Munster Rugby Blog
My Team Selection
Apr 28th
With O’Connell out for the game on Sunday my starting team would be as follows:
15. Paul Warwick
14.Doug Howlet
13. Keith Earls
12. JDV
11. Mafi ( Looked really dangerous on the wing last weekend)
10. ROG
9. O’Leary (For his physicality) really a 50/50 between him and stringer in my book.
8. Coughlan
7. Wally
6. Nick Williams( His power with ball in hand will quickly tire out the Biarritz pack who seem to fade towards the end of a game)
5. Micko
4. DOC
3. Bull
2. Fla
1. Marcus
Replacement: Varley, Brugnaut, Buckley, Billy Holland, Quinlan, Stringer, Hurley, Tom Gleeson
O’Connell Out!
Apr 28th
www.rugbypicture.co.uk
Paul O’Connell will NOT feature in Munster semi-final clash against Biarritz this weekend. Tony McGahan today announce his side and O’Connells name was an absence from the list.
Good news thought Doug Howlett, Keith Earls, Ian Dowling and Nick Williams have all been named in the squad.
The squad held a training session in Musgrave Park this morning with Tony McGahan announcing a 26 man squad for Sunday. The team will be announced midday Friday with the team departing from Shannon airport on Saturday morning
Munster Squad: Marcus Horan, Tony Buckley, Julien Brugnaut, John Hayes, Damien Varley, Jerry Flannery, Mick O’Driscoll, Billy Holland, Donncha O’Callaghan, Alan Quinlan, David Wallace, Nick Williams, James Coughlan, Niall Ronan, Tomas O’Leary, Peter Stringer, Ronan O’Gara, Paul Warwick, Lifeimi Mafi, Jean de Villiers, Tom Gleeson, Doug Howlett, Denis Hurley, Ian Dowling, Keith Earls, Scott Deasy.
All is not Hunky Dory at IRFU
Apr 27th
It seems there is a storm brewing between the IRFU and Largo Foods over their new Hunky Dory advertisment. The ad features the tag line which claims Hunky Dorys to be ‘Proud Sponsors of Irish Rugby’. The Irish Rugby Football Union has made contact, through its solicitors, with Largo Foods, the distributors of Hunky Dorys, and requested that they immediately withdraw the current advertising campaign
Padraig Power, Commercial and Marketing Director, IRFU, stated: “This advertising campaign is in very bad taste and one which the IRFU would not want to be associated with in any way”.
“Firstly, its blatant exploitation of women is tasteless and base, and quite simply unacceptable. Irish Rugby has a strong family focus and would not tolerate any connection with such an approach”.
“Secondly, the claim that the product is a ‘Proud Sponsor of Irish Rugby’ implies that the company is a significant sponsor of the game in this country, though the IRFU. This is absolutely untrue and a cynical ploy in an attempt to capitalise on the games popularity. By doing so it has the potential to undermine the legitimate claims of the many
genuine sponsors and supporters of Irish Rugby whose investment has been a key element in the success of rugby at grass roots level throughout the country, and of our Provincial and National Teams”.
“In addition to pursuing the immediate withdrawal of the campaign through legal means we are also writing to the Advertising Standards Authority of Ireland bringing to their attention the misleading claims”.
“We would hope that the management of Largo Foods would withdraw the campaign immediately”.
Firstly I have to agree with the Blazers in the IRFU. This is not the type of ad one would associate with Irish Rugby, but I also have to commend the genious at Hunky Dory’s who came up with ad. 10/10 for content.
also a video from the guys at Hunky Dory. Click Here
No Big Screen in Thomond Park
Apr 27th
Thomond Park Stadium have announce on their facebook page that there will be NO big screen in Thomond Park on Sunday. No reason given as to why they did not go ahead with the plan, but a good day out for all the supporters stuck at home has gone a miss.
