RugbyRebels

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Officer (yer too old for that shinner - if not, I'll be ye a half!)

Howly Muther a Gawd.

I thought we talked shyte on here, but these two have sunk it to a whole new incomprehensible level. We made more sense when we were talking Wop.

Up yours, m'lud!

Well now, this time last season we were chewing our fingernails over the need to beat Scarlets at Thomond Park to qualify for the last Champions Cup place, while Connacht were looking to have a bit of a party to celebrate topping the Pro12 table on their way to a deserved championship title. How things change.

We have a home semi in the bag and a fully-capped bench with a couple of this year's Lions waiting to stretch their legs. 2/5ths of the Pro12 team of the season will be in the 46 today; 5 of them in red. I'd say we're likely to see them all at some stage; but here's hoping Tyler doesn't take his trackers off and here's hoping that the Thomond faithful give Ian Keatley a cheer to crack the heavens on this his 150th cap for Munster. And here's hoping the twats that booed the man off the park that disgraceful day, have the sense to stay away.

G'WAN MUNSTER!

for next season..... keatley and taute re-signed. saili, mccabe and madigan are off. chisholm and bohane retiring.

Munster: Simon Zebo; Andrew Conway, Francis Saili, Rory Scannell, Keith Earls; Tyler Bleyendaal, Conor Murray; Dave Kilcoyne, Niall Scannell, John Ryan; Donnacha Ryan, Billy Holland; Peter O’Mahony – capt., Tommy O’Donnell, CJ Stander.

Replacements: Rhys Marshall, James Cronin, Stephen Archer, Jean Deysel, Jack O’Donoghue, Duncan Williams, Ian Keatley, Jaco Taute.


The Ospreys team to play Munster at Thomond Park, on Saturday 20th May 2017, KO 6.15pm, in the Guinness PRO12 semi-final, is as follows:

15 Dan Evans 14 Keelan Giles 13 Kieron Fonotia 12 Ashley Beck 11 Tom Habberfield 10 Dan Biggar 9 Rhys Webb
1 Nicky Smith 2 Scott Baldwin 3 Rhodri Jones 4 Bradley Davies 5 Alun Wyn Jones (Capt) 6 Sam Underhill 7 Justin Tipuric 8 James King
REPLACEMENTS 16 Scott Otten 17 Paul James 18 Dan Suter 19 Lloyd Ashley 20 Olly Cracknell 21 Brendon Leonard 22 Sam Davies 23 Josh Matavesi

A real shame to see Cian retiring so young; here's hoping him well for the future. Sad, too, to see Mark is having to call it a day; we didn't get to see nearly enough of him, but I remember a cracking night in Belfast a couple of season's ago when he was mighty.

That's a good 23 for tomorrow, though I have to say I'm worried about the early defensive gaps that might open up with Francis starting.

Is Darren busted again?

Next Season's squad

1. Kilcoyne, Cronin, Scott
2. ScannellN, Marshall, Sherry, Casey, O'Byrne
3. Ryan, Archer
4. Holland, O'Shea, Wycherley
5. Kleyn, McCarthy
6. O'Mahony, O'Callaghan
7. O'Donnell, Oliver
8. Stander, O'Donoghue, Copeland
9. Murray, Hart, Williams
10. Bleyendaal, Hanrahan, Keatley, JohnstonB
11. Earls, O'Mahony, Wootton
12. ScannellR, Arnold, Goggin
13. Taute, Farrell
14. Sweetnam, Conway, Nash
15. Zebo, JohnstonD, Fitzgerald

i don't know what's up with sweetnam... i was expecting to see him in the irish squad this week!

Me too. I can see why Rassie would struggle to place him tomorrow with Conway and Zebo both well able to deal with the high balls and the need to put a bit of experience in there to calm the semi-final jitters, but I can't fathom how he's not on the tour.

