A great big Munster thread

[snoopy snoopy dog dog]

https://www.irishtimes.com/sport/ru...-stretched-as-european-action-looms-1.4078436

Van Graan did not rule out adding a foreign outhalf to their European roster but Nucifora might prefer to offer assistance from inside the Irish system with Harry Byrne a potential short term solution. Byrne, younger brother of Ross, has already featured four times for Leinster this season but the expected return of Johnny Sexton could see him drop to fourth choice behind Ciarán Frawley.

Who needs to give Ben Healy or Jake Flannery a shot when you can just take Leinster's brightest flyhalf prospect again!

No idea if there's any truth to the above but it was in the Irish Times which doesn't usually speculate. If it's a short term joker to cover the group stage, it could benefit Leinster in the long run. I can't see it being of much use to Munster unless it was a longer term signing. Better to give their own young flyhalves a shot if it's only for a couple of months.

 

[Leonormous Boozer]

Who needs to give Ben Healy or Jake Flannery a shot when you can just take Leinster's brightest flyhalf prospect again!

No idea if there's any truth to the above but it was in the Irish Times which doesn't usually speculate. If it's a short term joker to cover the group stage, it could benefit Leinster in the long run. I can't see it being of much use to Munster unless it was a longer term signing. Better to give their own young flyhalves a shot if it's only for a couple of months.

It wouldn't take a genius to look at Munster so far this season and realise Harry Byrne would maybe have played once like...

They should absolutely use what they have right now, only one of the two 10s in their squad that didn't come through their academy is injured.

 

[big ginger 8]

I think that's pretty clearly speculation by Cummiskey. If it did happen there would be so much wrong with it.

 

[profitius]

Wouldn't do HB any harm to spend a bit of time with Larkham. JJH looks a new player this season. Other than that I'm not sure its a good thing.

 

[snoopy snoopy dog dog]

Wouldn't do HB any harm to spend a bit of time with Larkham.

You could be right. assuming he plays It's doing him no harm working with Felipe Contepomi and Stuart Lancaster, learning from Irish internationals Johnny Sexton and Ross Byrne and getting 130 minutes in the Pro 14 this season either.

Are Ben Healy and Jake Flannery fit or injured? Perhaps it's bias on my part but while Harry Byrne looked a cut above each of those players, both Healy and Flannery (the latter mainly at fullback) showed more than enough to play for Munster regularly in big games as time goes on. They've been rewarded with a sum total of zero minutes for the first team.

Did anyone read the article with Graham Rowntree in the Sunday Times yesterday? A very good piece. He mentioned among other things how impressed he is with Munster's strength in depth. Towards the end of it, it was pointed out that his son Jack is moving with the rest of the family to Ballina next summer. He's an 18 year old tighthead prop on Leicester's books currently.

 

[Leinster Fan]

What kind of evil s*** designed to make me as angry as possible is this?

 

[Groundhog]

Ah lads... I know it's cathartic, but imagine getting outraged on the back of a Cummiskey article. He didn't even say it was on the cards, he said "Nucifora might prefer to offer assistance from inside the Irish system", a completely meaningless sentence, devoid even of any reference to murmurings in either camp, from a known wind up merchant (diplomatic word for prick). I'd be shocked if anyone in Munster thought Harry Byrne was a good enough player to:
a) actually do the job in a big European game (I don't mean Ospreys) based on a few games
b) merit parachuting ahead of Healy based on a couple of senior Leinster games behind Europe's best pack and some Under 20s action
c) deregister another player, when the more likely scenario is Scannell is viewed as the 2nd/ 3rd choice ten (not ideal, I know), but he took a serious amount of ball and distributed from 1st receiver against Ulster, so I think it's pretty plausible.

Don't construe this as me having a pop at Byrne, I'm sure he'll be a fine player.

@snoopy snoopy dog dog Flannery has a shoulder injury. Van Graan also referenced using Neil Cronin at 10 as an option.... one I pray doesn't happen.

