Cardiff Blues vs Munster Munsters

[monkeypigeon]

Kick-off Friday 7:05
Cardiff City Stadium

Cardiff Team

15 Chris Czekaj
14 Richard Mustoe
13 Casey Laulala
12 Dafydd Hewitt
11 Leigh Halfpenny
10 Ceri Sweeney
9 Lloyd Williams
8 Xavier Rush
7 Martyn Williams
6 Andries Pretorius
5 Paul ***o (c)
4 Michael Paterson
3 Scott Andrews
2 Rhys Williams
1 John Yapp

16 Kristian Dacey 17 Nathan Trevett 18 Sam Hobbs 19 Bradley Davies 20 Mamma Molitika 21 Tom Slater 22 Dan Parks 23 Jamie Roberts

Munster Team

15 F Jones
14 D Howlett
13 J Murphy
12 L Mafi
11 K Earls
10 R O'Gara
9 C Murray

1 W du Preez
2 D Varley
3 T Buckley
4 P O'Connell capt
5 M O'Driscoll
6 J Couglan
7 N Ronan
8 D Leamy

Replacements: M Sherry, M Horan, S Archer, D Ryan, P O'Mahony, P Stringer, S Tuitupou, D Cusack.

 

[monkeypigeon]

Good teams on both sides but neither look GREAT.

Don't know what Nagle, Zebo and O'Donnell have to do to stay in the team, seems grossly unfair on them not to have places on the bench.

Still don't seem to have any idea who's going to be played at 13 full time with Murphy who's a wing in the centre and Earls who thinks himself a centre on the wing.

Won't comment on the Cardiff team...I'll leave that to some godly Welsh fellow.


EDIT: Delighted for Jones to be back after two long term injuries in as many years. Murray seems to be winning the war with Duncan Williams aswell. Can see Williams being the next Frank Murphy/Eoin Reddan and having a good time with a decent Premiership team (or Connacht?) in the next couple of years.

 

[munstermuffin]

Williams is still a bit fragile after injury but Murray has been in superb form.
Zebo has a bit of a strained hamstring and Nagle is rested after alot of rugby lately. I think we are starting to rotate the team well and with Warwick back in Aus Felix Jones gets a big chance to return with a bang.

 

[profitius]

Good to see Jones and POM back and Murray starting.

 

[Jockstap]

Excellent to see Jones back he looked like a WC bolter at the start of the season, probably doesn't have a chance now.

 

[Peat]

Dear Turnipstanis,

Do us a favour and give them a wild good beating

Ta.

 

[Bluemoon]

Currently at the game watching a simply more organised and much more threatening team on the verge of granting peats unsporting wish.

C.Czjekai is once again dire and we have the defence of a schoolgirl team. I think munster should really be looking for a BP win, not that they overly need it.

Disappointing considering it's all to play for. Munster haven't even come out of first gear.

 

[monkeypigeon]

Currently at the game watching a simply more organised and much more threatening team on the verge of granting peats unsporting wish.

C.Czjekai is once again dire and we have the defence of a schoolgirl team. I think munster should really be looking for a BP win, not that they overly need it.

Disappointing considering it's all to play for. Munster haven't even come out of first gear.

They were good for the first 20 and the sin binnings have slowwed it down.

Couple of points:
Cracking fight with a fair enough result of double sin-binning.
Earls vs Halfpenny has been awesome....shocking kick from earls there.
Felix Jones looking sharp.

 

[monkeypigeon]

Cardiff 15 - 16 Munster.


Shite second half, but Munster should have had it won in the first half.

O'Connell picked up where he left off last week and showing his form of about 6 years ago...brilliant. And that should be that with regards Munster and a Home play-off semi.

 

[munstermuffin]

Well lads that was a great result. Alot of good things happening and the flight to Shannon will be good.
EarLs in the last few weeks is really looking a class act. A super break to set up the try. Paulie back and we got international lads back in system. Roll on next week

 

[coonor]

Munster were very good I thought and they probably should have been out of sight at the end of the match but they should have been more clinical. O'Gara had a bad day and couldn't fond the posts and Munster had other trying scoring opportunities which resulted in a bad pass, poor kick or knock-on. Pleased to see Munster have a bit of penetration and I think Earls looks better on the wing. I thought Jones had a great game considering and he was solid under the high ball and made some great breaks. I think Munster's backrow was also good and their tackle rate was immense. O'Connell was brilliant. He led from the front with some super carries. He controlled the lineout and was physical at the breakdown and in the tackles.

A good result away from home for Munster in which the quality of their internationals played a big part.

 

[Peat]

Thanks

 

[munstermuffin]

Peat didn't see the Ulster game but a heard it was a super kick to seal the deal at the end

 

[dangandan]

pretty sure now that's 3 weeks in a row or something that Pienaar has saved Ulster with a last minute kick lol

 

[Peat]

Peat didn't see the Ulster game but a heard it was a super kick to seal the deal at the end

I didn't see most of it, was out and when I got back in the net was f**king up, but all I can say is a) Mad Willie is vital b) Pienaar is a hero of the revolution c) Invest in heart medicine in Northern Ireland.

 

[munstermuffin]

Ha good to see Ulster are finally getting on the right side of those results but Pienaar really has made a huge difference

 

[snoopy snoopy dog dog]

How did Felix Jones and Conor Murray play? I only saw the first half. From what I saw, Jones was playing well and Murray was okay.

 

[munstermuffin]

Snoop Jones had a fine display and seems now to realise the 15 jersey is there for him to take. Murray did well and with bit more experience he will be fine. But in a bold call I'd like to see Jones start ahead of Warwick in Amlin

 

[monkeypigeon]

h. Don't remember a bad t

Snoop Jones had a fine display and seems now to realise the 15 jersey is there for him to take. Murray did well and with bit more experience he will be fine. But in a bold call I'd like to see Jones start ahead of Warwick in Amlin

Agreed. If we're looking to give players the chance to prove themselves and get a bit of experience then this needs to be done with Warwick leaving next year. Jones looked very sharp and safe under the high ball. Warwick off the bench with twenty minutes to go could also prove a winner of needs be. Earls has been the best I've seen him play since pre-lions tour. Glad he's got some confidence back.

Also, forgot to mention, Mafi looked alot smarter in this matct. Didn't see a single daft crash ball, passed when it needed to be passed and went for a gap when there was a gap.

 

[munstermuffin]

Mafi's performance was also due to Johne Murphy been a good influence on him