Munster v Zebre

Munster team to play Zebre is named:

01 Dave Kilcoyne
02 Mike Sherry
03 Stephen Archer
04 Donnacha O'Callaghan
05 Donnacha Ryan
06 Dave O'Callaghan
07 Peter O'Mahony
08 Paddy Butler
09 Duncan Williams
10 Ian Keatley
11 Simon Zebo
12 JJ Hanrahan
13 Casey Laulala
14 Luke O'Dea
15 Felix Jones

Replacements: Damien Varley, Marcus Horan, BJ Botha; Billy Holland, Tommy O'Donnell; Conor Murray, Johne Murphy, Denis Hurley

I have to say I really really like that team.

Stag.

Is Hanrahan the next big young talent, to come out of Munster?

The 'one to watch' so to speak.

Heard people say he's a talent.

westisbest wrote:Stag.

Is Hanrahan the next big young talent, to come out of Munster?

The 'one to watch' so to speak.

Heard people say he's a talent.

In a word . . . YES!

I rate him very highly. I would liked to have seen him in there at an even earlier age. He just turned 20 over the summer but he looks sharp. Plays either 10 or 12. He has had a cameo in the Heineken Cup and got a tiny bit of Rabo playing time. This will be his first start for Munster.

Thanks.

Good to hear.

Is he better suited at 10 or 12?

I'll try to look out for him if he gets a look in the next round of HC games.

Munster have good options a 12 at present, JJ, Downey, Earls (more 13 but)

If JJ proves as good as made out, it would give Munster the choice of crash ball 12 or 2nd 5/8th. I think that most teams would like this from there 12's as it means to can select a team to best suit opposition, and if one isn't working you can swith style with one sub.

Westisbest,

He is more likely to get game time at #12.

We have Ian Keatley and Ronan O'Gara at 10.

He is likely to see a bit of action in #12 especially as James Downey has broken his hand.

Good team. Big match for Archer. I hope he proves me wrong but he has so far been very poor in the scrums. They're still persisting with him so maybe somebody sees something in him nobody else does.

westisbest wrote:Stag.

Is Hanrahan the next big young talent, to come out of Munster?

The 'one to watch' so to speak.

Heard people say he's a talent.

He is potentially Munsters most talented player of the pro era. He has many weapons in his arsenal but its up to him now to show it at a higher level. He needs a bit more consistency and will need a few seasons to show his best IMO. His best position is at 10. Thats debatable but I would be strongly in favour of playing him at 10 eventually.

Hanrahan to start!!! thankfully.

Someone said we have options at 12???? Downey is useless and Earls hasnt played a first class game at 12 in about 5 years.

Hanrahan is best suited to 12....it is his best position.

Nice game for Hanrahan to make his debut,hope it's the first of many starts he will get he looks like a star.

DOD wrote:Hanrahan to start!!! thankfully.

Someone said we have options at 12???? Downey is useless and Earls hasnt played a first class game at 12 in about 5 years.

Hanrahan is best suited to 12....it is his best position.

Thats two options Downey or JJ, thats far better than in years past were there were zero options, or at least zero irish qualified options. 2 fold improvement.

I am also glad to see Luke O'Dea come back in and Felix Jones.

red_stag wrote:I am also glad to see Luke O'Dea come back in and Felix Jones.

HUGE +1

Is this game on TV? Could be worth watching that back three against a team with Zebres defensive record. They are full of running and ooze class. Zebres in the headlights, maybe.

You've come along way since the glory days of Anthony Horgan and Ian Dowling!

Kingshu wrote:

DOD wrote:Hanrahan to start!!! thankfully.

Someone said we have options at 12???? Downey is useless and Earls hasnt played a first class game at 12 in about 5 years.

Hanrahan is best suited to 12....it is his best position.

Thats two options Downey or JJ, thats far better than in years past were there were zero options, or at least zero irish qualified options. 2 fold improvement.

I would say thats one option.

Notch wrote:Is this game on TV? Could be worth watching that back three against a team with Zebres defensive record. They are full of running and ooze class. Zebres in the headlights, maybe.

You've come along way since the glory days of Anthony Horgan and Ian Dowling!

Pretty sure it will be on TG4.

Tell you what we will struggle to fill Thomond Park for this. It'll be very very hard to get 26,000 people to watch this sandwiched between HEC and Internationals

Yeah, stag.

Its a shame Keatly isnt in the irish squad, would have liked to see him in place of ROG.

Thats for another thread.

westisbest wrote:Yeah, stag.

Its a shame Keatly isnt in the irish squad, would have liked to see him in place of ROG.

Thats for another thread.

Keatley is doing well. I like him but I dont think he should be in the Irish team. Don't think ROG should be either mind.

I think in Sexton, Jackson, Madigan, Keatley and Hanrahan we have some promising options at #10.

Whats the weather like tomorrow in Limerick?

Well its pretty pretty shoite here all week.

Today is grey, cloudy, light drizzle falling all day.

Yesterday was grey, cloudy, light drizzle falling all day

Tomorrow. . . . . .

Its always Sho1te in limerick....

DOD wrote:Its always Sho1te in limerick....

The weather isn't great either.

red_stag wrote:

DOD wrote:Its always Sho1te in limerick....

The weather isn't great either.

ha. we don't even have to slag them now, they beatin' theyselves up.

Jenifer McLadyboy wrote:

red_stag wrote:

DOD wrote:Its always Sho1te in limerick....

The weather isn't great either.

ha. we don't even have to slag them now, they beatin' theyselves up.

