Glasgow Warriors v Munster, Scotstoun, Friday 29 March, 20:05 hrs

First topic message reminder :

Huge game for the Warriors. Shaping up to be bitterly cold. Ints all back for both sides. C'mon Munstermen. Youse have been awful shy recently

WARRIORS

No we are in a contest to go to Clermont and throw absolutely everything at them. Clermont will be huge favourites against either but both sides will believe they can beat them and both sides have beaten harder odds before

Cant see anyone stopping ASM from winning the HC this year. There is not a squad left in it to seriously trouble them. Specially down there.

bsando wrote:How many tries have Glasgow scored this season?

59 tries in the Rabo & 7 in the HCup

Gibson wrote:Cant see anyone stopping ASM from winning the HC this year. There is not a squad left in it to seriously trouble them. Specially down there.

We'll see. I couldn't see a squad to beat the ABs in 2007 either but it happened. Rugby is not a predictable game

Or Quins winning away in Toulouse last season...

...Or Italy beating France and Ireland this season...

...Samoa beating Australia...

Upsets happen, it's one of the reasons that we love the sport.

And Quins may love that for once their the underdogs.

Still need to over come Munster next week first.

GLove39 wrote:

bsando wrote:How many tries have Glasgow scored this season?

59 tries in the Rabo & 7 in the HCup

Cheers Glove! Wow that is quite a talley. Where you get those stats from?

Bbc headline - "Six-try Glasgow went top of the Pro12 with a comfortable but hard-earned win over Munster at Scotstoun."

Strange headline. Get what they're trying say but I just don't think it works. Why not something like "Spirited Glasgow overcome Munster challenge to go top of the rabbo"?

bsando wrote:

GLove39 wrote:

bsando wrote:How many tries have Glasgow scored this season?

59 tries in the Rabo & 7 in the HCup

Cheers Glove! Wow that is quite a talley. Where you get those stats from?

Bbc headline - "Six-try Glasgow went top of the Pro12 with a comfortable but hard-earned win over Munster at Scotstoun."

Strange headline. Get what they're trying say but I just don't think it works. Why not something like "Spirited Glasgow overcome Munster challenge to go top of the rabbo"?

The full table on the pro 12 site lists tries for & against and it's the same on the pool standings stable on the HCup page.

Headline should have been "Glorious Glasgow mash Munster in 6 try rout"..!

Good to see his holiness have his best good friday for a couple thousand years.

Why cant jackson play like that every game?

Anyone have highlights for the match? I only got to see ten minutes of it

Golden wrote:Anyone have highlights for the match? I only got to see ten minutes of it

Golden - are you based in the UK? If so: http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b01rfzlt/Live_Rugby_20122013_Glasgow_v_Munster/

Hi Golden - take your pick:

iPlayer: http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b01rfzlt/Live_Rugby_20122013_Glasgow_v_Munster/

Rabo Youtube highlights: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GOJYUX8wtfM

Spoiler:

Its all there on that page, Golden. Some nice tries man.

Ah, beaten to the punch by GC. It was ever thus.

Cheers lads. Glasgow really are a joy to watch but my god the Munster defence looked awful. I really think they have gotten worse with Penney. That half back pairing is diabolical neither of them should be in the squad next week or with the team next year.

Cant wait for the Leinster- Glasgow final (in the RDS of course).

Man Hogg's try was sensational. That kid has some serious talent

Hogg also made some great positional kicks. He doesn't get the credit for it but he does the basics well. And he's only 21 for feic's sake.

Glasgow do look like a brutal, well balanced and fit unit with their internationals back. How many more times this season are we going to see Niko streak away for a try with the cheeky grin on his face? Hopefully quite a few.

Hogg's kick in the first half after Niko took a quick tap once one of the best this season. Why doesn't he take penalties to touch, he's got a cannon?

I would also like FES' view on the play of our favourite foetus, Mark 'jelly and ice cream for that try, please, Mummy' Bennett.

Dinner time!

GC,

did you get the ht interview with on Alba out East - seems a very mature chap ?

Mature and very head strong young man! Future looks bright for glasgow Scotland and Abrahamic religions

21st Century Schizoid Man wrote:GC,

did you get the ht interview with on Alba out East - seems a very mature chap ?

I didn't, but I'll look for the sermon online.

Is 3 interceptions a record for the league?

