Cardiff Blues v Munster

First topic message reminder :

So Munster come to town after Cardiff have been royally spanked by the boys in blue. Will they be motivated or will they lack confidence. They will be without 8 players. The big name trio of Jamie Roberts, Sam Warburton and Leigh Halfpenny will all miss the game as well as wingers Alex Cuthbert and Harry Robinson, scrum half Lloyd Williams, prop Scott Andrews and second row Bradley Davies.

CJ Stander has arrived in Munster but is not included:

Cardiff Blues:

01 Campese Ma'afu
02 Rhys Williams
03 Taufa'ao Filise
04 Lou Reed
05 James Down
06 Robin Copeland
07 Josh Navidi
08 Andre Pretorius
09 Lewis Jones
10 Jason Tovey
11 Tom James
12 Dafydd Hewitt
13 Gavin Evans
14 Tom Williams
15 Dan Fish

16 Andy Kyriacou
17 Sam Hobbs
18 Ryan Harford
19 Macauley Cook
20 Luke Hamilton
21 Rob Lewis
22 Ceri Sweeney
23 Owen Williams

Munster Rugby:
01 Marcus Horan
02 Mike Sherry
03 Stephen Archer
04 Dave Foley
05 Billy Holland
06 Dave O'Callaghan
07 Sean Dougall
08 Tommy O'Donnell
09 Duncan Williams
10 Ronan O'Gara
11 Luke O'Dea
12 Ian Keatley
13 Casey Laulala
14 Doug Howlett
15 Felix Jones

16 Damien Varley
17 John Ryan
18 Wian du Preez
19 Ian Nagle
20 Paddy Butler
21 Peter Stringer
22 Danny Barnes
23 Johne Murphy

Cardiff fans what team do you expect to see out and how would you feel about facing that Munster team?

Smirnoffpriest wrote:TRY - great angle!

One of Hewitt's moments of brilliance. Sweeney on the gainline too with Tovey subbed early.

Lewis Jones is pretty awful, bring Rob Lewis on please!

Blues are in trouble if they pick up some injuries and have to rely on players like Tom Williams and Lewis Jones. Bad times!

Gotta be honest, Munster have looked quite Welsh this season when you put them under pressure.

I hope munster lose just because they didnt play JJ. Thats how much I want to see JJ get gametime.

TOD in with his second try.

13 - 15 after 60 minutes before conversion.

poor tackling again by the Blues. What a joke !!!!!!!!

The blues defence is so slow of the mark, that try was predictable.

Missed tackles, not good enough

That's just a shocking missed tackle, suppose I can't finger the defence coach on tonights two occassion though.

Yikes just as we said copeland was playing well.

I hate teams gaining gift tries. That was poor by Blues.

Dragons have apparently gifted Glasgow their first too.

Ah well, Blues have a gift back.

I have no idea who is going to win now

18 - 17

His celebration's a bit superstar like too.

Good try that for the Blues, that ball could've been lost to be fair.

18 - 17 GAME ON!

LeinsterFan4life wrote:Yikes just as we said copeland was playing well.

Out of the line a bit quick, probably miss communication between him and Campese. He is still playing well, just one mistake which cost.

The blues defence is so slow of the mark, that try was predictable.

I'd also say that the referee has been excellent this evening. Warning players and not being whistle happy, but making the right decisions when called upon.

Who is the ref by the way?

Munster narrowly avoiding another binning there. Blues have a good attacking position...NOW lads!

Argh! Chance lost.

Unforced errors really costing the Blues in attacking positions

O'Gara DG to win anyone?

Excellent Blues lineout this evening, Reed and Hamilton stealing ball.

Really harsh decision against the Blues there. Munster were up first. Very unlucky

The blues defence is so slow of the mark, that try was predictable.

Another missed tackle

Laulaula really hurts his old club

Only 2 minutes to go and the Blues throw away the lead.

18 - 22

The Blues tackling like Phil Davies' Scarlets team, if memory serves...

Well done T James

TOD is MOTM. Deserved considering he got two tries.

Easy try for Munster.

Another loss for the Blues

18-24 FT.

Somebody needs the sack! Phil Davies?

Gutted.

3 missed tackles, 3 tries.

Some good effort from the players, but they need to learn how to tackle.

Dan Fish, Copeland and Hamilton all have promise.

How many tries has T James butchered or conceded this season why pick him. O Williams was a big improvement on the previous weak tackling wing. The Blues got what they deserved.

Morgannwg wrote:Somebody needs the sack! Phil Davies?

I don't think Davies misses tackles.

No but he still picks some gash players. Copeland for captain? Certainly more urgency about him and a better player than Andries.

glamorganalun wrote:How many tries has T James butchered or conceded this season why pick him. O Williams was a big improvement on the previous weak tackling wing. The Blues got what they deserved.

? What did Tom James butcher tonight.

The only tries Tom James butchers are the ones he creates, he also scores a fair few.

Tom James is by FAR our best 11.

Who would you put their? Tom Williams?

