HC Racing Metro Sat 13 13:35 Irish time team # 383

[blackwarrior]

Also, according to Wikipedia and the googlenet they don't have a very tall pack, only one guy over 195cm (we have POC at 198cm man and Ryan at 200cm). Maybe we can disrupt their lineout? They have a few guys around 191-193cm but they're all heavy bastards and probably slow to get in the air. If Ryan and POC are on form I'd love to see them have a go at their lineout. Saying that though, Szarzewski is better at throwing than Varley, more consistent anyway.

I haven't seen us disrupt too many lineouts in recent times .... but now'd be decent time to start ...

[mr chips]

That is one of the best packs we have ever faced. Stuffed with international class. The backs are also pretty stellar ...

Dunno about their pack, but I hear their left winger isn't so bad.

[busby]

Just on POC - So long as he's back to something like the physical shape he was in last season (match fitness aside) i think he'll be just fine. He was poor when he came back after injury in 2010/11 because he was in terrible physical shape after no proper pre season. However i remember him coming back after injuries, like his back problem post 2007, and playing absolute stormers in his first game back. Worth remembering he's only back on game later than PM and Ryan too, who both looked great last week.

I'd like to see POC and ROG have less influence on this game than they were this time last year, and guys like Ryan, POM, Downey, Laulala and Murray to have much more influence. That would be a real sign of progress and development of the team.

Also, well done Billy Holland. I struggle to remember any time i've been disappointed with one of his games in a Munster shirt when drafted in, and he's really going well at second row. Deserves a shot.

[thepunter]

Using Wikipedia and my lunch break I calculated that the Racing pack is 909 KG and ours is 885KG.
I don’t rate Lo Cicero as a loosehead even with the extra bulk behind him (and he isn’t getting better at 36) and I can see both tightheads getting on top and the scrum wheeling.
Their outhalf is probably busy trying to remember everyone’s name right now and I can’t see him having a good one tomorrow. If we get an early try or two I can see them doing what most French teams in Europe do and fall asleep. If we play the wrong game and try to run through their pack, then I can see a problem (Toland has made a valuable point about POC here). French teams normally have both eyes on the domestic league so I’m not sure if they’ve done all their homework on Munster so maybe (fingers crossed) they won’t realise how vulnerable we are defensively around the 10 channel.
Anyway here’s the individual pack weights according to Wikipedia and Munster Rugby

Shirt No Racing Munster 8 109 kg 108 KG 7 122 Kg 108 kg 6 104 kg 113 kg 5 120 kg 110 kg 4 118 kg 109 KG 3 121 kg 115 KG 2 102 kg 110 KG 1 113 kg 112 KG Total 909KG 885KG

i stuck something along those lines up yesterday Brenny; its all been slightly overhyped.

Some great points Hugonaut, but let's look back at last weekend.

They were beaten at home by a middling Montpellier side (remember, the home top14 game is more important to them than this game) and the week before they were beaten by a big margin away at new boys Grenoble. The following pack weights in opposition in the Montpellier home game;

Starting packs-

Racing 794 kg v Monty 915 kg.

Replacements that came on in the pack

Racing 350 v Montpellier 315

The weights didn't make that much of a difference as Racing with the smaller pack would have won that game bar a charge-down.

The All Blacks packed down against the South Africans last weekend giving away over 5okg in weight difference. Didn't matter there.



Now their big men like SA came on in the second half and couldn't do a thing to get the win back after going down to a fortuitous Monty try. They might be be big men, but they're not THAT big, and they're not THAT good. Looking at Munster's starting 8 this weekend, I can't see it being below 750-800 kg's - they're better ball players, and they're far more motivated.

They have had four different penalty kickers since the start of the season and their two best are out, they can't put away try chances, and there's confusion at ten. They're concentrated on the TOP14 (of that there is no doubt) and they just had an awful slog in the rain against Mamuka Gorgodze's armpits.

[SlamChamps09]

Why do you have to be insulting in your retorts of EVERY post.
That is nowhere near one of the best packs we have ever faced, you are exagerating beyond belief.
Yes I like you watch the Top 14 in France, and they are not the best pack in France, nowhere near it..Toulouse, Montpelier, Toulon, Clermont and Castres are all better.
We were in a worse off position at this time last year, and beat Northampton & Castres.
Racing MEtro have only won 3 of the last 12 games in this competition.
We have some very hard nuts, in Varley, BJ, POC, Holland, Ryan & O'Mahony, not to mention our own Crash Bang Wallop merchant at 12.
No matter how badly ROG is off-form at the moment, I'd still take him over an English reject who has just stepped off the plane to play Out-Half.
Stop blowing Racing Metro up into something they are not.
They are a hard team, but I would rather face Racing than the aforementioned French teams.