 

[Leinster Fan]

Ah lads... I know it's cathartic, but imagine getting outraged on the back of a Cummiskey article. He didn't even say it was on the cards, he said "Nucifora might prefer to offer assistance from inside the Irish system", a completely meaningless sentence, devoid even of any reference to murmurings in either camp, from a known wind up merchant (diplomatic word for prick). I'd be shocked if anyone in Munster thought Harry Byrne was a good enough player to:
a) actually do the job in a big European game (I don't mean Ospreys) based on a few games
b) merit parachuting ahead of Healy based on a couple of senior Leinster games behind Europe's best pack and some Under 20s action
c) deregister another player, when the more likely scenario is Scannell is viewed as the 2nd/ 3rd choice ten (not ideal, I know), but he took a serious amount of ball and distributed from 1st receiver against Ulster, so I think it's pretty plausible.

Don't construe this as me having a pop at Byrne, I'm sure he'll be a fine player.

@snoopy snoopy dog dog Flannery has a shoulder injury. Van Graan also referenced using Neil Cronin at 10 as an option.... one I pray doesn't happen.

Decent chance Byrne will be on the bench at the weekend for Leinster in fairness, depending on when Johnny is due back. Holding him back till Lyon is at least a possibility, in which case Byrne is the one option. Hope it happens, he's good enough to get a chance.

 

[Groundhog]

Decent chance Byrne will be on the bench at the weekend for Leinster in fairness, depending on when Johnny is due back. Holding him back till Lyon is at least a possibility, in which case Byrne is the one option. Hope it happens, he's good enough to get a chance.

That's fair enough, is Frawley now viewed as a centre with the brothers Byrne there? Byrne looks a sharp and pretty accurate player, and to be fair behind that pack it's a good environment for a young ten to thrive and get to show his game.
With that said, it's even more water on this rumor. He'd at best be in the same position in Munster, as there's no chance we don't play Bleyendal if fit. Even if this rumor has legs I think it would end with Byrne telling Nucifora where to go.

 

[WaterboySA]

Should be a few more players available...can't think that any Irish club can't compete with Western Province for Steven Kitshoff.....

 

[munstermuffin]

Lads it just shows how gullible and misinformed ye all are. JJ has not been told how long he is out and JVG never said anything about a NIQ 10.
In fact he has played youth alot this year and when asked about 10 said Rory Scannell has played there and can cover as well as saying we will adapt.

But hey don't let me ruin a good story and let a **** poor journalist with form to just try have a dig at Munster and make up BS story.
Especially when agter trying to dig a story out of it JVG did opposite and diffused it

@snoopy snoopy dog dog Rowntree is already settled in that area and family will follow. His next door neighbour is Keith Wood.

But hard to blame JVG on 10 front. Flannery still raw, Healy working back to fitness at AIL agter ****le, Ireland broke Joey and JJ was unfortunate

 

[Groundhog]

Should be a few more players available...can't think that any Irish club can't compete with Western Province for Steven Kitshoff.....

Pretty certain we went for him when he was first coming to Europe and missed out. I don't think we'd be let sign him now anyway.

 

[Groundhog]

It appears JJ is ok and can play vs Ospreys. Great news, and very welcome.

 

[Leinster Fan]

Lads it just shows how gullible and misinformed ye all are. JJ has not been told how long he is out and JVG never said anything about a NIQ 10.
In fact he has played youth alot this year and when asked about 10 said Rory Scannell has played there and can cover as well as saying we will adapt.

But hey don't let me ruin a good story and let a **** poor journalist with form to just try have a dig at Munster and make up BS story.
Especially when agter trying to dig a story out of it JVG did opposite and diffused it

@snoopy snoopy dog dog Rowntree is already settled in that area and family will follow. His next door neighbour is Keith Wood.

But hard to blame JVG on 10 front. Flannery still raw, Healy working back to fitness at AIL agter ****le, Ireland broke Joey and JJ was unfortunate

I just like giving out about Cummiskey, which you've done more than your share of in the past if we're being fair here.

That's fair enough, is Frawley now viewed as a centre with the brothers Byrne there? Byrne looks a sharp and pretty accurate player, and to be fair behind that pack it's a good environment for a young ten to thrive and get to show his game.
With that said, it's even more water on this rumor. He'd at best be in the same position in Munster, as there's no chance we don't play Bleyendal if fit. Even if this rumor has legs I think it would end with Byrne telling Nucifora where to go.

