The O'Classico- Leinster v Munster!

by Mickado Tue 25 Mar 2014, 11:13 am

First topic message reminder :

LEINSTER

15. Rob Kearney
14. Fergus McFadden
13. Brian O'Driscoll
12. Gordon D'Arcy
11. Luke Fitzgerald
10. Ian Madigan
9. Eoin Reddan

1. Michael Bent
2. Richardt Strauss
3. Mike Ross
4. Devin Toner
5. Mike McCarthy
6. Kevin McLaughlin
7. Shane Jennings
8. Jamie Heaslip (c)

16. Sean Cronin
17. Jack O'Connell
18. Ed Byrne
19. Leo Cullen
20. Jordi Murphy
21. Isaac Boss
22. Jimmy Gopperth
23. Zane Kirchner

MUNSTER

15. Felix Jones
14. Keith Earls
13. Casey Laulala
12. Denis Hurley
11. Simon Zebo
10. Ian Keatley
9. Conor Murray

1. Dave Kilcoyne
2. Damien Varley
3. BJ Botha
4. Dave Foley
5. Paul O' Connell
6. Peter O'Mahony (c)
7. Tommy O'Donnell
8. James Coughlan

16. Duncan Casey
17. James Cronin
18. Alan Cotter
19. Donncha O'Callaghan
20. CJ Stander
21. Duncan Williams
22. JJ Hanrahan
23. Gerhard van den Heever

At Aviva Stadium, 7pm. Live on TG4

Referee: Alain Rolland
Assistant Referees: David Wilkinson, Michael Black (both IRFU)
Citing Commissioner: Peter Ferguson (IRFU)
TMO: Simon McDowell (IRFU)

by GunsGerms Mon 31 Mar 2014, 11:22 am

Doesnt matter who reffed the game. Munster havent won in Landsdowne since '06 because they arent good enough. Simple as that. Their dicipline tends to be shocking too.

by Sin é Mon 31 Mar 2014, 11:30 am

Crickey, Munster were never too arsed about beating Leinster away from home in the Celtic League anyway.

It doesn't bode well for Leinster though that they had to get a former player to ref their home game to ensure the win for one more for Brian.

by GunsGerms Mon 31 Mar 2014, 11:38 am

Sin é wrote:Crickey, Munster were never too arsed about beating Leinster away from home in the Celtic League anyway.

It doesn't bode well for Leinster though that they had to get a former player to ref their home game to ensure the win for one more for Brian.

Are you saying Leinster arranged the referee for the game? Another conspiracy?

At least it must be nice for the Munster fraternity that they have a legitimate excuse for the loss this time rather than simply not being good enough?

by GunsGerms Mon 31 Mar 2014, 11:41 am

Heaslip played well didnt he Sin?

#swagger#strut

by Sin é Mon 31 Mar 2014, 11:41 am

GunsGerms wrote:
Sin é wrote:Crickey, Munster were never too arsed about beating Leinster away from home in the Celtic League anyway.

It doesn't bode well for Leinster though that they had to get a former player to ref their home game to ensure the win for one more for Brian.

Are you saying Leinster arranged the referee for the game? Another conspiracy?

At least it must be nice for the Munster fraternity that they have a legitimate excuse for the loss this time rather than simply not being good enough?

The IRFU fixed it. Rolland has said that he wanted to ref a Munster v Leinster game. They obliged. Munster should never have agreed to it, considering his performance against Ulster.

I'd be more concerned for yourselves Guns, heading off to an away game and probably won't have the ref on your side this time.

by Sin é Mon 31 Mar 2014, 11:42 am

GunsGerms wrote:Heaslip played well didnt he Sin?

#swagger#strut

Heaslip always plays well for Leinster. Its Ireland he doesn't bother about.

by GunsGerms Mon 31 Mar 2014, 11:44 am

Leinster have a better record in France than any other side. We will be fine and will challenge them anyway. Win lose or draw no one can take away all the trophies this team has amassed to date.

by GunsGerms Mon 31 Mar 2014, 11:46 am

Sin é wrote:
GunsGerms wrote:Heaslip played well didnt he Sin?

