Castres v Munster Teams and Discussion

Munster:
01 Wian du Preez
02 Damien Varley
03 BJ Botha
04 Donnacha Ryan
05 Paul O'Connell
06 Peter O'Mahony
07 Niall Ronan
08 James Coughlan
09 Conor Murray
10 Ronan O'Gara
11 Denis Hurley
12 Lifeimi Mafi
13 Danny Barnes
14 Doug Howlett
15 Johne Murphy

16 Denis Fogarty
17 Marcus Horan
18 John Hayes
19 Donnacha O'Callaghan
20 Denis Leamy
21 Tomas O'Leary
22 Ian Keatley
23 Will Chambers

Castres:
01 Anton Peikrishvili
02 Brice Mach
03 Karena Wihongi
04 Scott Murray
05 Joe Tekori
06 Jannie Bornmann
07 Chris Masoe
08 Yannick Caballero
09 Thierry Lacrampe
10 Pierre Bernard
11 Marc Andreau
12 Pierre-Emmanuel Garcia
13 Paul Bonnefond
14 Max Evans
15 Florian Denos

16 Mathieu Bonello
17 Michael Coetzee
18 Luc Ducalcon
19 Matthias Rolland
20 Rodrigo Capo Ortega
21 Romain Teulet
22 Rémy Talès
23 Pierre-Gilles Lakafia


Waiting to see Castres team. Pity to see that Niall Ronan is still included. A very strong bench which was as key last week as O'Garas kick.

Good to see he kept the same team (bar ronan of course). I think the centre partnership look a lot more dangerous with barnes there.

Delighted to see ryan starting again as well hes really come on in the last year.

How long is Hayes contract?

Hayes is on a rolling contract as I understand it.

He had planned to retire in May but was needed on standby for the RWC in case Court or Buckley got injured. So he stayed at Munster to keep fit. A few weeks ago both Borlase and Archer were injured and Botha was suspended. So he stayed on another bit.

I'd imagine he'll be there til May.

haha ya hayes wil be there to the of d season
Strongest team rly, altho i think leamy deserves to start over ronan or coughlan. also maybe chambers ahead of barnes, dont think danny is up to much

Ronan again...ok he didnt have a bad game last week but Leamy, POM and Coughlan has a better balance to it.

McGahan is backing this team, they didnt let him down last week so fair enough.

I usen't rate Barnes. I thought he has fronted up though and have been impressed with him.

Ronan, FFS! Chambers looked good when he came on but Barnes deserves to be there. Looking forward to it anyway should be a cracker.

Castres team

Denos - Evans, Bonnefond, Garcia, Andreu - (o) Bernard, (m) Lacrampe - Caballero, Masoe (cap.), Bornman - Tekori, Murray - Wihongi, Mach, Peikrishvili

bench: Bonello, Coetzee, Ducalcon, Rolland, Ortega, Teulet, Tales, Lakafia

so 1st choices(ish) Ducalcon, Teulet and Tales on the bench. Return of Andreu and rory kockott still injured.

Thats Whocares.

Two speedy wingers there in Max Evans and Andreu.

Lakafia on the bench isn't the lad who played for Biarritz at number 8 is it?

Anyone other than me actually think Ronan has done well and is good for the start???

thats Pierre-Gilles lakafia (wing) - Raphael (the international backrow) still plays for biarritz - no clue wether they are related!

I think without forestier and ducalcon and with a rather inexperienced hooker, castres scrum will be in big trouble provided Munster quality forwards do their usual job!

is Evans really a winger? thought he tended to play mainly at centre...

Whocares - I know that Wihongi is meant to be an excellent scrummager - Musnter are vulnerable in that area.

I personally thought Evans is a better winger than a centre. Halfbacks seem very weak for Castres without Kockett. Surprised to see Teulet on the bench.

Rodders - Niall Ronan is a blindspot for me. I just don't like him. I won't allow any logic to change that. All I remember from tlast week is that he cost us a try.

red_stag wrote:Whocares - I know that Wihongi is meant to be an excellent scrummager - Musnter are vulnerable in that area.

I personally thought Evans is a better winger than a centre. Halfbacks seem very weak for Castres without Kockett. Surprised to see Teulet on the bench.

Rodders - Niall Ronan is a blindspot for me. I just don't like him. I won't allow any logic to change that. All I remember from tlast week is that he cost us a try.

So did Conor Murray!!!

He just doesnt seem to add anything to the team and rarely sticks out (which is what an openside should do).

Its funny stag, everyone is calling for an out and out 7 and when one gets picked everyone moans about it.

