Magner's League Grand Final - Munster Vs Leinster

[lucky number 7]

For Ireland we learned:
- We have 2 excellent 10's
- We discovered players like Jones and Murray are up to big games, and McFadden is really in with a shout over removing D'Arcy
- We have argubally some of best backrow options in World
- We're coming off the back of a very successful year in Irish rugby and the RWC could be a great tournament for us.

And most of all we will have the best looking backrow at the RWC ...Wallace SOB and Heaslip ...Thats a fine looking bunch

 

[Groundhog]

thought barnes wasnt great but he was hugely overhyped after the semi final v ospreys. murray showed reddan up completely but i was always of the oppinion that reddan is terrible. wallace had a huge game along with the hayes

 

[coonor]

I do like Barnes' physicality and he made a great tackle and turn over in the early part of the match. He struggled at times but experience is what he needs.

 

[Groundhog]

ye he has got potential but i think people lost heir heads a tiny bit when he scored two tries

 

[munstermuffin]

In fairness noone in Munster was saying Barnes will be a Bolger to World Cup or labelled him the new BOD. Just simply acknowledged we have a decent centre in making who tackles well. He can be good and fair play to him for taking his chance when he got it

 

[coonor]

ye he has got potential but i think people lost heir heads a tiny bit when he scored two tries

Thats due to the real lack of talent in the centres at Munster. All Munster fans have been praying for a centre that has some talent and when they suddenly found a promising young Irish player they finally had found a talent that could be made into a a very good player and spent his career at Munster. Of course your right as that could well have been just a lucky game but Munster have been so desperate for a centre of any quality that they went nuts when they found Barnes.

 

[munstermuffin]

Lads just watched a rerun of game and that is a stat I didn't realize - People congratulated Leinster on using so many players in season but we actually used 52 players this season too.
As for Barnes he is a nice player and tackles like a lion and will benefit from the experience of last few weeks and continue to improve.

 

[dangandan]

Don't think Barnes will make it internationally. These days you find young centres have an attacking threat that stands out but he didn't show that. I didn't see much of a rugby brain (although he may have one) as i hardly saw him out wide nor was he making an impact near the breakdown. Great he's aggressive but i don't think that will get him far.

 

[durbutter]

Don't think Barnes will make it internationally. These days you find young centres have an attacking threat that stands out but he didn't show that. I didn't see much of a rugby brain (although he may have one) as i hardly saw him out wide nor was he making an impact near the breakdown. Great he's aggressive but i don't think that will get him far.

Honestly know, how many games have you seen him play? 1? 2?

He's been injured for most of the season and is only 21, you can never tell what'll happen in the next few years.

He's a decent prospect, who after only 2 major provincial games hasn't showed the form Spence, O'Malley etc. have after a season of regular starts. Which is unsuprising.

 

[munstermuffin]

Lads it's simple about Barnes. He's the typical centre in the mould of Tipoki and to some extent Mike Mullins and these type of guys we have always had at 13 and have won with.
Danny is a young centre and people are right when they say he won't make it with Ireland because (and this is coming from someone who has seen Danny alot) he isn't as natural at 13 as Spence or O'Malley. Those 2 guys just look so natural at 13 and will be battling for Irish 13 jersey in future as they just have these natural lines in attack. However out of the 3 names mentioned I can easily say Danny is the best defender. Like Munster's past 13's (and I don't mean like Tuitupou or anyone thrown in) Danny is easily capable of being HEC standard and well has good attacking lines, decent pace, good rugby brain and well a superb technique in the tackle. He will benefit from games like Saturday and with a bit more muscle, experience and games he will be a nice 13 for us. As mentioned he hasn't had the best of seasons with regards to injury as he was on verge of breaking in to team before Christmas but he has really bounced back. And the likes of Barnes and Jones (especially Felix) have showed amazing mental strength and character to keep positive through their injuries and put in amazing effort in rehab and get back to level they are at now.

 

[Logorrhea]

I think the fact that Barnes is being disccused at all is a bit sad. Leave the guy alone for a year or two and then make the call.

 

[molloyjh]

Ok, well a couple of days later and the disappointment has worn off. The better team won on the day. Leinster did look tired, but I'm not sure if that was due to the previous few weeks hard slog or some sort of hangover (be that mental or literal) from the HC win. After watching the 2 best sides in the country go toe to toe in such a good game it begs the question, who will Irelands starting XV be? My choice would have to be:

1. Cian Healy - he has steadily improved in the scrum over the last couple of seasons and his work in the loose is amazing, (see his breaks in the Toulouse and Northampton games)
2. Varley - I don't see Fla being available (if he was he's be a shoe in) and Cronins throwing needs work so we're left with Best or Varley.
3. Mike Ross - for the vast majority of the season he has been excellent in the scrum and just look at what he did to England!

