Munster v Edinburgh, 24 September

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Munster Rugby v Edinburgh Rugby
Saturday 24 September 2016
KO 15:00
Thomond Park, Limerick

Live on Sky Sports

Referee: Ben Whitehouse (WRU, 28th competition game)
Assistant Referees: Gwyn Morris (WRU), Mark Patton (IRFU)
Citing Commissioner: Eddie Wigglesworth (IRFU)
TMO: Jon Mason (WRU)

A. Head to Head

28 Played 28
22 Wins 6
6 Losses 22
0 Draws 0
64 Tries 50
43 Conversions 37
56 Penalties 65
1 Drop Goals 1
577 Points 522

B. Form

Munster Rugby: Good 

Edinburgh Rugby: Pants


C. Teams

Munster Rugby

[*]

Edinburgh Rugby

[*]

These uncontested scrums are a massive disadvantage to Munster. The yellow card benefits Edinburgh.

Suddenly Edinburgh have come to life, a bonus point is within reach

That's the Edinburgh way - only start playing rugby when we're getting pumped!

Any word on O'Donoghue?

Magnus Bradbury gets MoM, very well deserved

Well a 5 pointer for Munster as predicted, but I can't imagine that they will be thrilled with the performance. Still points are points and they are 3 from 4.

Very frustrating for Edinburgh, they are trying to play, but you can't do it without any set piece ball. That is the big worry what will happen if Nel is not playing. It is hard to see that Bryce is going to be the answer based on that performance and neither is Dell, clearly not a TH.

The Connacht game next week is rapidly looking like a must win game, even at this stage of the season.

Berghan hopefully will be back soon, really need him to back up Nel, only two realistic tight head options.

MacKnocked-on wrote:Berghan hopefully will be back soon, really need him to back up Nel, only two realistic tight head options.

Well hopefully Bryce can improved with time, lets face it, he could hardly get any worse,

So Edinburgh are 4 points from 4 games, and that could easily be 4 from 5 away to Connacht next week.

We had a tough opening set of fixtures and there's no shame in losing some of these games, but what is worrying is we've given away a try bp in each game and not looked close to getting a LBP never mind winning the bloody game.
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I know it is early days but our top 4 chances are pretty much non-existent and our top 6 chances are slim to none.

There has been absolutely nothing to convince me so far this season that we'll not be bottom 4.

Dull game. Munsters scrum won the day. Not much more to say about the game really. Littered with stoppages and knock ons.

BigGee wrote:Magnus Bradbury gets MoM, very well deserved

He looks a very good athlete!

Missed the game but from the sound of things Bradbury had a belter. Hopefully it's repeated/on YouTube.

The full game in on YouTube now.

I've got to say, if we had our first choice front row out I think that game would have been a lot closer. There were a lot of positives about our play but Munster got easy outs and easy field position through the scrum. Take that away and I'm not sure their attack play would have had the same outcome.

That's all fair and well however as we can't go through a full season relying on one tighthead! We desperately need a backup tighthead, even if he just gives us a bit of stability. In Kevin Bryce's defence, he clearly injured himself in the first scrum and his arm was hanging down basically useless from then on - he looked like the last thing he wanted was to stay on the pitch! Let's not give up on him yet.

Bradbury was excellent and Watson is carrying on his barnstorming form. Ben Toolis had his best game of the season (not that it'll make any difference to Vern Cotter!). I also think Chris Dean's future is best served at 12, where his lack of pace isn't such an issue. I thought he played well.

On the negative front, our ball skills and general all-round skill level is bloody awful. What does Hodge do with the players week in week out?? Our passing was terrible and we couldn't even execute a 4 on 2 at one point. Compare that to Glasgow's slick handling this season.

So I do think there is general improvement and I really hope that things will suddenly click and we give a team a real doing. Problem is we tend to get better in one aspect but worse in another, then the following week it reverses again.

Connacht next week really is a must win game.

RDW_Scotland wrote:
Connacht next week really is a must win game.

Interesting you say that, because Connacht are on the cusp of all out crisis if they lose next week in Galway.

If Bryce really is injured then the lack of available THs for Edinburgh is going to become a massive issue. Unlike in other seasons Nel is going to be away a lot and cannot be relied on to shore up the scrum in every game.

The current back up is a recently converted hooker, who it might be generous to say is an unknown quantity. A Scottish/NZ import who has hardly established himself in two years at the club and who is injury prone and of questionable fitness as well as a 30 year old club player who has come somewhat late to the professional game.

