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?

Most of Munsters tries this year have been created by Laulua. Penney will know that too.

The Cardiff team looks awful. They'll be extending their losing run alright.

Morgannwg wrote:The Cardiff team looks awful. They'll be extending their losing run alright.

I think so. This has kind of descended into a debate about Hanrahan but lets be honest its not a bad Munster team and they should be very disappointed if they fail to win this match comfortably enough.

I'd say last summers squad trimming could start to have an impact on Cardiff and Ospreys.

profitius wrote:I'd say last summers squad trimming could start to have an impact on Cardiff and Ospreys.

there was a cardiff fan on here that said Cardiff would not miss any of the players that had left. He said they were all replaced. Man was he wrong.

LeinsterFan4life wrote:

profitius wrote:I'd say last summers squad trimming could start to have an impact on Cardiff and Ospreys.

there was a cardiff fan on here that said Cardiff would not miss any of the players that had left. He said they were all replaced. Man was he wrong.

Ospreys' fans were saying the same even though they lost Bowe, Williams, Paul james etc

I think it was the right move for Ospreys.

Whoever said that about the Blues was right, to an extent. The only players they are missing is Gethin Jenkins and Richie Rees. Neither of those two could save the backwards scrum or water defence though. The Blues mishap is more of a long-term issue and that is not made any better by some signings and the choice of coaches.

Morgannwg wrote:Whoever said that about the Blues was right, to an extent. The only players they are missing is Gethin Jenkins and Richie Rees. Neither of those two could save the backwards scrum or water defence though. The Blues mishap is more of a long-term issue and that is not made any better by some signings and the choice of coaches.

So they aren't missing laulala ,Rush and Tito? Id say they are definatley missing those players

They're missing an on-form Rush and Tito. Those players should have been let go a year earlier than they were and replacements should have been filtered out and developed a year prior to that earlier year. Hence why I say it's due to a long-term issue. Besides I was only counting players who left last season, the "Blues have lost 13-15 players" (number changes everytime is is muttered, is exagirated. I explained how on my Phil Davies poll if you'd care to analyse it. Blues have some depth in midfied. Hewitt and Evans is a terrible partnership. However there are two guys in the premiership (Cory Allen and Owen Williams), both play at 13, who look the part. They aren't being given a chance though.

Blues need some good props and a decent coaching staff.

There is a lot of talk about how excellent foreign players are the reason the Irish provinces do well compared to the regions.

Munster - Kiwi coach
Leinster - Kiwi coach
Ulster - Kiwi coach
Ireland - Irish coach

Ospreys - Welsh coach
Cardiff - Welsh coach
Scarlets - Welsh coach (Easterby is basically Welsh)
Dragons - Welsh coach
Wales - Kiwi coach

Do the Welsh regions (and Irish national team) need some new ideas from elsewhere in the coaching department?

Morgannwg wrote:They're missing an on-form Rush and Tito. Those players should have been let go a year earlier than they were and replacements should have been filtered out and developed a year prior to that earlier year. Hence why I say it's due to a long-term issue. Besides I was only counting players who left last season, the "Blues have lost 13-15 players" (number changes everytime is is muttered, is exagirated. I explained how on my Phil Davies poll if you'd care to analyse it. Blues have some depth in midfied. Hewitt and Evans is a terrible partnership. However there are two guys in the premiership (Cory Allen and Owen Williams), both play at 13, who look the part. They aren't being given a chance though.

Blues need some good props and a decent coaching staff.

Ye they do need props badly. When are them two Romainian props ariving?

red_stag wrote:There is a lot of talk about how excellent foreign players are the reason the Irish provinces do well compared to the regions.

Munster - Kiwi coach
Leinster - Kiwi coach
Ulster - Kiwi coach
Ireland - Irish coach

Ospreys - Welsh coach
Cardiff - Welsh coach
Scarlets - Welsh coach (Easterby is basically Welsh)
Dragons - Welsh coach
Wales - Kiwi coach

Do the Welsh regions (and Irish national team) need some new ideas from elsewhere in the coaching department?

I Think Conor O'Shea would be a great coach for Ireland.

LeinsterFan4Life,

He would but Conor O'Shea isn't just a guy who learned the system and replicated it. He is very different to other coaches out there. I don't see him as an "Irish coach" per say.