Ronan plays like a 7, he links and supports. He doesn't smash people or carry like wallace but thats not what a 7 does.

It seems when it comes to no 7's people want to have their cake and eat it. It was the same with Jennings. Everyone said he was rubbish against the USA and now they want him picked again because O'Brien apparantly can't play 7.

Irish fans can be very fickle at times ....

Rooders I just want David Wallace back

munster vulnerable in the scrum? what would you be your "weakest link" up front then... Varley?

roddersm wrote:Its funny stag, everyone is calling for an out and out 7 and when one gets picked everyone moans about it.

Ronan plays like a 7, he links and supports. He doesn't smash people or carry like wallace but thats not what a 7 does.

It seems when it comes to no 7's people want to have their cake and eat it. It was the same with Jennings. Everyone said he was rubbish against the USA and now they want him picked again because O'Brien apparantly can't play 7.

Irish fans can be very fickle at times ....

O'Mahoney is a 7...unfortunately as with other irish players his versatility is being used to play him at 7...Ronan is a 7 just not a particularly good one.

We seem to be turning a corner in the scrum but it can still be exposed. BJ Botha has shored it up a lot compared to last year.

In the forwards injuries to David Wallace and Jerry Flannery sees Niall Ronan and Damien Varley in the team. They would be weak links.

Our 10-12 channel was badly exposed by James Downey last week and the loss of Keith Earls and Felix Jones has taken a lot of raw pace of out the backs.

Overall I would expect Munster to be able to win.

thanks Stag

Where are Castres strenghts and weakensses. I know nothing about these centres or halfbacks.

red_stag wrote:Where are Castres strenghts and weakensses. I know nothing about these centres or halfbacks.

thats because they are not so reliable. this centre partnership is quite new (specially bonnefond) as far as I know so not sure how they will get any quick ball to andreu or evans...denos is a bot of liability specially in defense and under high ball...

[quote="whocares"]

red_stag wrote:denos is a bot of liability specially under high ball...

O'Gara's favourite kind of fullback - Henry Paul (Gloucester), Porical (Perpignan) and Doherty (Wasps) have found that out the hard way over the years.

ronan is an out n out 7 but he jus lacks that xfactor....he is only magners league standard (when internationals are gone)...o'mahoney is stil is a bit inexperienced at this level but i like him and he has a bit of an 'alan quinaln' attitude. to the game!
Overall i think leamy has to be in there at d expense of either ronan or coughlan....i like coughlan, he carries the ball well but is he better than leamy?

Chambers is better going forward than barnes but duno who is the better defender.

Castres wil be tough in france but we shud beat em at thomand....sharp back three n some good forwards, but thy r no northampton...who are arguably the strongest english side in it.

also were the 5forwards on the bench all starting for the heinekin cup final in 2008?
We certainly have a strong bench

IMO we won't qualify without winning home and away against Scarlets and Castres.

atletico86, 4 were, Fogarty was not even on the bench.

Upon looking at the team I'm happy with all of it apart from Ronan at 7. Idealy we would have something like 6.Leamy 7.POM 8. Coughlan until Wally comes back but it seems that will not happen for a while.

It will be interesting how Castres will aproach the game, having lost the first game if we get 2 early trys they might just decide to feck-off home at halftime and focus on the Top14. That said they need to win and are at home. They are simalar to Montpellier in the way that they play and finish 3rd in the Top14 last year and 5th the year before. I think they will try to do to us what Montpellier did to Leinster. Only thing is we have a kicker who wont bottle it

Personally I don't think POM is best at 7 like a few people (DOD) have hyped him up to be. He is very aggressive in contact and so far his best game for Munster has been at 8 followed by 6. He has been described as being like both Quinlan and Harinordoquy. I think he should focus on starting at 8, as his skills would be best used there. He won't be getting a look at 7 anyways when Wallace returns and with O'Brien at 7 for Ireland.

not hype Rory. Its where he has played and been most effective since he was 16. But he is good enough to play any of the backrow positions

DOD, have you seriously seen him every game since 16? In his professional career, I have seen him captain the U20s playing number 8, and play this years games for munster at both blindside flanker and number 8. One game at 7. Out of those, he has got a MOM game at number 8, and I think he may have got a MOM the last game which was at blindside.

He isn't even a conventional 7 DOD. He doesn't play like McCaw, Pocock etc. He plays like Quinlan crossed with Harinordoquy crossed with the Hulk for his aggression. I just don't know why you are so persistent about him being an openside.

When Wallace returns, and if he starts, we both know it isn't going to be at 7.