#swagger#strut

Heaslip always plays well for Leinster. Its Ireland he doesn't bother about.

Saw him on south william street yesterday. He was walking with a spring in his step.

by ME-109 Mon 31 Mar 2014, 12:02 pm

GunsGerms wrote:Leinster have a better record in France than any other side. We will be fine and will challenge them anyway. Win lose or draw no one can take away all the trophies this team has amassed to date.

Not in the knockout stages Guns...Munster has that record... Doh

You seem to be settling for a loss already? No Rolland and two crocked loose heads might be a good reason..

by Mickado Mon 31 Mar 2014, 12:20 pm

Healy will be grand for this week. He was just rested for more important games.

by LeinsterFan4life Mon 31 Mar 2014, 12:20 pm

Its not the IRFU's fault that the French ref that was supposed to ref the game couldn't make the match.

Rolland was probably the next best option in terms of quality but they should have tried to get a netural ref so Munster fans would have had no excuse.

by Sin é Mon 31 Mar 2014, 12:25 pm

LeinsterFan4life wrote:Its not the IRFU's fault that the French ref that was supposed to ref the game couldn't make the match.

Rolland was probably the next best option in terms of quality but they should have tried to get a netural ref so Munster fans would have had no excuse.

Sounds more like an excuse to let Rolland have the gig, he certainly wasn't selected on his reffing ability. He lost it after the criticism he got for sending off Warburton. In the name of god, how do you give out to two opposing looseheads and yet award penalties against one of them? Its no penalty and or both being sent off.

And its not an excuse. Its bloody obvious as to how poor he was.

by LeinsterFan4life Mon 31 Mar 2014, 12:30 pm

Rolland is not the first or last ref to get scrum calls wrong. Scrums are still a lottery and even the best ref in the world (Owens) struggles big time with them.

The scrums were a mess it was always going to be a tough game to ref.

by ME-109 Mon 31 Mar 2014, 12:48 pm

LeinsterFan4life wrote:Rolland is not the first or last ref to get scrum calls wrong. Scrums are still a lottery and even the best ref in the world (Owens) struggles big time with them.

The leinster scrum wasa mess it was always going to be a tough game to ref if your an ex Leinster player..

Fixed that.

by Sin é Mon 31 Mar 2014, 1:08 pm

LeinsterFan4life wrote:Rolland is not the first or last ref to get scrum calls wrong. Scrums are still a lottery and even the best ref in the world (Owens) struggles big time with them.

The scrums were a mess it was always going to be a tough game to ref.

Explain the logic to me of giving out two two opposing players, but still penalising one of them. How do players interpret what he is trying to get across.

Its mad ted, mad.

by GunsGerms Mon 31 Mar 2014, 1:18 pm

If in doubt penalise the Munster player. In all fairness they tend to have terrible dicipline problems on and off the pitch so that would be the safe option, no?

by Sin é Mon 31 Mar 2014, 1:20 pm

GunsGerms wrote:If in doubt penalise the Munster player. In all fairness they tend to have terrible dicipline problems on and off the pitch so that would be the safe option, no?

The only discipline problems Munster have is when they have a crocked ref.

I'm not sure what you mean about discipline off the pitch.

by ME-109 Mon 31 Mar 2014, 1:23 pm

Sin é wrote:
LeinsterFan4life wrote:Rolland is not the first or last ref to get scrum calls wrong. Scrums are still a lottery and even the best ref in the world (Owens) struggles big time with them.

The scrums were a mess it was always going to be a tough game to ref.

Explain the logic to me of giving out two two opposing players, but still penalising one of them. How do players interpret what he is trying to get across.

Its mad ted, mad.

The look on the Munster players faces when Rolland was "explaining" things to them was straight out of a Father Ted episode....its like somebody gave Dougal a whistle...

by Mickado Mon 31 Mar 2014, 1:27 pm

Sin é wrote:
GunsGerms wrote:If in doubt penalise the Munster player. In all fairness they tend to have terrible dicipline problems on and off the pitch so that would be the safe option, no?

The only discipline problems Munster have is when they have a crocked ref.

I'm not sure what you mean about discipline off the pitch.

