HC, Pool 6, Round 6: Munster Rugby v Edinburgh

First topic message reminder :

Munster Rugby v Edinburgh

Sunday 19th January 2014, KO 12:45
Thomond Park, Limerick

Live on Sky Sports & Sky Italia

Referee Wayne Barnes (England)
Touch Judge 1 Tim Wigglesworth (England)
Touch Judge 2 Roy Maybank (England)
Fourth Official Barrie O'Connell (Ireland)
TMO Sean Davey (England)

Citing Commissioner Yves Thieffine (France)

A. Current Standings:

1	Munster	5	4	0	1	123	71	2	18
2	Edinburgh	5	3	0	2	98	103	0	12
3	Gloucester	5	2	0	3	77	96	1	9
4	Perpignan	5	1	0	4	94	122	3	7

B. Form:

1. Munster

11/1/14	Gloucester	7 - 20	Munster
14/12/13	Perpignan	17 - 18	Munster
8/12/13	Munster	36 - 8	Perpignan

2. Edinburgh

1/1/14	Edinburgh	27 - 16	Perpignan
15/12/13	Gloucester	10 - 16	Edinburgh
8/12/13	Edinburgh	12 - 23	Gloucester

C. Teams:

1. Munster
15 Felix Jones
14 Keith Earls
13 Casey Laulala
12 James Downey
11 Johne Murphy
10 Ian Keatley
9  Conor Murray

1 Dave Kilcoyne
2 Damien Varley
3 Stephen Archer
4 Dave Foley
5 Paul O'Connell
6 Peter O'Mahony (capt)
7 Tommy O'Donnell
8 James Coughlan

16 Duncan Casey
17 James Cronin
18 BJ Botha
19 Donncha O'Callaghan
20 Paddy Butler
21 Duncan Williams
22 JJ Hanrahan
23 Simon Zebo

2. Edinburgh
15 Jack Cuthbert
14 Douglas Fife
13 Nick De Luca
12 Ben Atiga
11 Tom Brown
10 Greig Tonks
9 Greig Laidlaw (capt)

1 Alasdair Dickinson
2 Ross Ford
3 Willem Nel
4 Grant Gilchrist
5 Izak Van Der Westhuizen
6 Cornell Du Preez
7 Roddy Grant
8 David Denton

16 Aleki Lutui
17 Lodewicus Blaauw
18 Geoff Cross
19 Ollie Atkins
20 Tomas Leonardi
21 Grayson Hart
22 Carl Bezuidenhout
23 Joaquin Dominguez

That would be a weird situation - Scotland's scrum half forming a partnership with England's (potential) standoff!

At first I didn't think the Rennie decision was good, but hearing about what he has off the pitch and long illness, a fresh spell may just invigorate him and get his rugby back up to scratch. I don't think he'll want to stay at Bristol though if Edinburgh are kicking on.

Real question though is why SJ included him in the Scotland squad tbh.

btw I'm not sure if this has eluded you (it did me) (and I'm sorry for putting it here - just a trail of thought) but Scott Wight has been let go to join the sevens.

Do we need to let Laidlaw go?

I leave this thread for a day and it has become a complete basket case.

Rennie of all people off to enjoy Britain's best dogging site overlooking the Clifton suspension bridge (apparently), Laidlaw off to Bath and nobody is really bothered that he is, Mac also off to Bristol, Dagg is on his way to Murrayfield and Glasgow is about to ship on the Rhubarb.

What have you all been smoking?

And ford to prop

Am I right in thinking today's results have helped our chances? Glasgow losing and chiefs winning?

RDW_Scotland wrote:Am I right in thinking today's results have helped our chances? Glasgow losing and chiefs winning?

Possibly. A win or a draw* tomorrow at Thomond and we're into the Amlin!

* A draw will only not be enough if Gloucester beat Perpignan in France with a four-try bonus point. Then it's down to tries & points scored.

If Laidlaw goes to Bath, I swear my brother (big Bath supporter) will spill his pint and then suck it off the carpet out of sheer joy. It's one hell of a deal for them - their only quality scrum half is Peter Stringer, whose best days are but a receding speck on the horizon.

If you let us win with a bonus point so we get a home qf and Leinster don't... I would agree that Scottish rugby is brilliant and on the right track and Tim Visser is de beste rugby speeler in de heel werld ( i think that's Scottish for he is very good)

ME-109 wrote:If you let us win with a bonus point so we get a home qf and Leinster don't... I would agree that Scottish rugby is brilliant and on the right track and Tim Visser is de beste rugby speeler in de heel werld ( i think that's Scottish for he is very good)

What you offering?   

Very impressive defensive stats from an Edinburgh perspective in the official match preview:

In that Round 1 victory, Edinburgh missed just four tackles.
 
Cornell du Preez is top of the tackle charts after five rounds with 71 tackles in his 400 minutes of action.
 
