Munster Rugby 2012-13

RogueXV wrote:

sea_point wrote: This crap of playing our InterPro game in Cork is really P*ss*ng me off now, especially when tickets for the game will still be on Sale at the gate tomorrow. If it was in Limerick there'd be closer to a capacity crown in a ground two and a half times the size...

And they want to waste money on redeveloping the Cork ground while they still have debt on Thomond....? Madness, absolute madness...

http://www.businesspost.ie/#!story/Home/News/Munster+Rugby+to+sell+site+at+Musgrave+Park/id/19410615-5218-514b-20ee-9fdbe5046167

What's the redevelopment netting them? 500 seats? I'd say if they want to spend their own money on this folly then fine, but actually in the end it will take money for more important things. Years ago when Munster was the "home" of Irish rugby no one was prepared to tell them to abandon the dual grounds farce, you'd think now they would see it for what it is themselves.

It seemed to be one of the main criticisms/queries at the start of the season especially with Penney coming in as an outside voice who wasn't used to the tradition, but he was pretty respectful of it and I don't think much came of it. I haven't listened to any newstalk since the lads left I think it was also mentioned last year when they were 'underperforming' that the dual bases might have been part of the problem. The counter argument was it never hurt Munster when they were winning but at the same time its hard to see how it might have helped then.

400K for that site won't buy them much in the way of a new stand. A shed with a few seats in it costs 500-1000 euros per seat, the Thomond Vanity Bowl and Health Insurance Money Pits cost multiples of that (2000+ and 8000+ per seat respectively).

salmson wrote: 400K for that site won't buy them much in the way of a new stand. A shed with a few seats in it costs 500-1000 euros per seat, the Thomond Vanity Bowl and Health Insurance Money Pits cost multiples of that (2000+ and 8000+ per seat respectively).

ouch- we are bitter tonight!

its been this way since union has been in the province afaik. munster club cups and schools cup finals rotate between cork and limk yearly, hec games originally did also. munster branch are as entitled to waste their money and fix their games in whatever manner same as anyone else. leinster branch are preparing to invest heavily again in a facility that they are merely tenants in with an irfu owned facility across the road. connacht branch want to invest significantly in a ground that they are only sub tenants in behind the doggies and is owned by a third party.
afaik the centralised trauning facility is first on the agenda.

penney changed the training routine. they all train together now afaik but rotate weekly between ul and cit.

sheridan has been added to hec along with james cronin and dineen. not sure who has come out. cj stander must have done something to offend penney because afaik hes not injured atm.

This was all over the Munster Site so I will summarize. Cronin was added as your required to add a front row player. Sheridan got added because Williams is sh*te and Earls is injured so it made sense to add a winger/centre rather than another back-rower.

I know the season is not quite over yet but tonights mauling by Glasgow (a team on the ascent) begs the question; have Munster gone backwards this year? Unlike last year I don't think it can be blamed on the retirement of players. There has been an awful lot said about the new Penney style so I will try not to rehash, rather it seems that the main thing holding the new style back is Penney's own selections? The only chance Munster have against Quins right now would be if the English side vastly underestimates the province. What can be done to stop the rot?

The first thing would be to drop casey laulala as he cost them three of those trys, then you inform Duncan Williams that his services won't be needed at the end of the season. After that... I honestly don't have a clue. There needs to be a clear out and a serious rethink of how they want to play. Downey is not being used to his strengths and him and earls and Laulala don't work. I think someone said that Earls will no longer play in the centre from now on and will only be considered a winger which is a start.

I wonder if there is player power coming in making Penney chose people in certain positions etc? I have no proof of that it's just a theory. I'd give Penney one more season in which he could bring in who he wanted and after next season if there is no improvement fire him.

I thought the same thing about player power, I assume you're referring to choices at 10? I think Laulala has been a disappointment but if 10 and 12 aren't right and if players aren't ready or looking for the offload I'm not sure what he can do. None of that excuses his defensive problems tonight however. Things are probably going to get (even) worse before they get before they get better though; Keatley looked great at the start of the season but has had very little game play since at 10 or 12. If you try to bring JJ through in either of those positions then you've got one inexperienced youth and one mid-twenties guy with almost no heineken experience who's been as close to a year out as you can be without a proper injury. Tbh there are a litany of problems facing Munster next year.

That's part of it and Earls wanting to play at 13 as well. Friend of mine just told me Laulala was a Penney signing as well. Munster don't really have a centre partnership that works at the moment but I'm wondering was Laulala the right guy to bring in especially when you knew you had Downey already signed? There's a rumour on the Munster sight that Danny Barnes is on the way out to, which I think is a shame as I don't think he's being given a chance this year.

LLL wasnt a penney signing but he did play for him at cantebury a long time ago. Aparantly there is a split in the camp between the kiwis and the rest. Penney, mannix and LLL are very close. Axel has been pushed sideways. Part of the problem is that the kiwis are all cork based while axel is in limerick. Thats the politics of it but doesnt excuse tonight.

The basic fundementals of recognising form and ability in players and playing to your strengths are being ignored. If rumours are to be believed hes releasing the players most suited to his style of play this season too.

I feel sorry for Penney - he's trying to change the most strongly defined club culture in Irish rugby, or the Rabo. Retaining Foley was a huge gamble and doesn't appear to have paid off. I don't think it is possible to judge Penney's plan given the resistance he's (supposedly) faced.

(Then again, if they hired Paris Hilton as head coach you'd still fancy their chances against us every time. )

But there hasnt been huge resistance!

He stands most indicted on his lack of bottle. If he really believes in this gp as way forward he should select the players most suited to his gameplan. Players like williams, rog, downey and hurley clearly arent. If you think those players are the best available you have to tailor your gp to suit their strengths. Picking them and expecting to play to your gp effectively is nieve and thats what he has done most of the time.
If we were failing with sheridan/ haugh, keats, jj and luke/ scanlon in backline people wud be more patient. Cj stander isnt even in hec squad for sunday and williams + hurley are!

Did anyone see Lawrie Fisher's tweet? While much maligned at Munster he's still a good coach imo. He said trying to get a Rabo side to play like a Super 15 team was naive. I for one agree with him. Yes you could argue that Schmidt did it at Leinster but Leinster have always being a very attack orientated team so it wasn't that much of a change in direction. Getting a team like Munster who have always being a forward orientated team and turn them into that...well the results speak for themselves.

Apparently Danny Barnes is off to Newcastle. Fair play to him if he is. It's obvious Penney doesn't rate him so he might as well go and get gametime at another club.

Friend of mine is in UL atm watching munster train. Zebo is flying around the paddock and taking full part in everything. No sign of earls though.

Zebo back would be a huge boost for Munster still can't see them progressing to the semi's though, not with there form at them moment.