They must have had a crocked ref for all of the 12 yellow cards they've got this season.

9th in the fair play league.

by GunsGerms Mon 31 Mar 2014, 1:38 pm

I blame Joe Schmidt.

by Sin é Mon 31 Mar 2014, 1:39 pm

Mickado wrote:
Sin é wrote:
GunsGerms wrote:If in doubt penalise the Munster player. In all fairness they tend to have terrible dicipline problems on and off the pitch so that would be the safe option, no?

The only discipline problems Munster have is when they have a crocked ref.

I'm not sure what you mean about discipline off the pitch.

They must have had a crocked ref for all of the 12 yellow cards they've got this season.

9th in the fair play league.

Two of them were from Rolland. The one in Ravenhill was absolutely bizarre - it was as if he wanted to have 'I YCed Paul O'Connell'' on his cv).

by GunsGerms Mon 31 Mar 2014, 1:43 pm

Fast forward to 52 seconds:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rPiKMb0GLOY&feature=youtube_gdata_player

Munster player getting spanked on the behind in the ruck. Kinda sums up the last five years between the two sides.

by ME-109 Mon 31 Mar 2014, 1:49 pm

Sin é wrote:
Mickado wrote:
Sin é wrote:
GunsGerms wrote:If in doubt penalise the Munster player. In all fairness they tend to have terrible dicipline problems on and off the pitch so that would be the safe option, no?

The only discipline problems Munster have is when they have a crocked ref.

I'm not sure what you mean about discipline off the pitch.

They must have had a crocked ref for all of the 12 yellow cards they've got this season.

9th in the fair play league.

Two of them were from Rolland. The one in Ravenhill was absolutely bizarre - it was as if he wanted to have 'I YCed Paul O'Connell'' on his cv).

That was his best one. It was POM who he was shouting at (even though he was fine) and in the aftermath POM identified himself as the player (as Rolland didnt know) yet he still carded POC....hilarious. Was obvious on Sat that POC didnt even attempt to speak to him...while Rollands best buddy BOD spent most of the first half whinging..

by GunsGerms Mon 31 Mar 2014, 1:52 pm

...and scoring match winning tries?

by ME-109 Mon 31 Mar 2014, 1:54 pm

GunsGerms wrote:...and scoring match winning tries?

Yeah was a nice one alright...from the crooked throw in the lineout to Darcy not being penalised for not releasing when held....all it needed was Alain to give the scoring pass...

Here you go BOD....

Thanks Alain your one of the goys...

by Jenifer McLadyboy Mon 31 Mar 2014, 2:00 pm

GunsGerms wrote:Fast forward to 52 seconds:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rPiKMb0GLOY&feature=youtube_gdata_player

Munster player getting spanked on the behind in the ruck. Kinda sums up the last five years between the two sides.

Let it run to 1:13 and you can see Mickado (The originator of this thread) in the crowd....

I am loving the sad excuses from the lads here. (It was the ref!) (Munster don't try in the "Celtic League") etc. etc. The more bitter the more I like it. Smile

Would be no crack if they just shook hands and said the better team won like normal rugby men.

One of the numpties didn't even accept that it was Zebo at fault for the try. Laugh

Anyway. Just popped in to read this thread. Thanks. and Carry on.

by Jenifer McLadyboy Mon 31 Mar 2014, 2:02 pm

Was always going to be won or lost at the breakdown/in the back row.

Jennings and Heaslip had a great game. POM was a big loss and Stander and Cawlin were 2nd best to be kind.

by GunsGerms Mon 31 Mar 2014, 2:03 pm

Munster fans tend to get all feral (even more feral than normal) if you say anything bad about any of their players but are particulalry protective of Zeebs for some reason even though in this case there isnt really any question he should have done better for O'Driscoll's try.

by Jenifer McLadyboy Mon 31 Mar 2014, 2:06 pm

I thought that leaving out 4 props would have evened things up a bit. And to be fair it did.

by ME-109 Mon 31 Mar 2014, 2:06 pm

Jenifer McLadyboy wrote:Was always going to be won or lost ~~at the breakdown/in the back row.~~ due to the ref.