George Carlin wrote:I would also like FES' view on the play of our favourite foetus, Mark 'jelly and ice cream for that try, please, Mummy' Bennett.

His try was sublime. The way he caught the ball and and then put it down over the line unopposed. Sensational....

Seriously though, he's come back to Glasgow at the right time. Some great rugby being played at Scotstoun. Jackson's performance at 10 was exceptional.

I may even wander over for the Ospreys game provided it doesn't invalidate my life insurance.

If Glasgow make it to the semi's I'm definitely there whatever the venue - a fantastic team that need the support of all of Scottish rugby! Will be a great achievement if they can get a home semi.

RDW_Scotland wrote:If Glasgow make it to the semi's I'm definitely there whatever the venue - a fantastic team that need the support of all of Scottish rugby! Will be a great achievement if they can get a home semi.

Completely agree. If it can't be at Scotstoun, I reckon we should get an Edinburgh vs Toulouse style crowd to Murrayfield!

funnyExiledScot wrote:

RDW_Scotland wrote:If Glasgow make it to the semi's I'm definitely there whatever the venue - a fantastic team that need the support of all of Scottish rugby! Will be a great achievement if they can get a home semi.

Completely agree. If it can't be at Scotstoun, I reckon we should get an Edinburgh vs Toulouse style crowd to Murrayfield!

Ah, see now chaps if it's at Murrayfield, on a Saturday, and the nephew is willing to forgive my behaviour/ accept free drinks and a meal out then I may be able to drag my weary bones up north again. Mon the Warriors

Outstanding performance from the Warriors on Friday - particularly impressed by the young Bennett coming off the bench and cruising between two defenders (one of whom was an All Black) for a try with his first touch of the ball.
Perhaps he is the Messiah after all - well spotted Funny Exiled Scot!!

I take full credit for spotting his talents. There have been the odd doubting Thomas or two on these boards, but finally you are all seeing the light......

An astounding game. My first time posting on 606 since the match. Just have to say a serious well done to Glasgow.

On another note the intensity both teams showed was actually Heineken Cup standard not just usual Rabo levels.

funnyExiledScot wrote:I take full credit for spotting his talents. There have been the odd doubting Thomas or two on these boards, but finally you are all seeing the light......

When was it you first spotted young Bennett ? Where did this guy come from ? It would seem he has burst on the scene all of a sudden.

red_stag wrote:An astounding game. My first time posting on 606 since the match. Just have to say a serious well done to Glasgow.

On another note the intensity both teams showed was actually Heineken Cup standard not just usual Rabo levels.

Stag -

Why is Penney selecting such strange teams? No Stander at all? Williams and O'Gara? A totally misfiring centre partnership?

It really is crazy as he is apparently a highly regarded coach.

Rory,

I actually think that Penney can take us forward.

Stander has lacked game time for several reasons. When he arrived he was off the back of a season of Super Rugby and there were concerns over burnout. He got an untimely injury before the Heineken Cup in January. When the time came to add new players to the Heineken Cup squad a few weeks back, we needed to add in Ivan Dineen to cover centre and Cathal Sheridan to cover scrumhalf. These were badly needed. That meant that Stander wont feature against Quins and lost out compared to other players.

The half back pairing baffles me. This is the crux of the issue. O'Gara stands deep and Williams gives slow and bad ball. That combination leads to interceptions as it forces the entire backline to stand deep getting slow wide passes.

At centre we simply lack options. Again I think Laulala still has some part to play for us. He has been poor since his arrival but you can see he is trying to gel in a backline stuggling to find itself.

I'd love to see us send out this team against Quins:

01 Dave Kilcoyne
02 Mike Sherry
03 BJ Botha
04 Donnacha Ryan
05 Paul O'Connell
06 Peter O'Mahony
07 Tommy O'Donnell
08 James Coughlan
09 Conor Murray
10 Ian Keatley
11 Simon Zebo
12 Ivan Dineen
13 Casey Laulala
14 Doug Howlett (c)
15 Denis Hurley

16 Damien Varley
17 Wian du Preez
18 Stephen Archer
19 Donnacha O'Callaghan
20 Paddy Butler
21 Cathal Sheridan
22 Ronan O'Gara
23 Felix Jones

Against Quins I wouldnt be surprised if we won. Nor would I be surprised if we lost by 30+ points.