He also brings new ideas to the table. Its what makes him a very successful coach.

Declan Kidney is a school teacher by trade who realised he had a knack for coaching one day. Simon Easterby was a Llanelli player for 8 years and now coaches Scarlets.

By contrast: Conor O'Shea brings something very differnet. He always had an interest in innovative coaching techniques and went off to USA where he got a masters in Sports Management. He's worked with the British Olympics, the RFU and loads of clubs.

He's like Clive Woodward.

rodders wrote:

Sin é wrote:
Most your players are imports - I'd like to see how you would have done without Afoa, Muller, Pienaar, Tuohy, Court, Wannenberg & Pienaar (I've probably left out some there).

Aye you left out Cave, Best, Bowe, Trimble, Marshall * 2, Ferris, Jackson, Wallace, Fitzpatrick, Henderson, Henry, Wilson, Gilroy, Stevenson and quite a few others but I suspect that was intentional

I was responding to Hookie's claim (see below) that Ulster players could beat Munster even though Ulster doesn't have a club team in the Top 10 in Ireland.
"Our poor wee Ulster players have to slum it in 1B and we are still a better side than Ireland's third finest Munster."- Hookie

Stefan Terblanche; Ruan Pienaar, Tom Court, John Afoa, Johann Muller, Dan Tuohy, Pedrie Wannenburg didn't do much slumming in 1B.

red_stag wrote:LeinsterFan4Life,

He would but Conor O'Shea isn't just a guy who learned the system and replicated it. He is very different to other coaches out there. I don't see him as an "Irish coach" per say.

He also brings new ideas to the table. Its what makes him a very successful coach.

Declan Kidney is a school teacher by trade who realised he had a knack for coaching one day. Simon Easterby was a Llanelli player for 8 years and now coaches Scarlets.

By contrast: Conor O'Shea brings something very differnet. He always had an interest in innovative coaching techniques and went off to USA where he got a masters in Sports Management. He's worked with the British Olympics, the RFU and loads of clubs.

He's like Clive Woodward.

Like a lot of good coaches such as Joe Schmidt & Graham Henry. I think Rob Penney might also have been a teacher.
Doesn't Kidney have a Masters in Psychology as well?

LeinsterFan4life wrote:

Morgannwg wrote:They're missing an on-form Rush and Tito. Those players should have been let go a year earlier than they were and replacements should have been filtered out and developed a year prior to that earlier year. Hence why I say it's due to a long-term issue. Besides I was only counting players who left last season, the "Blues have lost 13-15 players" (number changes everytime is is muttered, is exagirated. I explained how on my Phil Davies poll if you'd care to analyse it. Blues have some depth in midfied. Hewitt and Evans is a terrible partnership. However there are two guys in the premiership (Cory Allen and Owen Williams), both play at 13, who look the part. They aren't being given a chance though.

Blues need some good props and a decent coaching staff.

Ye they do need props badly. When are them two Romainian props ariving?

No idea. They'd have to find a pair first. And they won't be automatically good because they're Romanian. The best Romanians are probably in the Top 14.

stag - I can't believe no one's picked you up on the 'Cardiff' part of the topic.


And Conor O'Shea....'just like Clive Woodward'.

Team looks Cr.p.

Isn't Deccie a renowned neurosurgeon as well ?

Maybe some people don't rate the AIL because they were getting spanked constantly by teams from other provinces

Maybe some people are just having a bit of craic winding up Sin and shouldn't be taken too seriously in this instance

I always thought the AIL was where Johnny Sexton was "languishing" before Kidney plucked him from obscurity to play against Scotland A?

Now it's where players are sent to "earn their scars"?

that's classic!

Sin é wrote:

rodders wrote:

Sin é wrote:
Most your players are imports - I'd like to see how you would have done without Afoa, Muller, Pienaar, Tuohy, Court, Wannenberg & Pienaar (I've probably left out some there).

