.o., 146 Munster caps]
2. Billy Holland [31 y.o.*, 131 Munster caps]
3. Dave Foley [28 y.o., 74 Munster caps]
4. Mark Chisholm [34 y.o., 18 Munster caps]/NIE
5. John Madigan [21 y.o., 1 Munster cap]
6. Sean McCarthy [23 y.o., 1 Munster cap]
7. Darren O'Shea [23 y.o., 0 Munster caps]
8. Jean Kleyn [22 y.o., 0 Munster caps]/NIQ

That looks like the sort of squad make-up that Perpignan of 2008-2012 would have gone for!

It doesn't make much sense to me on the macro side of things : while the IRFU are footing the bill for Donnacha Ryan for another season [source: http://www.irishrugby.ie/news/27971.php#.V6Jjx1fovq0 ], all the other seven lads have to be paid by Munster. That's eight players fighting for two starting jerseys ... a nice situation if you can afford it, but I don't think that Munster are in that situation at the moment.

Ryan is now third choice [at best] in the Irish stakes – behind Toner and Henderson, and maybe behind Dillane too. There's a decent possibility he'll be with Munster for the majority of the season. If so, the balance of probabilities would suggest that it's Ryan +1, i.e. seven players competing for one jersey. Strange squad composition.

*Today, happy birthday Billy!

[simonokeeffe]

Is there much (realistic) expectation of the 2 young locks on developmenty deals? Especially this season
Also Chisholm playing again and lasting the season are far from certain. Foley has had his injury problems too

Hopefully O'Shea gets a deal, theyre still a little light on backs especially centres and chances are they lose their 2 Kiwis seasons end

[munster#1]

That is a big list of second rows, and not a bad list at all.

I'd be surprised if the list is that big come the end of the season.
With O Shea and Kleyn around I think that Madigan would be a smart bit of business for leinster, I have always been a big fan of his, he is a big, strong mobile lock, something that is rare in Irish rugby.

Imo he will stay at Munster and stagnate a bit, and maybe break into the team in his mid to late 20s.
Kleyn was an unnecessary bit of business, that is likely to slow the development of Madigan and O Shea.

My hope is that with 3 big lumps to play behind the tighthead, that we may survive with the options we have in the front row, but I think that is me being blindly optimistic.

Centre isn't too bad, we have just signed Sam Arnold, who will add to the squad.
I would much rather see scannell being give a full season than sign someone else.
Munster are lucky that the centre partnership will not be interfered with by international call ups, which will give them time to really gel.