Munster Double Header

Seriously great value. 2 matches in Thomond Park on Friday.

Munster Team v London Irish:

01 Marcus Horan
02 Mike Sherry
03 Stephen Archer
03 Mick O'Driscoll
05 Ian Nagle
06 Billy Holland
07 Niall Ronan
08 Peter O'Mahony
09 Duncan Williams
10 Ian Keatley
11 Denis Hurley
12 Lifeimi Mafi
13 Danny Barnes
14 Doug Howlett
15 Sean Scanlon

Damien Varley, Wian du Preez, Peter Borlase, Dave O’Callaghan, Tommy O'Donnell, Peter Stringer, Simon Zebo, Scott Deasy.

Munster A v Connacht:

01 Dave Kilcoyne
02 Denis Fogarty
03 John Ryan
04 Dave Foley
05 Phillip Donnellan
06 Shane Buckley
07 Brian O'Hara
08 Paddy Butler (c)
09 Gerry Hurley
10 Declan Cusack
11 Luke O'Dea
12 JJ Hanrahan
13 Tommy Gleeson
14 Corey Hircock
15 Ronan O'Mahony

Injured: Darragh Hurley, BJ Botha, Tomas O'Leary, Johne Murphy

Brilliant preparation - fans get two games. We get gametime to so many guys.

Anyone in the A team we should keep an eye out for? Hanrahan, Fogarty and Cusack I know, but don't know anyone beyond that.

Paddy Butler at number 8 is another to add to your list. I'd imagine Tom Gleeson will get some Pro 12 gametime - he has played 12 of them already. Possibly Irish U20 backrow Shane Buckley as well. I don't rate him particularly highly but I know others do.

I'm interested to see whether 19 stone John Ryan can use his weight or is it just fat. Looks chubby - http://www.rabodirectpro12.com/teams/munster/squad.php?player=101106&includeref=dynamic

There is no mirror in the world that would convince him he's anything but fat. No matter how hard he believes otherwise.

Well, maybe a mirror at a funfair.

THey say muscle weighs more than fat. If we can turn this fat into muscle he'd weight about 40 stone

And they say the camera adds ten pounds.

Not sure how many cameras were trained on him at that particular moment.

London Irish side to face Munster...

Adrian Jarvis will make his first start at fly half for London Irish in tomorrow night’s pre-season encounter with Munster at Thomand Park.

The move to number 10 for Jarvis will see Daniel Bowden play in the inside centre position where he played majority of his rugby in the first half of last season.

New Australian signing, Tom Alexander, has been named on the bench along with James Sandford.

London Irish head coach Toby Booth said: “Munster, like Biarritz, is another formidable opponent and will offer another big challenge for us tomorrow night. This game represents the end of a focused pre-season campaign which is important going into the start of the Aviva Premiership and the London Double Header."

15. Tom Homer
14. Topsy Ojo
13. Jonathan Joseph
12. Dan Bowden
11. Marland Yarde
10. Adrian Jarvis
9. Paul Hodgson

1. Max Lahiff
2. David Paice
3. Faan Rautenbach
4. Nick Kennedy
5. Matt Garvey
6. Kieran Roche
7. Jamie Gibson
8. Richard Thorpe

Replacements: Mark George; Leo Halavatau; Brian Blaney; James Sandford; Tom Alexander; Alex Gray; Ross Samson; Steven Shingler; Adam Thompstone; Anthony Watson


That's a strong looking side you seem to have out against us Stag, are you going to the game?

I'll be up in Dublin this weekend Pete. Ireland v England.

Looking forward to hearing how Jamie Gibson, Steve Shingler and Tom Homer get on.

Ah that's a shame Stag, was hoping that you might be able to let me know how some of our new boys got on.

You going to the Ireland game with the Micks and Hughie?

Ill be meeting up with them tonight and staying with Hughie. But tomorrow I have a work function before and after the game so I'll be going to game with some colleagues.

In a box,Stag?

Connacht side announced, I recognise quite a few after the U21 World Championships, that's a great sign for Connacht.

Mick Kearney is another signing from our Academy who recently moved west. Solid signing for them and might even be needed in the senior side after they lost a player two matches ago.

Interesting to see Maguire there, I assumed he was injured after he didn't play any of the warm-up matches.

Connacht A

1. Finlay Bealham
2. Dermot Murphy (captain)
3. Stewart Maguire
4. Mick Kearney
5. Danny Qualter
6. Dave Heffernan
7. Aaron Conneely
8. Eoin McKeon

9. Dave Moore
10. Jack Carty
11. Conor Finn
12. Tadhg Leader
13. Robbie Henshaw
14. James Loxton
15. Callum Boland

16. Kevin O’Byrne
17.Diarmuid Higgins
18. Paul Griffin
19. Brian Moylett
20. Rory Cunningham
21. Mark Dolan
22. Finn Gormley
23. Alan Gaughan

Turns out a mate of mine is down there, it's 9-14 at half time in the A game.

Cusack has three penalties and Connacht have two converted tries (no idea who scored)

10 mins left, all penalties in the second half. 15-20

Ooooh, killer end to the A game.

Connacht looked like winning it at 15-20 with little left in the game, then Tom Gleeson scored just before the 80th minute to make it 22-20.

After the 80 minutes were up the ball was still in play and Connacht had a 30m try called back for offside, that was the end of that.

Sounds like it was a good game of rugby.

Sounds as though Tadgh Leader from Connacht did well. Hope Cusacks injury isnt serious.

greybeard wrote:Ooooh, killer end to the A game.

Connacht looked like winning it at 15-20 with little left in the game, then Tom Gleeson scored just before the 80th minute to make it 22-20.

After the 80 minutes were up the ball was still in play and Connacht had a 30m try called back for offside, that was the end of that.

Sounds like it was a good game of rugby.

Sounds more like a homer ref!

Munster beat London Irish by a point gettig three yellow cards. London Irish got a red.

Who got the red card stag and do you know what for?

I've just found out it was James Sandford late on for an apparent headbutt after a punch from a Munster player which earned him a yellow. Being described on The Craic as handbags and neither card was warranted. Would appear that the TJ advised Rolland re the cards and he went with it.

Some decent performances by some of the young London Irish players I'm told so that is promising although Jamie Gibson appears to have left the ground with an arm in a sling with a knee brace on, and Nick Kennedy failed to start the match despite being named in the side, so not sure if he got injured in the warm up or something.

Ross Samson. He got a red and Munster player got a yellow for a scrap.