Owen Williams is a 13 and only came on the wing because Tom Williams was injured.

Morgannwg wrote:No but he still picks some gash players. Copeland for captain? Certainly more urgency about him and a better player than Andries.

Pretorious certainly doesn't deserve his place.

I would give Navidi the captaincy, although his playing at 6 for most of the season seems to have affected his openside game.

Navidi is a good captain choice.

Btw, there is now way Tom James can be your best 11. His defence has been that bad all season. Why not put a centre there if they can play there. Owen Williams or perhaps Robinson, not Tom Williams though!

Nice to see a game not dominated by referees decision (although that last scrum one was a bit harsh )

Despite the loss, it was still a pretty good game to watch. Would have been a lot better if it had been 18 - 17 though.

Morgannwg wrote:Navidi is a good captain choice.

Btw, there is now way Tom James can be your best 11. His defence has been that bad all season. Why not put a centre there if they can play there. Owen Williams or perhaps Robinson, not Tom Williams though!

Czekaj is the only other option I would look at for the 11 shirt. Tom James defence is ok for a winger and when he is playing well (which he has been doing in a pretty good Blues back 3) he is a match winner, he does lack a brain though.

When Czekaj comes back he may be able to force his way in, Robinson is an option, but has not been playing well enough to earn his starting place, he is solid but unspectacular atm.

You know, just cause a winger can score a try it doesn't make them a good player. I'd be tempted to bank on Owen Williams, he's looked good on the Sevens circuit. Or even Dan Fish on the wing when Halfpenny is back. Blues have a good few options in the backs but they can't look past Sweeney, Hewitt, Evans and James for some reason. It seems like a previous issue could repeat itself (the issue that now sees Blues lacking forwards).

I expect to see Patchell at 12 when he returns.

We really miss R.Rees and Laulaula

We have no competant SH, or penetration in the midifield.

I would like to see Cory Allen and Owen Williams given a chance in the centres (I have no idea why Williams is prefered to Allen, they are both very good but I would say that Allen is closer to breaking through after the U20 WC where he was outstanding against the baby blacks.)

Morgannwg wrote:Navidi is a good captain choice.

Btw, there is now way Tom James can be your best 11. His defence has been that bad all season. Why not put a centre there if they can play there. Owen Williams or perhaps Robinson, not Tom Williams though!

Agreed, when I saw Owen Williams I thought it would be the Ponty wing, I thought god the Blues looking outside Cardiff, maybe not but the lad that came on looked solid unlike the Williams that started.

LeinsterFan4life wrote: what does JJ have to do to get on the team. Is motm not good enough anymore?

I'd say he is happy out that UL Bohs beat Garryowen last night. 8 Munster Academy players between the two teams.

Hanrahan keeps bohs on front foot
UL Bohemian 16
Garryowen 12
AIL Division 1a

Saturday November 03 2012

UL BohS leaped to fourth place in the table with a hard-fought win against local rivals Garryowen at Thomond Park.

Eleven points from the boot of JJ Hanrahan and a Rory White try secured victory for Bohs, while a losing bonus point moves Garryowen level with league leaders Lansdowne.

http://www.independent.ie/sport/rugby/hanrahan-keeps-bohs-on-front-foot-3281241.html

Crucially though, Hanrahan was on target when Garryowen were penalised for offside in the 71st minute and he repeated the trick in the last minute to seal a narrow Limerick derby victory.

Sin é wrote:

LeinsterFan4life wrote: what does JJ have to do to get on the team. Is motm not good enough anymore?

I'd say he is happy out that UL Bohs beat Garryowen last night. 8 Munster Academy players between the two teams.

Hanrahan keeps bohs on front foot
UL Bohemian 16
Garryowen 12
AIL Division 1a

Saturday November 03 2012

UL BohS leaped to fourth place in the table with a hard-fought win against local rivals Garryowen at Thomond Park.

Eleven points from the boot of JJ Hanrahan and a Rory White try secured victory for Bohs, while a losing bonus point moves Garryowen level with league leaders Lansdowne.

http://www.independent.ie/sport/rugby/hanrahan-keeps-bohs-on-front-foot-3281241.html

Crucially though, Hanrahan was on target when Garryowen were penalised for offside in the 71st minute and he repeated the trick in the last minute to seal a narrow Limerick derby victory.

Yes isnt it great to see our best young players not getting gametime with the provinces.

Cracking game from Butler, well deserved motm. Big games from Laulua and Keatley too.

Rodders, it's always hard to figure out if a poster is being sarcastic or funny on t'internet. But, it seems like you're having a go at ROG for being picked??? Surely it's not his fault (being picked)!!??

EDIT: your post seems to have gone/changed now!

Not being sarcastic griff.... decided to edit for the greater good...

Err...The OAP had a good game on Friday. Took the ball up well and some of his passing on the gainline was ROG of old. Not sure if he should be in the Irish squad myself but he is there and how bad to have him.

TOD did great and looks a good replacement for Coughlan. Archer played the full 80 and was very good..