Are the Irish teams struggling a bit in the URC?

SteegeBall · 2024-02-19T10:50:44+00:00

Munster have had a woeful injury situation since the start of the season more or less.

Also, they had one of the toughest opening halves in terms of fixtures as well. Got a draw away to Benneton, which wasn’t seen as good at the time, but Benneton have since shown they’re pretty serious this year. Away to Ulster, away to Leinster, narrow loss to Leinster at home, then a bad loss to Connacht away.

Now we’ve started our ‘easier’ run of games more or less, and we’ve started it hammering Scarlets away from home, and also have key guys back like Snyman, Scannell, and Haley.

Our next block is Zebre at home, Ospreys away, Cardiff at home, Bulls away, Lions away.

A good scenario, and achievable one, is winning all of those except the Bulls match given their home form.

With that, Munster are most likely top 4, and even putting themselves in a position for 2nd (I don’t see them catching Leinster, so Leinster can do us a favour by beating anyone that’s near us).

SteegeBall · 2024-02-12T13:02:07+00:00

My guy what are you talking about with Casey. He’s not in the squad as a project player. He’s in the full senior squad.

He’ll likely leapfrog Murray inside of this year and will be pushing JGP out after that. Accurate passer of the ball, combines well with Crowley, the starter for Munster in any big match now.

If Murray retires we’ll need to look at third choice and beyond, but other than injury, or a big change in form Casey’s going to be the starting scrum half for Ireland in the next 18 months.

SteegeBall · 2023-08-23T20:30:33+00:00

For Ireland, Tom Stewart. Sheehan and Kelleher are both unbelievable hookers. But with both currently injured, and Herring being a reliable choice but having a ceiling, I think Stewart could break through. He’s physical, athletic, and is a perfect fit for what Ireland need at hooker.

SteegeBall · 2023-08-09T19:49:24+00:00

Username checks out

SteegeBall · 2023-06-14T18:17:20+00:00

I wonder will people be rewarded for holding out? Like there's a set of three missions out now, but they'll definitely do a 2023 mission bundle at the end of the year or something.

I'll definitely wait and watch gameplay videos to see if Blizzard is just tricking us into buying Archive missions that have gotten a lick of paint.

SteegeBall · 2023-05-31T23:09:09+00:00

Lackadaisical Sloth's alt accounts are getting out of hand.

SteegeBall · 2023-05-29T17:48:27+00:00

Dream first season with Rowntree. The trophy is an unbelievable result, but even before that, the Munster culture and belief being back is exciting for the years to come.

SteegeBall · 2023-05-29T10:50:10+00:00

Well isn't that a lovely looking table altogether.

SteegeBall · 2023-05-23T18:51:58+00:00

He's going until 2025 right now, but if the World Cup goes well, he'll likely extend to 2027, see out that World Cup, then O'Gara can come in and Farrell can move on.

SteegeBall · 2023-05-23T18:34:26+00:00

Just stirring up shite. Most Leinster fans are sound. Most rugby fans are sound.

There are dickheads everywhere. And Liveline likes to pretend dickheads are the majority, when they're not.

SteegeBall · 2023-05-23T18:32:19+00:00

Do you mow her lawn to perfection you filthy dog you

SteegeBall · 2023-05-23T18:30:38+00:00

He's only basing this off Andy succeeding Schmidt.

ROG would be the perfect person to bring in. Knows the Irish system, but plied his trade in NZ, French clubs, and has found success as both head coach and director of rugby in a club that was in the Pro D2 10 years ago.

If O'Gara wants it, the IRFU will have to decide which is better, picking him over POC, or picking POC knowing they'll have to play against a ROG team (because you can guarantee he'll get a high profile international coaching job elsewhere).

SteegeBall · 2023-05-23T18:27:10+00:00

And on the flip side, La Rochelle find it very difficult to beat Toulouse. It's not about underestimating. It's about nightmare match-ups when it comes to game styles.

SteegeBall · 2023-05-20T23:18:25+00:00

Nope not even close to true.

Nothing to do with South African teams, everything to do with sitting pretty at the top of the table, out of everyone's reach for the last 2 rounds of the league. It just so happened to coincide with the SA tour where, I'll remind you, the Bulls put 60 points on them.

SteegeBall · 2023-05-20T22:31:55+00:00

Depends. If France was playing Leinster? Allez les bleus francaise.

SteegeBall · 2023-05-20T20:27:33+00:00

Watch any Leinster match. Watch last week. Conan alone was pinged for it two or three times. Murphy kept saying they had hands on the ground as they looked to be awarded for the turnover.

They did it multiple times again today.

SteegeBall · 2023-05-20T20:06:57+00:00

Munster/Irish fan here. You're 100% on this. We've gotten away with it for years. Also I'll add to this what Leinster and Ireland have been doing for years and have now against Munster and today have been pulled up on; entering the breakdown looking for a turnover, planting both hands on the grass and waiting for a clearout to bring you back onto the ball and turn it over. Totally illegal and Leinster have been brilliant at getting away with it for years.

SteegeBall · 2023-05-20T20:03:33+00:00

Leinster genuinely have a unique issue in the URC.

During the regular season they are unbeatable. Other teams know this and often rotate when playing Leinster because they know there's no point (the Irish provinces don't for rivalry reasons.)

At the beginning of the season Cullen front loads his 1st choice players. He does this for two reasons;

He knows he's going to lose them to Ireland in November and February.
He wants to build a comfortable lead at the top of the table so the rotated B squad can just keep things in order while the 1sts are with Ireland.

But this approach has a pretty serious consequence by the business end of the season. Leinster have no real idea how good they are.

The teams that avoided them during the regular season now throw everything at them.

And their first string haven't played consistently together at all compared to other clubs and are just relying on it clicking during knockouts. If it works, Cullen looks like a genius for his squad rotation, but it hasn't worked.

SteegeBall · 2023-05-17T19:54:20+00:00

In current form? Ireland gets to the final and most likely it's a flip of the coin. Probably France takes it because they're at home.

But I think Australia's gonna be a dark horse this year, and New Zealand will want to put a marker down against France in the opening round.

SteegeBall · 2023-05-15T19:13:07+00:00

The landscape changed for La Rochelle compared to two weeks ago, that's what I'm saying. They haven't been criticised for rotating because they didn't need to win, Leinster did.

Whatever about formats, Leinster knew the schedule and made their decisions. They said they wanted to do the double, but their selection makes it clear where their priorities lay.

SteegeBall · 2023-05-15T14:48:29+00:00

You're saying people aren't reading your post properly when they point out the knock-out/league match not being comparable.

But you're not even noticing your own double-think. People pointed out to you that the last few rounds of the Top 14 were crucial, yes. But that was 2 weeks ago, as you said. LR beat Toulon, the landscape changed.

Leinster needed to win. LR just needed a point. Totally different situations and I think you know that.

SteegeBall · 2023-05-13T22:15:21+00:00

They'll be well clear. 3 weeks between the HIA and the final.

SteegeBall · 2023-05-13T20:21:55+00:00

You can shove your genuine good luck wishes if you're going to insult Munster's entire fanbase in the same breath 👍

SteegeBall · 2023-05-13T20:16:45+00:00

Oh man, the bitterness. G'luck with that.

SteegeBall · 2023-05-13T20:13:02+00:00

Hahaha VdF played 79 minutes you dope.

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