There is a lot of development going on at Munster. I actually feel quite positive going forward.

jebus wrote:When was it you first spotted young Bennett ? Where did this guy come from ? It would seem he has burst on the scene all of a sudden.

Oh Jesus, Jebus, you didn't want to ask that...

Anyway, this is my first proper opportunity to talk about the match, so here goes.

Strauss, as has become the norm, was fantastic. He has good hands, solid pace, and he has an incredible ability to burst through tackles. On top of all that, he is the very picture of the malevolent, gutsy flanker in the Jeffrey mould, the sort that drives the players around him. We don't like to think about the post-Kellock era, but I think Josh would be perfect as a club captain. The only fly in the ointment is that Rob Harley is a very effective blind-side, yet of a very different type - ideally both would be able to start, but competition will hopefully drive both onwards.

I feel for DTH - he just isn't getting the opportunities to add to his try tally at the moment. Despite this, he has performed far better in the last couple games (I thought he was strangely anonymous in the Dragons game), and moving inside a bit more to find work.

Hogg had one of his best games in a while (and I include his 6 Nations appearances in this), even without his try. I feel that the three ways to win a kicking duel is good back-three positioning, a strong and accurate kicking game, and the willingness to run the ball back when the opposition doesn't expect it - Hogg displayed all three of these qualities in abundance, and showed why he is superior to Halfpenny in more aspects than just attacking play. His try was excellent, of course, but it isn't what impressed me the most, if you know what I mean.

We are inclined to blame Williams and Laulala for the interception tries, but as with Italy in 2007, the interceptions were only possible because of excellent defensive positioning, quick line-speed, and the willingness to spot the opportunity and rush out of the line. I also loved watching Barclay sprint away for his try, though I was praying his hamstrings held up!

I could go on and on, but this was a brilliant match, and Munster should be applauded for their part in it. The standard of play was very high, and as an advert for the Pro12, you won't get anything better, to be honest.

IanBru wrote:I could go on and on, but this was a brilliant match, and Munster should be applauded for their part in it. The standard of play was very high, and as an advert for the Pro12, you won't get anything better, to be honest.

I agree with this.

Have to say I actually really enjoyed the game despite the scoreline.

red_stag wrote:Rory,

I actually think that Penney can take us forward.

Stander has lacked game time for several reasons. When he arrived he was off the back of a season of Super Rugby and there were concerns over burnout. He got an untimely injury before the Heineken Cup in January. When the time came to add new players to the Heineken Cup squad a few weeks back, we needed to add in Ivan Dineen to cover centre and Cathal Sheridan to cover scrumhalf. These were badly needed. That meant that Stander wont feature against Quins and lost out compared to other players.

The half back pairing baffles me. This is the crux of the issue. O'Gara stands deep and Williams gives slow and bad ball. That combination leads to interceptions as it forces the entire backline to stand deep getting slow wide passes.

At centre we simply lack options. Again I think Laulala still has some part to play for us. He has been poor since his arrival but you can see he is trying to gel in a backline stuggling to find itself.

I'd love to see us send out this team against Quins:

01 Dave Kilcoyne
02 Mike Sherry
03 BJ Botha
04 Donnacha Ryan
05 Paul O'Connell
06 Peter O'Mahony
07 Tommy O'Donnell
08 James Coughlan
09 Conor Murray
10 Ian Keatley
11 Simon Zebo
12 Ivan Dineen
13 Casey Laulala
14 Doug Howlett (c)
15 Denis Hurley

16 Damien Varley
17 Wian du Preez
18 Stephen Archer
19 Donnacha O'Callaghan
20 Paddy Butler
21 Cathal Sheridan
22 Ronan O'Gara
23 Felix Jones

Against Quins I wouldnt be surprised if we won. Nor would I be surprised if we lost by 30+ points.

There is a lot of development going on at Munster. I actually feel quite positive going forward.

You have every chance as before last match we were playing rather poorly, and we lost last match anyway

red_stag wrote:Rory,

I actually think that Penney can take us forward.

Stander has lacked game time for several reasons. When he arrived he was off the back of a season of Super Rugby and there were concerns over burnout. He got an untimely injury before the Heineken Cup in January. When the time came to add new players to the Heineken Cup squad a few weeks back, we needed to add in Ivan Dineen to cover centre and Cathal Sheridan to cover scrumhalf. These were badly needed. That meant that Stander wont feature against Quins and lost out compared to other players.

