Clermont v Munster

[An Tarbh]

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Clermont v Munster</div>

Well this one is very much the tie of the weekend, Munster's results have been impressive, with only the performance matching in the Sale game.

Clermont are still in with a shout following their away win at Montauban back in October so both sides should be going hell for leather in this one.

Munster will be without Leamy, Flannery and Tipoki while Clermont have lost Nallaga to suspension following his attempt to decapitate Ellisalde at Sochaux.

So it's a return to arguably the venue where Munster turned around their season last year, on the verge of elimination, they managed to stop Clermont getting the try bonus and sneaked a defensive one for themselves. With the pressure off though it could be a dangerous mindset for Munster going into this and one Clermont could possibly exploit to their advantage.

 

[Sir Speedy]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (An Tarbh @ Dec 4 2008, 05:36 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div>

So it's a return to arguably the venue where Munster turned around their season last year, on the verge of elimination, they managed to stop Clermont getting the try bonus and sneaked a defensive one for themselves.[/b]

And ******** to it: I missed that game!
Called one of the best pool games last season 'n' all...

 

[An Tarbh]

Yeah certainly made me eat my words last year, had Clermont down for a bp win and Munster failing to make the quarter finals for the first time in 10 years and what do they, only go and win the whole bloody thing.

 

[Sir Speedy]

Not to sound biased, but I hope Munster lose this clash, so we'll can have what is likely to be a winner takes all affair with Munster and Sale in Thomond.
I think it's safe to say Munster will wrap up the pool with a victory on Sunday, unless they do a vLeicester and lose to Clermont and Sale...

 

[An Tarbh]

I think qualification is in the bag for Munster regardless of the result, they won't lose their 2 remaining home games and if they have to go to Montauban and win on the final day then that's what they'll do.

 

[Sir Speedy]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (An Tarbh @ Dec 4 2008, 05:58 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div>

I think qualification is in the bag for Munster regardless of the result, they won't lose their 2 remaining home games and if they have to go to Montauban and win on the final day then that's what they'll do.[/b]

Do I detect a pinch of arrogance... from an Irishman?
Good God...!

 

[An Tarbh]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Sir. Speedy @ Dec 4 2008, 06:59 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div>

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (An Tarbh @ Dec 4 2008, 05:58 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I think qualification is in the bag for Munster regardless of the result, they won't lose their 2 remaining home games and if they have to go to Montauban and win on the final day then that's what they'll do.[/b]

Do I detect a pinch of arrogance... from an Irishman?
Good God...!
[/b][/quote]

No more a dose of realism.

 

[MunsterMan]

Quinlan may not be match fit either after a 3 week rest. Hopefully it will be 6. Quinlan 7. Ronan 8. Wallace though. One of the newspapers yesterday said that if the Lions do bring an uncapped player on tour Ronan would be the favourite As far as "genuine" opensides go he is the best in Ireland by a mile. If he keeps his place at Munster I doubt he will be uncapped in March though. To be honest i fancy Clermont for this one :mellow: Not in the reverse fixture though.

 

[An Tarbh]

Munster thrive on the pressure of having their backs to the wall, they don't have that going into this game, they only had it in Sale cause they took Montauban for granted, lose this game and that pressure is there again for the return fixture next week and the remaining 2 pool games in January.

 

[An Tarbh]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (MunsterMan @ Dec 4 2008, 07:03 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div>

Quinlan may not be match fit either after a 3 week rest. Hopefully it will be 6. Quinlan 7. Ronan 8. Wallace though. One of the newspapers yesterday said that if the Lions do bring an uncapped player on tour Ronan would be the favourite As far as "genuine" opensides go he is the best in Ireland by a mile. If he keeps his place at Munster I doubt he will be uncapped in March though. To be honest i fancy Clermont for this one :mellow: Not in the reverse fixture though.[/b]

Well I'd still rate Jennings above him but Kidney obviously doesn't if the Autumn is anything to go by and the way he treated him at Leinster.