I bet Racing are probably thinking thank god it's not Ulster or Leinster. They will be thinking this Munster side cannot cope with decent frontrows and is not a patch on the HC winning Munster teams. What has the current Munster team done that we should be frightened about? They will notice Munster have lost their best strike runner, and are playing their best forward with 0 mins game time under his belt. Racing will fancy their chances of bullying the Munster pack and if they do would it be a surprise. Munster could win but I am struggling to see how. Munster are at the start of the revival not at the end.

[RED 49]

my hopes for the weekend munster wise
a win,poc to come through game injury free,rog to rise to occasion and prove life left in him yet,no yellow or red cards and felix jones to catch a break and come through weekend ok and go on to have an injury free season

[Cowboy]

Slaphead Jackman stated that we should we win this weekend in Paris just now on the George Hook. He believes that they are ripe for the taking, that their camp is in disarray, whether that is true or not remains to be seen. He also said that they ran them off the field when they beat them recently in the French league. They might be big he said, but fitness is not a strong point.

[thepunter]

I just realised why the pitch was so bad last week In the Aviva

- they were laying the groundwork (see what I did there) for the Germans tonight. If the Germans cry foul at the ground tearing up, the FAI will have last week as cover.

john Delaney isn't such a berk after all.

[thepunter]

Slaphead Jackman stated that we should we win this weekend in Paris just now on the George Hook. He believes that they are ripe for the taking, that their camp is in disarray, whether that is true or not remains to be seen. He also said that they ran them off the field when they beat them recently in the French league. They might be big he said, but fitness is not a strong point.

Bernard has been reading me on here all week it seems

[thepunter]

Ferris out tonight injured.

[the plastic paddy]

Ferris out tonight injured.

That sounds very ominous!!!

[Piquet]

Nope.I hear its awfully cold in Birr. Is that true?

Jaysus, you have me there, I've never heard that one before. I'll have to check.

[East Terrace]

Today's Irish Times article by Liam Toland is very interesting. Basically, the headline is Munster are fully committed to the wide game. And that's my problem. So too was McGahan. I have no problem with the wide game, as long as it is PART of what we do. In football terms I want Munster to get to Total Rugby, not bastardised Rugby League where as McGahan has proven, we are completely obvious. I remain hopeful, based on Penney's track record for change, that he will see that. Racing may or may not beat us, I'm off to Paris for a good time nontheless !

Actually what I found most interesting about Toland's article was the conflicting headline and content. Headline: Munster are fully comitted to the wide game. Content: Leinster's attack patterns, Leinster's attack patterns, Munster go wide, Leinster's attack patterns!

[Nuts]

Anyone heading Dublin Beauvais in the morning

[thepunter]

lads a bit of value possibly for us. Zebo 11/1 for top pool tryscorer. Strettle ahead of him tells me PP haven't really thought this one through. Ive a tenner on it anyway

[Evil Omer]

The wife will be thrilled to hear ill be watching Rugby for the day tomorrow.. The dog house awaits!

have you got sky in it?

[thepunter]

The wife will be thrilled to hear ill be watching Rugby for the day tomorrow.. The dog house awaits!

have you got sky in it?

did you not hear about Sky's latest special offer? An extra free doggie-box for all new customers

[isola ciarrai]

We just do not know, do we? It is a step into the dark but we had some wonderful performances last season as well as the poor ones, and have strengthened in the centre but will miss Cawlin tomorrow. I await with bated breath. I hope for a win but a point is essential.
Big X factor is POCs real fitness. RP has pretty much left it up to himself to decide on that issue. Hope both men are rewarded with a positive performance for their maturity.
Thing about ROG, POC, Dougie, is their perspective on things and their ability to rise above it all. They will help settle the younger players and drive them on. Given enough decent and quick ball, Zebo, Keatley, Casey, Dougie could run riot.
Performance by Dougall at 7 will be a key sector for us, as will be DR at 6 - can he do a Northampton/Milton Keynes on it?

[blackwarrior]

The real season is upon us. For Racing, it seems to be a big deal hosting Munster in Paris. So let's give them a BIG Munster performance and show them who are the Lords of the HEC...

POM & Ryan to shock them, POC & ROG to awe them,
Casey & Downey to kill them off and Keatley to consign them.

[the plastic paddy]

Gwan Munster in Plymouth and Paris!!!!!!!!!!!!

[taz]

The real season is upon us. For Racing, it seems to be a big deal hosting Munster in Paris. So let's give them a BIG Munster performance and show them who are the Lords of the HEC...

POM & Ryan to shock them, POC & ROG to awe them,
Casey & Downey to kill them off and Keatley to consign them.

Lets just beat them...