The half back pairing baffles me. This is the crux of the issue. O'Gara stands deep and Williams gives slow and bad ball. That combination leads to interceptions as it forces the entire backline to stand deep getting slow wide passes.

At centre we simply lack options. Again I think Laulala still has some part to play for us. He has been poor since his arrival but you can see he is trying to gel in a backline stuggling to find itself.

I'd love to see us send out this team against Quins:

01 Dave Kilcoyne
02 Mike Sherry
03 BJ Botha
04 Donnacha Ryan
05 Paul O'Connell
06 Peter O'Mahony
07 Tommy O'Donnell
08 James Coughlan
09 Conor Murray
10 Ian Keatley
11 Simon Zebo
12 Ivan Dineen
13 Casey Laulala
14 Doug Howlett (c)
15 Denis Hurley

16 Damien Varley
17 Wian du Preez
18 Stephen Archer
19 Donnacha O'Callaghan
20 Paddy Butler
21 Cathal Sheridan
22 Ronan O'Gara
23 Felix Jones

Against Quins I wouldnt be surprised if we won. Nor would I be surprised if we lost by 30+ points.

There is a lot of development going on at Munster. I actually feel quite positive going forward.

Have Munster met your expectations for this season Stag? Have they been better/worse than you expected?

There are certain positions Munster must look at. In the halfbacks, they actually have great options yet pick one of the worst combinations in the entire competition. Hanrahan is the future, and Sheridan has looked very promising so far. As for Keatley, he is definitely HC standard in my opinion. He always tries to create opportunities and he is very accurate with his kicking. In the centres, there are a few real problems. Downey could be very effective at 12 but isn't utilised that well. Laulala has just been rubbish in my opinion. Maybe both Keatley and Hanrahan will form the 10 and 12 combination. Not sure who should play which position though. Howlett will need a replacement, and at 15 Jones looks a shadow of his former self. Maybe it is time Earls was considered at 15 again, where he was once outstanding.

In the pack, the front row is shaping up nicely I think with Kilcoyne and Sherry. At 3 there may be problems when Botha leaves, but you have a few options to work with over the next few seasons. O'Connell will need a replacement, and one of a high standard. In the back row there isn't much point talking about the options because you have a crazy amount of talent to choose from there. Picking the right combination will be the key.

EDIT: Actually speaking of Botha, I think he has been rather lacklustre this season for Munster anyway.

jebus wrote:

funnyExiledScot wrote:I take full credit for spotting his talents. There have been the odd doubting Thomas or two on these boards, but finally you are all seeing the light......

When was it you first spotted young Bennett ? Where did this guy come from ? It would seem he has burst on the scene all of a sudden.

Believe it or not, hes been hailed as the messiah for a good 3 years now. Burst onto the scene at barely 17 with some amazing performances for Ayr, made one appearance for Glasgow 2 seasons ago where he made multiple clean breaks against O'Driscoll at the RDS, before leaving for the Clermont academy. Impressed in pre-season with them, but injured himself, and only came back towards the tail end to help the under-23's win the junior league. There were hopes that he might break into the full team this season, but with Regan King, Benson Stanley, Rougerie and Fofana, it was unlikely and so he came back on loan to glasgow, but spent the first month being loaned out to stirling where he proved that he was arguably an even better player than when he left. Hes now had 3 games this season and scored 2 tries for the warriors. Hes also been ever present in the u20's team for the past 3 seasons where hes usually been the standout player, with the exception of last years junior world cup team where he was actually really quiet in probably our best age grade team for a long time.

When he was with Ayr, there was a feeling of "wow, this kids got skills, but hes getting as good a platform as he'll ever get in his career from the dominant Ayr pack, lets not jump to conclusions" but when he followed it up with similar displays for the u20's who only knew one direction and it wasnt forward, people began to sit up and take notice.

Imperialbigdave wrote:

jebus wrote:

funnyExiledScot wrote:I take full credit for spotting his talents. There have been the odd doubting Thomas or two on these boards, but finally you are all seeing the light......

When was it you first spotted young Bennett ? Where did this guy come from ? It would seem he has burst on the scene all of a sudden.