 

[An Tarbh]

McGahan has named his side for Sunday's match. Warwick drops out of the side with Earls moving back to full back and Murphy partnering Mafi in the centre. In the pack there's 4 changes with Hayes, O'Connell, Quinlan and Wallace all starting.

Munster: K Earls; D Howlett, B Murphy, L Mafi, I Dowling; R O'Gara, T O'Leary; M Horan, F Sheahan, J Hayes; D O'Callaghan, P O'Connell; A Quinlan, N Ronan, D Wallace.

Replacements: D Fogarty, T Buckley, D Ryan, J Coughlan, P Stringer, P Warwick, K Lewis.

 

[DonBilly]

Montferrand are very inconsistent this season. I don't see them defeating Munster. ASM should focus on Top14 only and not waste energy on the H-cup.

 

[Stillknox]

I don't know what to expect of Clermont, sometimes they're pretty good (won over Perpignan, Biarritz, Toulouse...) or very pathetic, like last week with a defeat at... Mont de Marsan ! After the first round of Top 14 they're not even in the Top 4... they seems to be far less dangerous than last year, but this team is still unpredictable, in a very french tradition. And the backrow looks very good with Baby (finally !) at centre, and the Rougerie/Floch/Malzieu triangle of death.

But in every case I can't see them win the game without leaving a BP to Munster.

 

[An Tarbh]

Interesting selection from Clermont, leaving Vermeulen and Audebert on the bench, suprising to say the least.

Clermont: Floch ; Rougerie (cap), Baby, Baï, Malzieu ; James, Mignoni ; Lapandry, Bonnaire, Cudmore ; Jacquet, Pierre ; Zirakashvili, Ledesma, Domingo.

Replacements: Lozupone, Emmanuelli, Audebert, Vermeulen, Senio, Garcia, Esterhuizen.

 

[Stillknox]

Apparently they decided to put a lighter and more handly third row after the forfeit of Leamy, in exception of the tough canadian Cudmore. Vermeulen is not on his best this season (he wasn't picked for France) but he was excellent against Munster last year, so this is clearly a surprise. But he can do well as an impact player.

 

[An Tarbh]

surprising really cause Wallace is more of a threat with ball in hand than Leamy and I'd have thought they'd be looking to combat that.

 

[MunsterMan]

Bit worried about Munster and our injury list. Flannery, Tipoki, Warwick, Leamy are all big losses to our first XV. Add to that the fact that Quinlan has played in a few weeks and that Barry Murphy is unproven (especially defensively) at this level and that we are playing Clermont Auvergne and It's a wonder that we are favourites, even if it is only by less than 3 points. Too close to call IMO.

 

[Sir Speedy]

C'mon Clermont! Smash 'em into the ground!

 

[An Tarbh]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (MunsterMan @ Dec 6 2008, 07:57 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div>

Bit worried about Munster and our injury list. Flannery, Tipoki, Warwick, Leamy are all big losses to our first XV. Add to that the fact that Quinlan has played in a few weeks and that Barry Murphy is unproven (especially defensively) at this level and that we are playing Clermont Auvergne and It's a wonder that we are favourites, even if it is only by less than 3 points. Too close to call IMO.[/b]

Murphy has proven himself as an attacking option at this level.

 

[monkeypigeon]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (An Tarbh @ Dec 6 2008, 07:07 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div>

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (MunsterMan @ Dec 6 2008, 07:57 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Bit worried about Munster and our injury list. Flannery, Tipoki, Warwick, Leamy are all big losses to our first XV. Add to that the fact that Quinlan has played in a few weeks and that Barry Murphy is unproven (especially defensively) at this level and that we are playing Clermont Auvergne and It's a wonder that we are favourites, even if it is only by less than 3 points. Too close to call IMO.[/b]

Murphy has proven himself as an attacking option at this level.
[/b][/quote]

I'm happy with Murphy's defensively I'm more worried about defense of Mafi and Murphy as a combo.