This was Liam Toland writing this morning: "Darren Sweetnam – a man I called “Sweetman” for 40 minutes when Munster played the Maori All Blacks back in November – was unlucky to miss out on this summer’s Ireland tour. That night, like the European visit of Glasgow, was as much about emotion as it was about the obvious rugby evolution at Munster. Tomorrow is Munster’s last home game with a whole new set of expectations/burdens that the next season will bring. And like the 14 Lions, Sweetnam also has a carrot tomorrow should he make selection; winning while taming some Ospreys Lions would do him no harm."

Interesting. I'd have Sweetnam comfortably behind Byrne and Stockdale amongst the young bucks, but I'd have seen less of him and more of Stockdale. Stockdale would seem to me to have more of an upside - runs better angles and is stronger in the tackle and is quicker - but has a marginally higher error rate at this stage.

I'd put that down to you not having seen enough of Sweetnam, Euge. I would take him over Stockdale or Byrne and I've seen a good bit of all three of them.

Eugene Wrayburn wrote:Interesting. I'd have Sweetnam comfortably behind Byrne and Stockdale amongst the young bucks, but I'd have seen less of him and more of Stockdale. Stockdale would seem to me to have more of an upside - runs better angles and is stronger in the tackle and is quicker - but has a marginally higher error rate at this stage.

Sweetnam is actually very quick. He outpaced his opposite number (I think it was Lowe, himself no slouch) for a great try against the NZ Marois last season. He is also superb in the air. I would have him a tad ahead of Stockdale at this stage but agree that Stockdale has real potential.

SerjeantWildgoose wrote:I'd put that down to you not having seen enough of Sweetnam, Euge. I would take him over Stockdale or Byrne and I've seen a good bit of all three of them.

Although one would assume that Rassie has seen a fair amount of him and has elected not to start him and Schmidt would have too. I know tries aren't everything but his 8 tries from 35 appearances doesn't seem great. Stockdale has 9 tries this year, on a par with Piutau from less game time.

Sweetnam was the stand-out youngster of our Academy graduates last season and played in most Pro12 games in a dire campaign, hence the modest try return. This season he has been out bar a couple of games after being flattened by a late tackle by either Kirchner or Nacewa (Can't remember, fecking Ladyboys look all the same to me) at TP. And let us remember that we don't tend to send the ball to the wings nearly as much as some of you less traditional (hermaphrodite) sides.

My bro is right, Sweetnam's strength under the high ball is unequaled (Even in a side with Murray, Zebo and Conway who are recognised as being among the best), he is fast (So we are gathering more of our share of restarts), tackles like a bastard and is a real threat coming out of defence.

Agreed he is as ugly as sin, but I'm sure that scares the shyte out of some of your prettier, try-scoring wingers.

Stockdale is, on the other hand, some numpty who can't or won't pass, who gets sprung off the bench in the last 20 to run in a few tries against sides that are so far out of sight that they've given up defending and are thinking they could probably have had that 5th pint before kick off after all.

Eugene Wrayburn wrote:
Although one would assume that Rassie has seen a fair amount of him and has elected not to start him and Schmidt would have too. I know tries aren't everything but his 8 tries from 35 appearances doesn't seem great. Stockdale has 9 tries this year, on a par with Piutau from less game time.

Try not to talk too much bollocks Euge! ROM has 9 tries this year, too and has probably had his best season since coming into the senior squad (I'd have had him slighly ahead of Tyler for the club player of the season) - he isn't getting a run out today. Truth is we're spoilt with a slight embarassment of riches in those positions that get to stand and clap while our pack shove over for the tries.

And another thing, I was just on the Ulster Rugby website checking on Stockdale to remember what he looks like and notice that the language drop-down menu offers French and Italian. Where's the Gaelic and Ulster Scots?

SerjeantWildgoose wrote:

Eugene Wrayburn wrote:
Although one would assume that Rassie has seen a fair amount of him and has elected not to start him and Schmidt would have too. I know tries aren't everything but his 8 tries from 35 appearances doesn't seem great. Stockdale has 9 tries this year, on a par with Piutau from less game time.

