Munster Rugby v Newport Gwent Dragons, 16 May

             
Munster v Newport Gwent Dragons
Saturday 16 May 2015
KO: 15:00
Irish Independent Park

Live on TG4

Referee: Ben Whitehouse (6th competition game)
Assistant Referees: Dudley Phillips, Sean Gallagher (both IRFU)
Citing Commissioner: Eddie Walsh (IRFU)
TMO: Kevin Beggs (IRFU)

Teams

Munster
 
Felix Jones; Keith Earls, Andrew Smith, Denis Hurley - capt., Ronan O'Mahony; Ian Keatley, Conor Murray; John Ryan, Eusebio Guinazu, BJ Botha; Billy Holland, Paul O'Connell; Donnacha Ryan, Paddy Butler, CJ Stander.

Replacements: Niall Scannell, Dave Kilcoyne, Stephen Archer, Sean Dougall, Jack O'Donoghue, Duncan Williams, JJ Hanrahan, Andrew Conway.

Newport Gwent Dragons

Jason Tovey, Tom Prydie, Tyler Morgan, Jack Dixon, Hallam Amos, Dorian Jones, Jonathan Evans; Boris Stankovich, Hugh Gustafson, Brok Harris, Cory Hill, Rynard Landman (c), Nick Crosswell, Nic Cudd, Taulupe Faletau.

Replacements: Rhys Buckley, Phil Price, Lloyd Fairbrother, Matthew Screech, James Benjamin, Richie Rees, Ashton Hewitt, Geraint Rhys Jones.

I think Glasgow will beat Ulster but I'd be surprised if they picked up a try bonus point.

I would make Ospreys favorites against Connacht and given what Glasgow and Ulster did to Connacht it wouldn't surprise me if they scored 4 trys but it is unlikely.

Therefore if Munster beat the Dragons with a bonus point they should get a home semi and possibly even finish top.

George, I'd prefer Lady Mary from Downton Abbey!

https://i.servimg.com/u/f19/16/53/77/41/screen10.jpg

Sin é wrote:George, I'd prefer Lady Mary from Downton Abbey!

https://i.servimg.com/u/f19/16/53/77/41/screen10.jpg

You're prefer The Dockery over my girl Caitriona Balfe?

Fighting talk, Sin, that's fighting talk.

George, if you've taken all the trouble to create a Munster thread, then you should be the one who calls the 'shots'.

I'd be tempted to put up the leading lady of Limerick though just to please Sin

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jan_O%27Sullivan

Now that's a woman. I have to say that it's never occurred to me to put Nicola Sturgeon on the Scottish match threads in case people vomit or cry.

That said, we did use Susan Boyle pictures for a while.

George Carlin wrote:

Sin é wrote:George, I'd prefer Lady Mary from Downton Abbey!

https://i.servimg.com/u/f19/16/53/77/41/screen10.jpg

You're prefer The Dockery over my girl Caitriona Balfe?

Fighting talk, Sin, that's fighting talk.

Balfe is from Leinster (and grew up in Ulster)!

At least the dockery is a Munster fan!

Yes, yes, well aware of that.

Just that these threads are pieces of pop-bubble-gum jollity and people don't really pay attention any more to whether team reps are strictly accurate geographical representations. Trust you region obsessed paddies to notice it.

Besides, if we had to only use pictures of attractive ladies from Glasgow, we'd have to use the Kelly MacDonald pictures every week.

I think that the first steps in widescale team rep cheating was during the European games where we all wanted a picture of Eva Green but couldn't justify it on regional grounds. On national grounds, though, that's a bingo...

Newport Gwent Dragons Team to face Munner
Jason Tovey, Tom Prydie, Tyler Morgan, Jack Dixon, Hallam Amos, Dorian Jones, Jonathan Evans; Boris Stankovich, Hugh Gustafson, Brok Harris, Cory Hill, Rynard Landman (c), Nick Crosswell, Nic Cudd, Taulupe Faletau.

Replacements: Rhys Buckley, Phil Price, Lloyd Fairbrother, Matthew Screech, James Benjamin, Richie Rees, Ashton Hewitt, Geraint Rhys Jones.

Munster: Felix Jones; Keith Earls, Andrew Smith, Denis Hurley - capt., Ronan O'Mahony; Ian Keatley, Conor Murray; John Ryan, Eusebio Guinazu, BJ Botha; Billy Holland, Paul O'Connell; Donnacha Ryan, Paddy Butler, CJ Stander.

Replacements: Niall Scannell, Dave Kilcoyne, Stephen Archer, Sean Dougall, Jack O'Donoghue, Duncan Williams, JJ Hanrahan, Andrew Conway.

Simon Zebo, Duncan Casey and Peter O'Mahony injured but should be ok for next week.

Tommy O'Donnell out for 6 to 8 weeks.

Hopefully a decent match - not sure why we keep changing our halfback combos around though

MunsterMac wrote:Tommy O'Donnell out for 6 to 8 weeks.

That's a big blow for Munster's hopes. Not as big as Ulster losing Herbst for the semis would be, but it's still a big deal. Feel sorry for him. This was a big chance to push himself into the RWC squad. Never mind, I'm sure he'll get another once he's back fit for the warm-ups.

