Heineken Cup 2008 Thread

Gloucester-Munster tomorrow.

Munster: Denis Hurley; D Howlett, R Tipoki, L Mafi, I Dowling; R O'Gara, T O'Leary; M Horan, J Flannery, J Hayes, D O'Callaghan, P O'Connell (capt), A Quinlan, D Wallace, D Leamy.
Replacements: F Sheahan, T Buckley, M O'Driscoll, A Foley, P Stringer, P Warwick, K Lewis.

Gloucester Rugby: O Morgan; C Paterson, J Simpson-Daniel, A Allen, L Vainikolo; R Lamb, R Lawson; N Wood, A Titterrell, C Nieto, M Bortolami (capt), A Brown, P Buxton, A Hazell, L Narraway.
Replacements: J Paul, A Dickinson, W James, G Delve, G Cooper, W Walker, M Tindall.

Big game for Hurley, Surprised to see O'Leary & Quinlan in for Stringer & Foley but possibly a tactical decision? Munsters bench has improved a lot this season & offers some options especially in the pack.

very nervous about this game, i wish the game was on now!

surprised at the selection of hurley and o leary but i have every faith in kidney its gonna be tough

nervous about the game myself,i'm in san fran at the moment so i'll be up bright and early for it

lim are you still over there i thought you said you had come home!

some session in san fran for you if they win.....

Is it on tele?

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Originally Posted by micls

Is it on tele?

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Sky Sports 2 ko 5.30

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Originally Posted by pete

Sky Sports 2 ko 5.30

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Thanks Pete

Really shocked (though not necessarily disappointed) to see O'Leary start. I thought Stringer looked pretty sharp last week, but Kidney knows more than me, so I won't worry about it. I think Hurley will do fine, he looks nippy enough and has a good step so might add a bit more dynamism than Payne would. And maybe given it's probably a nice day there (it is where I am anyway) that's no bad thing. Big test for the two of them, but being insulated with such experienced heads should help. For me, that's a big difference between the sides; Munster, individually and collectively, know how to win and perform in the big games. In less x-factor terms, I think Munster also have the better players in crucial areas like hooker, back row and out half.

Being away from home is a huge disadvantage, but in fairness Munster are great away from home so I'm mildly confident ahead of this fascinating, sure-to-be-highly charged encounter. Hup Munster! :)

Any stream of the game online?

<EDIT>

nevermind, got one

London Irish closing out their win. They must have had easiest run to semi final ever? Toulouse will probably best Cardiff & crush Irish.

I would nearly like Glocester to win just to sut up those people from Clare who have jumped on the Munster bandwagon after the Ger Loughnane bandwagon collapsed but could never shout against an Irish team.

Mafi gives away a blatant & unnecessary penalty under posts within secons of the kick off. Patterson misses. Bizarre.

Edit: Patterson misses another penalty from the 22 metre line. :eek:

Half time Gloucester 0 Munster 8

O'Gara kicked a penalty in front of the posts.
Patterson the missed a long range kick (0 from 3)
Some huge defensive tackles from Munster turning over the ball several times. Tipoki has been really strong.
Munster scored from counter attack under their own posts started by Howlett with Dowling going in the right corner. Went through 15+ phases of play.

Edit: 3-16 fulltime
Munster wore Gloucester down with Howlett getting nice try after kick from Hurley.
O'Leary had a great game & Stringer won't get his place back. Hurley also justified his inclusion.
Saracens or Ospreys up next.

brilliant yet again, completely bossed the game, could be our year again!!

Outstanding performance. Gloucester didn't know what hit em - turnover after turnover. Ryan Lamb isn't smiling any longer haha.

I've gotten to know enough about rugby through the various media efforts and while I wouldn't sit down for a match between any 2 teams I love watching Munster. This was a superb result. They have it all to do still though. Hope they can get to the final.

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Originally Posted by paul_oshea

lim are you still over there i thought you said you had come home!

some session in san fran for you if they win.....

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i'm only here on holidays for a few weeks then its back to sunny limerick for me.will have a few to celebrate tonight though

I'd bet on Muster to go all the way now.

Thats the first time i ever went into a game thinking munster wouldn't win but I'm delighted they proved me wrong,great win.

London Irish v Toulouse/Cardiff
Saracens v Munster.

Have to fancy Munster to make the final now as Saracens probably played their own final today.

