RugbyRebels

Leicester Tigers (v Munster Rugby, away, Saturday 7.45pm)

15 Telusa Veainu

14 Adam Thompstone

13 Matt Smith

12 Mathew Tait

11 Jonny May

10 George Ford

9 Ben Youngs

1 Kyle Traynor

2 Tom Youngs (c)

3 Dan Cole

4 Mike Fitzgerald

5 Graham Kitchener

6 Valentino Mapapalangi

7 Luke Hamilton

8 Sione Kalamafoni



Replacements

16 Harry Thacker

17 Logovi’i Mulipola

18 Chris Baumann

19 Dom Barrow

20 Mike Williams

21 Sam Harrison

22 Joe Ford

23 Nick Malouf

Munster Rugby: 15 Simon Zebo; 14 Andrew Conway, 13 Sam Arnold, 12 Rory Scannell, 11 Alex Wootton; 10 Ian Keatley, 9 Conor Murray; 1 Dave Kilcoyne, 2 Rhys Marshall, 3 Stephen Archer; 4 Jean Kleyn, 5 Billy Holland; 6 Peter O’Mahony (c), 7 Chris Cloete, 8 CJ Stander.

Replacements: 16 Kevin O’Byrne, 17 Brian Scott, 18 John Ryan, 19 Darren O’Shea, 20 Jack O’Donoghue, 21 Duncan Williams, 22 JJ Hanrahan, 23 Darren Sweetnam.

Yer fellas should win this

Blimey, Leicester’s centre partnership is rank average. You’d also have them the other way round, Shirley. Thompstone and May should take a book to read just in case George Ford goes off.

Is this Traynor’s first start?

We have folded like an Aldi napkin the last two weeks though and our loosehead is... let's be kind and say he's definitely third choice. I'd say it's an even contest.

Puja

I'm telling the lads on ye, Paddy11!!!!

This was never going to be an even contest and anyone who imagined it was hasn't seen Munster much this season.

SerjeantWildgoose wrote:I'm telling the lads on ye, Paddy11!!!!

This was never going to be an even contest and anyone who imagined it was hasn't seen Munster much this season.

I haven't seen Munster much this season and was suckered by Paddy11's pessimism.

I have now seen rather too much of them and am not particularly looking forward to receiving a second dose next week.

Puja

That was schooling and Leicester were atrocious. Looking forward to an afternoon of wall to wall rugby.

Well at least that Leicester team is packed full of good young English players, alongside the Ford’s/May’s, who can learn from this experience and get better....

Timbo wrote:Well at least that Leicester team is packed full of good young English players, alongside the Ford’s/May’s, who can learn from this experience and get better....

Good point. This is the start of Joe Ford's inexorable march to the Eng XV and World Rugby player of the year award. Being serious, this hadn't occured to me but you're right. If E Jones is looking for a young bolter for Japan, Thomand Park wasn't the place to be. Schmidt, on the other hand, might want to keep his eye on the Munster 7. Would've been nice to see Evans go up against him rather than watch Hamilton lumber around the park.

Blimey, BT put the highlights package together quickly.

Was predictable looking at the team sheets.
Need to start thinking about bringing in the likes of Worth and Thacker in the centres TBH because Tait and smith are not doing anything.

Tigersman wrote:Was predictable looking at the team sheets.
Need to start thinking about bringing in the likes of Worth and Thacker in the centres TBH because Tait and smith are not doing anything.

Wouldn't that be a bit of shuffling deckchairs though? The problem didn't start in the backline.

Raggs wrote:

Tigersman wrote:Was predictable looking at the team sheets.
Need to start thinking about bringing in the likes of Worth and Thacker in the centres TBH because Tait and smith are not doing anything.

Wouldn't that be a bit of shuffling deckchairs though? The problem didn't start in the backline.

Well how much can you do until the offseason, alot of SH players are starting to get ready for the offseason all the good NH players are contracted?

I like Evans but physicality isn't his strong point at the moment like Curry or Willis.
Wells maybe but his shit off the top lineout throw to youngs v wasps pissed me off.

The only thing i can think off is getting this forwards coach signed and hope his freshens up the pack a bit. (Who is on the list of that i'm not sure) but at the minute at least if you shuffle the backs it gives some players some experience.

Tigersman wrote:

Raggs wrote:

Tigersman wrote:Was predictable looking at the team sheets.
Need to start thinking about bringing in the likes of Worth and Thacker in the centres TBH because Tait and smith are not doing anything.

Wouldn't that be a bit of shuffling deckchairs though? The problem didn't start in the backline.

Well how much can you do until the offseason, alot of SH players are starting to get ready for the offseason all the good NH players are contracted?

I like Evans but physicality isn't his strong point at the moment like Curry or Willis.
Wells maybe but his shit off the top lineout throw to youngs v wasps pissed me off.

The only thing i can think off is getting this forwards coach signed and hope his freshens up the pack a bit. (Who is on the list of that i'm not sure) but at the minute at least if you shuffle the backs it gives some players some experience.

The forwards were awful but there is no point compounding it by not worrying about getting out your best backline.

Supposedly, POC has turned down the forwards Coach role due to not wanting to up root his young family. By that, I’d guess they’re pretty close to making an appt, even if it’s their second choice.

Coaching obviously will help, but there isn't much quality to choose from; Tigers reaping what they (haven't) sowed over a long period of time.