It will either be:

6) Leamy
7) Wallace
8) POM

or

6) POM
7) Wallace
8) Coughlan

It was said that Quinny was a 7 with 6 on his back for a lot of his career....

Rory_Gallagher wrote:DOD, have you seriously seen him every game since 16? In his professional career, I have seen him captain the U20s playing number 8, and play this years games for munster at both blindside flanker and number 8. One game at 7. Out of those, he has got a MOM game at number 8, and I think he may have got a MOM the last game which was at blindside.

He isn't even a conventional 7 DOD. He doesn't play like McCaw, Pocock etc. He plays like Quinlan crossed with Harinordoquy crossed with the Hulk for his aggression. I just don't know why you are so persistent about him being an openside.

When Wallace returns, and if he starts, we both know it isn't going to be at 7.

It will either be:

6) Leamy
7) Wallace
8) POM

or

6) POM
7) Wallace
8) Coughlan

He has played the vast majority of his rugby at 8 but he has played more than one game at 7. I agree with you that he is best suited as an 8 but I think he has the ability to play 7.


Rodders; Ronan wasn't as bad as expected last week but he has too many faults to ever make it at a level higher than the pro12. Last week he made poor decisions on a number of occasions and just wasn't up to the physical battle. He went missing for large periods of the game and although you will see him doing the flash plays, he struggle in the tight. He could play alongside two huge carries tacklers but the Munster backrow is underpowered without Wallace and playing ronan instead of leamy is weakening it further unnecessarily. Last week when Leamy came on he made a difference as he was able to make yards when carrying.

What do people think of our chances now that Scarlets have beaten Northampton? If we win the next two matchs we would have to be favourites to top the group at that stage.

I think Munster need to beat Scarlets twice to top the group,that won't be easy going on their form at the minute.

Irish Curry wrote:What do people think of our chances now that Scarlets have beaten Northampton? If we win the next two matchs we would have to be favourites to top the group at that stage.

Big If...we have Scarlets away first...

Sure no bother to us at all
Tbh at the start of the group I though Scarlets would be rock bottom, how wrong I was

Rory..in Cork Con when he started playing big person rugby he played most games at 7. Same for munster A and in the aus game he played 7 one of his best games.

Why i think he is a 7 is because in most games he is at every tackle situation, poaches ball very well, carries the ball well, links with the backs well and is what in the old days was called a tyro. Now i dont care what number he wears because he is good enough to play anywhere in the br but he is a 7. I couldnt give a shoite if people say its hype. The guy plays at full tilt..Irish Captain sooner rather than later following on the footsteps of Kiernan, Lenihen et al

..Except he isn't a natural 7 DOD :P he isn't a fetcher. Therefore he isn't the natural 7 people talk about. I know Wallace or O'Brien aren't natural 7s either but nobody says "they are true 7s" because they know they aren't, however they are great for us in the 7 shirt.

Rory_Gallagher wrote:..Except he isn't a natural 7 DOD :P he isn't a fetcher. Therefore he isn't the natural 7 people talk about. I know Wallace or O'Brien aren't natural 7s either but nobody says "they are true 7s" because they know they aren't, however they are great for us in the 7 shirt.

Oh Yes He is

Rory you are basing your opinion on 1 game. I suggest you are too eager to pigeon hole based on insufficient evidence.

Huh? Stag, I would say the opposite to those who are saying he is a 7. I am basing it on his U20 career and on his career for Munster this season (he has played 7 once, and as a sub came on as a 7). His professional career is what I am basing it on, so what are you talking about?

So yeah, I'm pretty sure i've seen a lot more than one game he has played (most of which he has played at 6 and 8).

I suggest you are too eager to post something without thinking/reading properly first.

Also how is it me that is pigeon holing him?? I said we don't know his best position but I believe it is at 8, then 6. DOD is saying nope he is just a 7 nothing else. I think you have things a bit mixed up there stag

DOD is saying nothing of the sort. I have consistently said he is capable of playing every position in the backrow but that his best position is openside.

Anyway you are not entering into the spirit of this you are supposed to answer

Oh no he's not etc

Outside of wingers im not sure castres have any real pedigree. Of course they will be massively physical and up for it but i think munster will edge it

Rory he has a wide range of skills. You are calling for him to be shoehorned into #8

Nice to hear Fields of Athenry already

3 - 0 after a penalty for Castres.

Andreu out injured already

Yeah that looked nasty - a twisted knee is a horrible injury.

6 - 0.

Any penalty within the castres 10metre line will be punished

Also nice to see Barnes redressing some balance to the appalling Owens reffing from last week.