Believe it or not, hes been hailed as the messiah for a good 3 years now. Burst onto the scene at barely 17 with some amazing performances for Ayr, made one appearance for Glasgow 2 seasons ago where he made multiple clean breaks against O'Driscoll at the RDS, before leaving for the Clermont academy. Impressed in pre-season with them, but injured himself, and only came back towards the tail end to help the under-23's win the junior league. There were hopes that he might break into the full team this season, but with Regan King, Benson Stanley, Rougerie and Fofana, it was unlikely and so he came back on loan to glasgow, but spent the first month being loaned out to stirling where he proved that he was arguably an even better player than when he left. Hes now had 3 games this season and scored 2 tries for the warriors. Hes also been ever present in the u20's team for the past 3 seasons where hes usually been the standout player, with the exception of last years junior world cup team where he was actually really quiet in probably our best age grade team for a long time.

When he was with Ayr, there was a feeling of "wow, this kids got skills, but hes getting as good a platform as he'll ever get in his career from the dominant Ayr pack, lets not jump to conclusions" but when he followed it up with similar displays for the u20's who only knew one direction and it wasnt forward, people began to sit up and take notice.

Excellent summary, IBD. Jeebus - you will note that the Messiah moniker is a self mocking reference to the amount of hype that MB has generated. At its core, through, is the point that the hype is actually based on some skills.

Not that this stops certain Scottish posters being unable to resist seeing the words Mark Bennett and immediately making jokes about him falling over his own umbilical cord, throwing toys from a pram, eating Farley's rusks at half time and his form being affected by losing his favourite Barney the Dinosaur. Me, for one.

On a serious note, this was one of the highest quality games I've seen all season and if Munster bring back the rested players, should be able to progress in the Heineken.

And to think that Glasgow fans slag the Edinburgh players off for being Metrosexual!

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/scotland/21989628



This is brilliant - Johnnie Beattie loves putting on an April fool - remember Dan Parks' 'laser guided kicking tee' after the Ireland game?

This is very funny - Big Welsh is a deadpan star in the making !


http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/scotland/21989628

Good acting! I would have been struggling to keep a straight face, that was really funny. "Angela, he's done it again"

Real men care about their cuticles!!

About time the forwards got involved in some personal grooming!

Imagine my shock when I heard that the mud on their faces wasn't part of a well thought out skin care regime...

Leinster dont do nails like ye Glasgae pussies Bru. But.We do have a sponsored preference for Nivea face-cream, for manly men. Helps you glide through gaps, ginst the prevailing wind. An ting.

Won us 3 X HC´s.

Get some cream on and win the PRO12.

P.S. Dont spread it all over.

jebus wrote:

funnyExiledScot wrote:I take full credit for spotting his talents. There have been the odd doubting Thomas or two on these boards, but finally you are all seeing the light......

When was it you first spotted young Bennett ? Where did this guy come from ? It would seem he has burst on the scene all of a sudden.

He's got a rare eye for youthful talent, has our fES. In fact he once suggested that after just 3 B&I Lions tours, a player was ready to step up to the Rabo - you can't buy that kind of far-sightedness

Messiah for the lions!

AsLongAsBut100ofUs wrote:

jebus wrote:

funnyExiledScot wrote:I take full credit for spotting his talents. There have been the odd doubting Thomas or two on these boards, but finally you are all seeing the light......

When was it you first spotted young Bennett ? Where did this guy come from ? It would seem he has burst on the scene all of a sudden.

He's got a rare eye for youthful talent, has our fES. In fact he once suggested that after just 3 B&I Lions tours, a player was ready to step up to the Rabo - you can't buy that kind of far-sightedness

Am expecting FES' own version of The Apprentice to appear on Dave TV very soon.

It's a show where exceptional young talents are required to grind out two seasons in a muddy, provincial UK domestic league before they are worthy of replacing Graham Morrison or Dan Parks. I would watch every episode, just for the part where he calls them up to his flat in Edinburgh to be fired.

AsLongAsBut100ofUs wrote:

jebus wrote:

funnyExiledScot wrote:I take full credit for spotting his talents. There have been the odd doubting Thomas or two on these boards, but finally you are all seeing the light......

When was it you first spotted young Bennett ? Where did this guy come from ? It would seem he has burst on the scene all of a sudden.

He's got a rare eye for youthful talent, has our fES. In fact he once suggested that after just 3 B&I Lions tours, a player was ready to step up to the Rabo - you can't buy that kind of far-sightedness

Asbo,

check yer PMs dude