[Sketchy]

Think ROG linking with Keatley on the second wave is key. Worked well against Dragons. Something Hurley hasn't really excelled at from FB.

POC is going to be rusty and a bit clumsy given his long lay off. Would rather see him stick to the tough grunt work up front as opposed to a link man in the backs.

Botha and Varley to fight like dogs on the deck.

POM to have a few barnstorming runs.

Downey and Casey to smash and offload.

And Zebo to exploit all those monster forwards that end up in the line on 2nd and 3rd phases.

Off to bed now... heading to the match in the morning. I plan on not being able to talk at the final whistle!

Keep the faith...

[megladon]

Really looking forward to tomorrow,if we can hold our own up front i think we can nick this one,im goin to the local to view it anyway nerves will need a good drenching.gwan munster

[thepunter]

have to say i'm getting a bit more nervous closer to kick off....still confident of a Munster win though once they turn up

[brightspark]

To be honest I'm dreading this match. They will do what the o' s and ladyboys did to us and beat us up in the pack.
We will not be able to do anything about it.
it looks like a bit of desperation by penny to play POC from the off. He obviously realised that he needs POc from the off or else it would get ugly. I wouldn't do it any different myself.

having Ryan at six will help. Having ROG at 10 will not. But with Downey outside him, it might not be as obviouss last week.
racing will do everything to slow down the game to suit their big pack.
the worst thing we can do is not take them on up front, as that will show weakness and encourage racing even more to stick to their " plan A"

We have to get racing to abandon plan A and try to spread the ball, which is where they are at their least effective.
We can win, if we impose our gameplan on racing without reverting to Mcgahan ball.
Sounds like a cliche but the game will be won by whoever dominates in the front five. If we get parity, we can win.

GWAAAAANN MUNSTERRRRRRRR!!!!!

[Cowboy]

I'd agree with a lot of the Brightspark but my only consolation is that I don't perceive Racing to be nearly as good as Osprets or Leinster, so hopefully we can hold on a bit longer and sneak home with a losing bonus or even something greater if we are lucky.

Jackmans interview on Hook last night heartened me a bit, if their club is in disarray then we are the team to bate them for it is a most harmonious camp Rob has nurtured. I think we got a taste if the required level last week and finishing the match we were not far off what's needed. The key is to START at that level today and remain there for a full 80.

Mumhan Abu.

[daveyreidy]

I fear I may have got my Gwan Munster in a fraction early last week. (Monday) So I decided to restrain myself until now.

I have mixed feelings about this one as I think most people have. At least we are playing with an inside and outside centre partnership. I think though it may be a bit hard on DOC2.0 Ryans experience and the loss of DOC made that decision for me. It remains to be seen how match fit Paulie is but I reckon he will go alright. If he gets a good blow out for 50-55 mins I would be happy. I really hope Killer has a decent game, it is a big step up from Rabo Level but the experience of last week is immeasurable, where he didn't do too bad against Ross. It is probably a little hard on Hurley at Fullback also but with Keatley's extra pace and kicking ability along with the fact that Racing tend to kick a lot, it will hopefully be justified. A loss would not be the end but we do need to bring some points home, 5 would be great but 1 is a must.

Anyway here we go....

GWAN MUNSTER!

[sewa]

Jesus, your a moaning bastard

Far from being a moaning bastard its actually an accurate reflection of the French side, very strong pack with a quality backline. I'd make them favourites

[sewa]

Which is fair, and a niggling doubt I share: but at least you're not claiming that the team not even in the top half of the T14 have one of the best packs that we've faced - when we've faced the All Blacks, Leicester in their pomp, Clermont, Saracens, Wasps at their peak, Toulouse, the Ospreys, etc., etc...

That was a previous version of this team with POC match fit and the likes of Wally, Leamy, Fla and Bull

[overthehillprop]

Think ROG linking with Keatley on the second wave is key. Worked well against Dragons. Something Hurley hasn't really excelled at from FB.

POC is going to be rusty and a bit clumsy given his long lay off. Would rather see him stick to the tough grunt work up front as opposed to a link man in the backs.

Botha and Varley to fight like dogs on the deck.

POM to have a few barnstorming runs.

Downey and Casey to smash and offload.

And Zebo to exploit all those monster forwards that end up in the line on 2nd and 3rd phases.

Off to bed now... heading to the match in the morning. I plan on not being able to talk at the final whistle!

Keep the faith...

I think you're right about exploiting the Racing forwards with our quicker backs and retaining the ball through multiple phases while moving their pack around will be key. To do that we need Keatley to pop up at first receiver quite a bit and on the defensive side of things we need to ensure Racing don't exploit the 10 channel as much as Leinster did last week. I really hope this doesn't end up as 15 vs 14 as we try to hide ROG in both attack and defence.