Aye you left out Cave, Best, Bowe, Trimble, Marshall * 2, Ferris, Jackson, Wallace, Fitzpatrick, Henderson, Henry, Wilson, Gilroy, Stevenson and quite a few others but I suspect that was intentional

I was responding to Hookie's claim (see below) that Ulster players could beat Munster even though Ulster doesn't have a club team in the Top 10 in Ireland.
"Our poor wee Ulster players have to slum it in 1B and we are still a better side than Ireland's third finest Munster."- Hookie

Stefan Terblanche; Ruan Pienaar, Tom Court, John Afoa, Johann Muller, Dan Tuohy, Pedrie Wannenburg didn't do much slumming in 1B.

On Sin you apple of my eye. I don't see where I said that. What I said is despite your players being in the cauldron of AIL 1A and young Ulster players slumming it in IB we still managed to be you three out the last four times and knocked you out of the european cup at Thomond where supposedly no one wins away from home. Awk bless. Ireland's once best province are now third and in mid table mediocrity. At least you still have the 'exceptionally talented centre Keith Ea........ I'm sorry. It was so funny I couldn't even finish the sentence. It's almost as good as watching him play for the Lions. Whenever I feel low and sad I just watch that and I realise, life could be worse. I could be as incompetent as Keith Earls.

So is anyone watching?

Tommy O'Donnell has just scored a good try for Munster.

3-7 after 12 minutes.

Nice angles by Keatley

ROG you plonker. Professional foul, into the bin he goes...

Kind of get the feeling that the Blues need to build a bit of a score in this ten mins. Munster have started pretty well.

Yeah, they haven't got far from the halfway line...it's not looking promising. If they can't get anything when Munster are a man down...

so close

Unlucky that. I think they will rue that a little though.

What a move by Dan Fish. Shame that didn't pay off to a try. ROG back on now too.

Fish,copeland and keatley playing well,and ogara is of course kicking well. The little errors r killing the blues. But much better than last week

3-10 after 35 minutes.

Fish,copeland and keatley playing well,and ogara is of course kicking well. The little errors r killing the blues. But much better than last week

All Munster have to do is wait for the Blues to drop the ball.

Munster 9 being a girl...

HT 3-10...not looking hopeful for the Blues.

Pretty 50/50 game so far

Blues have had more opportunities, but Munster are the only ones to take one.

Pretorious may be the club captain, but he cannot justify his place when Warburton and Paterson are back. Copland should be our starting 8 based on his performances this week and last

Hamilton has been very good in the lineout

Dan Fish really playing well this season too.

Just wish we had Patchell at 12 and Jamie at 13, because Hewitt-Evans doesn't work.

Anyone got a stream, the BBC online player doesn't seem to be working...it might just be off for HT.

Its not terrible for the blues tho and certainly beta than last week. And their creating chances

So Copeland is more of a backrower than a 2nd row? Nice to see him playing well.

Three words to some up the Blues:-

Amateur
Embarrassing
Joke

Something needs to be done about this.

LeinsterFan4life wrote:So Copeland is more of a backrower than a 2nd row? Nice to see him playing well.

Yeah he played at 6 for Rotherham last year, certainly seen as a 6/8 by the Blues - he may even for Paterson into the 2nd row with Navidi at 6.

Hows it looking lads....watching the big one here on BBCNI.... what am I missing?

wales606 wrote:Anyone got a stream, the BBC online player doesn't seem to be working...it might just be off for HT.

Check your mail.

Rodders - pretty routine at the minute. ROG pinning the Blues back. Good try from TOD. Blues haven't really had much of an opportunity for tries so far.

Def agree that evans and hewitt doesnt do anything. I bet blues fans cant wait for allen and o williams to break through

rodders wrote:Hows it looking lads....watching the big one here on BBCNI.... what am I missing?

Blues are missing tackles, dropping the ball, making bad decisions, kicking the ball away and are looking worse than their premiership counterparts, Munster are being predictable, slow and boring, but they are miles ahead of the Blues in ability.

What was that advert at the end if halftime about!?!

TRY - great angle!

Game on! 10 -10 after 46 minutes. Great start for the Blues. Hope they can keep it up! It's woken the fans up too.

How was Howlets pass not forward ?

Cari wrote:

wales606 wrote:Anyone got a stream, the BBC online player doesn't seem to be working...it might just be off for HT.

Check your mail.

Rodders - pretty routine at the minute. ROG pinning the Blues back. Good try from TOD. Blues haven't really had much of an opportunity for tries so far.

Working now thanks.