Edinburgh have the best tackle success rate (91%) of any side this season.

Big shout out to Omar Mouneimne.

I am hoping that their defence falls apart today, Munster need a TBP win for a home QF.

Ooft, Munster are 1/16 favourites!  

I've gone for Edinburgh winning with a 12 point head start - 7/4 which is pretty decent

Cornell Du Preez is a great player, love watching him and delighted to see Alan Solomons still has the quality to turn struggling sides around.

But I still want Munster to win, if there is some way Munster can get a home quarter final and Edinburgh into the Amlin then thats what I want- Harlequins lose with no BP and Perpignan beat Gloucester with no BP, plus Edinburgh take 2 bonus points and Munster take the win with a TBP?

Yep, thats what I want to see lads! Munster 37-33 Edinburgh. Make it happen.

Munster really have to come out firing, if the allow Ed a foot in the game then they could struggle.

Would love to see Laidlaw move to Bath seeing as in AP terms Bath is my team. (you'd call them my 3rd team after Glasgow & Burgh)

Munster should go all out for tries. It'll probably cost them at the other end but they need to take risks.

Edinburgh are better this season than people think so the bonus point is only 50\50 IMO.

Wow Lovely try. Great take from POC on the restart and great finish from coughlan. 

What an atmosphere

 

Its soft useless Edinburgh today then is it?

First ones in the bag

Edinburgh switching off after scoring?

Ahhh, restarts. Like kryptonite to all Scottish sides

Gonna be a tough afternoon for Edinburgh I think

Hook the bloody ball Ford!!!!

If you ask me, Edinburgh are continuing with their rich vein of form, which is a drastic improvement from their form at the opening of the season. Pass for Coughlan's try looked as if it travelled forward (couldn't tell/see if the passers hands went in a backwards motion).

Shocking defence there

Second one in

Come on Munster, really poor from Embra though.

 

Poor defence there, still convinced Embra will work their back into the game though. Munster are looking very good now that they're past that transitional phase they went through with the introduction of Penney.

Oh god doesnt look great for EArls

We've really got to try to keep in touch by half time or this could be a big score

Earls got a hoofing there, that looks like the end of his match. Zebo on

Denton's hair is gorgeous mind !   

Hopefully Earls wont miss too much of the 6 nations. Good for Zebo to get some game time though

"More exciting than a script of Downton Abby!"

 

Better from Edinburgh - so close!

Am at work so cannot watch this.

Anyone want to offer a view as to how both teams have played this half?

There is nothing in it, just rucking right?

It was reckless so a definite yellow card.

Absolutely ridiculous yellow card - he was rucking, good body position abd using arms! That happens every game!

Nothing in that. Awful card

Bad news from France, Glawster 19-10 up at half time with 3 tries to their name already...

VinceWLB wrote:There is nothing in it, just rucking right?

Just rucking. Can't believe its a yellow. Our game is becoming very soft.

RDW_Scotland wrote:Absolutely ridiculous yellow card - he was rucking, good body position abd using arms! That happens every game!

Head on head is always going to be reckless and deemed a yellow card.

wolfball wrote:

VinceWLB wrote:There is nothing in it, just rucking right?

Just rucking. Can't believe its a yellow. Our game is becoming very soft.

I guess you cant ruck against POC.

If that was a yellow card there should be 4 or 5 yellows a game - that kind of clear out is a regular occurrence at rucks

Still i'll take 12-6 at half time after that start! Shame we're down to 14

VinceWLB wrote:

wolfball wrote:

VinceWLB wrote:There is nothing in it, just rucking right?

Just rucking. Can't believe its a yellow. Our game is becoming very soft.

I guess you cant ruck against POC.

I didn't know head butting was allowed

Nachos Jones wrote:

RDW_Scotland wrote:Absolutely ridiculous yellow card - he was rucking, good body position abd using arms! That happens every game!

Head on head is always going to be reckless and deemed a yellow card.

You must have better eyesight than me cause none of the replays showed their heads colliding.

profitius wrote:

VinceWLB wrote:

wolfball wrote:

VinceWLB wrote:There is nothing in it, just rucking right?

Just rucking. Can't believe its a yellow. Our game is becoming very soft.

I guess you cant ruck against POC.

I didn't know head butting was allowed

It was a head butt now??   

RDW_Scotland wrote:

Nachos Jones wrote:

RDW_Scotland wrote:Absolutely ridiculous yellow card - he was rucking, good body position abd using arms! That happens every game!

Head on head is always going to be reckless and deemed a yellow card.

You must have better eyesight than me cause none of the replays showed their heads colliding.

Really? On one of the replays it was quite clear head on head connection. I like the rucking in games but by the letter of the law (whether we agree to the law or not) Wayne Barnes was left with no other option than to deem it reckless and give the yellow card.