My guess is that O’Connor still has a long list of players he wants to get rid of and replace.

Banquo wrote:Coaching obviously will help, but there isn't much quality to choose from; Tigers reaping what they (haven't) sowed over a long period of time.

This, i'm afraid. Tigers recruitment has left a lot to be desired, bringing in far too many mediocrities, and their failure to develop home grown talent has been one of the most disappointing features over the last half dozen or so years.

Timbo wrote:My guess is that O’Connor still has a long list of players he wants to get rid of and replace.

hopefully so, but going shopping won't be easy.

Tigersman wrote:Was predictable looking at the team sheets.
Need to start thinking about bringing in the likes of Worth and Thacker in the centres TBH because Tait and smith are not doing anything.

I though Tait did as well as could be expected with what little he got. I'm certainly not sure Worth and Tait are the answer. I suspect after that scoreline Manu and Toomua will be checked out of recovery a bit sharper than expected.

I think the forwards coach will definitely help. There's a solid back 5 of the pack to be formed from that squad, but it doesn't involve a back row of three 8s and it certainly needs someone who won't pick Kitchener and Fitzgerald again until they actually consider breaking a sweat.

Puja

Banquo wrote:

Timbo wrote:My guess is that O’Connor still has a long list of players he wants to get rid of and replace.

hopefully so, but going shopping won't be easy.

By the by, what did you think of Garces’ reffing of the breakdown compared to the discussion we were having after Quins-Sarries? Some of the turnovers for Munster yesterday were...comical. There was one when O’Mahony was ‘supporting’ his body weight on one leg like a ballerina.

The inconsistency between refs is so infuriating.

Timbo wrote:

Banquo wrote:

Timbo wrote:My guess is that O’Connor still has a long list of players he wants to get rid of and replace.

hopefully so, but going shopping won't be easy.

By the by, what did you think of Garces’ reffing of the breakdown compared to the discussion we were having after Quins-Sarries? Some of the turnovers for Munster yesterday were...comical. There was one when O’Mahony was ‘supporting’ his body weight on one leg like a ballerina.

The inconsistency between refs is so infuriating.

Fraid I didn't see any of the game, only had time for the Barf game.

Timbo wrote: By the by, what did you think of Garces’ reffing of the breakdown compared to the discussion we were having after Quins-Sarries? Some of the turnovers for Munster yesterday were...comical. There was one when O’Mahony was ‘supporting’ his body weight on one leg like a ballerina.

The inconsistency between refs is so infuriating.

Swings and roundabouts, Timbo. Being on one foot does not equate to being off your feet in my book - or Garces' it would seem. As Van Grann said in response to MOC's rather ingracious post-match comments, our lads played closer to Jerome's interpretation of the breakdown than yours and got away with much that might have been pinged by someone like Barnes or Owens. Even so, I think it was a far from even contest at the breakdown, where Leicester had little apparent stomach for the fight.

If you want to pick nits, then let's start with the two missed yellows on Youngs. As for me, I'm happy enough that he stayed on the park; Mrs Youngs' lads were more of a hindrance than a help to the Tigers on Saturday.

We have also learned from experience and I don't expect the situation to be repeated on Sunday - and good thing too. It is quite remarkable that despite having played each other so often in this competition, we Munster supporters continue to admire Leicester - sure I'd and even admit under the bribery of a pint to admiring Neil Back's sneaky hand. While I will back Munster against anyone at Thomond Park, the Tigers at Welford Road are always going to play up a couple of notches.

MelsBlue - Sadly our 7, Chris Cloete, is a(nother) recent import from South Africa and has been capped by the Bokke at Schools and A-level. He is some pup. There's a phenomenally quick brain under that ludicrous haircut - check out his try against the Ospreys from last weekend.

SerjeantWildgoose wrote:

Timbo wrote: By the by, what did you think of Garces’ reffing of the breakdown compared to the discussion we were having after Quins-Sarries? Some of the turnovers for Munster yesterday were...comical. There was one when O’Mahony was ‘supporting’ his body weight on one leg like a ballerina.

The inconsistency between refs is so infuriating.

Swings and roundabouts, Timbo. Being on one foot does not equate to being off your feet in my book - or Garces' it would seem. As Van Grann said in response to MOC's rather ingracious post-match comments, our lads played closer to Jerome's interpretation of the breakdown than yours and got away with much that might have been pinged by someone like Barnes or Owens. Even so, I think it was a far from even contest at the breakdown, where Leicester had little apparent stomach for the fight.

O’Mahony is a good athlete, but if he was supporting his own body weight at that breakdown he should try the circus. Clearly on his forearms which were resting on the ground.

My point wasn’t that Munster did anything wrong, or even that Garces did really - laissez faire reffing of the breakdown is at least entertaining, turnovers galore etc - ,but the difference in interpretation from ref to ref, game to game is hard to justify. There was a Quins-Sarries game a couple of weeks ago when the referee quite literally put an embargo on breakdown turnovers...it becomes like watching two different sports.

POM got away with a couple of very dubious steals. On another day and with another ref, he might have got pinged so the charge of inconsistency is a fair one, though some discretion is bound to happen between refs.
Irrespective of that, Tigers should be thoroughly disappointed with that performance. I dont think there was one area of their game that was really adequate.