Munster v Dragons, 28th September

The sides haven't been announced yet, but I thought I'd set up a match thread anyway. How do we think the game will go?

EDIT:

Munster: Johne Murphy; Andrew Conway, Keith Earls, Ivan Dineen, Simon Zebo; JJ Hanrahan, Cathal Sheridan; James Cronin, Damien Varley, John Ryan; Donncha O'Callaghan, Dave Foley; Peter O'Mahony (capt), Sean Dougall, Paddy Butler.

Replacements: Mike Sherry, David Kilcoyne, Stephen Archer, Paul O'Connell, CJ Stander, Duncan Williams, Ian Keatley, Felix Jones.

Dragons: Dan Evans, Matthew Pewtner, Ross Wardle, Jack Dixon, Tom Prydie, Kris Burton, Jonathan Evans; Phil Price, Hugh Gustafson, Francisco Chaparro, Andrew Coombs (c), Matthew Screech, Jevon Groves, Lewis Evans, Netani Talei.

Replacements: Sam Parry, Owen Evans, Dan Way, Rob Sidoli, Ieuan Jones, Richie Rees, Jason Tovey, Adam Hughes.

Could be a damp squib.

I can see the Dragons pulling this one off.

Damp squib in what sense ?

It's a joke from another thread, Munk.  

Fairy nuff

Found this on the Argus

Dragons squad for Munster: D Evans, M Pewtner, W Harries, R Wardle, T Prydie, H Amos, A Hughes, A Smith, J Dixon, K Burton, J Tovey, L Robling, J Evans, R Rees, W Evans, O Evans, P Price, A Coundley, N Williams, H Gustafson, S Parry, D Way, N Buck, F Chaparro, M Screech, A Jones, R Sidoli, A Coombs, J Groves, N Talei, L Evans, N Cudd, T Faletau, I Jones.

- Lions scrum-half Conor Murray will miss the clash with the Dragons after suffering a foot injury at an Ireland training camp.


I hope its dry, their scrum will smash us but our break down work has been very strong so far

I haven't seen Munster play this season, how strong has their scrum been?

I don't think it's been that great to be honest, they're not the team they were and the Dragons have a chance imo.

Lyn Jones seems to have us grounded but quietly confident. They'll be favourites and rightly so, but if our defence can hold firm we'll give ourselves a chance. I would take a losing bonus point, but if we manage a win that would be awesome.

Fair play to the Dragons, they're doing well under Lyn Jones. They've needed a good coach down there for some time, and he's the one that will get them on the right track. Will be a close game i think.

Have not seen Munster yet this season but they are usually a force at home so I expect them to win but we will make them work for it hopefully.

A losing bonus point in Munster would be a big leap for us compared to the last couple of seasons.

Like Lyn, I'm optimistic but grounded

I'm not sure whether it'll make a difference that we're playing them at Musgrave Park rather than Thomond Park. At least we've won in Cork before*, albeit years ago.

* - apparently not!

Another factor is Munster actually tried to have this game moved because of the clash with the All-Ireland Hurling Final replay. Corks hurlers are in action in Dublin in the biggest game of their season- Munster have already been recording some disappointing attendances for their Cork games without that major distraction.

They asked Dragons and the league if the fixture could be moved but neither agreed to that request. They may suffer from an atypically poor attendance.

Thanks Notch, I didn't know that. It's still one of the away games you look forward to least, though.

This seems like the most interesting fixture of the weekend. Hope the Dragons maintain form and make a good match of it!

As do I. Is POC back yet does anyone know ?

I've heard good stuff about Munster's scrum, we'll need Price and Chapparo starting for sure. It's Munster attacking threat from the backs that will be a real test for our defence, they're in try-scoring form right now. I'd be very disapointed to see us ship any tries, especially 4 like we allowed to happen last time.

Remember the couple times we were able to thrash Munster at RP? Those were the days!

Well I have thankfully been wrong twice this season against Ulster and the Scarlets so lets hope my losing streak on predictions continue .

I will go for a losing BP and hope they results go the same as others I have tipped like that.

One of the problems last season (and there were a few) was that when we lost - which was often - we didn't even get the LBP.