Sin é wrote:

George Carlin wrote:

Sin é wrote:George, I'd prefer Lady Mary from Downton Abbey!

https://i.servimg.com/u/f19/16/53/77/41/screen10.jpg

You're prefer The Dockery over my girl Caitriona Balfe?

Fighting talk, Sin, that's fighting talk.

Balfe is from Leinster (and grew up in Ulster)!

At least the dockery is a Munster fan!

More meat on a butcher's apron though. At least Leinster women are decent looking.

Jenifer McLadyboy wrote:

Sin é wrote:

George Carlin wrote:

Sin é wrote:George, I'd prefer Lady Mary from Downton Abbey!

https://i.servimg.com/u/f19/16/53/77/41/screen10.jpg

You're prefer The Dockery over my girl Caitriona Balfe?

Fighting talk, Sin, that's fighting talk.

Balfe is from Leinster (and grew up in Ulster)!

At least the dockery is a Munster fan!

More meat on a butcher's apron though. At least Leinster women are decent looking.

Permatans and scouse brows ?

Dunno what that is. Is it good?

Fake tan and giant eyebrows. I've done worse I guess...

Disappointing that Tyler Bleyendaal hasn't made it onto the squad.

Be very interested to see him in action.

Also disappointing that Ulster have thrown in the towel against Glasgow.

Odds-on a bp win for Glasgow.

Ulster have their pet officials so its not all doom and gloom

Jenifer McLadyboy wrote:

Sin é wrote:

George Carlin wrote:

Sin é wrote:George, I'd prefer Lady Mary from Downton Abbey!

https://i.servimg.com/u/f19/16/53/77/41/screen10.jpg

You're prefer The Dockery over my girl Caitriona Balfe?

Fighting talk, Sin, that's fighting talk.

Balfe is from Leinster (and grew up in Ulster)!

At least the dockery is a Munster fan!

More meat on a butcher's apron though. At least Leinster women are decent looking.

Once they put their teeth in and you squint a little and ignore that awful whiny accent.

Roish, they're totes roides !

We won...yay!

Sounds like you thumped us! We would have taken a point at the start though

Were our tries any good?

Good work dragon4life, look for that positives!

Well done Munster. Gave us a good old fashioned tonking.

Strange season for us: full of promise and new dawns pre season, awful first half of the season, better second half, challenge cup semi, a couple of decent/unexpected wins (Leinster x 2 was nice!), and a few hammerings (Munster today, Edinburgh in the cup, didn't Glasgow smash us or was that last year?). The definition of inconsistent!

If we didn't struggle with injuries at the start of the season and didn't lose to zebre, connacht and blues we could be in or near champions cup

I know it's tempting to think like that dragon, but it's the same for all teams. If Leinster didn't lose twice to us they'd probably be thinking they'd be in the playoffs, etc. We're one of the minnows in the league, so for every team above us that we beat they're probably thinking "if we'd beaten the Dragons....". Easily done though, the old ifs and buts, I do it all of the the time!

If 'ifs and but were as and maybes' lol.

It has been a frustrating season but I think the highs (just) outweigh the lows, every team will be hoping to kick on next season and we will be no different but we have to try and at least maintain momentum.

What was annoying was our lack of consistency, we had a great win away to Stade but then lose at home to Newcastle, we beat Leinster away then lose to Connacht at home.

That for me was the hugely frustrating thing.

If we add depth to the squad and find consistency we could be a mid table team

It's funny how our signings have gone too. We were all raving about the old boys coming home: Byrne (although not a Dragons old boy) Brew and Gough. But I think I can count their minutes played on my toes. Yes injuries are unpredictable, but if anything is predictable in rugby then it's the old 'second bite of the cherry.....' thing. Returning players are rarely as good as when they left. And these 3 have added nothing. Sorry to say but glad they're off the wage bill. Bit harsh perhaps. Sorry!

Conversely Landman has been a revelation for someone I'd never heard of. Brok Harris seems great. Cudd (not first season I admit) still amazes me as a cast off. James Thomas superb and plucked from obscurity. Boris S is as solid as expected. The 'yoof' has certainly stepped up too: Dixon, Amos and Morgan. Didn't think they'd be holding their own this season. But they look strong, especially Amos. Happy days!

Agreed on Brew and Gough but thought Byrne was a good signing just pity he got injured as his experience would have been huge in what is a hell of a young back line.

Oh Griff you forgot to mention Powell as well then again that's easy to do lol

Crumbs, yes I honestly did forget Powel! What a waste of money.

I too was expecting good things from Byrne. Shame. What about Brew? What happened to him?! Dragons legend to liability in a matter of weeks.

Still, a spare bit of cash to splash. Hopefully not just on foreigners (we do have a quota limit after all). Any decent Welsh options we could realistically bring home?

Again even when we first signed Powell I thought he could do some real damage and be a good signing in the International windows and give TF some competition but how wrong was I lol.

The money will come in handy as from bringing guys back I would really like to see us try and get Gill on board, he's not first choice at Sarries and after getting back in the Welsh squad maybe that could be part of the lure.

munkian wrote:Hopefully a decent match  - not sure why we keep changing our halfback combos around though

Absolute lunacy.

Our defending round the fringes was very poor no organisation, but we were always on the back foot