Don't know what the deal is with Frawley, he's a talented player but Cullen seemed to lose faith a bit last season with Reid preferred at 10 (where he'd rarely played for us before that). Obviously you never really know what's significant to a player and what isn't but it seem to take him a while to get over the intercept in Thomond Park last year. The constant injuries haven't helped much either, he's never been able to get a consistent run on Pro14 games without picking up a knock. He plays 3 positions but they're all pretty full, Harry Byrne is definitely a better prospect at 10, at 12 despite two centres at the world cup even Conor O'Brien has barely been able to get a game so it's hard to see where Frawley fits in, and at fullback Keenan and Jimmy O'Brien have both been really good whenever they've played. We'll see how things go but things aren't looking brilliant for him right now.

On the other this season could barely have gone better for Byrne jr. I know it's just Cummiskey being Cummiskey but it is baffling how a professional rugby journalist (at the 'better' paper) could suggest a player moving from third choice behind a brittle 34 year old to fourth choice somewhere else (who also have a bunch of quality young players in his position). Not to mention the whole thing of moving halfway through a season (random change of environment isn't a good thing), plus I'm guessing he's halway through some course in UCD that he's unlikely to want to stop because his team's biggest rivals need a hand.

I know it's just a bad journalist doing bad journalism but it is fun to point out all the problems with it.

 

[Leinster Fan]

Should be a few more players available...can't think that any Irish club can't compete with Western Province for Steven Kitshoff.....

Can't say I'd say no. Issue is though that we have to compete with the French and English as well (and can only bring in so many foreigners because with only four teams talent development is key).

 

[munstermuffin]

I just like giving out about Cummiskey, which you've done more than your share of in the past if we're being fair here.


Don't know what the deal is with Frawley, he's a talented player but Cullen seemed to lose faith a bit last season with Reid preferred at 10 (where he'd rarely played for us before that). Obviously you never really know what's significant to a player and what isn't but it seem to take him a while to get over the intercept in Thomond Park last year. The constant injuries haven't helped much either, he's never been able to get a consistent run on Pro14 games without picking up a knock. He plays 3 positions but they're all pretty full, Harry Byrne is definitely a better prospect at 10, at 12 despite two centres at the world cup even Conor O'Brien has barely been able to get a game so it's hard to see where Frawley fits in, and at fullback Keenan and Jimmy O'Brien have both been really good whenever they've played. We'll see how things go but things aren't looking brilliant for him right now.

On the other this season could barely have gone better for Byrne jr. I know it's just Cummiskey being Cummiskey but it is baffling how a professional rugby journalist (at the 'better' paper) could suggest a player moving from third choice behind a brittle 34 year old to fourth choice somewhere else (who also have a bunch of quality young players in his position). Not to mention the whole thing of moving halfway through a season (random change of environment isn't a good thing), plus I'm guessing he's halway through some course in UCD that he's unlikely to want to stop because his team's biggest rivals need a hand.

I know it's just a bad journalist doing bad journalism but it is fun to point out all the problems with it.

Oh I wasn't aiming at anyone here more just pointing out Cummiskey has a history of lying in reports about Munster, making up fabricated stories and even when he was called upon this he tried to deny and blame another journalist in front of a room of journalists. And that is what I loved that day when Niall O'Donovan called him out it wasn't on the quiet it was in front of a room for all to hear. And he was shown up for what he was.
And what is even funnier is he did it without even having facts accurate on JJ. Even hinting he was out for up to 4 months.

 

[Leinster Fan]

Oh I wasn't aiming at anyone here more just pointing out Cummiskey has a history of lying in reports about Munster, making up fabricated stories and even when he was called upon this he tried to deny and blame another journalist in front of a room of journalists. And that is what I loved that day when Niall O'Donovan called him out it wasn't on the quiet it was in front of a room for all to hear. And he was shown up for what he was.
And what is even funnier is he did it without even having facts accurate on JJ. Even hinting he was out for up to 4 months.

All fair really. Gutter journalist.

 

[munstermuffin]

All fair really. Gutter journalist.

And that is complementing the lad. But disastrous.

All in all the main story that is missed is Killer is in a race I think for Saracens games. We had him do light rehab exercises and well it was not great viewing.

 

[Leonormous Boozer]

Healy added to the European squad.

 

[munstermuffin]

Healy added to the European squad.

Was always possible once he survived last weekend in AIL.
Unfortunately Owen Farrell, Pollard and Beauden Barrett were unavailable per Times sp qe had to spend a bit extra for Healy from within