Positives for next year

[u/Aggressive-Tackle-80]

Im sick of all the negative talk about Munster

I am looking forward to next year

We have a big lump of a hooker in Marnus

Evan, Eogbo Conor Ryan, in the 2nd row.

Sean Edogbo, Ruaidhain Quinn, Gleeson, Foy

Ben o Donovan to keep progressing.

Tom Wood

It looks shit now but we have some really good talent coming through

SUAF

[u/bernardjackman23]

There’s no point being positive just for the sake of being positive.

We only have a very finite amount of talent coming through in very few positions in the academy.

There are very few green shoots heading into the next year. And I can see things getting worse, much easier than I can see things getting better.

Kleyn is gone which takes even more weight out of the scrum and maul in what is already a seriously underpowered pack.

Beirne isnt getting any younger.

We have serious, serious issues in our back 3. We have the worst back 3 out of any of the provinces by a distance. Nash cant stay fit and has lost speed - and the rest of them are liabilities at Champions Cup level.

Our stock at tighthead going into next year is the worst it’s ever been.

Tom Farrell’s form in his first season has deserted him this season and considering his age I’d be fairly confident we have seen the best of him. We don’t have any 13 replacement for him. Hopefully Carney will come through in a few years.

[u/cypressd12 → u/bernardjackman23]

So a few things you are lining up here don’t make sense.

With Aungier out tighthead stocks look more reliable already, let’s hope we can add Jager and Salanoa to it, but if not a replacement will be added. You are also underestimating the impact of Marnus Van der Merwe as a force at hooker, the scrum is more than the sum of it’s parts.

Kleyn’s off but ever since we knew he was off to Gloucester he only really showed us knockons. The ballast he brings will be replaced by Edwin mostly, combined with a more leaner/ athletic lock.

Beirne won’t play all that much, but that’s not much of a difference to this season. Luckily he is in a position where we do have quality and depth.

We don’t have a 13? Nanks today was arguably our best player, and Kelly has done great as well.

No green shoots? Wood and Sean E already impressed and we have an important playmaking core in the Irish U20’s. If anything we lack a bit of experience even.

Our back three might lack pace, the hope is that the new attacking system post Prendergast will simplify things and focus more on the core strength of Kilgallen and McCarthy (who were both resigned for a reason). Which would mean we two pretty fast wingers again, wou had a faulty system this season. Add in Daly and a young BOC and you have two more allrounders added.

Don’t be too gloom eitherW

[u/bernardjackman23 → u/cypressd12]

Thanks for the reply but sorry I am gloom.

Aungier is a bog standard player. 4th choice at Leinster and 3rd at choice at Connacht. He really doesn’t inspire me with any hope. Jager and Salanoa should both already be retired - the situations with both of them have gone well beyond the point of insanity.

I agree re Kleyn. He has been poor, error prone or injured over the last 24 months. But he still added power to the maul and scrum, and was very effective at rucking and tackling in the tight. You really need two powerful TH locks, particularly as Edwin fades after 50 minutes. F Wycherly, E O Connell C Ryan and Ahern are all too lightweight to replace him. F Wycherly does my head in at defensive maul time - he is so ineffective and headless there. There’s a reason Munster offered Kleyn a one year extension and worryingly we haven’t brought in a replacement after he declined.

I would disagree that we have quality or depth at lock. In my mind, Ahern is our most talented loosehead lock but he is far too lightweight in the tight. And should be a 6 going forward. I hope that E O Connell kicks on.

The green shoots i was referring to were T Wood, Barrett, O Donavan, S Edogbo, Marnus and B Gleeson. Crowley, Nanks, and Beirne are also also great but besides that im not happy. Like where was Hodnett today honestly? He gets completely demolished and is so ineffective agaisnt bigger packs - you may as well just leave him on the wing agaisnt bigger teams because Thats the only place he gets any success.

I am a huge fan of Tom Wood, his passing game is exquisite. But what is to say that next year that he won’t be stuck playing third fiddle behind Hanrahan again.

Huge on Sean Edogbo also - but what is to say that we won’t hamper his development. JOD has signed a contract extension and I can see him getting more minutes than S Edogbo again next season. The guy needs to be backed and played week in week out like Bryn Ward up in Ulster - but im not sure that he will.

Sorry - I was presuming that Nankivell would be a 12 going forward. But that could be an option with Nankivell at 13 and hopefully Eoghan Smyth steps us next year. Gordon Wood i think has a bit about him too - he looks quite promising. And I don’t rate Dan Kelly at all unfortunately. Ever since the Ireland A game Ive really noticed how average he is. He tries bloody hard, but he rarely gets much change in contact, his passing is very off and he is at sea defensively. Anytime he has played outside Nankivell, he has completely botched his spacings and let players waltz through untouched.

Is our game plan that complicated ? We certainly had a much more expansive, sophisticated attack when Prendergast was coaching under Rowntree. We only seem to have one move off first phase attack which has been rinsed and repeated to little effect all season. Front door ball from Casey to Nankivell, back door ball from Nankivell out to Crowley, Crowley pass across to Nash on an angle ie running down a blind alley.