In the same way as the FH situation last year, it really does ask some questions about the selection and management of the squad. Surely there was a TH with some experience out there somewhere who could have been brought in, even if it is understandable that no-one is all that keen on coming to Edinburgh.

This lack of planning and foresight could end up costing them their season again!

BigGee wrote:If Bryce really is injured then the lack of available THs for Edinburgh is going to become a massive issue. Unlike in other seasons Nel is going to be away a lot and cannot be relied on to shore up the scrum in every game.

The current back up is a recently converted hooker, who it might be generous to say is an unknown quantity. A Scottish/NZ import who has hardly established himself in two years at the club and who is injury prone and of questionable fitness as well as a 30 year old club player who has come somewhat late to the professional game.

In the same way as the FH situation last year, it really does ask some questions about the selection and management of the squad. Surely there was a TH with some experience out there somewhere who could have been brought in, even if it is understandable that no-one is all that keen on coming to Edinburgh.

This lack of planning and foresight could end up costing them their season again!

As you say there can't have been many decent tightheads queuing up to sign for Edinburgh, and Solomons perhaps planned on Berghan finally making the step up this year. Problem is he lasted 10 minutes at the start of the season before coming off injured.

Kevin Bryce was injured for most of pre-season so missed out on a few club games to break him into things at tighthead. He's got the physical attributes for it but needs gametime, and probably at a lower level for a while. Nick Bevan is a complete unknown but this weekend's match report headline was 'Ayr capitalise on Nick Beavon's off day'. Promising.

A solution needs to be found very quickly, and I don't think bringing some Currie Cup prop in would help for example - Jared Firth still isn't up to speed for Glasgow!

On that note,Bryce could be out for a while and Solomons is looking to make an emergency signing

http://m.heraldscotland.com/sport/14763255.Munster_28_Edinburgh_14__Solomons_in_search_for_reinforcements_as_prop_crisis_take_its_toll_on_scrum/?ref=twtrec

Not good. I wonder who they'll be able to get at short notice. Could one of the looseheads shift across as cover? Perhaps we could use Ben Atiga at 3?

I suspect Nel will be back and Dell covers 3 on the bench.

It's not as if Nel ever gets subbed anyway!

RDW_Scotland wrote:I suspect Nel will be back and Dell covers 3 on the bench.

It's not as if Nel ever gets subbed anyway!

Really? I'd expect to hear an uncomfortable snapping sound with Dell at 3.

I wonder if that lunatic Saffa prop that Glasgow had would be willing to come back, or whether the Home Office would allow him back in the country.....

Dell did OK ish for 75 Minutes against Munster - and by OK-ish I mean he didn't get his arse handed to him at every single scrum...

The other option is Nick Beavon who is an actual tighthead, but one that is 30 years old and only just turned pro...

RDW_Scotland wrote:Dell did OK ish for 75 Minutes against Munster - and by OK-ish I mean he didn't get his arse handed to him at every single scrum...

The other option is Nick Beavon who is an actual tighthead, but one that is 30 years old and only just turned pro...

Ah, the "Mattie Stewart Test" as it used to be called.

Well I guess it's going to be a steep old learning curve for Beavon!

Frazer Mackenzie has been cited for that reckless clear out that he got the yellow card for. I would imagine that he will get a few weeks for that. Reckless but not intentional, he certainly did some damage to the Munster player.

Something we could have done without given Bresler's injury.

Thought it looked like nothing when I saw it happen in real time. The replay shows how dangerous it was and how bad it could have been. Hope Jack O'Donoghue mends up okay, it was a physical battle at the breakdown. Expect there will be a short ban for it.

RDW_Scotland wrote:Dell did OK ish for 75 Minutes against Munster - and by OK-ish I mean he didn't get his arse handed to him at every single scrum...

The other option is Nick Beavon who is an actual tighthead, but one that is 30 years old and only just turned pro...

Nick Fraser the former U20 prop is apparently now playing for Piacenza so perhaps he might be an obvious recruitment target?

That's impressive knowledge, but would a prop playing for an amateur Italian team really help the situation??

I am going to say what everyone else is thinking. Chunk has played at tight head before. Time for him to come out of retirement

cakeordeath wrote:I am going to say what everyone else is thinking. Chunk has played at tight head before. Time for him to come out of retirement

Apparently since his retirement he's let himself go....more so.

EWT Spoons wrote:

cakeordeath wrote:I am going to say what everyone else is thinking. Chunk has played at tight head before. Time for him to come out of retirement

Apparently since his retirement he's let himself go....more so.

That must be quite a sight! Still, it won't stop him wanting to play fly half.