Jennings and Heaslip had a great game. POM was a big loss and Stander and Cawlin were 2nd best to be kind.

Fixed that as well.

by ME-109 Mon 31 Mar 2014, 2:07 pm

Jenifer McLadyboy wrote:I thought that leaving out 4 props would have evened things up a bit. And to be fair it did.

Not really...Rolland made sure it was even..

by GunsGerms Mon 31 Mar 2014, 2:10 pm

Declan Kidney could have reffed and Leinster would have won with energy to spare.

Will need to get out of first gear for Toulon away though.

by ME-109 Mon 31 Mar 2014, 2:11 pm

GunsGerms wrote:Declan Kidney could have reffed and Leinster would have won with energy to spare.

Will need to ~~get out of first gear for~~ hope the ref is as biased for Toulon away though.

by GunsGerms Mon 31 Mar 2014, 2:12 pm

So you agree Declan Kidney could have reffed and Leinster would have won with energy to spare.?

by ME-109 Mon 31 Mar 2014, 2:13 pm

GunsGerms wrote:So you agree Declan Kidney could have reffed and Leinster would have won with energy to spare.?

He's not a ref...silly question

by Jenifer McLadyboy Mon 31 Mar 2014, 2:15 pm

I wonder what point you are trying to make Dekko? You must have said it in about 100 posts in this thread but I can't quite grasp it.... Laugh

by ME-109 Mon 31 Mar 2014, 2:20 pm

I like Alain Rolland???

by Jenifer McLadyboy Mon 31 Mar 2014, 2:21 pm

ME-109 wrote:I like Alain Rolland???

I'd say you fancy him. Love to give him a little pat on his bald spot eh?

by kunu Mon 31 Mar 2014, 3:29 pm

Sin é wrote:
GunsGerms wrote:If in doubt penalise the Munster player. In all fairness they tend to have terrible dicipline problems on and off the pitch so that would be the safe option, no?

The only discipline problems Munster have is when they have a crocked ref.

.

Kilcoyne's yellow was monumentally stupid. For all of Munster's supposed nous they failed miserably at playing a ref that even us armchair supporters had billed as likely to be highly influential. They failed there, and that was the ball game.

by MunsterMac Mon 31 Mar 2014, 3:32 pm

Leinster have a better record in France than any other side.

Well I don't know about any other side but I do know they don't have a better record than Munster.

by Mickado Mon 31 Mar 2014, 3:44 pm

Jenifer McLadyboy wrote:
GunsGerms wrote:Fast forward to 52 seconds:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rPiKMb0GLOY&feature=youtube_gdata_player

Munster player getting spanked on the behind in the ruck. Kinda sums up the last five years between the two sides.

Let it run to 1:13 and you can see Mickado (The originator of this thread) in the crowd....

I am loving the sad excuses from the lads here. (It was the ref!) (Munster don't try in the "Celtic League") etc. etc. The more bitter the more I like it. Would be no crack if they just shook hands and said the better team won like normal rugby men.

One of the numpties didn't even accept that it was Zebo at fault for the try.

Anyway. Just popped in to read this thread. Thanks. and Carry on.

Ah there I am alright.

by gleesonisgod Mon 31 Mar 2014, 9:19 pm

When are guns , sins, and ME, getting banned

Gone beyond a p**s take at this stage

by Rory_Gallagher Mon 31 Mar 2014, 10:15 pm

gleesonisgod wrote:When are guns , sins, and ME, getting banned

Gone beyond a p**s take at this stage

I used to think Guns was annoying for winding them up, but to be honest I think it is hilarious now. The fact that certain Munster fans are so bitter about how crap Kidney was as a coach, how much better Schmidt is right now and that their players aren't getting played.. it is brilliant!

They bring the entertainment, keep them all! thumbsup

by ME-109 Mon 31 Mar 2014, 10:18 pm

Its all Alain Rollands fault...ban him (and his dog).

by geoff998rugby Tue 01 Apr 2014, 8:48 am

My god what a pathetic thread.