Try not to talk too much bollocks Euge! ROM has 9 tries this year, too and has probably had his best season since coming into the senior squad (I'd have had him slighly ahead of Tyler for the club player of the season) - he isn't getting a run out today. Truth is we're spoilt with a slight embarassment of riches in those positions that get to stand and clap while our pack shove over for the tries.

And another thing, I was just on the Ulster Rugby website checking on Stockdale to remember what he looks like and notice that the language drop-down menu offers French and Italian. Where's the Gaelic and Ulster Scots?

We were talking Sweetnam, not ROM. And I said tries weren't everything. And I put the comparison to Piutau precisely because the different styles may make comparisons difficult. But aye, c'est tout ballix.

Don't be dodging the issue here! Why the feck does the website not cater for the Shinners and in-bred Orange-Jocks, eh?

Michelle will have ye shut down when she gets in as FM.

Of course we're both arguing through province-tinted glasses and if LD or any of the aul Ladyboy fans were still around, I'm sure they'd be arguing for Byrne.

And of course, they and you would still be wrong and talking bollocks.

SerjeantWildgoose wrote:Don't be dodging the issue here! Why the feck does the website not cater for the Shinners and in-bred Orange-Jocks, eh?

Michelle will have ye shut down when she gets in as FM.

it does, theres a direct link button to the Just Eat app - curry chips at your door in 30 minutes or your season ticket back

There's another sausage supper button on there n al.

Sweetnam is out warming up.

SerjeantWildgoose wrote:Sweetnam was the stand-out youngster of our Academy graduates last season and played in most Pro12 games in a dire campaign, hence the modest try return. This season he has been out bar a couple of games after being flattened by a late tackle by either Kirchner or Nacewa (Can't remember, fecking Ladyboys look all the same to me) at TP. And let us remember that we don't tend to send the ball to the wings nearly as much as some of you less traditional (hermaphrodite) sides.

My bro is right, Sweetnam's strength under the high ball is unequaled (Even in a side with Murray, Zebo and Conway who are recognised as being among the best), he is fast (So we are gathering more of our share of restarts), tackles like a bastard and is a real threat coming out of defence.

Agreed he is as ugly as sin, but I'm sure that scares the shyte out of some of your prettier, try-scoring wingers.

Stockdale is, on the other hand, some numpty who can't or won't pass, who gets sprung off the bench in the last 20 to run in a few tries against sides that are so far out of sight that they've given up defending and are thinking they could probably have had that 5th pint before kick off after all.

Sweetnam is the Irish Liam Williams. A pair of ugly, stringy boggers, with a bake on them that wud sour milk, who do not look athletic, but are.
(Williams seems to have cleaned up his act this season, I quite like him now.)

Munster: 15 Simon Zebo, 14 Andrew Conway, 13 Francis Saili, 12 Rory Scannell, 11 Keith Earls, 10 Tyler Bleyendaal, 9 Conor Murray, 8 CJ Stander, 7 Tommy O’Donnell, 6 Peter O’Mahony (c), 5 Billy Holland, 4 Donnacha Ryan, 3 John Ryan, 2 Niall Scannell, 1 Dave Kilcoyne
Replacements: 16 Rhys Marshall, 17 Brian Scott, 18 Stephen Archer, 19 Jean Deysel, 20 Jack O’Donoghue, 21 Duncan Williams, 22 Ian Keatley, 23 Jaco Taute

Scarlets: 15 Johnny McNicholl, 14 Liam Williams, 13 Jonathan Davies, 12 Scott Williams, 11 Steff Evans, 10 Rhys Patchell, 9 Gareth Davies, 8 John Barclay (c), 7 James Davies, 6 Aaron Shingler, 5 Tadhg Beirne, 4 Lewis Rawlins, 3 Samson Lee, 2 Ryan Elias, 1 Rob Evans
Replacements: 16 Emyr Phillips, 17 Wyn Jones, 18 Werner Kruger, 19 David Bulbring, 20 Will Boyde, 21 Jonathan Evans, 22 Hadleigh Parkes, 23 DTH van der Merwe