4. DOC - I think DOC had a great game against England and tends to do well along side POC, although I would like to see how Cullen and POC do together ???
5. POC - enough said

6. SOB - easily the player of the season in the Northern Hemisphere. His stats for Leinster says it all and he played well in his first 6 Nations too. Is better suited to the blind side.
7. Wallace - I've been a huge fan of Wally over the years and he doesn't seem to be showing any signs of stopping yet. Jenno though as a more traditional openside could bring something different to the party as we already will have 2 great ball carriers in the back row
8. Heaslip - no brainer again.

9. Reddan - tough one to call really. I'm assuming we're playing this "expansive" game that Deccie has been talking about so much. TOL does not work well with Sexton, but with ROG and a different game plan is very effective. Murray has looked good but it's a bit much to be throwing him straight in to the WC I think. From a Leinster point of view I want Deccie to leave Boss at home. With Reddan going and POD off to Connacht losing Boss would leave us high and dry!
10. Sexton - again assuming the expansive game. Jonny offers more in that regard as we have seen this season in particular. But with talent like ROG we can be sure they will be mixed up a bit.

11. Earls - no question it has to be Earls on the wing. While Fitzy has been coming back into form a bit and his defense is excellent, Earls is just far more threatening.
12. McFadden - Darcy has delivered some great performances this season, but also some poor ones. It's a tough one to call, but I think Ferg has just done so much this season he deserves to get the spot.
13. BOD - may be slowing down and going into his last WC but that little move with Sexton at the start of the second half on Saturday proves beyond doubt he still has that edge.
14. Bowe - again a no brainer
15. Jones - I'm assuming Kearney and Murphy won't be match fit, but that said Kearney is heading to the Stormers for a few games to get his fitness up. He's missed so much at this stage I reckon he's touch and go, but I'd select him if he was fit and able to be honest. Otherwise Jones has been impressive and is the best "real" FB we have available right now.

It will be interesting to see who Deccie goes for. I don't see him giving Varley, McFadden or Jones a shot and I would worry he will revert to pairing TOL and Sexton too.

 

[SpanishBob]

Jones and McFadden are still to prove their value on test match level. And I don't think a World Cup is the best place to try new things. Darcy and Fitzgerald, even if not at their best, have that experience; crucial in a tournament like that.

The fullback spot is a concern, no doubt. No bigger, in my opinion, than the scrum-half. Reddan, I think, is an average player. The fact that, right now, Ireland is missing a real talent in that spot. And that is one of the weakest points of the team.

 

[munstermuffin]

Lads we have 4/5 matches before World Cup to test them - Nobody will be thrown in at deep end.
As for hooker spot - I'll be adventurous and say I'd bring Sherry ahead of Varley if we doing pecking order. Sherry is like Cronin only (and this is an opinion) I think Sherry has the much better darts, equal scrummager and is better in loose.

 

[durbutter]

Leinster did look tired, but I'm not sure if that was due to the previous few weeks hard slog

Leinster played 1 more game than Munster this season. One massive game but still only one.

 

[molloyjh]

Leinster played 1 more game than Munster this season. One massive game but still only one.

I wasn't just referring to the 1 extra game, but rather the previous few weeks where we played yourselves, Leicester, Toulouse and Northampton along with 2 inter-pros against Ulster that were very physical and the Aironi and Glasgow games. In fairness most of those were bigger games than Munsters ones in the same period, plus that extra game meant that you got the rest that we didn't. Either way I don't know if that was a factor or not. It could just as easily have been Munsters pure physicality on the day, which reminded me of the Munster of a couple of years ago.

 

[King_D'Arcy]

I wasn't just referring to the 1 extra game, but rather the previous few weeks where we played yourselves, Leicester, Toulouse and Northampton along with 2 inter-pros against Ulster that were very physical and the Aironi and Glasgow games. In fairness most of those were bigger games than Munsters ones in the same period, plus that extra game meant that you got the rest that we didn't. Either way I don't know if that was a factor or not. It could just as easily have been Munsters pure physicality on the day, which reminded me of the Munster of a couple of years ago.

Did you not see the quins game??

 

[profitius]

I think it was mental tiredness and not physical tiredness. Leinster were on a high after the HEC win and the ML came as they were coming down from the high so they probably couldn't get up for the game.

 

[TRF_Olyy]

Most them were probably still drunk from the previous weekend too

 

[lynam1104]

I say they spiked our water got us drunk while playing!