I'm surprised Saracens beat the Ospreys. I'd expect a Munster v Toulouse final now.

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Originally Posted by Schumi

I'd expect a Munster v Toulouse final now.

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Would be big shock not to have that pairing. IMO Toulouse are the strongest side in Europe although a little less cocky away from home. Saw some of the game today & Cardiff put it up to them in the first half before being overpowered in the second.

What date is the Saracens-Munster game? Saturday or Sunday?

London Irish v Toulose
Saracens v Munster.

I can see a Irish v Munster final.

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Originally Posted by pete

Would be big shock not to have that pairing. IMO Toulouse are the strongest side in Europe although a little less cocky away from home. Saw some of the game today & Cardiff put it up to them in the first half before being overpowered in the second.

What date is the Saracens-Munster game? Saturday or Sunday?

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Saturday, 26 April 2008
London Irish v Toulouse,
15:00 - Twickenham

Sunday, 27 April 2008
Saracens v Munster,
15:00 - Ricoh Stadium, Coventry

I might pop down to Coventry if I can get tickets. They were supposed to be on sale last night but not to be.

Slightly off top but that collision on Stringer last night against Leinster looked horrific. Couldn't bear to watch his head actually shift sideways on his neck :eek: Hope he's ok. He left the field in a neck brace.

He's fine apparently. And so too is O'Gara. Thank God!!!

Looks like same Munster team for Saracens on Sunday but O'Leary the only doubt. I saw the Ospreys game on TV at the weekend & the reserves the best I had seen as in the past usually very poor. Munster must have their strongest squad ever now.

2/1 on Toulouse/Munster double.

BTW Munster will play in red & Saracens in black.

The only change from Gloucester game is Horan starts. Some surprises on the bench. Kidney is shaking things up.

http://www.rte.ie/sport/rugby/2008/0425/munster.html

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Tomás O'Leary has been passed fit to play for Munster against Saracens in Sunday's Heineken Cup semi-final at the Ricoh Arena in Coventry.

O'Leary has been troubled by a neck injury after a high tackle during the win over the Ospreys in Cork last weekend.

Marcus Horan ,who was a late withdrawal prior to Munster's quarter-final victory over Gloucester, is named in the front row.

There are three changes amongst the replacements. Federico Puccieriello is chosen ahead of Tony Buckley, Barry Murphy is named instead of Kieran Lewis and there is no place in the match 22 for Anthony Foley, with Donnacha Ryan chosen ahead of the Heineken Cup winning captain.

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Egg chasers...:D

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Originally Posted by Pike B

Egg chasers...:D

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Hopefully there is a big shamozel. I fancy Tipoki to deck someone.

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Originally Posted by pete

Hopefully there is a big shamozel. I fancy Tipoki to deck someone.

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Hit them with a desk???? :D

i thought you abhorred violence Pete, or is that just in gaelic?! ;)

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Originally Posted by paul_oshea

i thought you abhorred violence Pete, or is that just in gaelic?! ;)

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Like a fly to s.... :p

Would it not have made more sense to edit your own post Pete? Less obvious shenaniganry anyway.

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Originally Posted by kingdom hoop

Would it not have made more sense to edit your own post Pete?

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doh! I am on a roll today :o

* I blame the new location of my desk (no punt intended) at work - need to keep browser window even smaller now.

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Originally Posted by pete

doh! I am on a roll today :o

* I blame the new location of my desk (no punt intended) at work - need to keep browser window even smaller now.

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That some way goes explain your posts.

Short sentence gets point across. :)

Munster were fierce lucky today.

I thought Tomas O'Leary's passing was particularly poor. Ronan O'Gara's kicking was terrible, he didn't find touch once and the kick he missed in front of the posts would have been scored by an 8 year old.

The referee was awful he was constantly acting the clown when it came to scrums and rucks, he was constantly going against Munster.
One example was when Leamy was assaulted during one maul and the prop who attacked him only got a yellow card even after the touch judge advised a red.

Munster very very lucky. Did not perform in the second half. After being so good in the quarter final O'Leary made some terrible decisions today.

When the referee called Munster offside instead of giving them a 5 metre scrum (8 forwards against 6) it could have been crucial as Munster were odds on for a try.

Lets hope Toulouse might more than a few thousand to Cardiff to make some atmosphere.

Hoping my source can come up with a ticket. :cool:

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Originally Posted by pete

Hoping my source can come up with a ticket. :cool:

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Me too.