Grow up guys you are like a bunch of bitchy 5 year old girls

by Sin é Tue 01 Apr 2014, 9:17 am

A RECORD breaking audience of 765,000 people tuned in to TG4's coverage of the weekend's rugby match.

http://www.independent.ie/sport/rugby/765000-tune-in-for-leinster-v-munster-match-30142289.html

by GunsGerms Tue 01 Apr 2014, 9:30 am

gleesonisgod wrote:When are guns , sins, and ME, getting banned

Gone beyond a p**s take at this stage

Banned for what? Dont take it all so seriously. Nothing wrong with some frank debate. I certainly wouldnt want Sin or ME banned or yourself for that matter. thumbsup

by GunsGerms Tue 01 Apr 2014, 9:31 am

Sin é wrote:
A RECORD breaking audience of 765,000 people tuned in to TG4's coverage of the weekend's rugby match.

http://www.independent.ie/sport/rugby/765000-tune-in-for-leinster-v-munster-match-30142289.html

I wonder how many turned the sound down and listened to RTE radio 1 commentary on the radio.

by Sin é Tue 01 Apr 2014, 9:31 am

http://www.independent.ie/sport/rugby/765000-tune-in-for-leinster-v-munster-match-30142289.html

THE STATISTICAL BREAKDOWN
Ahead of Saturday’s match at Lansdowne Road, Leinster and Munster occupied the top two slots in the Pro 12 table and their scoring stats had been eerily similar: 24 points scored per game, 2.5 tries per game, 2.5 penalty goals per game, 2.1 conversions per game.

Around the field, more similarities abounded: 23 kicks in play per game, five and a half line breaks, 14 and a half turnovers conceded and 95% ruck retention.

The first half was frustrating for the home crowd with Leinster conceding 12 turnovers and three scrum penalties in that period. Whatever was said at half time seemed to have an impact as Leinster didn’t concede a single scrum penalty in the second forty, even staying stable enough to allow scrum half Eoin Reddan to launch a superb blind side break.

Munster fly half Ian Keatley made little of his 66% kicking accuracy in the Pro 12 by nailing six from six from the tee, with the first four drawing Munster out to a 12-3 lead in the first half.

In the pack Leinster made hay at the lineout hitting 16 of 18 and spreading around their targets between Mike McCarthy, Devin Toner, Kevin McLaughlin, Jamie Heaslip and substitute Leo Cullen. Munster had just four lineouts, all successful, and Paul O’Connell also came up with an important steal.

Munster’s first half had been limited in attack with just one Leinster defender beaten in that opening period. By full time, however, Simon Zebo and Casey Laulala had become much more involved. Zebo racked up 146 metres with ball in hand with 107 of those from kick returns.

Laulala’s 21 metres from eight carries might not seem notable but his evasiveness caused big defensive issues for Leinster. The centre’s impressive footwork made the first man miss more often than not, beating six defenders and completing three successful offloads.

Munster tackled at a decent 89% success rate on the day (135 of 151) with Leinster’s a slightly disappointing 84%.

In the Munster pack O’Connell made 13 tackles from 13 attempts with BJ Botha making 12 from 13. In the backs Denis Hurley and Laulala each made 12 from 14 attempts with Keatley inside them chipping in with 10 of 12.

In this season’s Pro 12 Leinster had averaged almost two minutes more active possession per game than Munster and 18 more carries.

Leinster carried 34 more times than the visitors on Saturday and had an extra three and a half minutes of active possession (17:51 to 14:12). This was nullified to an extent by Leinster’s own errors, making 18 turnovers of which six were dropped balls, and that good Munster tackling.

This was a reasonable tune-up for this weekend’s Heineken Cup action, but in both Thomond and Toulon a little more discipline and imagination might go a long way.

* All statistics courtesy of Opta.

by Sin é Tue 01 Apr 2014, 9:33 am

GunsGerms wrote:
Sin é wrote:
A RECORD breaking audience of 765,000 people tuned in to TG4's coverage of the weekend's rugby match.

http://www.independent.ie/sport/rugby/765000-tune-in-for-leinster-v-munster-match-30142289.html

I wonder how many turned the sound down and listened to RTE radio 1 commentary on the radio.

Plenty heard Jerry Flannery's comment about the Leinster supporters reading the programme to learn the names of their players Very Happy

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