The Saint wrote:I've heard good stuff about Munster's scrum, we'll need Price and Chapparo starting for sure. It's Munster attacking threat from the backs that will be a real test for our defence, they're in try-scoring form right now. I'd be very disapointed to see us ship any tries, especially 4 like we allowed to happen last time.

Remember the couple times we were able to thrash Munster at RP? Those were the days!

I remember Brew skinning 3 Munster players on the wing (Including Howlett) to score

Munster's match-day squad has been announced:

Munster: Johne Murphy; Andrew Conway, Keith Earls, Ivan Dineen, Simon Zebo; JJ Hanrahan, Cathal Sheridan; James Cronin, Damien Varley, John Ryan; Donncha O'Callaghan, Dave Foley; Peter O'Mahony (capt), Sean Dougall, Paddy Butler.

Replacements: Mike Sherry, David Kilcoyne, Stephen Archer, Paul O'Connell, CJ Stander, Duncan Williams, Ian Keatley, Felix Jones.

Strong squad, eep

JJ Hanrahan looks a classy player but I don't think I've seen him play outside half before. Good eye for a gap so we need to watch him with ball in hand. I'm guessing Andrew Conway is the one who was running in tries for Leinster last season, so we need to keep him in check too.

munkian wrote:

The Saint wrote:I've heard good stuff about Munster's scrum, we'll need Price and Chapparo starting for sure. It's Munster attacking threat from the backs that will be a real test for our defence, they're in try-scoring form right now. I'd be very disapointed to see us ship any tries, especially 4 like we allowed to happen last time.

Remember the couple times we were able to thrash Munster at RP? Those were the days!

I remember Brew skinning 3 Munster players on the wing (Including Howlett) to score

Would love to bring him and charteris home next season

So looks like we will be making a few changes..
Toby doing conditioning, change at half backs too.

Tovey has been a stand out player, he makes us tick but its a big chance for burton to impress. I'd deffinetly take a loosing bonus point.

Munster by 9

I'm worried about their backs but the Turks had danger there too.

Saying that, Nigel Owens was a brilliant ref for both sides, I wonder what dross we'll get...

Dragons are off to a great start so Munster could be in for a tough game. Munsters defense this season has been shocking. The attack though has been very good and they seem to be getting to grips with Rob Penney's Canterbury like style of play.


With the backline Munster have out I'd expect a few tries scored and I also expect Dragons to score a few. Munster have great pace in the backline. It could be a high scoring game IF its a dry day. The weather down here has been wet all week with a constant fog hanging about.


Dragons should target the lineout. Varley is a very poor thrower of the ball and if a team doesn't secure their own ball it makes life very difficult.


Munsters bench looks very strong and should have an impacton the match and great to see the return of POC. POM starting is also a positive although he looked a little off the pace in his first game back last week.

Luckless Pedestrian wrote:I haven't seen Munster play this season, how strong has their scrum been?

Mixed bag so far. James Cronin is a new prop, great in the loose but he might need a few seasons of toughening up in the scrums. John Ryan is about 25, hasn't got a lot of time for Munster but always looked a good prospect.


They got a penalty try from the scrum against Treviso last week with Kilcoyne and Archer but Edinburgh dominated the scrums in the first match with Cronin and Archer.

youngguns6 wrote:So looks like we will be making a few changes..
Toby doing conditioning, change at half backs too.

Tovey has been a stand out player, he makes us tick but its a big chance for burton to impress.

Where are you getting that from, Youngguns? There's nothing on the Dragons website yet.

Luckless Pedestrian wrote:

youngguns6 wrote:So looks like we will be making a few changes..
Toby doing conditioning, change at half backs too.

Tovey has been a stand out player, he makes us tick but its a big chance for burton to impress.

Where are you getting that from, Youngguns? There's nothing on the Dragons website yet.

Its on the Argus I believe, Burton and Evans are starting

I'm happy for Jonny Evans to be getting his first start this season, he was excellent for us last year, and thinking about it, Munster away could be just the kind of game for Burton to get us playing in the right areas (as long as we're also prepared to attack from deep if it's on).

Ch ch ch changes

Glad Evans is starting though Rees has been on top form but would have started with Tovey again

I could have sworn we'd beaten Munster at Musgrave Park. Maybe I dreamt it.

Or maybe you can see the future LP and we will this weekend  if so whats the lottery numbers

Mine, hopefully!

