According to Barnes & Co on Sky this afternoon (after the Stade game) Biarritz, Leinster and Munster are through to the next round.
I took this as meaning that even if we beat Munster next week, they would get a place in the last 8 as one of the highest losers anyway................
Mind you - this is the time when things get confusing as there are so many permutations as to who will get through where and how etc
I know, but i can hope :)....maybe if i took the team on a night out the night before...playing 80 mins with a hangover from hell isn't that much fun :D
Munster are through because no second placed teams other then Tigers or Northampton can finish higher then them, even if we beat them next week. There is no skullduggery involved on behalf of the ERC or anyone else.
I didn't watch the match. I only saw the result on my mobile. I didn't expect Munster to be taken so close and to be behind three times? must be a little worrying. Not meaning to offend any Munster fans here, but away from Thomond Park, Munster are looking less then convincing - the win against us was by just a whisker and the away match against Cardiff might have gone the other way.
Munster may come out with top spot due to their seeming invincibility at Thomond Park, although any record has to be broken eventually, and why not Tigers? If they don't get top spot in the group then they wil have to fret about an away draw. However, they will have to raise their away performances in any case as they will play away again at some stage in the rest of the tournament, should they progress beyond the quarters, and with Biarritz looking very good, I would fancy Biarritz above Munster and most other teams at the moment. Mind you, there is always the possibility of another HC Final miracle against Biarritz? :roll: :roll: Or maybe semi-final miracle!!
i thought we were rubbish. we tried to play the wide game, the ball was rushed out of the rucks too fast and ROG had a bad day. Our line out was poor and even the great Paul O c gave a suicidal pass on 79 mins in his our 22 that had me rocked on my couch.
But lets face the truth , if you said to Munster fans last October, how would you like played 5 . win 5 and then have tigers at TP last game, i have the hand bitten off me !
be Under no illusions tiger fans, Munster are favourites and in the driving seat !
You may be favourites, but miracles do happen sometimes and favourites can be beaten.
You won't be favourites after the group stage, basically for the reasons I suggested. If you land an away draw in maybe the Semis, you will feel quite uneasy on present away form. Although Munster sometimes play just as well, if not better as underdogs.
I think the Tigers are now favorites for next Sat, despite our 100% record @ TP. Regardless of the result, we will be away anyway, as we don't have a stadium to play in for the QF's. Talks around the Millennium if we draw an English team or the Majeski if we draw a Welsh or French team. We were poor yesterday. Really lacking in the centres. Halstead may miss this weekend as well. Flannery made a difference when he replaced Sheehan. He will start next week & our lineout will be back to normal!
i thought flannery made a big difference alright. its great to have him back and he will definitely keep the lineout on track at the weekend.
i agree that tigers are favourites now. how could they not be? they played really really well at weekend, and we were rubbish. being underdog does tend to suit munster and we love setting up a huge, highly important last game.
its such a shame about not having a stadium for the quarter finals, but it was said last night by george hook that he thinks the irish public will revolt so much that a GAA stadium will be offered to us. he reckons fitzgerald stadium in killarney, but gaelic grounds in limerick or thurles are possiblities too.
Orla, its a pity you can't use a stadium not that far from Limerick centre which holds about 50,000, anyway? Such is the GAA!!
Good luck to Munster and the rest of Ireland with the revolt against the GAA!! You will need all the luck and support you can muster, by the sounds of it!! It would be a travesty if Munster had to play over here for a home game.
We were rubbish against Bourgoin. They played well but Munster made far too many basic errors and didn't show the opposition enough respect. If they have the same attitude next Saturday they will lose to the Tigers. Hopefully Halstead will be back.
Changalangalinglang a ref I don't rate at all did us a lot of favours as well/ All and all a dodgy performance.