Free Car Flags
Apr 27th
From www.mrsc.ie
FREE CAR FLAGS – ROLL OUT THE RED
29 Apr 2010
If you are near Thomond Park Stadium or the Munster Rugby Offices on Tramore Road Cork please call in and collect free Car Flags and lend your support in the build up to next Sunday’s Heineken Cup Semi-Final.
Another Blow for Biarritz
Apr 25th
Damien Traille looks set to miss their all important semi-final with Munster next week. Traille who is a marksman with the drop goal got a knock to his forarm with three minutes to go in their match against Clermont in the Top 14 this weekend. It’s reported in “Sud Ouest” that Traille will miss from between 4 to 6 weeks.
This can only come as a boost to Munster as they look to recover from the weekends defeat to Ospreys 15 – 11. Paul O’Connell is still a major injury concern for the match.
Injuries Mounting,Williams, Howlett, Earls, Dowling, O’Connell out.
Apr 21st
Both Keith Earls and Paul O’Connell are still doubts in the race to be fit for Saturday weeks do or die game against Biarritz after they were both left out of the side to face the Osprey’s at Thomond Park on Saturday. Both players have been suffering with groin injuries.
www.rugbypicture.co.uk
In an interview with the independant , Shaun Payne said he was “confident” they would be available, he admitted their lack of preparation would have to be factored in
“We need them training. They can’t go into a game with any preparation at all,” said Payne. “It’s an injury that needs rest and the more you load it the worse it’s going to get.
“We’d be confident that both of them will be available, but these are difficult injuries and they are very frustrating for us to have to deal with. There is obviously a situation where there will be a cut-off point.”
Dough Howlett and Ian Dowling and Nick Williams are also left out of the side for this weekend. Howlett suffering from a Hamstring strain which he picked up in the quarter final win over Northampton almost two weeks ago, Williams is the having injured his groin against Connacht on Sunday. All are expected back for the trip to Spain.
How it’s all playing out
Apr 20th
Now we’re in the business end of the Magners League it’s time to take a look at how its all going to finish and who still have a lot to do .
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As it stands, Munster are in third spot with Leinster and Ospreys holding the two home semi-final spots. Ospreys ahead of Munster on points difference.
Munster must beat Ospreys this weekend to go ahead of them and then travel to Cardiff and get something there too to secure the last home semi-final spot, Leinster are just to far out to be caught. Ospreys last game is the Dragons at home and with no Heineken cup to concentrate on and Ospreys full strength side is likely to get the 5 points from that game even with the Dragons going well. Munster’s last game away is the Cardiff Blues who have nothing to play for but pride.
After the weekend Munster “should” be ahead of Ospreys
(*assuming Munster win by more than 7 and not getting the try BP)
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Table after the last game (*assuming Ospreys win with the BP and Munster loss by less the 7)
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Leaving it all down to points difference. Should Munster lose it’s almost a certainty that they will travel to either Leinster or Ospreys for an away semi but also puts us in a serious danger of dropping out of the top 4 with Edinburgh just 3 points behind. The game on Saturday is almost like a cup game with the loser in trouble of being knocked out, the other has a home semi waiting.
Oh and there is also the small matter of San Sebastian.
Have Munster left it too late?
(likely errors on my part) 
Munster Squad v Ospreys
Apr 20th
www.rugbypicture.co.uk
A 27 man squad has been named for Munster’s Magners League game against Ospreys in Thomond Park.
Munster Squad: Alan Quinlan, Billy Holland, Damien Varley, Danny Barnes, Dave Foley, Dave Ryan, David Wallace, Denis Hurley, Donncha O’Callaghan, James Coughlan, Jean de Villiers, Jerry Flannery, John Hayes, Julien Brugnaut, Lifeimi Mafi, Marcus Horan, Mick O’Driscoll, Niall Ronan, Paul Warwick, Peter O’Mahony, Peter Stringer, Ronan O’Gara, Scott Deasy, Simon Zebo, Tom Gleeson, Tomas O’Leary, Tony Buckley.