Have to make changes really. Tovey probably isn't 100% after his calf knock last week anyway and we lose nothing by bringing in Jon Evans for Rees really.

Not too worried about Toby not starting/playing either. Ieuan Jones needs a run and Talei is looking decent for us, so we aren't short there.

The only thing that bothers me is the likelihood that Gus is starting, as he had a few wobbles v Scarlets and a good line out team like Munster will know that and attack his throw.

I think we can do ok there. Wouldn't expect a win, but it would be nice for a good performance to take into our next game (Zebre home).

Munster line out struggling a bit apparently

Notch wrote:Another factor is Munster actually tried to have this game moved because of the clash with the All-Ireland Hurling Final replay. Corks hurlers are in action in Dublin in the biggest game of their season- Munster have already been recording some disappointing attendances for their Cork games without that major distraction.

They asked Dragons and the league if the fixture could be moved but neither agreed to that request. They may suffer from an atypically poor attendance.

er..the attendances have been around 6k in Musgrave park, including the pre-season friendlies. Don't think they would get much more in the shiny shed. For example the Glaws game got 4k in Thomond. There will still be a decent crowd Saturday, they are showing the Hurling on big screens. However I am going to Croker for the game.

Newport Gwent Dragons team to face Munster:


Dan Evans, Matthew Pewtner, Ross Wardle, Jack Dixon, Tom Prydie, Kris Burton, Jonathan Evans; Phil Price, Hugh Gustafson, Francisco Chaparro, Andrew Coombs (c), Matthew Screech, Jevon Groves, Lewis Evans, Netani Talei.

Replacements:

Sam Parry, Owen Evans, Dan Way, Rob Sidoli, Ieuan Jones, Richie Rees, Jason Tovey, Adam Hughes.

A few changes but it's not really weakened much. Matthew Pewtner I've never really noticed when he's played, and I'm a bit surprised Sam Parry's gone from first choice hooker to third, when he played well last season and was called up to train with the Wales squad.

I bet Ieuan Jones is itching to play now so we could see him make an impression off the bench.

Not a Pewtner or Gustafson at hooker fan to be honest. Guess they're just looking after Hallam at bit, but what it looked like off the terraces last Friday was that he needed to hold his depth a bit and he could've got a bit of space to exploit up his wing.

Wasn't Pewtner always talked about as being off the charts in terms of his sprint times and weights and sh1t? If that's true then it's even worse he's never kicked on or really shown much on the pitch for the Dragons. Then again the Dragons have been the worst at developing backs for a reason (weak tight five), let's see what he can do with a run in the team and hopefully bit of Lyn and Kingsley inspired parity up front.

Pewtner is a good premiership player, that's about it. Tom James is have a great season so far at Exeter, he was nowhere near the best winger in Wales though.

So far Munster look pretty lateral, Hanrahan blowing hot and cold- mixing the bad with the good. They haven't capitalised on their scrum dominance, think it was Butler who knocked on at the base in their 22- that was a chance with the scrum going forward.

Munster with all the ball but struggling to land a blow, Dragons hanging on. 6-6.

Munster score- Cronin, another very good young Irish loosehead. But John Ryan is impressing me at tighthead. The two of them are scrummaging very well.

Worth noting that Dragons have no set piece. Munsters very green front row is dominating them and they've lost 3 out of 5 lineouts- including two in the 22, and one that lead directly to the try.

Not sounding good for makeshift hooker Hugh Gustafson then. Is he really appropriate for the role at his age and being a seasoned loosehead? More so than the other options (which I hope there are) in the Dragons' squad?

As a lock Andrew Coombs would be looked to to add some stability to that area. I assume that's why Jones made him skipper anyway.

Great scrum by Munster

Dragons have gone into meltdown, 2 sin binnings

Any chance the English language commentator on S4C can learn that the Munster SH's surname is Sheridan NOT Cath -hal as he keeps calling him. Never known a player to be called by his Christian name during the commentary.

Bizarre isn't it Kia?

Munster have been pretty blunt in attack, given the shambles that is Dragons set piece* and their discipline plus the yellow cards if Munster were on their game they really could/should have put up a big score tonight.

*(although just like against Ulster, their reserve front row are better than the starters)