While from Munster am not from Limerick ergo can still call it a hole of a place.

It'll be dry but cold tomorrow evening. 4 / 6 degrees in a light NE wind.

I'd dress very warm especially if like me you're in a seat.

We'll be lucky to get 10,000. They're not even opening the South Terrace.

I'm sure why they have this match on in TP. I would've thought Musgrave would be more suitable.

I'm really looking forward to seeing how JJ performs.

29 - 3. JJ got 2 on his full debut. Jones and LOD got one each on their comeback. Munster made hard work of it. 3 - 3 at half time.

Yeah caught the last 20 min or so. Looks like JJ had a stormer. good result.

JJ got MOTM.

Great stuff. Good evening all round.... over to you guys LF4L and the men in the west

So what is the deal with Hanrahan- is he a 10 or 12? I've only seen him three of four times and I though he looks like a 12 though needs to put a little bit of beef on him. Is he a 12 that can play 10 or the other way round?

The deal is that the kid is electric. I personally think he looks more like a center but I'll concede there's many who think otherwise who've seen more of him.

Oh yeah I think he looks really good when I've seen him. Maybe a bit light on it for the step up the regular Pro12 season, but looks like a really good footballer and good rugby brain on him.

Hookisms and Hyperbole wrote:Oh yeah I think he looks really good when I've seen him. Maybe a bit light on it for the step up the regular Pro12 season, but looks like a really good footballer and good rugby brain on him.

He might be a bit light but he is very strong defensively. I've been impressed with him in both positions, only time will tell where he ends up. He has said that he prefers playing ten.


Williams was absolutely dire again tonight.

He has the build of a 10 IMO. Putting weight on is grand but it cannot compromise his other attributes. I think he will take over from ROG as I see him displacing keatley.

Unlike the last naturally talented player we had/have, maybe someone will ask him what his preferred position is or if they want him to change make sure its the correct move and not just coz he can fill a gap.

The two tries he scored were classic centre tries. He has a similar physique to Tim Horan and looks strong enough to me. He could play 10 but if he wants to play centre then that's where he should be played

There's a surprise, JJ gets MOTM in his first start. What were you guys ever waiting for.

From what I've seen of Hanrahan he always seems to have time on the ball. When you find players who just seem to always play comfortably ball in hand irrelevant of pressure they can almost play where they like in the backline.

How was POM at 7?

Also, I think Hanrahan is going to ultimately play at 10 for Munster fairly soon. I thought he would definitely end up at 12, but his kicking game is just as impressive as his playmaking and attacking skills. Something that would be best utilised at 10.

Rory its not just about where he plays best but what is best for the team.

We have options at 10

We have no real options at 12

To me its a no brainer. For the foreseeable future he plays 12.

Agreed, but long term, ROG is going to retire. Where it will be between Keatley and Hanrahan for the starting spot.

Downey will be the Munster starting 12 for a while, I reckon.

By the end of the season I would love to see the following backline line up behind a first choice pack

09 Murray
10 Keatley
11 Zebo
12 Hanrahan
13 Laulala
14 Earls
15 Jones

I think that has some serious creativity and the potential to do some real damage if it can get parity up front.

Earls and hanrahan will/should be the centre pair.

But Howlett will be gone by end of the year which changes things.

In the meantime yes Hanrahan and Earls centre with Howlett as the winger.

O'Dea and Zebo. You also assume no one else coming through

DOD, clearly Zebo is already left wing. O'Dea looks good but I think that bringing in Laualala offers more.

The problem is Earls has clearly stated his preference. It is also his best position and in fact the times he has played or cameo'd there this year have been when we have been most creative.

Secondly if he is not used in his preferred position he will more than likely leave.

Seriously doubt he will leave. Too much going on off the field. Without doing the name dropping thing I know he was considering a move abroad before he got married and had a baby this season. He has now bought property in Limerick and I would say would be very unwilling to uproot a young family to England or France.

Maybe at this moment in time but 8-10 months time....maybe doesnt make the lions is being used at FB, Wing the odd time in the centre, not enjoying his rugby.......lots of money in a club in the south of france guaranteed playing centre, maybe the HC is gone with the current crisis....i wouldnt bet on it.

Yea you never know.

Id be more interested in doing whats best for team than appeasing Keith Earls to be honest.

I would say that in a free flowing attack he would really enjoy his rugby no matter where he played. Under Dumper or indeed the Ireland team I can understand why he would want to be at centre.

I think that his best position is centre. I dont think Downey and Casey are whats best for us and I think Hanrahan and Earls would be worth developing.

I dont think its about appeasing Earls but when a player feels he has to make a statement like he did about his preference then he clearly believes he is being used in a way that is not in his best interests. If BOD sticks in there another year or so as well and Earls is still the utility back for Ireland and Munster I just think that he (and i tend to agree) is not having his talents best used.

Just to note I can see Downey and Casey leaving after this year as well.

DOD wrote:I think that his best position is centre. I dont think Downey and Casey are whats best for us and I think Hanrahan and Earls would be worth developing.

I agree with all of this however rugbys a 15 man game and not just about doing whats best for 1 player but the team in general.

Maybe in 12 months time O'Dea will be a better winger than Laulala is a centre, I don't know. For now Id say that although Earls is better at 13 it maybe the case that playing him else where allows us to do better over all.

As for his coming out and saying he likes playing 13 I think way way WAY too much was made about that. Any player getting shunted about gets asked where he would like to play. Thats natural thing to ask. However I doubt that he would leave the club just to play 13.